Manga Review: Sweat and Soap, Volume 3, Kintetsu Yamada

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.

Manga Review: Sweat and Soap, Volume 2, by Kintetsu Yamada

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: April 2020

Volumes: 8+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

 

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!

Asako's living her dream, working at the toiletry maker Lilia Drop. Little do her coworkers know, the reason she loves the company so much is that she's ashamed of her body odor, and their soap is the only thing that does the trick. So when the company's lead product developer, a perfuming genius, approaches her in the lobby and wonders what "that smell" is, she's terrified... but could it be... that he likes it? And, even more surprising to Asako... does she like him?

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:

 

Asako is faced with a potential rival, and she has to decide whether she's willing to fight for herself here or not. She's always been a rather quiet and shy girl, unwilling to put herself out there or defend herself, or even ask for what she wants. But when she realizes just how much she wants Natori, she starts putting herself out there a bit more at a time.

I relate a lot to Asako, and I understand her struggle. Which is why it's also really nice to see her making the effort, putting herself in new situations in order to be closer to Natori.

While they're still keeping their relationship a secret at work, they're still finding time to be together as much as possible. And when Asako visits her family, she decides to share the news. The second half of the volume features Natori meeting Asako's brother, and while it felt very shojo here, it was still handled relatively well. Natori is tested, but he handles it well, and I think it even helps him want to be as good as he can be for Asako.

While there is some drama brewing, I think the themes are being handled rather maturely. And I do love Asako and Natori's relationship and how it's progressing. I'm excited for more.

Manga Review: Sweat and Soap, Volume 1, by Kintetsu Yamada

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: February 2020

Volumes: 8+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

 

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 copiously -- met Koutarou -- a perfume developer who can't get enough of Asako's, er, scent. Don't miss a romcom manga like no other!

Yae's living her dream, working at the toiletry maker Lilia Drop. Little do her coworkers know, the reason she loves the company so much is that she's ashamed of her body odor, and their soap is the only thing that does the trick. So when the company's lead product developer, a perfuming genius, approaches her in the lobby and wonders what "that smell" is, she's terrified... but could it be... that he likes it? And, even more surprising to Yae... does she like him?

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:

 

Asako works at a toiletry maker, which makes her favorite soaps. Coincidentally, she has a bit of a sweating problem, which embarrasses her a lot. When all of a sudden Natori, with a super sensitive nose and who happens to make the scents, sniffs her out and is instantly entranced.

This sounds like a crazy start of a series, given how the love interest starts smelling Asako all the time and she kind of goes along with it, even though it embarrasses her. But really, they basically just start dating. He takes her out to eat, they have what looks like moments of fooling around, when really he's just sniffing her neck and taking notes of the scents. She's basically his muse.

I admit that this sounds very weird. When I first heard about this, I didn't particularly think to pick it up. It seemed like it would probably be an ecchi seinen series, especially when I heard it was adult. I think the subject matter is what gives that impression.

When instead, this very much feels like a josei series. Asako is the protagonist, and while clearly Natori has an odd fetish, she goes along with it, and even gets used to it. She's not being forced here. And very quickly, a romance starts to form.

I like a dirty josei romance, and one with an odd fetish is not at all a problem to me. Plus, I really liked the characters, and the pace and writing.

I'm basically hooked, which even surprises me. But that means I'll be reading more.