Rating (Out of 5): ~4
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: August 2020
Volumes: 9+
Spoilers?: No.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powell's. RightStuf.
Volume: 1. 2. 4.
Goodreads Synopsis:
In an office romance,
there's a fine line between sexy and awkward... and that line is where
Asako -- a woman who sweats copiusly -- met Koutarou -- a perfume
developer who can't get enough of Asako's, er, scent. Don't miss a
romcom manga like no other!
DROPPING A BATH BOMB
The
office romance between the quiet and sweet accountant Asako, who's spent
her life ashamed of how much she sweats, and rising star of the bath
and toiletry world Kotaro got off to a fast and steamy start! Kotaro's
status at the company has made her wary of revealing their relationship
to their colleagues at Liliadrop, and she's stumbled into the discovery
that Kotaro has been mentoring an attractive, young product developer
named Korisu. He doesn't seem to have feelings for her, but might she be
harboring a secret crush? Awkwardness explodes into anxiety when Kotaro
tells her he's scheduled to take a four-day business trip with
Korisu--just the two of them! Can Asako's budding relationship survive,
and what's Korisu planning to do over three nights with her
supposedly-single boss?
The hilarious ups and downs of an office
romance at a personal care products company are the subject of this
sexy, strange romp. Sweat and Soap combines the odd-couple chemistry of
Wotakoi, the "too real!" workplace comedy of Aggretsuko, and a heavy
dollop of office steaminess!
Review:
Kotaro has to go away on a business trip in the first part of this
volume, which means a longer time without seeing each other than
they've gone before. This confronts an issue with his assistant that
had been brewing. After that, it's Kotaro's birthday, and the two end
up planning a little trip alone together.
I really like how this series has handled serious issues so far. The
whole thing with his assistant could have been big and dramatic, but
instead Kotaro did what he could to help the situation, and then was
honest about it, so that Asako could also deal with it for herself.
And even how things go between the two women is very honest and
supportive, and I liked that.
Aside from that, things are slowly heating up and growing closer
between the main two, and I'm enjoying seeing it happen. I really do
love the main romance here, and how sweet and mature it is.