This was so cute! Lighthearted, fast paced and funny. I really liked the art style and the short chapters kept the pace flowing well.

Actual rating: 4.5

Fans of Kintetsu Yamada’s Sweat & Soap series will love this new manga. It’s only a single volume, but it packs in much of the same unexpected heart and sweetness that Sweat & Soap did.

Home Office Romance takes place at the height of the pandemic lockdown in Japan as two young professionals start interacting from their balcony. Nokoru is your classic overworked company man, but he has his own quiet personality too that encourages him to make his living space his own little safe haven by making a garden on the balcony. This is when his neighbour, an archaeologist, Natsu begins to speak with him and from here we get a slowly blossoming and honestly super wholesome relationship.

The story is told from Nokoru’s point of view and I love the growth we see from him. I did miss having Natsu’s POV though and would have appreciated her side of the story, however, I can see why the choice was made given that this is a standalone.

Overall, I think fans of Yamada will absolutely devour this soft, sweet story. And perhaps it will guide new fans to Sweat & Soap also!

*I received an eARC from Kodansha Comics & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*

I enjoyed a lot this drama-free romantic manga. The story is cute and comfy. Reading a smooth and easy flowing love story was a good change of style for me. The art-style is so beautiful.

Home Office Romance by Kintetsu Yamada is an absolute gem for anyone in need of a sweet, heartwarming story. This stand-alone manga is the perfect blend of romance and slice-of-life, with zero drama—a true breath of fresh air. The relationship between the two leads is both tender and refreshingly genuine, offering a glimpse into the simple, comforting joy of companionship. It’s an ideal choice for a cozy evening read, and the warm, easygoing pace makes every page feel like a treat. By the end, my heart was melting! Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a feel-good romance.

This is my first book from Netgalley and it is such a great book to begin with. I've been reading a lot of mangas this year. As we all know, the story building for most mangas takes multiple volumes before we get hooked. But, this one is one of the best one shot stories that I've read in years.

What I like:
- Both MC are authentic and have their own personality
- Great art style
- Easy to follow dialogues
- Can read in one sitting
- Very good for beginners in manga

What I hope will improve/suggestions: (Please note that I am a Kindle reader and I own a Kindle Paperwhite 4.)
- Some panels are grainy or faded in my Kindle
- Another one shot from this couple please!

Overall, I will highly recommend it to someone new to manga. If I ever come across a physical copy of this books, I will buy it.

Congrats, author!

A very cute story about love during an incredibly difficult couple years for the world. The little romance story was so cute and sweet, definitely a 5/5 stars!

"Home Office Romance" was a nice reading experience. In terms of pace, it was pretty fast as it usually happens to me in regard to mangas. I wish it was more of a slow burn romance, but that's just a preference of mine. Considering that the whole story takes place in one volume, the action was well paced. It did not feel necessarily rushed. Overall, it was a wholesome love story. Thank you for the advanced reader copy!

This was a really cute and fun little read. Set during the pandemic when life went from working in the office to working at home. This is about two neighbours who find unexpected love in the middle of lockdown, who knew office romances could full bloom when working from home.

I was very excited to pick this book up, I have read other works from this author. And I was not disappointed though it is just one book it has the cute and cozy feel. If you need a palate cleanser and something to curl up with this is for you. I enjoyed seeing the MMC perspective on working from home and changing his lifestyle for the better. Reminded me a lot of how we can get so wrapped up around a job and let everything else get out of hand. Finding a balance while also being open to friendship and companionship. Very sweet and I plan on rereading this.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher I received a ARC for an honest review !

Home Office Romance is a Manga that explores a forming relationship between two neighbors during the Covid pandemic.

While the developing relationship was real, there were a few things that lowered the star rating for me. The first is the lack of social distancing within the book. Considering that this is in the pandemic, I was expecting challenges to arise around the social distancing rules. However, the characters were very close from the beginning. I found this to be unrealistic.

