Honestly, I never thought I’d read a manga about life during COVID—it was such a tough time, and it felt too real. But I’m so glad I did because I absolutely loved it.

Everything about this manga was relatable for me—cute, and funny in the most adorable way. The female lead also has freckles, and as someone who’s heavily freckled myself, I was so happy to see that they weren’t used to make her seem less attractive.

I’m a bit sad that this is just a standalone manga, but I also think I wouldn’t have loved it as much if it had been stretched out over several volumes. The romance, the buildup—everything was top-tier, and it made for such a nice read. There was a hint of spice, but it was really refreshing to see a romance manga that focused on how the two characters genuinely came to support and care for each other.

full blog post scheduled for Nov. 11th~

This was so cute! I read it in one sitting. I also love the fact that it’s a one volume manga! The couple were just so adorable!

What a cute and wholesome manga!
I loved the artstyle and since it played at the time of the lockdown with an outgoing woman and a reserved guy.
It just felt so good and made my day better.

I adored Sweat & Soap, so I was thrilled to see new work from the author!
This was very cute & humorous.
Set in the height of covid in Japan, we see two neighbors grow and fall in love as they develop a friendship and see the perks of more than just school & work.


That Sweat & Soap Easter egg was hilarious!

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @kodanshamanga for an early copy of Home Office Romance by Kintetsu Yamada. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Release date: November 12th, 2024

Blurb: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208433128-home-office-romance?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ougOO9u05M&rank=1

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

Home Office Romance begins with Mitsuhashi Nokoru settling inside his apartment during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to make it more suitable as a home and working space when he meets his neighbor Izumi Natsu next door on her balcony.

As the author highlights the delights of working from home – not going through the hassle of waking up early to commute to work, less need to interact with other co-workers, etc, the story was also heartwarming to read as both Nokoru and Natsu get to know each other and eventually fall in love, sharing each other’s interests, going on convenience store dates. I couldn’t help but root for Nokoru when he specially made an Excel file survey to get to know Natsu’s schedule and date preferences at the beginning of their relationship. 🤩

I really enjoyed their little moments and how Natsu’s energy brought life to Nokoru’s almost burn-out state. This is a standalone one-volume manga, and the only thing that I didn’t like about this is that it’s too damn short! I need more of this couple and their sweet moments huhu

Thank you to NetGalley and author Kintetsu Yamada for the ability to read an ARC of this book.

This was a super sweet Josei manga to end my weekend with. This follows neighbors Nokoru and Natsu who meet during the pandemic lockdown after Nokoru starts working from home. The main plot focuses on their budding relationship from neighbors to friends and then to, eventually, romantic interests for one another, but there's an overarching re-introduction to what makes life worth living for Nokoru. His job, prior to working from home, had zero work-life balance and was burning him out. As he shifts to working from home and meets the larger-than-life Natsu, he seems to open up and bloom-just like the balcony garden he sets up as a hobby while he's in lockdown.

Short and sweet and a standalone story, Home Office Romance had me reflecting on what's important (like work-life balance, and having adventures outside of your job).

Okay! I’ll profess that I haven’t yet read Sweat And Soap, but I’ve heard no end of good things about it, so snagging this one was a no brainer. I really liked both Nokoru and Izumi; they felt like real people connecting unexpectedly because of the pandemic. Their relationship developed in a logical way and they were both very keen on communicating effectively with each other.

I also did laugh a few times, which is important to note. And since all the major laugh lines are Izumi’s, seeing Nokoru’s reactions made them land even better.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!!

AHHH this was so wholesome and had a bit of spice (even though it revolves around the acursed covid times) — i am so excited to see that there are older (amen!!) shojo manga being published!!

Thank you to NetGalley, tsuke, and the publisher for this advanced copy!

"Spoil Me Plzzz, Hinamori-san!" is a GL manga about two high school girls, Hinamori and Suo. The former once confessed her feelings to the latter, but was promptly rejected due to her not being serious and studious like Suo is. After working hard to change herself, Hinamori finds out that Suo is not what she seems!

I loved the art style in this one. Even though the plot is overdone and very predictable, there is still enjoyment to be had here and I would be more than happy to read the next volume!

Never thought I could enjoy anything Covid-related, but Yamada-san proved me wrong.
It was a heartwarming story of human connection (and also an ode to remote work!) that I devoured in one sitting.
I recommend this manga to anyone who likes realistic slow-burn love that goes beyond the romantic / sexual aspects and is, at its core, a caring relationship between two people who enrich each other's lives.

Home Office Romance is a cute one-volume manga romance about a pair of neighbours who are working from home when they meet on their adjoining balcony, and begin to get to know each other. Told from our male protagonist's point of view, we know from the very start that this will be a very light read as it lays out the lack of stakes from the start, but this works completely for me here - the story instead becomes about piecing together these personalities as they start to develop. I do wonder if I would have enjoyed this even more in split POV, as the development does mostly come from one side here owing to the narration, but nevertheless I really enjoyed breezing through this. 4.5 stars.