Member Reviews

This was a really cute one-shot manga! I've read the author's previous work, Sweat and Soap, so I came into this with high expectations, and it did not disappoint. I found the main character to be endearing (although a little dense when it comes to romance), and I really enjoyed the development of the relationship between these two. A cute short manga about two people connecting in the midst of a time of social isolation!

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved this. It’s super cute and full of all the warm, fuzzy feelings you'd want in a rom-com. The whole work-from-home setup makes it feel really fresh and relatable, and the romance between the characters is just the right mix of sweet and awkward. The characters are adorable, and the pacing of the romance is amazing. I've only read part of Sweat and Soap, and now I want to go back to it asap.

I highly recommend this one if you’re into light, feel-good romance with a modern twist. It’s the perfect cosy read that'll leave you with a big smile on your face.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved this!! The characters were really cute and I love how their love story progressed. The art style is beautiful and since this is my first time reading something from this author, I look forward to to exploring their other works, too.

Was this review helpful?

This was so incredibly cute!! I saw this in the Read Now section and have been in a reading slump and this was really the perfect thing to pull me out. It was short, sweet, and very cute. Small and early detail but I really liked that the MMC managed to change his living situation by realizing all the things he missed before the FMC came into the story fully. It was a nice way to show him growing with the situation happening around him and also like...not have her clean him up.

but i really liked this!

Thanks to Kondasha and NetGalley for a chance to read and review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for the eARC of Home Office Romance! All opinions in this review are my own.

I loved this one volume manga! I immediately started reading it and I couldn't put down this sweet romance between two neighbors during the pandemic! I like how the characters had to navigate both their busy schedules and how they go about dating when they can't go out on actual dates. I highly recommend Home Office Romance!

Was this review helpful?

Hmm. This one was okay, fine, but not my usual cup of tea. It was kind of boring and meandering. It was “cozy” and I don’t really do cozy. I definitely thought Sweat and Soap was much more fun and interesting. It had more of an actual plot, whereas with this, it felt like an acquaintance was just telling me how they met their significant other and I was just waiting for them to finish their overly lengthy story. 🙈

Was this review helpful?

I really liked the way human relationships were treated in this book, and that the romance was done so well! There was a bit of a slow build, but once it gets going it's incredibly sweet. I really enjoyed Kintetsu Yamada's previous works, as he always does human relationships so tenderly. If you want a cozy romance that is refreshing, give it a go!

Was this review helpful?

I am not usually someone who likes the romance genre, but always have been a sucker for the rom-com genre. Mostly in movies so far but now I can also say that it works for me in Manga too. This was honestly a very refreshing and fun read and I wish there was more of it. It's the kind of read that just gives you a warm good feeling that makes you.long for such a romance yourself.

I would totally recommend this to everyone, even if they are not used to reading Manga or Romance.

Was this review helpful?

Nokoru is a systems engineer that has been sent to work from home due to COVID. Since he had previously only rarely been at his apartment, he had no idea that the charming and fun Natsu lived next door. She gradually pries him out of his shell and the whole thing is just adorable. I love this so much. I don't know if this is the first of a series or if it is a collection of shorts, but what a cute and fun experience.

Was this review helpful?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for an advanced copy of this manga. This is a cute and realistic story about two people falling in love during the COVID pandemic from the creator of Sweat and Soap. While this isn’t Sweat and Soap, it is still as entertaining as anything Yamada has written before. It’s not often that we get a stand-alone romance manga, but this was such a pleasure to read, and I hope more creators turn out projects like this. The art is good as always, but Yamada really manages to capture the magic and tension of finding and experiencing new love in one volume. I think that’s that real accomplishment here, Yamada manages to tell a lovely story without filler, and it doesn’t feel rushed or incomplete. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves romance manga or looking for a love story during a very interesting period. This will have you cheesy smiling and really, is there anything better than that?

Was this review helpful?

Cute manga. I loved the art style and the neighbours to lovers trope!!
Quick read, recommend to anyone who loves a palate cleanser and cute romance.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a cute manga! I loved that it told the whole story in a single volume, it's really perfect for someone who is looking to pick up a quick read. This felt very self contained and complete. The characters were very sweet with each other. They were both really good at communicating their feels, and being open with one another. It captured a time that was stressful for a lot of people and turned it into a sweet love story. There was also little drama in this story that made it a really pleasant read for one sitting.

I also really enjoyed the artwork!

Was this review helpful?

I loved Sweat & Soap, so I was very happy to be able to read this! It's a sweet romance, cute, funny, and highly relatable. I wish it could have been a longer story, but it was also nice to read a one-off manga.

Was this review helpful?

This was so cute. I loved the art style and the characters. The story was fun to follow and a really cute romance for anyone looking for one

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics US for making this available to read for Netgalley members. All opinions are my own.

I have read this mangakas series "Sweat and Soap", so I was very happy to see this one shot by them as well. It's hard to find Working Adult Romances in the mainstream manga sphere so I am so happy it turned out as wonderfully as it did. The illustrations were amazing and on par with the Sweat and Soap Series, however, I liked this story line so much more. As someone who started working from home during the pandemic I related with a lot of the work issues Nokoru is going through in the beginning. Just the weird work life balance that went on when I switched toi fulyl remote. I will say I am happy that Covid wasn't mentioned constantly through the book as in all honesty it would have bummed me out. It played key roles in the plot and led to a sweet ending that I am satisfied with.
There is "gentle spice", but nothing more than innuendos and fade to black. Which I also appreciate as I sometimes just wanna enjoy the fluff of romance in manga. It's a good read to get done in an evening or to savor over a weekend. Would highly recommend to anyone who needs working adult character romances.

Was this review helpful?

I thought this was super cute!! A quick easy read that I enjoyed. I related a lot to the MMC being an introvert and over-thinking small things, but I also loved the FMC and her energy. I thought they were a good balance for one another. The artwork was amazing!!

Was this review helpful?

So cute and so accurate for the glee of WFH and the challenges that come with it. Rewriting the pandemic in a nicer light to show that it wasn't all death and destruction was a nice touch as well.

Was this review helpful?

This manga was just so cute and so cozy. I had to force myself to stop binge-reading it and go back to my work.
Home office romance is a beautiful cozy slice of life manga which feels so relatable. The guy Nokoru is a system engineer working at a company whereas his next door neighbor Izumi is a grad student majoring in archaeology. Due to the pandemic situation, they are told to adopt social distancing and work from home, so Nokoru, made some arrangements in his gardens inspired from his mangas and lack of actual travel and that catches the eye of Izumi. Though this unconventional garden they found themselves in a Rhythm that matches each other footsteps though awkward at first. And it is just so cute though it does get quite intimate later on.
Overall, I love the short chapters and the pacing of the story. I love how the characters merge with each other. I’ll give 4.5 ⭐️ stars. Thanks to #netgalley for an opportunity to review this manga. I would definitely gift this to my friends.

Was this review helpful?

During the height of lockdown, two neighbors find an unexpected love while working from home.

This was an adorably mundane romance, and I loved it. There was nothing dramatic or overly exciting about this - it was just about two perfectly ordinary people finding each other. To some, this might sound like a bad thing, but I found it so cozy. This is the type of romance I love most.

The art style was also great, although I did find the male lead to have the smallest pupils in existence.

If you're looking for a cozy, sweet romance with zero angst, this is for you!

Was this review helpful?

I liked it, although I’m definitely not a fan of slow-burn romance, so I found the last part of the story more enjoyable. The connection between the characters became more intense, which made me feel more invested in their journey. Overall, it was a good experience.

Was this review helpful?