This story is so cute. I love the story line and art style. I like Natsu and Nokoru cute meet greet as neighbors. How that blooms and they become friends to lovers. I love how they support each other. Nokoru is such a sweet, shy guy realizing he can find love. Natsu she confident, flirty, and goes after what she wants. I like there connection and I want to read more of there story.

After falling in love with Kinetsu Yamada's art style with Sweat and Soap, I was so looking forward to reading this one! It was such a quick read, and it was great having such a nice escape.

such a sweet story and a really quick read!! it’s also not very heavy on the pandemic thematic which means you can still read it to escape reality!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for early access.

When I read the synopsis, I thought It sounded really good, I’ve only read a couple of books that have been set during covid times so was looking forward to seeing where this one went but unfortunately I did not enjoy it. It was incredibly slow to get going and I found it hard to follow at times as it didn’t feel like it flowed very well and felt like I was missing parts of the story, I also didn’t gel with the characters at all.

the mmc, an introverted fantasy manga lover, has to work from home due to the covid-19 pandemic and his life is rather monotonous. until one day he meets the young woman who lives next door, an archeology student with a bubbly and energetic personality who captures another's attention in the blink of an eye. it isn't long before the two grow closer to each other and develop romantic feelings for each other.
overall, i enjoy this graphic novel a lot and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes the slice of life genre and isn’t looking for something overly complex.

NetGalley ARC

This was such a cute read! A nerdy guy working 9/5 got his world shaken a little by a grad student in archeology. Working from home due to lockdown with some balcony interactions and finding excuses to talk to each other.

I didn’t know I needed more nerdy romance in my life! Actions will always speak louder than words 🫶🏾

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing an advanced listener copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This manga is really refreshing. I read it in one sitting and really enjoyed it. I didn't find any faults in this manga.

SO CUTE I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. I love how this story took place during the pandemic and showed the complications of a relationship. You can tell a lot about how someone is feeling based on their facial expressions and when that is covered, it's even harder to know someone's true meaning.

Home Office romance was a nice, cozy, covid lockdown romance between a introverted work from home systems engineer and his apartment neighbor, an outgoing archaeology grad student. This was very pleasant, and as a single volume doesn't overstay its welcome.

Super cute! Loved this story and the characters relationship. Izumi’s design was adorable and i really liked how she appears in the manga.

First a big thank you to NetGalley, the Author and the Publoisher for this ARC.

This was just the cutest!!!
I wouldn't have mind for it to be a couple of volumes, I sincerely enjoyed this.
It's not always easy for an introvert, who might be good at reading people but lacks the skill to talk to them, to put themselves out there in the dating world. Neither is it easy for an introvert and extravert to find middle ground. This manga did just that. It showed the awkwardness and the struggles and delivered it in the cutest way.

Home Office Romance by Kintetsu Yamada is a breath of fresh air for manga enthusiasts. Many romances are centered around high school but this manga features two adult characters navigating the hurdles of life and a blossoming romance during the rapidly changing travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since these are two adult characters there are a few mature scenes that might not be suitable for anyone under the age of 18.

Nokoru, the male protagonist, work life balance is almost non-existent until his company’s covid-19 mandates are issued for employees to work from home. Suddenly, he notices his next door neighbor on the balcony one day and soon after their romance begins to blossom.

What I love about this story is that the characters have their unique passions but yet it doesn’t make them self-centered. They have a unique approach to the global pandemic and try to find humor and light during an unprecedented time. The story had me hooked and the artwork for the manga was unique and visually appealing during poignant scenes. It had a wonderful messages about life, love, and work.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was such a cute read, it felt very cozy even with the pandemic in the backdrop. I loved seeing the character slowly get to know each other and themselves.
The artstyle felt perfect for the story.

The moment I saw that this was a new story from the mangaka of Sweat and Soap, I knew I had to read it. Her recognizable artstyle, the easy communication between the characters, the seamless flow of the story, everything was there. A new addition was the hilarious narration, it cracked me up every other page, I loved it. It was also lovely how despite the story being set during covid, it didn't feel heavy, it was actually pretty lighthearted and I really appreciate that. I have an immense love for the low stake stories, and this one is definitely one of them. Overall, this was such a quick, fun read and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

I really liked this cute look into how a relationship between two neighbours developed and grew. The characters were sweet and really create a cute couple. The relationship building is also played out well. Highly recommend this cute novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for this ARC!

What a cute little one-shot romance! The relationship is so sweet in this one. It was so nice to watch their love grow, and see them become more comfortable with each other. Now I need to read the mangaka's series!

Thank you NetGalley for this copy I loved it sm!!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️’s

Like I’ve said before, I’m a sucker for hallmark romances, and this book is entirely that trope. The two main characters are neighbors and find themselves falling in love while working from home and talking on their balconies. It’s a quick, cute read! That being said I only have it 4 stars because it wasn’t a slow burn and not really my style, the characters fall in love pretty quickly and I was definitely expecting a few books to get to that point. I’m excited to see if this story continues given that they marry!! I’m definitely going to follow the author and keep an eye out for any other releases!!

