On and Off Work-Life Imbalance has, so far, been a heartening manga about people getting a chance to be true to themselves and end up accepted by others. The first few volumes handled this in certain ways that highlighted a pair of coworkers, Hanku and Amata, whose off-duty selves Aki and Kanade become friends even though they seem to appreciate different aesthetics. The second volume, however, ended with a cliffhanger that involved a reveal of their on and off work identities. Fortunately, the third volume of the On and Off Work-Life Imbalance manga handles this pretty perfectly and in a way that allows the two to keep supporting each other and perhaps become even happier in both of their “lives.”Editor’s Note: There will be spoilers for the second and third volumes of the On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance manga below. As a refresher, Hanku and Amata both work at the same company. She’s known as being a bit cold, quiet, and efficient. He’s seen as capable, open, and refreshing. In their off-time, she dresses in punk clothing and goes by Aki. He dresses in gorgeous Lolita-style outfits along the lines of Baby the Stars Shine Bright under the name Kanade. The first volume covered their accidental meeting, while the second looked more at their developing friendship and how Aki/Hanku’s friend Tamotsu is a respectable, impeccably dressed teacher by day and punk outside of work. The tension came because of Amata/Kanade realizing Hanku is Aki by the end of that volume and admitting who he is.Image via Square EnixHere’s why that’s great! The first chapter of the third volume of the On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance manga preserves that tension. We see how scared Amata is. When he does, we get this great side-by-side, two-page spread of him in his work clothing and a gorgeous Kanade ensemble. All the while, Hanku is quiet, staring and taking it in. He even over-explains a bit, making it an anxious moment, so we can appreciate how difficult this is for him and step into his shoes during the confession. Then, it ends with us realizing that Hanku isn’t being stoic and silent like that because she’s judging him or doesn’t approve. It’s because she already knew. She’s known for a while. And the reason she dropped hints, such as mentioning the name of a cat she’d seen with Amata both as Aki and Hanku as Little Mitsu, is because she did realize already and was sort of tipping him off so if he didn’t know, he would. Then from there, we get this fantastic heart-to-heart. Hanku perfectly alleviates all of Amata’s concerns. She explains how she thinks his preferred style of off-work dress suits him. She completely and totally accepts who he is, in the same way he accepts her, and even starts to ask about planning their next outing to show that this revelation changes nothing. They have a relationship and bond. Which means now we’re getting to see the series focus more on that. Now that Hanku and Amata know about their alter egos, we see how this changes things. Except it doesn’t really in many ways. Both Hanku and Amata seem happier at work following the reveal. They’re both brighter and seem more comfortable, and it’s so noticeable that others see that. They’re still doing things together, and it seems like now they’re closer than before because of that revelation and ensuing acceptance. So much so that Hanku trusts Amata to help her with an important task. It also means hints about what will happen next for On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance. Initially, it seemed to just be a series about accepting yourself and finding people who get you. That and gorgeous outfit design. But now that Hanku and Amata know they’re Aki and Kanade, there’s another twist. It seems like Amata is starting to develop feelings for Hanku and that could be explored going forward.In a way, I’m a little curious and concerned about that. On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance’s execution and story meant that so far, we’ve seen both Hanku and Amata grow as individuals. We’ve seen the joy that comes from them meeting each other as Aki and Kanade. And in this volume, we see how beneficial revealing their identities is to their relationship and life in general. Now that there’s a possible romantic element to it, I’m hoping to remains as positive a story. Volumes 1-3 of On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance are available now, and Square Enix hasn’t set a release date for the fourth volume yet. We may earn a commission if you purchase from certain links. Learn more here.The post On and Off Work-Life Imbalance Handles Its Reveal Well appeared first on Siliconera.