Who says you can’t find love from home?

Home Office Romance by Kintetsu Yamada is a standalone manga and is so freaking cute and relatable. People often say opposites attract and there’s no exception here. Nokoru, a software engineer and Izumi, an archeology grad student are neighbors and when they are forced to work from home, things begin to blossom.

It’s a really adorable journey for Natsu Izumi and Nokoru Mitsuhashi. I like that they are total opposites and have to find that balance. Especially for Nokoru, the introverted programmer who barely socializes. It was fun to see the things they had common ground on as well as Izumi’s forwardness from the start.

It’s definitely relatable and has room for others to feel a sense of something they may have also experienced during the lockdown. As a whole, this was interesting to read and gave a nice wholesome story. However, the biggest issue was that the order of reading the word blocks was a bit confusing. Sometimes it was left to right and sometimes it was right to left, same with up and down. It could have been a bit clearer or at the least indicated from the start for first timers.

I like the artistic design of the illustrations, the lines show the frustration as well as other emotions. There were also beautiful colors in the beginning and the greyscale version pops as well. Great job here!
If you enjoy the cute love stories in manga form or webtoons, this is for you. There’s not much drama in it, but there are moments of conflict that push the story forward and make things interesting.

Another manga by the author is Sweat and Shop, check it out!

*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of Home Office Romance from Kintetsu Yamada via NetGalley

3.5⭐️s I haven’t read a manga in years. This was cute. Coming November 12th. If you want something super easy to read, this is a good one. A super introverted guy, Nokoru, meets his extroverted neighbor, Natsu. Nokoru has lost his work life balance. They are in the middle of the pandemic. This allows Nokoru to start working remotely and providing more time to pick up old hobbies. Natsu is a a grad student of archeology and is stuck home until her dig is rescheduled. In the mist of a pandemic, you’ll see how they build a relationship even overseas.

Thank you to @netgalley, Kodansha Comics, and the author (Kintetsu Yamada) for the advanced reader copy. #netgalley #manga #homeofficeromance #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookstagram

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.