The second is the difference in personality between the two characters. While Natsu is always seen as bubbly and happy, Nokoru is always (and I mean always) drawn to look grumpy and sullen. Even when they are falling in love, I did not see his expressions change at all. This made for a less believable romance between them. If he is supposed to be a grumpy character, a short explanation would have been nice.

In saying that, the art was fantastic. I could see everything clearly and nothing was blurry. Proportions of the characters and their surroundings were also done really well.

I would recommend this book to any fans of Manga and romance. It was lovely, sweet, and very quick to read. I have given this a 3.5 star rating, rounded up to 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sweat & Soap is one of my favorite manga romances. Across its volumes, it plays out a remarkably healthy love story that takes all of the various factors of two people making a life together and examines them in a shocking adult fashion – meaning that the characters are adults who act like grown-ups, not high schoolers. That made me very excited to pick up Home Office Romance, a single-volume story from the same creator, and while I didn't love it quite as much, it certainly still makes for good reading.

Set during the pandemic (which, I realize, may make some readers avoid the book altogether), the claustrophobic feel of the story makes a lot of sense. With only two real characters, the narrative focuses on the way that the onset of the pandemic and remote work affected social interaction, as well as the way that we relate to the world in general. For Nokoru, being told to work from home made him realize how unhealthy his work/life balance was. Having a seventy-five-minute commute felt fine when he took the job, but the pandemic forced him to see that it just wasn't sustainable and that he was much healthier (physically and mentally) working on his own time, from his own space. Speaking as someone who discovered much the same thing, there's an understated realness about Nokoru's revelation – it's not an epiphany, but a quiet “aha” moment. When he finally has time to unpack his apartment, he's reminded of all the things he used to enjoy doing, which helps him reclaim his sense of self. Again, it's not a loud realization, just a quiet reclamation, which is both in line with his character and very familiar.

It also, of course, allows him to meet Natsu, his next-door neighbor. Natsu didn't even realize she had a neighbor, which again tells us a lot about Nokoru's life, and her gregarious nature at first makes Nokoru uncomfortable. But when she quickly recognizes that his balcony garden is modeled after Angkor Wat, the two hit it off. Before too long they're negotiating a budding romance amid social distancing, although it's worth mentioning that we don't see a lot of it. Since my state completely shut down during the pandemic, it was surprising to me to see them go out to eat or that they could fly somewhere towards the end of the book, but the small cast does the job of conveying “pandemic romance” just fine. It's a more condensed story than Sweat & Soap, but that's to be expected, and my only real complaint is that I never felt like I got to know Natsu. It's still worth reading, though – this is one manga creator who knows how to write a grounded love story.

"Ridiculous as it might seem, this was how my wife and I first met." —p 11

Home Office Romance - Kintetsu Yamada
★★★★★

Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the copy in exchange for an honest review!

My first though about this manga is that the ML looks exactly like Levi from AOT even 'deadlier' than he did. I love how it portrays so many topics in a single volume of manga: serious pandemic (as we all experienced in Covid-19 outbreaks), working from home situation, burn out from working and thesis, and ofc the adult romance in the perspective of introvert with a precise and well-done execution.

Personally i love the idea of neighboring situation between Nokoru and Izumi! Especially with that small space customized to their personal preference and it shows how their character is like just looking from their room arrangement and all. It's so tiny and packed like a personal nook, if i took Nokoru words.

The pacing was great, the characters' connection is awesome, the little sparks and awkwardness. I just love everything about it! It's a shame that it has finished, i'll definitely going for a reread in no time!

Super sweet, super fun, and such a swoony romance! A delight for romance manga lovers everywhere. Well paced and full of emotion.

