Lauvil's manga / #Great Chemistry(1)

Satou is an office worker who has had a crush on a co-worker, Shioya, ever since he offered her some encouragement 2 year ago, when some female co-workers smack-talked her behind her back. Now that she has transferred to a different department it's harder for her to see her, and the work is hard without the proper support and assistance. One day when she is working overtime she's locked out of the room that holds her keys and wallet, and ends up in the apartment of her crush. Stuck together in close quarters they have trouble keeping their hands off each other (mostly him) and thus their romance begins. Along the way they will receive help from their co-worker, and Shioyacs roommate, and also uncover the petty schemes of jealous bitches from the office, who have been spreading malicious rumours and meddling with Satou's work. There's definitely some internalized mysogyny in this story. The MC is classicly a shy protagonist who can't voice her desires, in fear of being slut-shamed. The ones who create trouble for the MC are all women, and the heroes who help and save her are all men. It also incorporates the weird trope of "men can't control their desires when faced with an attractive woman". But it is not nearly as bad as in other manga - especially smut - and in fact gets better with every chapter. This mang also has no consent violations - Unless you count a few meek protests, that the MC only voices in the beginning for proprietary reasons. As soon as she gets over her shyness, she in fact becomes very enthusiastic in bed, which is refreshing to see. Also, despite his weird line about lack of self-control the ML is clearly conserned about consent and not interested in pushing the FL's boundaries. All in all, their relationship seems very healthy, with good communication, an equal power balance and mutual respect. The romance is also not drawn out, and the misunderstandings kept to a minimum, which is always a plus. The smut is hot, consensual and enthusiastic, which we love to see. It's also great to see a male supporting character who does NOT fall for the MC (sowing conflict and jealousy) but instead helps and cheers the couple on. At least, I hope he'll continue to be this way. A few hints in later chapters have me worried that he might be falling for the MC... But bonus points to the ML for expressing his jealousy towards his friend in a healthy way, instead of trying to limit or control their interactions. 4/5 stars