i really like the art and the story. its a cozy romance. A sweet and funny story like the another stories of the author. there’s something especially wholesome about watching someone go through the simple motions of everyday life, with such mundane routine moments offering familiar, warming comforts. i love office romance and i never read a home office romance, so i love this theme. i love the ilustration of the protagonist´s home. a very cozy read because its a story with 0 drama

I loved this book. It was realistic and kept my interest. I'll be looking for a hard copy to buy for sure.

Although working from home is preferred by some, COVID was a difficult time for all involved, but sometimes it opened the possibility for new experiences.
Nokoru is a systems engineer that has been sent home to work during the pandemic. As he works from home, he finds that he had been putting his life and interests on the back burner. He had not unpacked many of his boxes since moving into his apartment, he had lost interest in reading fantasy manga, and ultimately forgotten the things and aspirations that had mattered to him. Nokoru finds joy in being able to indulge himself in sleeping later and reading again. He finds himself spending more time on his balcony, where he meets his neighbor, Natsu, a grad student in archaeology. Natsu is the extrovert to Nokoru’s introvert, but they are both what the other needed. THIS is worth the read!

This was so absurdly sweet. Sometimes nothing hits more than a slice of life story that explores the quiet parts of people's lives, and I think Kintetsu Yamada is a master at that sort of vibe. There's no drama or traumatic events, just two people sharing their passions and their love with each other. I could've read a full serialization of Nokoru and Natsu's adventures. Plus, the art style was simply stunning -- and might just be all I need to convince me to finally read Sweat and Soap. Honestly, I think I'm going to have to order myself a copy of this to keep on my shelf so I can revisit it in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It has a cute drawing style, and the love story is sweet, too. perfect for someone looking for a light reading and something romantic that you can read fast.

This was such a short, fun and cute story, definitely enjoyed how it was funny and still had a plot to follow that had meaning. This is a beautiful story that really flowed and came together for one volume. It gives the reader a cozy feeling with a bit of hopefulness which the main character's living their lives and with feelings you can understand. The romance was chaste and fitting for the short story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this volume and look forward to more from this author.

What a cute and simple romance!

The start is somewhat clunky and unfocused. It's rather apparent that the story started off as a one-shot that is very much a product of its time, the time being the height of COVID-19 lockdowns. This is explained by the author's note at the end and you can tell the story does take a bit to find its footing.

There is a moment where we go full-on into cute romance and that is where I think the story truly does shine and become its own thing.

Personal preference but I really wish the author would draw the eyes on their male characters with a little more detail. In general, the male characters they draw always feel a little flatter in character design than the female characters. However, this does not detract much from the story and works well enough for this story, which is told from Nokoru's perspective.

The biggest criticism is that I would have loved to see more of this relationship develop. The book really excels in its depiction of day-to-day interactions that are anything but humdrum. The intersections between Nokoru's and Natsu's lives are nothing short of magical; these are two adults who can read the room and communicate. Very little actual "drama" except at the very end and it's due to outside circumstances. In a way, it felt somewhat jarring and abrupt pacing wise. I've seen what the author can do with an 11-volume work (Sweat and Soap) so I felt surprised when I turned the penultimate page and it was over!

Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this cute romance.

This manga was the definition of a cozy read. I adored it. I felt butterflies when Nokoru felt butterflies. I appreciated how passionate Natsu was about her field of study.

I felt like I really got to know the two characters early in there relationship. Their acquaintanceship evolution into friendship and dating hit all the right feels for the mood I was in. I totally recommend this short and sweet manga!

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one!

Efficiency boy meets Cluttercore girl.

This is a sweet, self-contained pandemic love story with a simple, yet beautiful art style.
Quietly philosophical Nokoru narrates the story of how he met his wife (spoiled by himself right in the first chapter, so readers can feel at ease that it’s a happy ending) with plenty of dry humor, exquisite vocabulary and unashamed yearning and adoration.

As long as you mute your mic, you can tsk to your heart's content

While most of the scenes take place in the main characters’ apartments, we are also introduced to a candid view of Japanese working life and all the downsides of giving up your time (and dreams) for a corporation.

Starting to work from home and meeting Natsu bring back the light into Nokoru’s empty, gray days and he slowly starts to reconnect with his childhood self, beginning to live a much more fulfilling life. The couple’s relationship develops through genuine connection, appreciating each other’s hobbies and understanding their career troubles.

image: Natsu had a gift for enjoying things

Alongside Natsu and Nokoru we, too, learn to love ancient historical sites and lush greenery, and perhaps even find the urge in ourselves to defeat some absolutely, stomach churningly disgusting video game monsters alongside our loved ones.

One of the most attractive aspects of this manga is how relatable the characters are with their modern problems AND solutions. From upgrading a bachelor pad, through online shopping mishaps, to feeling small and lost at a work conference, we can all see ourselves in one scenario or the other. The author is truly one of the people.

And finally, as Natsu puts it, “It means so much to meet in person.”
Maintaining our connections in this rapidly changing, growing world has become rather difficult. Keeping in touch virtually is one thing, but the magic of physical touch is like no other. Maybe sometimes we do need to talk to our neighbours, even if we are introverts.

This was received as an eARC from Netgalley. I found this storyline adorable, the characters sweet, and the relationship development was pretty steady. A cute cozy romance overall. A couple of formatting issues at the very start of the book where a couple of the pages don't flow properly, especially where the 2 page image is. It's back to front. Other than that, an easy quick read.

Nokoru Mitsuhashi is a systems engineer who has to work remotely due to the COVID pandemic. With more free time than before, he begins to enjoy the simple things in life! After upgrading his apartment to be a usable work environment, he takes a break on the patio where he meets his neighbor, Natsuki, a grad student. This is the start of their relationship.

The story format is similar to How I Met Your Mother, where you're told the endgame at the beginning. I usually enjoy when media take this approach. Nokoru, our narrator, even provides contexts and opinions like Ted Mosby (narrator of How I Met Your Mother) did on the show.

The book has chill vibes. It's a slow burn as you experience Nokoru's introduction into love. How he comes to understand Natsuki's feelings, his concerns for her when he thought she caught COVID, and his feelings of defeat when he sees her with another man.

Since this is a standalone title, the romance isn't dragged out. It's paced very well and will leave readers satisfied. With that said, the chapters don't give a sense of urgency. The relationship develops with each entry. This is a cozy story where you can read a chapter or two a day and leave satisfied.

The romance is handled well. As someone who hasn't read their previous work (Sweat and Soap), this was my first time reading Yamada's work, I wasn't sure what to expect out of the relationships and the romance. She presents an authentic romance between two adults who act their age.

I related to Nokoru's experiences working from home. The mic muting to vent about your coworker's lack of accountability and deflection when they make a mistake spoke to me on a personal level.

He is also a grounded character in his thoughts about Natsuki as a romantic partner. His thoughts reflect an adult's, so the reader isn't getting the mind of a man who is behaving in a frustrating way to the reader like one may see in other romance manga. Yes, he gets into his own thoughts and lets his mind over-exaggerate, but that's something many people do at any age.

What I like about Home Office Romance is that you get to experience the day in the life of Nokoru. His work, engaging in his hobbies, the reader views how he is as a person, not exclusively when he's interacting with Natsuki. He feels like an actual person rather than a self insert or a pure romantic lead.

Since the story is solely through Nokoru's POV, we only get exposure to Natsuki through his eyes. Due to Nokoru's maturity, this approach works. She's not placed on a pedestal like some leads in romance manga do. It makes everything feel authentic.

While I say that, the author describes Natsuki as "bewitching" and I can't help but agree. There's something about her that pulls you in and like Nokoru, you want to see more of her.

If you're looking for a well developed, cozy romance between mature adults, you must pick up Home Office Romance. This is one title that manga readers should check out!

Home Office Romance is a single-volume romance manga that follows next-door neighbours, Nokoru, an overworked programmer and Natsu, a graduate archaeology student, who meet during the COVID-19 lockdown and fall in love while working from home.

