EN Title: In Love’s Key, Reprised
JP Title: くりかえしあいのおと
Romaji:  Kurikaeshi Ai no Oto
Author/Artist: Guri Nojiro
Publisher: Kodansha
Publisher Rating: Mature
Status: Complete

Content Notes: Sexual content

Story Overview
The strict conductor Kiri returns home to Hokkaido to rest due to health issues. Despite Kiri’s harsh attitude, Osamu, his fan and the local grocer, helps him keep warm when his electricity is off and finish moving in. Kiri eventually gets roped into helping the local junior high school’s choir, of which Osamu’s younger sister Lala is a part. As a loner who struggles to get a long with others, Kiri has difficulty getting along with the choir, especially Lala. At the same time, Osamu also gets closer and closer to him, giving him a warmth he doesn’t realize he has been longing for.

Review
In Love’s Key, Reprised is a short, heartwarming story of a lonely man who finds both love and better understanding of caring for others. It’s also a story of working with grief, as Kiri’s harshness partially stems from missing his mother who had passed. The comfort and care he receives from Osamu helps Kiri find he does have a chance at changing and improving.

The story focuses more on the romance between the two and skips out on showing Kiri becoming more friendly with the choir and those in town over time. The story dedicates a few panels showing a timelapse, but I think the story would have been stronger if readers had the chance to experience it more. This story then, once again does suffer a bit from it being a single volume BL. I still found the romance between Kiri and Osamu very adorable, as I do like the dynamic of an overly friendly person and cold loner couple. Even though Kiri for the most part just gave into Osamu’s kindness and warmth, I found it sweet. Guri Nojiro’s linework has a certain softness to it that gives an extra cozy feeling to the story and romance.

Despite weaknesses that come with being a single volume, In Love’s Key, Reprised is a manga I could find myself going back and reading when I need a little pick me up.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha for the DRC!

Guri Nojiro is an author I have been a fan of, and has two others works available in English:
A Beast’s Love Is Like the Moon – published by Tokyopop
It Was the End of Spring – debut work; localized by Renta! (digital only)