In 2020, the world stood still as COVID-19 spread throughout it. Kintetsu Yamada, known for the popular romance manga Sweat and Soap, became inspired by the work-at-home culture cultivated during the pandemic. Originally planned to be a one-shot story, Home Office Romance became a one-volume manga about two neighbors working from home and exploring romance during unprecedented times.
Set to release in English on November 12th, Home Office Romance offers a realistic and relatable look into the lives of adult characters and their romantic endeavors. As a huge fan of Yamada’s past work, Sweat and Soap, I eagerly jumped into this new manga.
The Story of Home Office Romance
Nokoru spends most of his time working in an exploitative company’s office but suddenly must work from home due to the pandemic—along with millions of other Japanese office workers at their respective homes. Nokoru is shocked by how much extra time he saves by working at home as he pours time into hobbies such as gardening, reading manga, and gaming. He even rediscovers what it’s like getting a good night’s sleep for the first time in months. I think everyone who lived as a working adult during the COVID-19 pandemic can immediately relate to the main character of this story, which easily drew me in within a few pages.
While out on his back deck tending to his garden, Nokoru gets to know his next-door neighbor, Natsu, who is also hunkering at home as much as a graduate student in archeology can. The two start speaking to each other while on their respective balconies, and the sparks start to fly from there. However, exploring romance at home becomes challenging and, at times, confusing for these two neighbors.
A Perfect Love Story That Leaves Me Wanting More
Home Office Romance is short and sweet. Soft artwork, easy-to-follow panels, and romantic tension kept me turning pages late at night. The characters going through the same circumstances that I, and the entire world, went through make them relatable and easy to empathize with. The story isn’t particularly deep or thought-provoking, but I don’t need or want that in every character drama or romance that I read.
Home Office Romance is a story from the heart of Kintetsu Yamada, and the manga author writes the characters’ thoughts in such a forthright way that it punches you right in the gut with relatability. Nokoru, with his blank and tired expression, doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve. But his thoughts are interesting to read and I caught myself thinking the same things during the pandemic and, separately, while exploring romantic feelings.
This manga being a single volume is what I regret about it the most. Yamada ends every chapter of Home Office Romance, and their previous works, with cliffhanger after cliffhanger, always leaving me wanting more. Sweat and Soap was an appropriate 11 volumes. I enjoyed each chapter of that and was thankful it wasn’t too long or too short. Home Office Romance being a single volume makes me sad that I don’t have more of it, but given the work perfectly wraps up, being standalone doesn’t make it bad by any means. Home Office Romance absolutely deserves a small space on your shelf if you are an avid romance manga collector and especially if you like stories with adult characters.
Home Office Romance is published by Kodansha and will be released in English via a physical edition and e-book on November 12th. You’ll be able to read the digital version on Kodansha’s website.
Check out my other manga reviews, such as Unico: Awakening.
© 2023 Kintetsu Yamada, Kodansha
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