What do you think?
Rate this book
Sweat and Soap #10
Sweat and Soap, Vol. 10
FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES...
...well, a whole lot of stuff. Kotaro and Asako have been through a lot, and now they're finally ready to take the big plunge. Whatever comes next, they're committed to seeing it through -- together.
...well, a whole lot of stuff. Kotaro and Asako have been through a lot, and now they're finally ready to take the big plunge. Whatever comes next, they're committed to seeing it through -- together.
208 pages, Paperback
First published February 22, 2021
54 people are currently reading
703 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
April 14, 2024
They are still one of my favorite couples ever. So happy to see them make it to this stage. ❤️
January 20, 2022
Volume 1 ★★★★★
Volume 2 ★★★★★
Volume 3 ★★★★★
Volume 4 ★★★★★
Volume 5 ★★★★★
Volume 6 ★★★★★
Volume 7 ★★★★★
Volume 8 ★★★★★
Volume 9 ★★★★★
Volume 10 ★★★★★
Volume 11 ★★★★★
I just don't even have words for how warm and cozy and HAPPY this series makes me. The domestic bliss is everything. I love a good angsty, high-stakes romance as much as the next person, but sometimes I just want to watch things fall into place so smoothly between two people that there's never been a doubt in anyone's mind: they're perfect for one another. Partners supporting one another in everyday life, holding each other through the bad days and celebrating the good ones — this series so brilliantly captures all of these little moving pieces of being in a stable, happy, healthy relationship and I adore it. 🥰 I'm soft. I can't even be too sad that there's only one volume left to go, because honestly, these two deserve a happy ever after.
Also... can we PLEASE get a spin-off about Keita?!
✨ Content warnings for: memories of being bullied, anxiety
———
twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
November 20, 2021
This was honestly one of my least favorite volumes. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but a lot of it has the feel of the paperwork they need to file in order to get married… like a formality before the big finale.
And I suspect that the next volume will be the last one, which is a major bummer as this is my favorite manga rn (except for Black Butler), and it’s gonna be a huge bummer not to have more of it to look forward to. I was really kinda hoping that it might continue into their marriage and having children but I guess not 😢.
And I suspect that the next volume will be the last one, which is a major bummer as this is my favorite manga rn (except for Black Butler), and it’s gonna be a huge bummer not to have more of it to look forward to. I was really kinda hoping that it might continue into their marriage and having children but I guess not 😢.
February 3, 2023
They are GETTING MARRIED 😭😭, the wedding dress buying scene was so wholesome.
March 1, 2022
Please let Keita (Asako’s younger brother) have his own romance manga series. Please.
November 17, 2021
After a very triggering encounter, Asako just hasn’t been herself lately and Kintaro knows it. As they work through the trauma, a very simple truth comes to light and things are said and get ready for a whirlwind tour of Japanese marriage customs.
Recognizing that I was a little dismissive of the whole ‘Asako meets her old bully’ storyline, and having seen more perspectives than just my own, I had hopes that this volume would bear fruit on that arc and, as happens, it did not disappoint.
It is a sad truth of the world and its bullies that many of these people will never realize what they did/do is wrong and it therefore falls to the victim to move past it on their terms. It’s not especially fair, but I appreciate the story being honest about how the world works - there’s no magic bullet here.
And Asako realizes that she can bare all that pain to Kintaro and he is appropriately comforting and wants to see her at her lowest moments just so he can be there for her. It is very sweet and cathartic and helps recontextualize some of the earlier moments of the series which is always nice.
It’s also a rather spectacular touch that Kintaro freely admits he’d have done something either this time or when Asako was in school and Asako acknowledges this and is very moved by it. Realizing just how much of a team they truly are helps her free herself from the past a little more.
Having seen how far they’ve come, well, the only question left is how far they’ll go and, boy, Japanese marriage is a different sort of beast. This comes down on the right side of interesting, but there’s a lot of information presented here that sometimes threatens to drown the narrative.
The whole marriage registration thing gave me total whiplash as a foreigner, as I had no idea that just submitting the paperwork did the deed, so to speak, with people having ceremonies months or years later. Madness!
There’s a lot of how everything comes together that is useful, but so much info dump takes a toll on me after a while. It’s very smart to have the two of them involved in all this so it doesn’t feel like it’s coming from nothing, obviously, but the chapter on wedding planning, in particular, is a lot.
Throw in some extra friction with Asako’s brother and you get enough of the familial with the procedural to keep it from being totally boring. The proposal and Kintaro’s desire to be smooth (and inability to pull it off) are nice bits too.
And, yes, there are sexy times again, which is good because this series has always been one of the healthiest I’ve read in terms of treating sex like an actual expression of love while also not forgetting to be hot and heavy. This one definitely brings the heat.
4 stars - that’s more like it. With one volume to go, I definitely think this has turned far more domestic than it started and while it isn’t at the heights of earlier volumes, it definitely still shines and I’m glad it’s wrapping up before the quality goes sideways.