Home Office Romance is a feel good on volume romance. It was nice to read something that while highly informed and contained around the pandemic.I enjoyed the awkward aspects of both characters, making them human and relatable. The story gave me a warm feeling as these two learn about each other, their likes, and all the little gifts they share with each other.

love during lockdown!

home office romance exploring the “new normal” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nokoru is a logically-minded computer programmer acclimating to working from home during the pandemic. Organizing his home office reminds him of favorite hobbies, like his love of a certain fantasy manga. It also gives him occasion to meet Natsu, his next-door neighbor. The two initially only talk on their balconies, but soon Nokoru develops something of a friendship with the archaeology grad student. as they trade books and share snacks, a sort of relationship begins to grow between the two. But the world is unpredictable. Travel (when available) is sketchy at best, and someone going silent for prolonged periods is scary when there’s a virus spreading across the world. together throughout this story, Nokoru and Natsu navigate work-from-home life, love, and their (for now).

i loved it so much it was cozy and relatable. 4 stars.

Home Office Romance is a surprisingly wholesome and thoughtful look at two people who find love during the COVID pandemic years. Nokuro has started working from home as a software developer during the pandemic in Japan. Faced with a frankly depressing lack of life in his apartment, he decides to finally get around to decorating the place. While doing so, he also turns his balcony into an ancient site. This draws the attention of his neighbor Natsu, a grad student studying archaeology. The two navigate a budding friendship and romantic relationship despite the chaos of the outside world.

To be honest, I've always been uninterested in reading the author's other known work Sweat and Soap, so I was a bit hesitant about this standalone volume. I'm glad I took a chance on it. Nokuro is extremely relatable and his dry humor is entertaining to watch as Natsu's unassuming demeanor trips him up. The relationship element seems a bit fast, but really believable. I also like that the manga kind of feels like it has the fuller narrative of a novel. The author really does a lot with the space they have. I'm gonna pick this one up for my own collection when it comes out.

I absolutely loved this story! From the very first page, I was hooked, and I found myself completely immersed in this charming, relatable story.

As someone who works from home, this book felt like a breath of fresh air. The way it captures the challenges and perks of remote work, mixed with the romance and personal growth of the main characters, really struck a chord with me. Whether it’s the struggle to maintain focus with all the distractions, the awkwardness of video calls, or the joy of getting to work in your pajamas, every detail felt so true to life. The author really nailed the balance between humor and heart, making it not just a sweet romance, but also a heartfelt reflection on the realities of working from home.

The chemistry between the leads is undeniable, and watching their relationship evolve—both personally and professionally—was so rewarding. I found myself rooting for them every step of the way. Their connection felt genuine and organic, and I loved how their growing bond mirrors the ups and downs of remote work: the quiet moments of reflection, the challenges of isolation, and the eventual breakthroughs.

Overall, Home Office Romance is a cozy, feel-good read that made me laugh, sigh, and think about how far we’ve come in adapting to this new era of work. Whether you’re a remote work veteran or just getting started, this book will resonate with you on so many levels. It’s a perfect mix of relatable moments, humor, and of course, romance. I couldn’t put it down!

4.5 stars

Okay this was surprisingly cute. I liked that we got time to know the characters before a relationship formed. It didn't feel insta-lovey despite it being a one-shot.

тιтℓє: Home Office Romance
αυтнσя(ѕ): Kintetsu Yamada
ѕσυя¢є: NetGalley
яєℓєαѕє ∂αтє: November 12, 2024
яαтιηg: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

му тнσυgнтѕ:
Adorable.
A standalone love story of neighbors, Nokoru and Natsu, and the sweet romance that blossomed over a lush garden and wall.

Oh my gosh, I’m in LOVE.
Nokoru is the most isolated, neurotic, sweetest man ever.
Natsu was outgoing and direct and EXACTLY the type of woman Nokoru needed to come out of his shell.

Over the course of months spending time together and eating together and reading together, these two fall in love and it’s absolutely PERFECT.
I stg, I’m over here just swaying in happiness after finishing this one.
I loved the artistry and the storytelling and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣. 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣.

This was a great read! Despite being set during Covid, it had sweet scenes and likable characters. The art was really lovely too