あせとせっけん

ASE TO SEKKEN

MANGA

STATUS
COMPLETE
VOLUMES
11
RELEASE
January 7, 2021
CHAPTERS
110

DESCRIPTION

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 Yae … does she like him?

(Source: Kodansha USA)

Notes: The chapter count includes 13 extra stories.

CAST

Asako Yaeshima
Koutarou Natori
Jin Ookura
Keita Yaeshima
Korisu Ichise
Reika Tsubaki
Yuzuka Natori
Tateishi
Mitsuki Fujioka
Kanade Natori
Kensuke Takarada
Katsuomi Yaeshima
Yuriko Yaeshima
Shintarou Natori
Urasawa
Suzumura

CHAPTERS

RELATED TO ASE TO SEKKEN

MANGA HentaiKodomo Tsukuru Hon

Cover Art for Yamada Kintetsu Tanpenshuu: Zengun Funtou!

MANGA ActionYamada Kintetsu Tanpenshuu: Zengun Funtou!

REVIEWS

Benkei
83/100
Spoiler-free review of Ase to Sekken. Facing insecurities and allowing yourself to be happy.
════ ⋆★⋆ ════ Considerations ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ ● __This is a spoiler-free review.__ ●__ 80+ in my rating means really good.__ ● I've got to read this work on a friend's recommendation. I didn't look too much into the synopsis and just started reading. ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ The Story ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ Asako works as an accountant for her favorite soap company. She loves Lilia Drop because it's the only brand that can help her with her excessive sweating. She's constantly ashamed of it and afraid of people smelling a bad odor coming from her. Everything changes when Natori, a development chief at Lilia Drop, spots her because of her smell, and now he's mesmerized by her sweet smell. The story of Ase to Sekken is really good. There's a really good amount of romance, drama, comfiness, and comedy. For me, reading this story felt like reading a romantic paperback book or movie, in which you start with the setting and, as the pages go by, you start to see time passing by, relationships and characters changing until you arrive at a really good and deserving ending. A point that I feel obligated to mention is the amount of fanservice in this manga. Especially in the beginning, you have breasts, underwear, and lewd scenes pretty much everywhere. I dislike when authors force a lot of lewdness because it can be used as an excuse to lack in other areas, such as story. People will keep reading for the lewdess and so on. Thankfully, Ase to Sekken isn't like this. The story __does__ move forward well and has about 5 pages of really hard lewd per volume, which isn't all that bad IMO. I just ignored it. If you can't tolerate ecchi or oversexualization, that may be a manga to skip. ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ The Art Style ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ The art style is pretty good. What you can expect from a manga with a solid team of creators and assistants. Even in impactful moments, I felt like they used the light well and there was a good representation of smells, scents, and such. (It's hard to find an image without a spoiler. That's one.) There's honestly nothing for me to complain about. Even the lewd parts are well drawn. Backgrounds, expressions, details, and clothing are pretty good. ‎ ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ The Characters ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ There are a fair number of characters in this manga. Asako, Natori, their families, co-workers, and friends; I felt like each one had a different personality, adding different flavors to the drama. Some have their own personal dramas and relationships, so they're able to evolve together with the story. As I always like to talk about the main characters, Asako is great. We get to see her past and the explanation for how she behaves and thinks the way she does. We get to see her grow up as a character during the entirety of the series, and it's very pleasant to watch. The same applies for Natori. ‎ ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ Conclusion ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ If you're like me, you skip everything and read only the conclusion because you don't want to get spoiled with other themes. So I will try to be brief on this point: __Read it.__ If you're okay with some really lewd scenes, go for it. It's a really good romance with really good characters, and there's such a sweet ending that I was kind of emotional about it. __It is a solid adult romance manga.__
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keishiapatapon
90/100
Undeniably for adults, but the sexiest part of this series is its wholesome romance
One would expect Ase to Sekken to be perverse and lean towards stereotypical hentai tropes based from its title alone. I was about to dismiss it myself but gave it a chance, and I do not regret this choice.

Ase to Sekken centers on Asako, an accountant who is deeply insecure about her scent and sweaty disposition due to childhood bullying. She solves her problems with the soaps developed by the company she works for. Enter Koutaro, one of said company's product developers and is responsible for many of the soaps Asako loves. Koutaro barrels over Asako's insecurities completely and through it, helps her gain confidence in herself.