Recognizing that I was a little dismissive of the whole ‘Asako meets her old bully’ storyline, and having seen more perspectives than just my own, I had hopes that this volume would bear fruit on that arc and, as happens, it did not disappoint.
It is a sad truth of the world and its bullies that many of these people will never realize what they did/do is wrong and it therefore falls to the victim to move past it on their terms. It’s not especially fair, but I appreciate the story being honest about how the world works - there’s no magic bullet here.
And Asako realizes that she can bare all that pain to Kintaro and he is appropriately comforting and wants to see her at her lowest moments just so he can be there for her. It is very sweet and cathartic and helps recontextualize some of the earlier moments of the series which is always nice.
It’s also a rather spectacular touch that Kintaro freely admits he’d have done something either this time or when Asako was in school and Asako acknowledges this and is very moved by it. Realizing just how much of a team they truly are helps her free herself from the past a little more.
Having seen how far they’ve come, well, the only question left is how far they’ll go and, boy, Japanese marriage is a different sort of beast. This comes down on the right side of interesting, but there’s a lot of information presented here that sometimes threatens to drown the narrative.
The whole marriage registration thing gave me total whiplash as a foreigner, as I had no idea that just submitting the paperwork did the deed, so to speak, with people having ceremonies months or years later. Madness!
There’s a lot of how everything comes together that is useful, but so much info dump takes a toll on me after a while. It’s very smart to have the two of them involved in all this so it doesn’t feel like it’s coming from nothing, obviously, but the chapter on wedding planning, in particular, is a lot.
Throw in some extra friction with Asako’s brother and you get enough of the familial with the procedural to keep it from being totally boring. The proposal and Kintaro’s desire to be smooth (and inability to pull it off) are nice bits too.
And, yes, there are sexy times again, which is good because this series has always been one of the healthiest I’ve read in terms of treating sex like an actual expression of love while also not forgetting to be hot and heavy. This one definitely brings the heat.
4 stars - that’s more like it. With one volume to go, I definitely think this has turned far more domestic than it started and while it isn’t at the heights of earlier volumes, it definitely still shines and I’m glad it’s wrapping up before the quality goes sideways.
March 20, 2022
screaming crying and throwing up
December 5, 2022
The drama of last volume winds down and the main couple gets on with the natural progression of their relationship. At this point, I'm just tagging along with some friends, watching them make their plans, and waiting to toast their seemingly inevitable happy ending in next volume's conclusion.
June 6, 2022
Oh noooooo, I only have 1 more book left 😱😱😱😱
February 18, 2022
How do you know it's true love? Because not only does Kotaro respect that what happened to Asako was traumatic, he also listens, tries to understand, and gets angry on her behalf instead of writing off her experiences as silly and something she should have gotten over. Anxious people beat themselves up quite enough without your help - and when Kotaro works to understand that, it's more romantic than any grand gesture or smooth move.
February 25, 2023
Por fin Kotaro enfrenta a Asako para saber qué le pasó en la visita a su amiga, y con mucho dolor ella le cuenta el pasado que ha tratado de ocultar, en serio que los niños a veces no saben que sus palabras pueden dañar tan profundo...pero lo peor es que en su mente hagan parecer que lo que hacen y dicen es normal.
Finalmente deciden dar un paso más allá en su relación, y aunque saben que será un poco difícil el camino están decididos a hacerlo juntos
Finalmente deciden dar un paso más allá en su relación, y aunque saben que será un poco difícil el camino están decididos a hacerlo juntos
February 7, 2022
Dieser Band drehte sich vornehmlich um die Hochzeitsvorbereitungen. Es war super interessant, wie anders in Japan die Traditionen und administrativen Schritte sind, die zu einer Heirat dazugehören. Asako und Kotaro waren bei allem mal wieder richtig sweet. <3
March 2, 2023
02/03/2023
4 ⭐️
They’re idiots but they’re my idiots.
02/12/2021
4.5 ⭐
Okay but that scene with Keita and Kotaro's mother had me in my feelings 🥺🥺🥺
Blog | Letterboxd | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
StoryGraph
4 ⭐️
They’re idiots but they’re my idiots.
02/12/2021
4.5 ⭐
Okay but that scene with Keita and Kotaro's mother had me in my feelings 🥺🥺🥺
Blog | Letterboxd | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter
StoryGraph
August 7, 2022
The series needs to catch his breath for 2 volumes already. This one circles around wedding planning and formalities- yes, they proposed to each other- and it is darn boring for nothing of real notice happens.
The series has turned domestic and well, there’s not much fun in that, is there?
The series has turned domestic and well, there’s not much fun in that, is there?
November 16, 2021
Another great volume. Our couple is starting to plan their "forever" lives and we get some very meaningful moments along the way. This is such a satisfying series.
November 19, 2021
All this marriage stuff kinda bogged down the volume for me…
June 3, 2025
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟💫 (4.75 stars rounded up to 5)
December 4, 2023
➺
4/5 🌟
I'm not even the bride-to-be but reading all the wedding preparations stresses me out, though not really in a bad way. it's exciting to see the process of their wedding, from the two families getting to know each other to the actual event preparations. I'm so giddy to see this!
I'm not even the bride-to-be but reading all the wedding preparations stresses me out, though not really in a bad way. it's exciting to see the process of their wedding, from the two families getting to know each other to the actual event preparations. I'm so giddy to see this!
January 22, 2022
DISAPPOINTED SIGH
After the last excellent volume, I was afraid that this was going to happen: a lot of boring chapters about a wedding. I was REALLY hoping the mangaka wasn't going to go in this predictable direction but they did. This has been one of my favorite manga of all time and one of reasons is that the story has continued to move along at a great pace without dwelling on any one plot point or issue for too long. I am just so disappointed that the mangaka decided to turn this into a typical domestic title and focus only on planning an unnecessary ceremony. It's boring and Asako and Kotaro have never been boring so it's really unfair to them and the readers.
After the last excellent volume, I was afraid that this was going to happen: a lot of boring chapters about a wedding. I was REALLY hoping the mangaka wasn't going to go in this predictable direction but they did. This has been one of my favorite manga of all time and one of reasons is that the story has continued to move along at a great pace without dwelling on any one plot point or issue for too long. I am just so disappointed that the mangaka decided to turn this into a typical domestic title and focus only on planning an unnecessary ceremony. It's boring and Asako and Kotaro have never been boring so it's really unfair to them and the readers.
December 22, 2021
Dude, I just fucking love this series. The supportive relationships, the positive vibes, the wholesomeness, it's truly one of my top 3 favorite romances. Seeing Kotaro and Asako go through the wedding process was fun and made me super giddy. Also, their wedding planner is so fucking intense, I kind of love him.
Not much else to say, really. I'm sad next volume is the finale of the series, but I have a had a blast reading this and can't wait to see how it ends.
Not much else to say, really. I'm sad next volume is the finale of the series, but I have a had a blast reading this and can't wait to see how it ends.
January 9, 2022
I remember starting this and being sad because the end was so near.
The only thing I was sad about with this volume was how simple the proposal was! It's hard to review the tenth volume in a series that has been mostly five stars because it's so easy to spoil things. But at the same time, this is one of those stories that follows a natural (societally expected) progression.
This volume is also coming off that emotionally wrought volume where the MC was forced to come to terms with her long-held insecurities and anxieties caused by her childhood bullies. This volume just showcased how much this couple loves each other and how much they're willing to overcome to be together and be their best selves with each other.
I'm writing this review late, so by now I'm already read the final (sobbbbbb) volume in this sweet and weird series. Will go review that volume next!
Happy reading!
The only thing I was sad about with this volume was how simple the proposal was! It's hard to review the tenth volume in a series that has been mostly five stars because it's so easy to spoil things. But at the same time, this is one of those stories that follows a natural (societally expected) progression.
This volume is also coming off that emotionally wrought volume where the MC was forced to come to terms with her long-held insecurities and anxieties caused by her childhood bullies. This volume just showcased how much this couple loves each other and how much they're willing to overcome to be together and be their best selves with each other.
I'm writing this review late, so by now I'm already read the final (sobbbbbb) volume in this sweet and weird series. Will go review that volume next!
Happy reading!
December 28, 2022
I love that they don't fall into the "typical" timeline of marriage! It might also just be a result of cultural differences but I like that their proposal wasn't this big hoopla and there wasn't even a ring yet. It made it feel a lot more laid back and just a natural next step in their relationship.
March 13, 2025
It’s almost done!!! 🥲 Our MCs are getting married and they are doing everything to get ready for their special day 💞 They are such a cute couple and put so much trust in one another - they also have great families that want nothing but the best for them. On to the final volume before starting the show/drama…
May 1, 2023
5 stars
The wedding planning in this one plus the families meeting each other was the sweetest and most heartwarming thing. I was emotional. I am obsessed! This volume was just sweet emotions and all the feels. I loved how warm this series makes me emotionally! So pure!
The wedding planning in this one plus the families meeting each other was the sweetest and most heartwarming thing. I was emotional. I am obsessed! This volume was just sweet emotions and all the feels. I loved how warm this series makes me emotionally! So pure!
November 16, 2021
I love this series. I can't believe it's ending soon 😭
January 2, 2022
I love this so much. This whole manga series is so wholesome and sweet. I love the chemistry of our couple. There is no unnecessary turmoil in this relationship, just more growth. It is so peaceful.
July 9, 2022
Kotaro and Asako get down to business planning their wedding and sorting out all the myriad of details that go with their big day.
October 6, 2022
New favorite of the series. Absolutely adorable.
November 4, 2022
❤️❤️❤️
April 22, 2023
3.5 🌟
Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews