I really enjoyed this book, the characters were great. The pacing was great! The romance was sweet! I give this book 3.5 stars

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Cute and yet there are heartbreaking moments. Such sweetness and love between the characters. Their relationship seems so natural and progresses at a fantastic pace. I adore this book and highly recommend it.

Cute story. I'm ok with a little lack of communication and enjoyed seeing the waves of jealousy between the boys.
Recommended for anyone looking for a simple romance.

I really enjoyed the art style of this manga and the plot was enjoyable, it could however have used a little explanation towards the end of the story. I don't know that I would pick up the next one if this is a series but I enjoyed my time with it.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The character development was subtle in a myriad of ways, and the plot moves along quickly enough to keep interest. I could have used a little more expansion around the ending of the book, but on the whole found the experience very enjoyable.

This manga talks about find true friendship, acceptance by others and by oneself, how words carries weight especially when directed to children, knowing one’s self-worth and accepting the love they deserve.

There were some pretty heart wrenching moments in the manga especially when Kyousuke’s dad said it’s not normal for a guy to like another one and called him disgusting, which pushed him to deep into the closet that he didn’t dare to Kasumi’s love and keeps wishing Kasumi would fall in love with a girl and lead a normal life.

Another really sad moment was when Kasumi said the only reason Kyousuke is expressing his love is cause he’s pitying Kasumi who’s a sad loser. The amount of self-depreciating Kasumi has in himself is so deep that he thinks he does not deserves to be loved.

Kasumi had always looked up to Kyousuke cause unlike him, Kyousuke looked like he has got his shit together but deep down Kyousuke is just as messy as Kasumi.

I feel this is one manga that I will reread again in the future cause I personally found it relatable and have now placed it closed to my poor fragile heart lol. Yes, I know it’s a manga and they are 2D boys but all I wanna say is Kyousuke is hella attractive like swipe to the last picture to see, he’s the blond one 🥺 (okay, I am done being thirsty).

Je ne lis pas souvent de manga, mais le résumé de celui-ci m'avait beaucoup intrigué du coup je m'étais laissée tenter.

L'histoire est intéressante, les dessins sont plutôt pas mal. Personnellement, j'adore ces histoires de meilleurs amis dont un qui développe des sentiments bien différents... Malheureusement, ça ne l'a pas fait avec moi.
La façon dont cette histoire est amenée m'a empêché de me sentir concernée par les personnages...

J'avais stoppé ma lecture, pour la reprendre bien après et enfin aller au bout de ce manga...

This bl manga does not stand out from other mangas of the same genre. The story felt lacking in some way— I think a more romantic relationship between the characters would go a long way in making the storytelling more exciting. However, the art was incredibly well done!

From the art style to the story - I know I'm relatively new to graphic novels - but this one seemed special. It gripped me from the beginning with its depth and emotion and I look forward to reading more from the author.

4 out of 5 wine glasses.

I really enjoyed this book. I am really wanting to read any future volumes - I am not much of a manga/anime reader but I like this one.

In diesem Manga wird die Geschichte von Kasumi und Kyousuke erzählt, die sich schon seit der Schulzeit kennen. Kasumi musste schon viele Verluste verkraften und ist eher ein schüchterner Außenseiter, während Kyousuke stets beliebt bei seinen Mitschülern war. Beide empfinden seit langer Zeit mehr füreinander als bloße Freundschaft, doch haben sie sich ihre Gefühle nie offenbart.

Die Geschichte zwischen Kasumi und Kyousuke, wie aus ihrer Freundschaft langsam mehr wird, hat mir gut gefallen. Beide waren mir sehr sympathisch, und ich konnte ihre Unsicherheiten sehr gut nachvollziehen. Kasumi hat wirklich schon viel mitgemacht und musste sich durchkämpfen, weshalb er es schnell in mein Herz geschafft hat. Ich fand sehr authentisch, wie ihnen durch kleine Missverständnisse Steine in den Weg gelegt wurden.

Etwas schade fand ich, dass die Szenen, in denen sie sich angenähert haben, so schnell in eine sexuelle Richtung umgeschlagen sind. Mir haben da ein paar ausführlichere Gespräche und süßes Zusammensein gefehlt. Die Gefühle der beiden füreinander sind teilweise nicht bei mir angekommen. Auch fand ich es ein wenig schwierig, die Rückblenden innerhalb der Geschichte als solche zu erkennen. Besonders am Anfang war ich deshalb einige Male irritiert.

Fazit:
Eine schöne Geschichte, die mich emotional aber leider nicht für sich einnehmen konnte. Daher 3 Sterne von mir.


In English:

This manga tells the story of Kasumi and Kyousuke, who have known each other since school. Kasumi has suffered a lot of losses and is more of a shy outsider, while Kyousuke was always popular with his classmates. For a long time both have felt more for one another than mere friendship, but they have never revealed their feelings to each other.

I really liked the story between Kasumi and Kyousuke, of how their friendship is slowly growing. I liked both of them very much and I could understand their insecurities very well. Kasumi has really been through a lot and had to fight his way through, which is why he made it into my heart quickly. I found it very authentic how small misunderstandings put obstacles in their way.

I thought it was a bit of a shame that the scenes in which they approached each other quickly turned into a sexual direction. I missed a few more detailed conversations and sweet get-togethers. The feelings of the two for each other have partly not reached me. I also found it a little difficult to identify the flashbacks as such within the story. That's why I was irritated a few times, especially at the beginning.

