This single volume manga story had so much heart! I fell in love with the romance between the main characters. It was so refreshing to see two very realistic people find love in a slow and steady sort of way; you don’t often see that in manga. I also enjoyed the realistic aspect of having their romance take place during the pandemic; it brought up some of the realistic aspect challenges we endured and did so well!

Overall, I would recommend this to any readers who love romance manga, especially if you want something like Wotakoi!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

A man has to start working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic and after fixing up his apartment into a suitable work from home space, meets his cute neighbor with whom he starts a relationship.
I enjoyed this! It wasn’t my absolute favorite, but parts of it were so laugh out loud funny that I had to like it. The part where he asks her to give him fifteen minutes? Comedy gold. The beginning of this manga was a little slow and kind of boring, but it picked up about halfway through when she tries to turn off the lamp and he thinks she’s coming onto him (which was also pretty funny). The romance parts of the book were a little swoon-worthy as well and even though the male main character was…unpleasant? Maybe off-putting at times? He still ends up having a certain charm that I found at least a little endearing.
The female main character was sweet, although she did give off some manic pixie dreamgirl-ish vibes (Archaeology? A little too far-fetched, I think). I did like how the male main character had to wait for her to come back from her digs, though, as we usually see a woman pine after a man in stories like these. It was refreshing to see the man pine for once. I also appreciated seeing her take her reproductive health into her own hands when buying the protection as I think it’s important to erase the stigma in such matters.
Overall, an enjoyable read that I would recommend to cozy, non-spice loving readers.

At this point anything by Kintetsu Yamada is an instant purchase! I LOVED this one shot. It was simple, sweet and had a little bit of steam.
It's wonderful seeing an independent leading lady take the lead in a romance. I'm a huge fan of Sweat & Soap and seeing they little cameo in this manga made my heart happy.
Thank you to NetGalley & Kodansha Comics for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book knew exactly what it wanted to be and about how long it needed to be. This is a short and sweet romance that doesn't overstay its welcome, but each short chapter gives enough insight into who are main characters are that the blossoming love between neighbors doesn't feel rushed or over drawn out. It was a nice little escape of a book!

Really cute story about two people working from home who took an opportunity to get to know someone new and slowly fall in love!! Sweet and wholesome <33

This was honestly the cutest romcom manga ever! I knew it was going to be a five star read from the first few chapters, and I absolutely loved every single page!

The story is set during the Covid-19 era in Japan, in which the world was getting used to lock downs and social distancing. The book follows software engineer Nokoru and archeology graduate student Natsu. Both are neighbours and usually live busy lives, but when the new restrictions give both a chance to rediscover old hobbies as well as a chance to meet each other and slowly fall in love, it turns out there's some upsides to a home office!

I really loved both the characters (it helps that Nokoru looks and acts similar to Levi Ackerman from AOT) and the way they seem to get along. He's a lover of manga and gaming, his life is meticulous and steady, she's an avid researcher and curious soul who's quirky and kind. They balance each other out so well, and I love how Nokoru is often baffled by some of the things Natsu says, such as how his name reminds her of food.

The romance was so adorable and felt so genuine. I really enjoyed the way Nokoru and Natsu's relationship blossomed, from easy conversations on their balconies, sharing homemaking tips and late night convenience store dates, to talking online and sharing each other's books, I especially loved them spending Christmas together just chilling out. As much as it was cute, the manga also has some funny moments too, and I laughed so much whilst grinning like a maniac.

The artwork is sweet and gentle, and the manga is also a standalone. The story is narrated perfectly and ends with an adorable happily ever after, I'm so glad I found this manga because I can definitely say it's one of my favourite reads of this year, and I'm for sure going to check out the creators other works!

5/5 🌟

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-arc!

I was excited when I saw the author of one of my favorite series had a one-shot coming out in English. Home Office Romance is about two neighbors fostering friendship and love during lockdown. This story encapsulated the trials and tribulations of working from home for the first time. I also identified a lot with Natsu's struggles as a grad student. The romance between Natsu and Nokoru is sweet and develops pretty fast but I think due to their circumstances it makes sense. This story wrapped up pretty well and I recommend checking this out when it publishes. If you are already a fan of the author, you will enjoy this series. If you aren't a fan, start with this one shot and see where it takes you.

