This is such an excellent slice of life romance! Home Office Romance features two introverts that fall in love during a global pandemic. I have been waiting for something like this to be written and so happy it is in manga form.

This was such a cute read. It made me feel cozy and warm inside even with the reminder of the pandemic. I loved seeing the relationship between them evolve during uncertain times.

I felt myself smiling a lot while reading this. It’s a perfect read for low angst, drama free, organic relationship.

I'm a recent fan of this author's other series, Sweat & Soap, so I was excited to get my hands on their new title! I love romance manga, and this was totally unique in how it showed a relationship that started during the pandemic, along with all of the hurdles that would come with that. The couple was so perfectly matched in that they were different but got along so well and opened each other up to things they wouldn't have normally experienced. Even though this was a one-shot that wrapped up perfectly, I wouldn't mind a full series following this couple!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for me to review!

There is no mystery here. Just very mundane, very cute interactions between two neighbors caught indoors by a global pandemic, who fall in love! It's a cute read.

All I needed to know to be sold on Home Office Romance was that it was from the creator of Sweat and Soap. I mean, it makes sense. When someone creates something that I love, I will end up loving their other works. With Home Office Romance, this was absolutely the case.

Home Office Romance is a one-shot by Kintetsu Yamada that takes place during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. It was a bit surreal reading a story that displayed the events of 2020 because it still feels like a fever dream sometimes. Although it seems like a minor detail, I feel like the pandemic subplot adds a lot of nuance to the story and drives the actions in small ways. Covid really changed everything so seeing it as a backdrop to a romance that likely would not have happened otherwise was cool.

In the story, Nokoru is a 30-something-year-old systems engineer who starts working from home due to the lockdown. His life has been work-eat-sleep-repeat, so he’s apprehensive about a change of routine at first. Once he realizes how much time he gets back, he leans in and sets up his home office.

One day as he’s out on his balcony, Nokoru meets his neighbor, Natsu, as she compliments his garden. Natsu is a graduate student whose studies are being delayed due to the lockdown. The two then begin an interaction, slowly becoming friendly and then becoming friends, and finally more than friends. Since it’s a one-shot, they progress quickly.

I enjoyed Home Office Romance, particularly because it is through the perspective of Nokoru. Given his age and profession, it’s obvious he is a bit socially awkward and overthinks things – a lot. His viewpoint is enjoyable because it contradicts what is so clear to the reader. It’s obvious from the beginning that Natsu is shooting her shot with him in various ways, but he is cautious not to misinterpret her intentions. When Natsu finally makes the first real move by kissing him, he’s so caught off guard, that he almost misses his chance to let her know he’s on the same wavelength.

As a woman, I love stories told through the perspective of men, especially when they’re down bad. It’s charming to see Nokoru at his big age tripping over himself because of Natsu. He’s so intrigued by her and I love how he sees her. She is quirky but incredibly smart and sociable. She flusters him and causes him to open up little by little. Natsu through Nokoru’s POV is mesmorising and I think it serves to showcase how despite what we think of ourselves, we can drive someone crazy, in a good way.

The only downside to Home Office Romance was that it was a one-shot. On the one hand, it’s the perfect length for a fun and quirky romcom. But on the other, more selfish and greedy hand, I couldn’t get enough of Nokoru and Natsu’s chemistry. Yamada truly has a way with making couples feel so real and relatable, and making their awkward moments charming. I could read a hundred more chapters of their adventures traveling the world together. I hope Yamada will bring them back in the future for more.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Books for this ARC -

It's been a while since I've read a manga, and this one was delightful. I absolutely loved the contrast between the homebody character, Nokoru, and the adventurous sunshiney Izumi. The art style was amazing - I don't think I've seen an art style so detailed in a minute. However, the one thing about manga and graphic novels that tends to get me is their length - it's not the author's fault, I just never feel quite satisfied or ready to part with the characters after 200 pages.

3 stars ✰

nokoru and natsu were so cute in this wholesome, drama-free, romantic standalone manga <33 this was a book with not many events going on (bc they were literally in a pandemic) but for some reason i really enjoyed it? idk sometimes stories with a smooth and easy love that flows is just what i need and this one was really nice. also the art style was so beautiful, I thoroughly enjoyed it 💌

thank you netgalley and the publishers for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review!!

This was such a cute and fast-paced manga revolving around two neighbours connecting during the pandemic.

While most people may think that this is a simple story it was everything I wanted and needed. It was nice seeing the two get to know each other more and watching as their relationship developed over time. The communication between them was perfect and just felt so realistic. I could easily read more about these characters and I'm gutted this is a standalone.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between the outgoing FMC Izumi and the extroverted MMC Mitsuhashi. Although the premise was simple, this was such a soft and sweet romance story between neighbors. I just wish their journey would have continued, as I would happily have read more volumes. It was a very enjoyable one shot.

i freaking loved it !!! 😭

🦇 i don't usually enjoy stories that have covid going on, but in this case it was mentioned so little that i didn't mind at all, it felt believable.
🦇 i loved that the mc nokoru was this awkward guy who loved reading fantasy manga. honestly what a cutie!
🦇 the romance was hot at some parts, i was giggling lmaoo.
🦇 i also enjoyed the fact that nokoru was also a gamer and he played together with his girl, it was sooo relatable.
🦇 also a man flying 36 hours for you ???? husband material.
🦇 his balcony was also goals. honestly i wish i had that irl, i'd make it into a reading nook real quick lol.
🦇 the artwork was also really well done and honestly the whole story was believable. i wish i had more time with these characters though, i shipped them so hard. 😭
🦇 if you haven't read it and want a cute romantic manga, please give this one a try—i loved it so much and highly recommend reading it!

