This was so sweet. I love the grumpy/sunshine dynamic. Kiri was definitely the black cat while Osamu was the golden retriever. I loved seeing Kiri start to get himself and his confidence back. I really hope there's a future volume showing them living together and super happy.

Standalone manga are always a bit of a gamble but this one lined up perfectly with it's cover; a cute romance with all the warm feels. Azumi is a music conductor who returns to his hometown in Hokkaido to recuperate his health. He is an absolute grouch who doesn't want anything to do with the locals and simply wants to return to Tokyo and continue his work. This, however, does not deter Osamu who has been a long time fan of his and even seems to find a liking to Azumi's moods.

Azumi and Osamu are very much a grumpy and sunshine pair - they are well done especially as Azumi does thaw a bit and Osamu is good at reading him. Despite being a standalone, I think their relationship develops at a good pace. It was also well done how the plot almost seems to focus more on each their scars and grief. Azumi in particular grows as a character throughout this book and I liked how things wrapped up for him.

The art pretty and while I do think a longer series could have explored these characters' backgrounds more, it did a pretty good job telling this tale within the confines of being a standalone. I am not sure if it's a translation issue but I was at times a little confused about names. There was occasional mention of a Sammy and by now I figured it's a nickname for Osamu but this wasn't super clear to me from the start. The explicit contents is reasonably graphic but it's well placed and fits in with the story.

This was a grump meets a ball of joy type of story and I loved it. Within hours of meeting, they seemed to really get along and bring out new qualities in the other. The story spans over a few months (from what I gathered) so you get to see them both make mistakes, reflect and then communicate. The inclusion of the student choir was so cute. Sometimes you really do just need to hear a candid opinion from a kid to snap you out of your funk.The ending was cute and felt very realistic, I wish we got more epilogues of them being cute.
Also, this might be one of my favorite covers of a manga in a while. The cover art really captures both of their personalities super well. Solid 4/5 for me.

*Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Ah, “In Love’s Key, Reprised” that was some great steamy fluff, my heart definitely fluttered. The downside of one-shot romance stories is sometimes the relationship can feel very rushed, but I think the writer pulled it off. It helps that Osamu was already a fan of Maestro Kiri, so affection on his side was already developed, and Kiri is in a low place starved for affection so… I didn’t have the insta-love complaints I often have with one-shots. I also enjoy a golden retriever and black cat couple and Osamu and Kiri are definitely that kind of pairing! This manga was a nice refresh after having read some older, more toxic books earlier this year. Besides the romance, it was also so hopeful. Osamu helped Maesto Kiri get through his burn out and his grief over the passing of his mother. Osamu, you're such a good puppy melting Maestro’s cold heart! * Please, I’m gonna cry *

If you’re looking for a sweet BL one-shot with minimal angst and that is properly steamy, I’d definitely recommend “In Love’s Key, Reprised”. The art is beautiful and the character writing is very cute.

A cute short story. The forwardness of one character and the shy/unknown of the other worked really well with each other.

Quite enjoy what a cranky perfectionist and overall chronically ill bitch Kiri is, along with my joy at an older MC well out of high school. I also appreciate him openly, publicly claiming Osamu as his partner at the end. Love a man who gives no fucks about homophobes!

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! I thought this was absolutely lovely. The artwork is soft and beautifully done, perfectly suiting the gentle atmosphere of the story. While it does touch on heavier themes such as burnout and grief, the heart of the book lies in its unexpectedly sweet tale of a city boy finding love in a rural town, complete with the charm of the local choir.

It’s tender, uplifting, and just the sort of read to reach for if you need something to lift you out of a slump.

“In Love's Key, Reprised” by Guri Nojiro

4⭐️/5⭐️

This was so unexpectedly sweet! I figured there would be some heavier aspects to the story, since it focuses primarily on Kiri being a burnt out composer who needs to take a sabbatical. However, Osamu really helps balance the story, bringing some lightheartedness, not to mention the heat.

I love the small town setting, the cozy winter season, and seeing these two opposites become intensely attracted towards each other.

A super cute ‘city boy vs small town boy’ romance.
Famous conductor moves back to his hometown for health reasons, meets sunshine Osamu.
Very fluffy and romantic, Hallmark Christmas movie vibes but in manga form.
It was a basic but still fun read, with wholesome characters and a cute art-style.

This book was good overall. I liked the main characters, and the development of each of them individually as well as together. I did think their relationship seemed to ramp up a bit out of nowhere, but overall, I enjoyed it.

ARC Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fast steamy read. As a one shot this is an easy short read - perfect as a palette cleanser between longer series. This is like the bullet/express train romance. It gets right into, gives a satisfying ending, and doesn't take itself too seriously.

The art style is on the simple side, but it has its shining moments. Those far off looks, clean lines, (great eye lashes) carry the emotion of the moment clearly. The sad/reflection moments being the best.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC.

