I received an ARC of My Noisy Roommate: The Roof Over My Head Comes With Monsters and a Hottie, volume 1 by Kaho Ozaki published by Kodansha from NetGalley and Kodansha in exchange for an honest review.
I knew I would enjoy My Noisy Roommate based on the premise alone. Supernatural x BL!? Hello, that is my brand! Between xxxHolic, FANGS, and Demon Prince of Momochi House, give me alllll the supernatural, please! However, I was surprised at just how hard I fell for this story. At first glance, it seems easy to group this story with the countless other quirky BL one-shots that are fun but lack depth. With My Noisy Roommate, this is far from the case.
My Noisy Roommate: The Roof Over My Head Comes With Monsters and a Hottie is by Kaho Ozaki and published by Kodansha. This is Kaho Ozaki’s debut manga in the US, but they do have two other manga.
In typical BL fashion, the main character Osuke is down on his luck. He is recently homeless as his apartment plans fell through. A strange man overhears his struggles and offers him an apartment to live in – the catch? He has to room with a super hot but aloof guy named Nijio. After a crazy encounter with a yuki-onna, Osuke discovers the strange man and Nijio are in cahoots. They work together as part of a supernatural relocation real estate service. Since Osuke has nowhere to go, he officially accepts the job and takes on ghosts, spirits, and curses with Nijio by his side.
As a supernatural fan, I immediately loved how detailed the yokai encounters are. While each chapter is “monster of the week”-ish with the different yokai, the author spares no details on their history and how they play into the story. It’s clear to me, the supernatural element is a key player and not just background noise for the love story. It reminded me of xxxHolic and the spirits we encounter there. Also shout out to the amazing translator, Leo McDonagh, who provided an extremely detailed translator note section. The inclusion of these details helps illustrate further how important the supernatural element is to the story. Plus, as a nerd, it just adds more items to my “Well, actually“s I keep in my back pocket.
Back to Nijio and Osuke – I LOVE these two and their dynamic. Since the story is from the point of view of Osuke, we can see him thinking how HOT Nijio is. He’s a little scared of Nijio, but that fear slowly turns into curiosity and maybe a little something more. Nijio is clearly apprehensive towards Osuke, but I’m given the impression he’s slowly breaking down whatever walls Nijio has up.
I can already tell that the story is going to give us a little bit of a slow burn in turning these two into lovers. I am thrilled! Don’t get me wrong, I love fast-moving romance too. But with a story like My Noisy Roommate, the slow pace allows for a good buildup of the characters and the action.
My Noisy Roommate is different, intoxicatingly so. Since my initial reading, I can’t get it out of my head. Nijio and Osuke’s dynamic is refreshing. The physical nature of their job but the potential slow burn of their relationship has me at the edge of my seat. With Osuke’s spirit abilities and Nijio’s powers, it seems like their bodies will be a few steps ahead of their hearts. The mangaka has such a great story in their hands and I’m excited to follow along.
My Noisy Roommate: The Roof Over My Head Comes With Monsters and a Hottie, Vol 1
Mangaka: Kaho Ozaki
Translator: Leo McDonagh
Letterer: Dietrich Premier
Editor: Cayle Last
Publisher: Kodansha
Volume 1 is available for pre-order and will be released on June 25, 2024, in print and digital.