Overall, the romance was cute, and even though it is only one volume, I think the author did a good job of creating a realistic timeline for the development of their romance. However, some miscommunication issues could have been easily solved if the characters had just talked to each other about things. Additionally, the art was cute for this one, and I liked the character designs for the two main characters as they look like real people. I liked that Natsu, the female protagonist, wasn't depicted in a sexualized manner, as I often find this is an issue with manga and graphic novels written by male authors.

I liked the author's commentary on life during the pandemic, mainly how the shift to work/school-from-home affects people's lives differently, providing new opportunities while also taking them away. This is something that a lot of people can relate to. Though the pandemic lockdown affected everyone negatively, I liked how the author highlighted how the lockdown and forced isolation provided people with an opportunity for personal growth and reconnection with hobbies due to having more personal time and being more separated from societal judgments and expectations. In particular, I connected with Nokoru's experience of rediscovering a passion for reading, as this was my own experience during the lockdown.

On the topic of reading, I also enjoyed how reading was such a key part of Nokoru and Natsu's relationship. I also enjoyed the commentary on how real-life history impacts fantasy fiction, as I love history and fantasy and love to study the connections between them. I also liked how, through their relationship, they both encouraged each other to make changes in their lives, such as Nokoru encouraging Natsu to read for pleasure outside of her school work and Natsu encouraging Nokoru to travel and how both of these aspects—reading and travelling—became important hobbies for them both as individuals and as a couple.

Overall, Home Office Romance offers a cozy and healing narrative about connecting with oneself and others through reigniting old passions and discovering new hobbies. It also explores some of the difficulties plaguing modern life through the two engaging protagonists and the relationship they have with each other.

Loved it! Loved every single bit of this book. The storytelling and artwork were lovely. The setting of covid-era lockdowns was relatable. I just really loved seeing the way that two strangers became friends and then lovers over time. Wonderful story.

super cute and lighthearted despite the overall theme of a pandemic! I love how this was a realistic meet-cute that emphasized daily moments and brought focus on the smaller details in life.

Thank you Netgalley and Kintetsu Yamada for the ARC.

Home Office Romance is a sweet love story about two neighbours that meet during lockdown. It was adorable watching how their attraction for each other grew over time and throughout their everyday routines.

Despite the story being quite short, I felt like the pacing was slow and storytelling dense at times.

Overall, I'd still recommend reading this:).

I think if you were a fan of this authors previous work (sweat and soap) you'll absolutely love this book. It has the same charm as the previous one..

the topic is topical. good timing of publishing, a few years ago it would've felt too soon. a few years later it would've been too late.

one gripe I have with this author is that the relationships happen too quick. what happened to slow burn and longing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

A beautifully illustrated meet cute story during the pandemic.
This is a lone volume manga that manages to have small amount of character development and a lovely feel. The relationship between the two progresses very fast for an awkward chap . Overall a very sweet story.

4.5/5
Quality of writing: 4
Plot development: 5
Pace: 4
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 5
Ease of reading: 5

I have not read a lot of mangas in my time as a reader and wanted to give something that is not about super strong teens, hungry titans or pirates a try.
Super cute and fast paced. Is it predictable? Yep. But who cares?! Not sure if I would have enjoyed this if it had been longer and stretched over multiple volumes.
I might need to pick us something else by this author.

Review copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first manga I have ever read, and I must say that I truly enjoyed it. The story presents a beautiful meet-cute romance between two neighbours who meet during the lockdown period. At times, I felt as though I were watching a Ghibli movie while reading this manga, as the author masterfully weaves small, charming details about life in Japan into the story. I also really appreciated the artwork, which perfectly complements the story and adds depth to the characters and their emotions.

I would highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy heartwarming stories with a touch of realism, and anyone curious about daily life in Japan. If you’re new to manga or looking for a light, feel-good read, this is an excellent place to start.

Sweat and Soap is one of my favorite series, so I was excited to give Home Office Romance, a one-volume pandemic romance, by the same mangaka a try.

I could’ve really enjoyed this if I’d gotten to spend more time with them or we’d left them as they were just starting to fall. I think that would’ve suited the length better. I could see their chemistry, but we get their relationship as snippets and then we rush at the end. Overall, it was an okay read.