A Sign of Affection

Episode 9

Last week was full of angst, uncertainty, and characters making unhealthy choices at the behest of their deepest insecurities. This week tells all that baggage and heavy atmosphere to go for a hike. Who has time for long-standing regrets when we've got Grade A Certified Cute Shit™ to focus on? All those losers with their unrequited pining can stay in the city and sulk, while the characters capable of honest, healthy communication are having a good ol' time taking in the beauty of nature. Hasta la vista, suckers!

It's a world of difference going from Shin and Emma's tangled mess of misguided decisions to a whole episode built around couples talking things out and sharing their feelings, cutting off unnecessary drama before it can take root. Being free from contrived drama means “I Don't Want to Leave” can indulge in a ludicrous amount of cute moments with our main couple and whatever you'd call Rin and Kyouya's situation. Most romance anime wish they could have moments as universally charming as Itsuomi scaring his girlfriend with a tiny frog, or trying to show off by hand-fishing only to fumble it at the last second.

Stuff like that is endearing all on its own, and in aggregate, it builds a sense of familiarity that makes them feel like a couple. It's funny to see Yuki get nervous over how casual and up-front her boyfriend is about how much he likes her, whether nonchalantly offering her his food during a meal or telling everyone he wants to take her traveling with him. Meanwhile, Itsuomi also takes his promises about communication and affirming Yuki's consent seriously, pulling out their special sign to ask for a kiss, and apologizing when he thinks he might have accidentally pressured her about finding a job. There's also a noticeable increase in their physical contact now that they're dating, though judging by Yuki's reaction to the guy just taking his shirt off, they're probably not ready for any under-the-clothes business yet. I've no doubt they'll get there eventually because everything else here assures me that they have a healthy enough connection to have a good time with any canoodling they may or may not get up to.

Rin and Kyouya don't get any lovey-dovey moments, but they finally cut through the tension surrounding their whole deal. First, props to Rin for putting her foot down with the co-worker who keeps asking her out, not only for avoiding what could have been a pointless complication with Kyouya but also for plainly stating her boundaries when the other guy tries to finesse past an obvious “no” from her. I can imagine other shows where that plot point would have stretched out for episodes on end, but here we get characters talking out their feelings rather than tip-toeing around them. It's cool to learn about Kyouya's history, having been in a previous relationship for six years (which would suggest he's a bit older than I thought, though the fan wiki just lists him as “late twenties”), and that he's looking for a serious, committed relationship rather than just dating and texting. A rolled ankle keeps them from completely resolving things, but having these feelings out on the front street is a big and welcome step.

You wanna see what happens when you aren't upfront with your feelings? You wind up like Oushi, stewing in emotions he's unwilling to verbalize and pretending to play video games on his bootleg Switch because the crush he's always rude to is dating somebody who says he likes her. You do not want to wind up like Oushi. At least as a fictional character, he gets to facilitate conflict to keep things moving, though I'm pretty sure if he sees Yuki at Itsuomi's apartment wearing his clothes, my dude is going to rupture an organ. If Oushi wants any satisfaction moving forward, he could stand to learn a thing or two from the show he's in and express himself to the people he cares about. This episode is proof that doing so is a whole lot more fulfilling.

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A Sign of Affection is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.