Cute steamy story! In Love's Key, Reprised is a story that follows Kiri, a music conductor that returns to his hometown in Hokkaido after his doctor friend forces him to take a leave of absence. He meets Osamu, a local in the rural town and longtime fan of Kiri’s work. Soon, Osamu warms up Kiri’s icy heart and a romance ensues.

Such a cute story! It’s a classic black cat and golden retriever BL story. While Kiri tries to be indifferent and independent, Osamu works his way into Kiri’s life with his friendly personality. The steamy scenes were short and sweet. I liked the bonus story at the end! Fun, quick read!

Thank you, NetGalley and Kodansha Comics | Vertical Comics, for the ARC.

This was an adorable one-shot BL, featuring the grumpy, burned-out conductor Kiri (‘Maestro’), and his brazen superfan, Osamu. When Kiri is diagnosed with health issues, he returns to his hometown to recuperate, where Osamu practically falls at his feet to rescue him. From then on, he slowly chips away at Kiri’s stony exterior and worms his way into his heart.

This being a one-shot, the relationship between Kiri and Osamu does develop fairly quickly and lacks a certain amount of depth, but I found it charming nonetheless. Their grumpy x sunshine dynamic was so endearing, and I loved watching Kiri slowly unfold and let Osamu in. Osamu was a little pushy at times, and the consent was dubious, but I’m used to that with BL.

I also liked how the story touched on themes of grief, childhood trauma, and creative burnout/insecurity. Although not hugely developed, it gave more nuance to the characters and strengthened the basis of their connection.

The art style is gorgeous and easy to follow. I found the character designs expressive and unique, and just beautiful to look at.

Overall, this is a cosy, heartwarming BL that’s perfect for a quick read, especially if you enjoy opposites attract, grumpy musicians, and feral fanboys.

A cute and sweet read! However, the story did feel rushed in several places, and more background information on the characters would have been useful.

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

In Love's Key, Reprised
by Guri Nojiro
★★★★☆
213 Pages



This was a pretty sweet story. I did waver between a 3* and a 4*, but I eventually settled for a 4* because I finished it, I enjoyed it, and although there were some faults, they're mostly personal preference.

The only real editing issue I had was that there were issues with the text. In some places, any time there was a double letter, e.g. tattoo, the double letters would be missing entirely. Tattoo literally ended up a “tattoo?” which was quite confusing to read, depending on the word.

However, the art was lovely. It was a really nice style, with great detail and emotion. The relationship was – eventually – really sweet and quite cute, between two MC's who had some internalised issues they had to deal with. Neither degraded the other for their faults, but supported each other through any trials that cropped up, which I really liked.

Personally, I felt like the relationship was really rushed and mostly one-sided until halfway through. I didn't really buy the relationship for a long time. The Lala storyline felt forced, like it only existed to create conflict between the couple.

But, in the end, I enjoyed the overall essence of the story and I might read it again in the future.

Cute and spicy short story. The art style isn't my favorite but it's not bad.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for sending me an Arc in exchange for an honest review.

okay, so, this was such a quick, sweet, cosy read and i ate it up.

kiri, a burnt-out conductor grieving the loss of his mother and potentially his career, returns to his hometown to get some well needed rest, and to figure out what comes next. there he meets osamu, a bubbly grocery delivery guy (and not-so-secret fan), whose warmth slowly begins to thaw kiri’s cold, closed-off heart.

what i loved most about this manga is the balance: it’s heartfelt and emotional, touching on grief, insecurities, and complicated family dynamics, but it’s also tender, sweet, and a little bit spicy. the art is lovely, the story flows easily, and by the end it left me feeling soft and heart-warmed.

my only small critique is that osamu displays his feelings for kiri very quickly and comes on very strong—his physical affection sometimes felt like it came out of nowhere, kiri and myself both taken by surprise. still, it didn’t overshadow how charming and easy this was to read.

huge thank you to netgalley and kodansha comics for the ARC ♡

In love’s Key is a cute and easy read. With a grumpy x sunshine trope that is easy to appreciate. Even though this story was short there was good character back stories especially with our main character and his rough patch he is currently working through. I loved getting to see his redemption arc and seeing him just feel better about himself. The love story was cute however I do feel that some parts were a little rushed as it seemed very fan crush heavy (insta love from one side) and they didn’t really explore to many other reasons to why they actually liked each other. Definitely has some spicy scenes! Overall a good read with a good art style to complement it.

Thank you Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for the arc!

4.5 ⭐️

Why was this so goood? What a refresh on BL…
There was a black cat x golden retriever vibe with the characters. The story was wholesome and the art was just as beautiful!

In Love's Key, Reprised by Guri Nojiro follows Kiri, a curmudgeon conductor who is forcibly forced to return to his hometown. Here, he meets bubbly Osamu, Kiri's superfan. As they get to know each other, Kiri starts letting his walls down and forms a heart-warming bond with Osamu.

This BL is the perfect cozy, low-stakes winter read with a lovely romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing this ARC.