I read my first manga! And it was adorable! This is a standalone rom-com manga about two neighbors who meet on their porch while working from home during the pandemic. A shy nerdy MMC and an sunshine archeology grad student FMC! There was slight learning curve as it took me a couple of pages to learn you read from right to left, and I'm sure some of the Japanese culture was lost on me, but I would definitely check out another manga in the future! There were several translation notes in the back which did help provide some cultural context, which I so appreciated! A fast read! I recommend this to anyone wanting to change things up and expand their reading net!

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley!

Thank you to Netgalley and Kondansha Comics for the ARC of this comic in exchange for an honest review.

Home Office Romance, tells the adorable tale of how Nokoru a shy software developer and Izumi a playful archaeology grad student fell in love during the COVID-19 pandemic, told my Nokoru himself. 

I enjoyed the author's art style, it was cutesy but detailed, showcasing the artist's capabilities. 

While the plot is slightly simplistic in its concept, the story is really sweet and fun to read. Nokoru and Izumi are both nice characters to read about, although I wish we could've seen Izumi's perspective, too. I think it would improve the book if we got both sides of their stories.

All in all it's a great lighthearted read guaranteed to make you smile.

This was such a good manga!
And finally one where we get the whole story in one volume, what else could we want or need!?

The story was so cute. The main characters felt relatable and not too out there as some of the mangas can be.
I was not expecting the condoms though, that made me laugh a whole lot.

Wish it was a little bit longer. I loved these two together and I just need more. :)

The end of the pandemic is near and everyone is slowly getting back into normal life after having sheltered in place for more than a year.

Nokoru Mitsuhashi is a software engineer who works long hours. He configured his tiny apartment to accommodate his work-from-home needs. Once a week he commutes 75 minutes to the office. His job is very stressful since he must deal with incompetent developers who unsatisfactorily do not meet his specifications. (Believe me, been there, done that as a software engineer, and took early retirement!)

Natsu Izumi is a graduate archaeology student. As part of her research studies, she travels to far reaching locations throughout the world. When in her apartment she is writing up reports as part of her research projects.

Nokoru and Natsu are next-door neighbors in their apartment building. They happen to meet while on their balconies. Natsu, the more outgoing and bubbly person, initiates the conversation. Nokoru, the more quiet and reserved person, is hesitant at first but eventually grows to like his conversations with Natsu. In fact, he enjoys their conversations, her gifts of food and other gestures so much that he starts to think about her constantly. He has even created a pie chart of their hectic schedules to figure out when they can squeeze in precious minutes to spend time together. As they spend more time together in and out of their apartment building, a romance eventually blossoms.

However, suddenly Natsu has disappeared and Nokoru is wondering what happened. She has not been in her apartment for a long while. Does this mean the romance and friendship has ended? How will he be able to carry on without her?

I don’t often read manga as I usually don’t care for the artstyle and the dialogue is often strange without a friendly flow. However, I found this story incredibly sweet and I enjoyed the illustrations. I read the story in one sitting and had a warm and tingly feeling when finished.

This was a cute manga about the relationship between two neighbours. I felt that the story was always interesting and it remained realistic throughout. The art style was great and allowed for some funny moments. As someone who often works from home, I related to a lot of the things that the main character did to create a comfy office space! I would love to read more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha comics for providing this e-ARC for an honest review.

I enjoyed the artwork. The story was a little repetitive, but as a short manga it was great for what it was.

This was adorable and funny and I want more stories just like this! A single volume about how the couple met and started dating, set during the pandemic (not complete lockdown).

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Kinetsu Yamada for this ARC.
This is a fast-paced manga where a love story develops between two next-door neighbours during the pandemic. It is a really cute love story and I particularly appreciate that it is the female character the one who takes action and speeds things up between them.
The drawing is very polished and detailed at the same time.

I recommend it.

Published by Kodansha and available November 12, 2024, Home Office Romance follows two housebound neighbors falling in love during the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm not a romance fan but I was interested in this since I heard about it in a webinar held by Kodansha and I'll admit I found it cute. There's been some nostalgia for the pandemic, which at once does and doesn't make sense to me-- the time was traumatic, deadly, and in my home country of the United States, stupidly controversial, so why would you miss it? At the same time, we have a tendency to romanticize traumatic things as a way of coping with and making sense of them. For many people working remotely was a revelation that work doesn't need to be conducted the way we've always been told it must. Home Office Romance gives us the chance to explore our contradictory feelings in the safe environment of fiction. My two issues with this book were 1) the male lead, Nokoru, didn't seem to be falling in love with the female lead, Natsu, as much as she was with him, but this might be because, as I stated at the beginning, I'm not a romance reader so I may not have picked up on things as much as a more seasoned reader would; and 2) I felt there could have been more pandemic content. To me it at times didn't seem to evoke much of the atmosphere of 2020, but that could be chalked up to cultural differences. I don't know how Japan handled the pandemic (probably better than America did if just for Japan's common courtesy of wearing masks when sick being an ingrained thing in society). So I really can't say how well it handles the pandemic. Overall, if you'd like a cute work romance that's complete in one volume, Home Office Romance is a good bet.

Nothing much happened in this graphic novel except a typical cute love story with a tiny predictable twist. It wasn't all bad but my personal preference, I am not a fan of such books. When I saw the description I thought it would be a little, teensy little different.

The art was okay, messy as usual.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC.