This is such a cute, fluffy graphic novel! I quickly fell in love with the characters and the relationship they developed throughout the story. It was funny, adorable, and an overall amazing story. The writing is enjoyable and I loved the simplicity, yet captivating art style.

I’d love to find more graphic novels similar to this one!

I want to thank Kodansha and NetGalley for this eARC. This is my honest opinion.

ENG: I love Kintetsu Yamada!
Sweat&Soap is one of my favorite series, and I have been waiting for a long time for some of her other works to be published in English or Italian.

Home Office Romance or love in the time of Covid: it all begins when our MMC, Nokoru, starts smartworking. Until then, his bare apartment had only been the place to go back to sleep after an exhausting day. Looking around, he understands that it is time to make it more welcoming, both inside and outside, and on the balcony he creates a lush garden. That’s what attracts the attention of her neighbor, Natsu, an archeology graduate...
Kintetsu Yamada's stories are as simple as they are engaging: her characters are ordinary people, with whom it is very easy to identify; there are no dramas, and everything is extremely "easy"; there are tender, funny moments, others more touching, and, why not, there can also be a bit of spice (not in this case). In short, they are everyday stories which always manage to hit the mark. Adorable!




ITA: Adoro Kintetsu Yamada! Sweat&Soap è una delle mie serie preferite, e aspettavo da tempo la pubblicazione in inglese o in italiano di altre sue opere.

Home Office Romance ovvero l’amore ai tempi del Covid: tutto inizia quando il nostro protagonista, Nokoru, comincia a lavorare in smartworking. Fino ad allora, il suo spoglio appartamento era stato solo ed unicamente il posto in cui tornare a dormire dopo una giornata estenuante. Guardandosi attorno, capisce che è il caso di renderlo più accogliente, sia all’interno sia all’esterno, e sul balcone crea un rigoglioso giardino. È proprio questo ad attirare l’attenzione della sua vicina, Natsu, una laureata in archeologia…

Le storie di Kintetsu Yamada sono tanto semplici quanto coinvolgenti: i suoi protagonisti sono persone comuni, con cui è facilissimo identificarsi; non ci sono drammi, e tutto è estremamente “easy”; ci sono momenti teneri, divertenti, altri più toccanti, e, perché no, può esserci anche un po’ di spice (non in questo caso). Insomma, sono storie di tutti i giorni, che riescono sempre a fare centro.
Adorabile!

Kintetsu Yamada does such a good job writing romance manga for an older audience. I find it interesting that the language of the translation is also aimed at more advanced readers.

The character progression was lovely, and it's just so nice to see characters who are so forward with their affection. There were no long periods of miscommunication or awkwardness. It's very refreshing to read, i like that Natsu is usually the one to take the first step, but Mitsu always reciprocates.

It did get slightly idle at some points. However, I guess that's to be expected from any slice of life.

Your Honor, I love them. <3

5 STARS EVERY DAY, FOREVER. I was absolutely beside myself when I seen my favorite mangaka in the read now section. Kintetsu's "Sweat and Soap" has been ingrained into my soul since I first read it in 2021 (in love with the sneak peaks at these panels when it shows him reading manga). The story was so well executed as a one-shot manga that it didn't feel like we were missing anything. All of the sweetness, love, tension, personality, and growth that I crave in my reads was perfectly balanced here with Nokoru and Natsu. Nokoru, while reserved and awkward, didn't fight the pull that naturally seems to gravitate from Natsu. Natsu knew what she wanted, and she could clearly see that she needed to take the reins so that her sweet boy could thrive. Works like this is what keeps me knee deep in manga.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this wonderful opportunity at an ARC.

There are not a lot of hetero romance mangas with the male love interest's point of view as the singular view, like this one, and it was honestly so refreshing. It was also nice to see the woman make the first move but they're both pursuing each other equally. The way the romance progress was just very sweet and smooth, the two encouraging and delving into each other's interests and passions. I also liked how the pandemic was handled in this, very in passing.

I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS! I can't wait to own it and read it a million more times. I loved the pacing of this and the romance so much. The art is stunning, the story the cutest. I wanted more!!!!

SO GOOD! This mangaka does such an excellent job at making such cute/sweet character relationships. They always come off so genuine and heartfelt. I can't wait for the next work they come out with.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for the review.

This was so cute! I'm usually against anything COVID-related; who needs the reminder of such a dark time? But knowing this is the author of Sweat and Soap, I knew it would be worth the read. I loved both of our main characters, and for a standalone novel, I feel like we got to watch them get to know each other and fall in love in a satisfying way. Highly recommend for anyone who loves a simple romance novel where you're just watching two people fall in love.

Also, I loved the little references we got to her previous series in this.

From the creator of Sweat and Soap, one of my favorite manga's of all time, I was very excited to read this.

Basically a story about two people working from home during covid, and become close since they both work all the time in their homes. They slowly build a relationship that feels pretty organic, turns from small flirting, to a relationship, to full on in love. It's told in one volume and does mostly work though I will say neither character fully grabbed me like the author's previous series. But when it did work, especially the last few chapters, it was very cute and down to earth. Art is also great. It's more a 3.5 but I'll bump it to a 4.

I was already a fan of the mangaka after reading "Sweat and Soap", so when I heard they made another series about working from home in COVID era times, I had to read this ASAP--and it did not disappoint! The main characters have vastly different personalities, but they communicate so well (just like in "Sweat and Soap") and are able to explore and do more things together. The plot, art, and characters' feelings are stellar as always, and I'm always happy to read any works by Yamada.

A very sweet manga showing how a couple fell in love during lock down! I thought this manga was so cute, and I loved all the art and seeing them fall for each other! I recommend this for anyone looking for their next cozy read!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a cute love story. Different from the ones ive read so far. Nokoru-san's character as a software Engineer was intriguing. I loved how we could see his thoughts and how he approached his once in a lifetime love. As an inroverted character myself i could relate to a lot of how his brain worked. Natsu san was also soo cute and i loved her extrovert energy.

There were some laugh-out-loud moments which i really enjoyed. A love story with a lot of everyday scenes and a pinch of humor. This was soo good. Will definitely keep an eye out for more of this author's work in the future!

Thank you to Kodansha and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one-shot!

A cute little romance, slice of life story set during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike a lot of other Covid related media or stories this one isn’t depressing.

It’s a one shot so it’s fairly short and there’s not much slow burn here but it’s enjoyable and fun to read.

I had so much fun reading this book in one sitting. The story hits home especially after having gone through the pandemic and it's really sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed reading from start to end. All in all, I recommend you to read this book for the wholesome plot and finding love where it's been waiting right in front of you all along.

A very cute adult romance!

This single-volume manga starts at the beginning of the pandemic. Nokoru is a systems engineer who starts working from his apartment and gives it an upgrade. Now that he’s spending more time at home, he meets his neighbor, Natsu, a graduate student in archaeology. They have different personalities, but as they spend more time together, their relationship develops,

I enjoyed this a lot! It was very cute, and depicted a mature, adult romance that develops slowly until someone makes a move, and still has all the uncertainties and awkwardness of a new relationship. The two leads, Natsu and Nokoru, are charming characters with distinct personalities and interests, and they encourage each other in their pursuits. Their relationship moments were so sweet and I loved seeing them grow close. Highly recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

This was so cute! I absolutely loved Sweat & Soap, so I was really excited to read this. And it didn’t disappoint!

We follow Nokoru as he begins working from home during the pandemic. Now that he has more free time, he decorates his apartment and balcony. One day while enjoying his balcony space, he meets his neighbor, Natsu. From there, they begin chatting and spending time together.

I really loved the slow burn nature of their relationship, and loved the difference between introverted Nokoru and extroverted Natsu. There were so many sweet moments between these two as they got to know each other and as their relationship grew. Definitely recommend!

A cute one-shot about two neighbors falling in love while they work from home during lockdown that hits all the beats it needs to and some more on top of that. I loved how it addressed the drastic shift in priorities and mindsets that happened when we were all driven to stay at home in such a way that both worked for the characters and the romance and felt realistic.

I also loved the fact that both Nokoru and Natsu feel like real adults, with career worries and abandoned childhood dreams, even in a one-shot, and in true Yamada fashion, their relationship doesn't shy away from the physical side. I loved watching these two fall in love and move into the future and the world together - it's a great exploration of how sometimes we get stuck in the idea of what things should be and it's not always a bad thing to be forced to revisit your priorities.

An outgoing Archeology student meets modern day Levi Ackerman.

This story is Nokoru's way of looking back at the events leading up to how he met his wife. It's modern times and Japan is on lockdown for a deadly virus. Nokoru's office has him working from home, occasionally going into the office once or twice a week. This change was positive for him, as he was able to omit his tiring commute and turn his small apartment into a sanctuary. This also gave him time to meet his neighbor, Natsu.

The two quickly find themselves growing closer, and as Nokoru navigates this new territory, Natsu finds herself bringing her ever analytical and detail-orientated neighbor out of his shell.

This is the same creator as Sweat and Soap, and she honestly never disappoints. Home Office Romance is a cute story of two people finding love during the pandemic. It was humorous, well written, and drawn beautifully. 5/5 stars

I have to admit that I asked for that ARC just based on the cover and the title.
I didn't even check who the author was and when I did I did not recognise them. BUT then I started reading it and the drawing style + the way it was written made me have a flashback from a looong time ago when I started reading those type of romance graphic novel and one of them was Sweat and Soap!!
I knew I was going to enjoy my reading time and I did !

I've don't think that Ive ever read something set during the COVID era but it did help with that story.
The love story evolve fast but it did not bothered me much (it's a one shot it was to be expected)
It was sweet and I liked that it did felt forced on the characters .
The meet out of nowhere, they interact like normal neighbours then became friends and after months start a relationship. That's what I like.

Last time I read a manga I was maybe 15 years old. I just recently got back into it, and this was a pretty easy read in my opinion. A cute story that made me want to turn page after page.