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.
This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase using the link. All earnings go contribute to keeping The Wonder of Anime running.
Home Office Romance
Mangaka: Kintetsu Yamada
Translation: Matt Treyvaud
Editor: Maggie Le
Publisher: Kodansha
Home Office Romance will be available November 12. You can preorder Home Office Romance here.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kodansha for an advanced reviewer copy.