This was adorable. Fluffy, low stakes, good characters. I wasn't kicking my feet or anything, but it was a cute read and I think it's a good single-volume story.

In what appears to be a blessing from the get Nokuro, an overworked software engineer gets sent to work from home during the Pandemic. He almost immediately finds the benefits to this situation; he can sleep in, he can read his manga, and he's even had the time to cultivate a beautiful garden on his balcony. And it's this garden that ultimately leads his neighbor Natsu to his doorstep. As an introvert, Nokuro has never been good with talking to women, but luckily for him, Natsu knows exactly what she wants, and it's Nokuro!

This was just adorable from the very beginning, but when Nokuro sent Natsu an Excel spreadsheet in order to plan their dates, I was sunk. The fact that Natsu actually filled it out was absolutely just over the top cute! This was genuinely just a short read about life during the Pandemic, one that I found was a breath of fresh air since so many stories I've read during set during that time frame reflect on the insecurities we all felt and in many cases the true horror of the situation. So it was so nice to read something that pointed out that for some people like Nokuro, it wasn't actually that bad, I mean, honestly, probably one of the best things that ever happened to him!

Overall, it's just a fun little read that'll definitely put a smile on your face!

As always, thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the eArc!

3.5
This was a cute Covid era romance, though they never explicitly state the word "Covid". This is about how two teleworkers meet only because they're neighbors. This story is an interesting blend of office romance mixed with {gender] next-door romance. I liked the concept, and I liked the characters, but something about the overall story didn't fully click for me. I think the fact that it was a stand-alone hampered the plot's pacing. The entire story has to be wrapped up within one volume when it very clearly would have done so much better if it could have at least been a 3 or 5 book series. The romance pacing is the oddest of all, with the start being barely anything, and then roughly 3/4 into the book, it ramps up to them being madly in love. The art I absolutely adored. I also really did like the characters, they really feel like they could be real people. This romance, for all its pacing issues, feels very realistic. That's one of the big points that I enjoyed, was how grounded this story was! I just wish it could have been a bit longer, to really help flesh out the romantic relationship between the two main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 This was sweet.

As a fellow remote worker, I loved this theme so much. I enjoyed spending time with our characters, and watching them meet and develop a friendship over a longer period of time. Their connection felt genuine and I liked that it wasn’t rushed.

It lost me a bit with some of the structure: it wasn’t always clear who was talking/thinking or I’d have to flip back because the dialogue would seem out of place and check what it was referring to.
Admittedly, this is only the second manga I’ve read, but I was surprised at the sexual themes.

I really liked the ending and a little snapshot of the adventures they’d continue to go on together. Overall, this has a nice low stakes vibe, a sweet story, and a great art style. Bonus points for being a full, standalone story too!

Nokoru and Natsu are neighbours, working and studying from home during the height of the pandemic. One day they meet while hanging out on their respective balconies. Slowly they grow closer together.

This manga was very sweet. We get a friendship between introverts turning into a slow burn romance with a tinge of humour. The pacing is well done, and excellently captures the awkward first steps in a budding relationship.

It doesn't feature any flashy dates, but instead focusing on the every day moments spent together like gaming, hanging out. A realistic form of dating around that age/stage of life, especially during the height of the pandemic.

"Weird, isn't it? Being around too many people left me drained and exhausted... ...but in the end, the cure came from yet another person.”

Home Office Romance is the perfect read for anyone who loves slice of life romance stories featuring adult protagonists. Similar to, but distinct from manga like Wotakoi.

Thank you Kodansha Comics and Kintetsu Yamada for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A beautiful romance that builds through-out and ends with a happy ending. However the main character is just so stiff for me, You don’t really get any romantic inclinations for the FMC until 75% through the book and the it’s all romance and barely any story. I can tell this will be a 1 book manga.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

Home Office Romance is a super cute one-shot manga about two neighbours who fall in love during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

I really enjoyed this manga, it has the right balance of humour and romance, and the ending was very satisfying.

It brightened my day, and I think it could brighten yours too, so don't hesitate to pick it up!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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. 🙈