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 companys product developers and is responsible for many of the soaps Asako loves. Koutaro barrels over Asakos 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 fadetoblack scenarios. While a common scene in manga most romance series shoehorn characters having sex for the sake of it its 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 Im not interested in that but this is a no kink shaming zone but I appreciate how it didnt. 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 glowup 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 cant 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 arent 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 youre one to veer away from juvenile romance this is for you.