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.

This was so cute and felt like a nicely developed single volume. Thanks so much to Kodansha and NetGalley for the DRC!

I really enjoyed the natural progression of their relationship and how forward and honest our FMC was. Had she not made the first move, I don’t know where they’d be right now. But the package delivery scene was both hilarious and chefs kiss. Love women who take what they want. Also him finding a new gig so he can travel? A dream!

As a big fan of Sweat and Soap, I’m so happy to read another one of the mangaka’s work and hope to read something again from them soon!

I loved it so much!!
It was so cute and wholesome and gave me butterflies.
The writing was super well done and flowed so well, and the art was incredible! i adored the isometric balcony drawing at the beginning!!
4.5 ⭐️

Home Office Romance (Telework Yotabanashi) from the creator of Sweat and Soap - ⭐️ 5/5 Stars

Release date: November 12th, 2024

Tropes
💞 Opposites Attract
❤️ Wholesome Romance
😷 set during the Pandemic 
📖 Standalone
Review

This manga is an absolute gem! Nokoru and Natsu’s interactions are marked by open, honest conversations, and both characters are incredibly likeable. The story brings back memories of lockdown but in a comforting and uplifting way, showing how even during uncertain times, love can blossom. It beautifully illustrates that romance doesn't need to be grand or star-crossed; love can thrive in the small, everyday moments too.

I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting! The whole manga has this unique and cozy vibe, making it one of my top 5  rom-com mangas. I need this manga to be an anime so bad—it’s that good!

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

I rarely read one-shot volumes with short chapters but I liked how the story progressed and didn’t feel like it felt particularly rushed. The drawing was clean and not too busy and the dialogue was enjoyable. As a work from home-r myself and someone who loves Japan, I got a lot out of this work. I would definitely look out for further works by this artist!

I picked up this manga because it looked like a short, cute, contained romance, which is something I'm always down to read. To my delight, this manga delivered on every element that it promised via the cover and blurb! There's a sweet, welll developed romance, with two characters that you get to know and learn about with each passing page. I felt this manga was perfectly paced for a standalone, short, sweet story, but I enjoyed the time I spent reading it! I'd definitely recommend it!

This was beautiful. After reading Sweat and Soap from this same author, which is 10/10 one of my favorite mangas of all time, I was elated to see this available here!

I devoured this in one sitting. It was short, sweet, and watching their relationship blossom was beautiful. I got emotional toward the ending, and loved how it wrapped up.

This is honestly the embodiment of 'if he wanted to, HE WOULD.' I loved it. All of the stars.

[Thanks to Netgalley and Kodansha for an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.]

Amidst the COVID pandemic, systems engineer Nokoru has started working from home. This introduces him to Natsu, his next door neighbour, who has all the spirit that he lacks. And fate will take it from there.

This is a charming little romance one-shot from the mangaka behind the brilliant <i>Sweat & Soap</i>, which means it comes in with a very impressive pedigree. Now, it’s not quite that series’ equal, but it’s very good for what it is.

Part of its strengths and weaknesses are derived from it being a single volume. When there’s a moment that threatens to send Nokoru to jealousy town, he kind of just mopes about it a bit and moves on. He’ll learn that he has nothing to worry about soon enough, but I’m glad this gets all glossed over quickly.

And that’s not really a spoiler; it’s revealed right away that this is a story of Nokoru meeting his wife, so we thankfully dispense with the ‘will they, won’t they’ for a change and get to watch these two become close. It also lets the story end off in a more romantic place than just the traditional wedding; it’s a smart little touch.

Nokoru is believably awkward and also a decent lead; most of the story is about him rediscovering his zest for life and travel that his job and the pandemic have stripped from him. And Natsu is the perfect person to remind him of it all.

Now, Natsu is a little trickier, as she has all the makings of a manic pixie dream girl, so she is all energetic and has a cool job and is way into Nokoru, who just happens to be her type because she can see his soft side underneath.

And, to be fair, Nokoru is polite and helpful and concerned about Natsu even before they date, plus they connect over his elaborate balcony set-up and begin sharing books and manga. It’s not entirely that way, even if it looks like Natsu is a trope.

Except there’s also a very helpful design note from Yamada at the end that makes it clear that Natsu’s charms are entirely her own, but based on the notion of a bewitching creature from a folk tale.

I’d normally let that lie, but it really recontextualizes some of the book’s earlier scenes in a much more fascinating way and this is the rare manga that almost benefits from a second read through just to see how that interpretation of the character plays out.

The romance is pleasantly understated and I love that it has the feel of a relationship between two adults. They grow closer and closer, make their intentions known, and then go from there. It’s not quite as steamy as <i>Sweat & Soap</i> got, but it doesn’t ignore the physical side of things.

It’s been enough past the worst of the pandemic that this is more of a reminder of those dire (yet necessary) years where lockdowns were enacted and people could hardly move around. It’s a good setting, honestly, and I appreciated the proper mask use here amongst the other details.

I wouldn’t say the chemistry is perfect, Nokoru takes a while to come out of his shell, but it’s very clear that these are two people who make one another better and this is really a story of confinement to a small space working out for the best.

And, finally, boy is it nice to have another adult romance story. High school ones are fine, but they’re a dime a dozen. This one has such exciting moments as getting groceries or sharing a bag of chips, but they’re so much more interesting because of how less often we see them.

4 stars - really dang good and very recommended. It does a great job with its limited page count - that may not give it incredible depth, but it also lets it avoid some of the common tropes and pitfalls in romance manga.

"Home Office Romance" is a the story of a blooming romance at the height of Covid in Japan, while both main characters are forced to work in near isolation from home.

What more can I say besides the fact that I absolutely loved this story? It made me giggle and kick my feet in the air almost every chapter and that's a very hard feat for a romance, let alone a straight one, to make me feel.

The art style, without being super out there, has an original feel that distinguishes it from other romance manga that I've read, without mentioning the fact that it's also very polished. No single panel or chapter felt rushed out or like a first draft or like this was a second serialized work from the author.

Most importantly in my opinion, the story felt REAL. I felt like the author was really drawing the story of how he met his wife, not reading a romance manga. A lot of manga tends to be very tropey and formulaic, so this one was a breath of fresh air. Neither the problems that arose from their work, nor the conversations they had as neighbors, nor the mental ruminations from the characters felt overdone for the sake of comedic efect nor forced to create a false sense of conflict and urgency for them to get together. And also, because of the short nature of the story (only this one singular volume) it was also told very thightly, every chapter connecting with the next one, nothing being used as filler or irrelevant to the plot.

I will 100% recomend this to everyone I know. It's a short and super sweet read that won't make you feel like you wasted your time for a relationship without chemistry.