This was such a wholesome quick read! What it lacked in length it made up for in how endearing it was!

In a Nutshell: A manga about a geeky IT guy who discovers love right next door during the lockdown. A sweet and funny story, though it takes too long to get going. The flashback-style narration also doesn’t do it any favours. But a good option for those wanting a light-hearted opposites-attract love story.

Plot Preview:
When Nokoru is told to telework from home during the pandemic lockdown, he views it as a blessing. His job as a system engineer is very demanding, especially because of clientele who don’t know what they want. Working from home comes with unexpected benefits, such as getting to wake up just ten minutes before work, or managing to find more time for hobbies such as gardening and gaming. What Nokoru doesn’t expect is to interact over his balcony with his new neighbour right next door. Natsu, a graduate student of archaeology, is everything Nokoru is not: impulsive, relaxed, chaotic, gorgeous, always smiling! Is there any hope for a relationship between such disparate souls, especially when social distancing is de rigueur?
The story comes to us in Nokoru’s first-person perspective.


This manga is the first standalone book by this author, which he has expanded from a one-shot story about two characters working at home during the pandemic. This manga is written in the traditional format, with a right-to-left story flow and B&W illustrations. (Making this explicitly clear for those who aren’t used to manga but might be tempted by the cute cover and premise.)

Nokoru is a fantastic character, though it takes time for him to grow on the reader. He comes across as extremely formal, even in dating and love. Always logical and disciplined in his approach towards everything, Nokoru can’t seem to do anything impulsively. He is also an overthinker, which leads to his questioning and analysing every single word and action Natsu makes. This leads to a lot of rambling thoughts, which can be either hilarious or annoying, depending on your mood. I have rarely seen a male character depicted with so many inner monologues! Luckily for him, I was in a good mood while reading this. 😉

Given Nokoru’s ultra-systematic personality, it is comically cute to see him stumble and fumble in his roundabout way to go out with Natsu. In fact, Natsu deserves the credit for getting the ball rolling, as is so often true in a relationship between an extrovert and an introvert. The connection between the two neighbours feels organic, though one might initially wonder what Natsu sees in Nokoru. She is such a brilliant character, as peppy as possible. I loved that she was an aspiring archaeologist – not often that we get to see such an unusual profession for a female character in realistic comics.

Their contrary personalities are put to good use in this somewhat episodic-plotline, leading to many laugh-out-loud moments. The fact that Natsu was a student threw me off at first. But as graduate students can be older and Nokoru’s age isn’t clarified, the connection does not come across as having too much of an age gap.

Nokoru narrates his love story through flashback, though we don’t get to see glimpses of his “present”. All we know is that when he is telling us these events, Natsu is already his wife. This was disappointing for two reasons. One: we don’t have any suspense about the end of the “relationship” (After all, it is set during the covid pandemic, so it could have been a tragic romance or a one-sided love story or even a short-lived fling between two opposite persons brought together by the exceptional circumstances. So knowing that Natsu was his wife killed some of the anticipation.) Two: what’s the fun to a flashback story if we don’t know anything about the “current time” of the characters? Other than the fact that the two are married after several years of the events of this love story, we get nothing. So sad!

The title made me assume that this would be some kind of virtual romance between office colleagues who connect online during the pandemic. But as they are next-door neighbours, there are often real-world interactions between the pair. The pandemic is very much there in the background, but because these two live right to each other, we mostly see them without masks. The story does show distancing and travel restrictions, but not the fear and gloom of the era. So I don’t think it will be triggering to anyone wary of covid fiction.

The illustrations are mostly great. Natsu was easily my favourite in the artwork. Her beautiful bespectacled eyes shine as bright as stars. I simply loved her expressions, whether showing shyness or laughter or mischievous innuendo. Nokoru was blander in comparison, though that also goes well with his character traits. The only thing I didn’t like was Nokoru’s eyes. Admittedly, this isn’t an issue with just this book because manga often depict (male) characters with microscopic single dots for eyes. Eyes depict so much emotion in graphics, so having them reduced to such teeny specks is always a killjoy for me. Those more attuned to manga might not even be bothered by this.

The translation notes at the end, offering a detailed explanation of the Japanese terms, are much appreciated by this reader: they are so helpful in getting some of the deeper nuances of the story!

All in all, this manga took some time to grow on me as I couldn’t get an initial handle on Nokoru’s standoffish personality. But once his behaviour became clearer, I got into the groove and enjoyed the story.

Recommended to NA and adult manga readers looking for a sweet romance set during the pandemic. Note that this is clean on-page, but there are references to sexual intimacy.

4 stars.

My thanks to Kodansha for providing the DRC of “Home Office Romance” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I was hoping that I would enjoy this more as it sounded so very me. It's nice but I was hoping for more.