Anime

Why is There So Much A Sign of Affection Controversy?

Why is There So Much A Sign of Affection Controversy?

Isn’t it a wholesome show about first love?

Summary:

  • There's a lot of controversy surrounding A Sign of Affection.
  • It's mostly connected to its characters and their behavior.
  • Shoujo series need more respect.

A Sign of Affection (Yubisaki to Renren) sounds like the most adorable anime experience with its stunning visuals and aesthetics, warm atmosphere and cute romance. However, this is not the first time someone uses the word "controversial" while speaking about it. So why is it so?

Is it really that problematic?

It all started back when the first episode of the series was released, and we knew nothing about Itsuomi. The only thing we did know, though, was how much he ignores Yuki's personal space. Fans called him problematic straight away and decided that he wasn't likable no matter what he did.

But Itsuomi has gotten much better over time. Yes, he can be a little bit touchy at times, but he makes sure Yuki is okay with everything he does now, and he keeps asking her whether he's allowed to do something. Like hugging her, for example.

Still, it seems like no matter what he does and how much better he gets, there are still unsatisfied fans. They call Itsuomi a creep, who only likes Yuki because she's pure and inexperienced. They call his love for learning languages a fetish. And they accuse the man of treating Yuki like a child.

All of that seems extremely weird for some fans. They think that a number of viewers just dislike Itsuomi and they're trying to come up with all types of excuses to make him look the worst possible way. Even when these excuses don't even make any sense.

Oushi and other characters have also received their good portion of criticism. And once again, such words as "creepy" and "problematic" filled up online discourse.

 - image 1

So why is there so much controversy surrounding a simple romance story that's supposed to make you feel gooey and romantic?

Shoujo series are treated badly

Fans think that the reason is very simple, yet upsetting: A Sign of Affection is a shoujo series, meaning that it targets an audience of adolescent females and young adult women.

They feel like women-targeted media are always under more scrutiny than other media. You can have dumb fan-servicey harems for teenage boys, and just a few people would criticize them, but when it comes to series for girls, every little detail has to be analyzed and brought to attention.

Shoujo fans think that such series are generally more disrespected and at the same time held to a higher standard. But the thing is that not everything has to be super deep. Sometimes we just want to enjoy a simple romance that will make us feel good, without hearing about how problematic it is after each episode.

Isn’t it a wholesome show about first love?

Summary:

  • There's a lot of controversy surrounding A Sign of Affection.
  • It's mostly connected to its characters and their behavior.
  • Shoujo series need more respect.

A Sign of Affection (Yubisaki to Renren) sounds like the most adorable anime experience with its stunning visuals and aesthetics, warm atmosphere and cute romance. However, this is not the first time someone uses the word "controversial" while speaking about it. So why is it so?

Is it really that problematic?

It all started back when the first episode of the series was released, and we knew nothing about Itsuomi. The only thing we did know, though, was how much he ignores Yuki's personal space. Fans called him problematic straight away and decided that he wasn't likable no matter what he did.

But Itsuomi has gotten much better over time. Yes, he can be a little bit touchy at times, but he makes sure Yuki is okay with everything he does now, and he keeps asking her whether he's allowed to do something. Like hugging her, for example.

Still, it seems like no matter what he does and how much better he gets, there are still unsatisfied fans. They call Itsuomi a creep, who only likes Yuki because she's pure and inexperienced. They call his love for learning languages a fetish. And they accuse the man of treating Yuki like a child.

All of that seems extremely weird for some fans. They think that a number of viewers just dislike Itsuomi and they're trying to come up with all types of excuses to make him look the worst possible way. Even when these excuses don't even make any sense.

Oushi and other characters have also received their good portion of criticism. And once again, such words as "creepy" and "problematic" filled up online discourse.

Why is There So Much A Sign of Affection Controversy? - image 1

So why is there so much controversy surrounding a simple romance story that's supposed to make you feel gooey and romantic?

Shoujo series are treated badly

Fans think that the reason is very simple, yet upsetting: A Sign of Affection is a shoujo series, meaning that it targets an audience of adolescent females and young adult women.

They feel like women-targeted media are always under more scrutiny than other media. You can have dumb fan-servicey harems for teenage boys, and just a few people would criticize them, but when it comes to series for girls, every little detail has to be analyzed and brought to attention.

Shoujo fans think that such series are generally more disrespected and at the same time held to a higher standard. But the thing is that not everything has to be super deep. Sometimes we just want to enjoy a simple romance that will make us feel good, without hearing about how problematic it is after each episode.