To say it is not perverse is not exactly untrue, since even in the early chapters there are already some fade-to-black scenarios. While a common scene in manga, most romance series shoehorn characters having sex for the sake of it (it's especially uncomfortable if the characters are minors). In this manga, these scenes flows well within the story. It would have been easy to entice readers just by leaning into sex. Scent and sweat kinks are a thing (I'm not interested in that, but this is a no kink shaming zone!) but I appreciate how it didn't. Instead, it pulls readers in with excellent characters.

Asako, due to bullying, has developed safety nets around her even until adulthood. At the start of the series, she dresses plainly, has a meek personality, and constantly worries about how others perceive her. I relate to Asako deeply as someone who was also bullied as a child. Thus, it is refreshing and hopeful to see how over the course of the manga, we see Asako blossom. There is no instant 180 degree glow-up typical in shoujo. Instead, we see Asako shed her insecurities gradually. She leans into more fashionable clothes that still reflect her personality, opens up to her coworkers, and expresses herself more. Asako gives hope to even older readers that one can still blossom into a person who can love theirself.

The relationship of Koutaro and Asako is refreshing as well. They showcase what I (as someone in their early 20s) would think is an adult relationship. It evokes a different kind of excitement when I see romantic scenes between the two. While there are fights and misunderstandings, it does not irk me since these are genuine problems and not just petty fights. Also, it took me a long time to realize that this series took place over the course of years. Maybe this is why their developing relationship just felt so natural - one can't really expect exciting things to happen during every day or month of a relationship.

Other aspects I enjoyed about this manga is its humour. Jokes aren't forced and there are none of the weird characters that other manga seem to have. If I were to nitpick this manga, I guess it would have been the constant talk about soaps, but it is to be expected since both main characters are obsessed with the product.

Ase to Sekken is a wonderful read featuring an adult relationship. It showcases wholesome characters, light comedy, and the occassional sex talk. If you're one to veer away from "juvenile" romance, this is for you.
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Sakuraplant
75/100
Wholesomeness with a side of spice
Warning: spoilers By looking at the cover, your first thoughts may be “wtf” , “Why is he on her like that?” , “This must be a super perverted manga for degenerates”. While this anime does have some risqué scenes and fan service , there is still a wholesome story behind it. # __ Plot:__ Asako Yaeshima, 26, works in the finance department at Lilliadrop Inc., a cosmetics and toiletries company. She loves the company’s products, mainly because they help with her perspiration problem. She’s been bullied for it during her childhood and so it becomes her biggest insecurity. One day, a guy named Kotaro Natori comes up to her and smells her. He’s like “ I was given chills by your smell, please allow me to smell you everyday and help me with soap product planning.” She does eventually agree to this and throughout the story, the two characters connect and form a strong bond. Just to clarify, the plot is more than just two characters smelling each other and doing _it._ # __ Pros:__ I’ll be frank, the first few chapters of the manga are weird, there’s no getting around that. However, the story gets better as you read more. I like how we were able to learn more about Asako and her backstory, her insecurities which had negatively affected her life. She was always a serious person who had a walls around her and was mostly shy, but since she started dating Kotaro, those walls have slowly came down. She becomes more open, communicative, and happier. Asako begins to love herself more and overcomes those insecurities. I like how Kotaro is so considerate and patient. You can tell he clearly loves her( not just for her smell ). He isn’t so pushy and doesn’t peer pressure Asako into anything. When he sees Asako hurting inside, he’s there for her and is always by her side. What I like about this series is that shows what a healthy, consentual adult relationship looks like. When things are tense, the couple talks through it and work things out. It’s proof that communication is key in a relationship. The two characters aren’t perfect, but that’s ok because they are human and as humans we all make mistakes. # __Cons:__ I can’t think of many cons except for the fact that they become a couple after only two chapters, which is really fast. However when you go to the “afterword” in volume 1,Yamada says that he originally made the series a one-shot, but due to high popularity he made more volumes. So, you kinda gotta give him pass on that. Although, I would’ve liked to see scenes where the two characters slowly realize their feelings for each other rather than just rush the relationship, ‘cause then the story feels rushed. Another con is the fact that the two have a one-night stand literally moments after Asako was harassed by a creep on the train and Kotaro apologizes to her when they get off. I know that sounds immature, but I thought that was weird. # __Final thoughts: __ Although ecchi is my least favorite genre and I tend to refrain myself from reading/watching it, this was a series that I ended up fairly enjoying besides Harukana Receive. Now for the question, would I recommend this manga and to who? On the back of the manga covers, almost all have an Older teen ( OT ) rating. Of course, this rating may or may not be different for people living in different countries. So yeah, if you aren’t 16+, this series may not be for you. Though, I would most definitely recommend it to adults who read spicy Wattpad stories on a regular basis.
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