Conclusion:
A beautiful story that unfortunately couldn't win me over emotionally. Hence 3 stars from me.

I enjoyed this manga and would recommend it to others. It's full of heart and there is so much history and emotional weight between the two characters. Stunningly written and gorgeously illustrated.

This BL (Boys Love Manga) is a bit different than the one's I'm used to reading but still held my interest. The relationship between Kasumi and Kyousuke starts off as friends but eventually turn into lovers. However through circumstances, lack of confidence and misunderstandings, the two eventually separate; one goes and gets married thinking it was thee right choice for both of them, especially their families, while the other goes in search of himself and the type of career he wants.

It was a very emotional yet impactful story that love always finds a way, even with the road splits in the middle, you eventually come back to the one you are meant to be with. I give the story a 4 out of 5 stars for it's realism and blunt nature that life doesn't always go as planned.

Unfortunately, I must admit I was disappointed by this book.
The story itself might have been interesting, the art style was quite good but the execution was - for lack of a better word - a mess.
It was hard to tell some characters apart, to follow their conversations and succession of events and I couldn't understand the two main characters' perspectives and behaviours, why they were acting the way they were and what was the root of their relationship. It was ever so confusing and it didn't do it for me.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Before I even talk about my thoughts on this manga, can we talk about the art style? This is my first Edako Mofumofu manga and the art style alone makes me want more volumes by this mangaka. It was very beautifully drawn and the illustrations really lent themselves to telling the story which was an angsty yet sweet friends-to-lovers romance.

Friends-to-lovers is always a trope I'm up for reading and There Are Things I Can't Tell You is a great example of two friends finding their way to being together. This is an angsty but touching read about confronting internalized homophobia and choosing your own happiness. I really enjoyed reading this manga!

I'm a sucker for an opposites attract romance and the two main characters are so very different from each other. Kyousuke is popular, outgoing, and creatively driven while Kasumi is shy, disorganized, and a bit of a klutz. They've known each other since they were young through high school but an incidental confession in high school causes them not to see each other until they meet up at a school reunion.

The amount of yearning and wishing for the other's happiness is palpable from the start. These two are in so in love with each other but neither will act upon it for different reasons. In classic Boys Love manga style, they think they're doing what is best for the other. I firmly believe that they would have gone on hurting each other in the name of having the other's welfare in mind if things hadn't come to a head.

I enjoyed watching Kasumi and Kyousuke work through the issues that were holding them apart from each other to finally get to the point where they chose to be together even though being together scared both of them. It was sweet and just the kind of story I needed when I picked it up.

While I really enjoyed this, I did have one issue with it. I felt that it ended too soon after they got together. I needed to see more of them being a couple. What we saw was adorable and heartwarming, but didn't feel like enough of a payout after all the angst in the lead up to them ending up together. I really feel like this would have been a five star read for me if it had had twenty more pages of them being in a relationship after they finally got their act together.

Overall, this manga was a delightfully emotional read that provided a nice break from the current reality. I'd would recommend giving it a try.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

I wanted to much to like this, but after getting so far in I felt confused and didn't really understand the story so I didn't finish it.

This is my first Boys Love manga/graphic novel, and I must say, I really liked it. Kasumi and Kyousuke are two Japanese men who met in grade school. Kasumi comes from a home of loneliness and neglect, and he's withdrawn as a result. Kyousuke is a popular and active kid whose excellence in drawing and design is denigrated by his father, an accomplished graphic designer. They both have wounds, and each is glad to make the acquaintance of the other in school.

Once they graduate they drift apart, however. Kasumi doesn't know why, and it leads him into unsatisfactory relationships. Kyousuke was a child when he recognized his unnatural attraction to men, and he's long since internalized his father's homophobia. He doesn't want to ruin Kasumi's life by latching onto him like a pervert, so he pulls back, thinking it will set Kasumi up for finding the "right" (heterosexual) path. Learning his absence has hurt Kasumi is a big turning point for Kyousuke--and amends are made.

The art was evocative and approachable with little touches of body humor. It's was realistic, not representational, and the sexytimes were not shy. I had no trouble feeling in the moment with these characters, whether the scenes were mundane or intimate. Kasumi is the dark-haired one in glasses, and Kyousuke has light hair. Their opposite looks mirror their opposite temperment, with Kasumi hiding behind his hair and glasses, while Kyousuke is only satisfied when he's winning attention. He works hard for the right kind of attention, and Kasumi idolizes him, loves him, because Kyousuke was the only person in his life who really cared if he lived or died.

Their struggles as a couple are dramatically rendered, and adequately resolved. At least between them. I didn't see any public acknowledgement of their love, but that may be normal and excepted both culturally and within this format.

There Are Things I Can't Tell You is about two friends who have know each other since they were kids. It wasn't a typical bl the characters had a lot to work through which made it seem very realistic which I really liked.

The story is of Kasumi and Kyousuke, two polar opposites who found themselves in awe of each other, but due to constraints – personal or otherwise – chose to distance themselves.
I absolutely loved the plot and the time jumps. Although I do feel like clarity of timeline could’ve been better. It is overall an emotional and dramatic book and is dripping with affection. The two gentlemen are an absolute delight and yes, we ship them!
Fair warning, though, the book gets sexual and its graphic, very strictly 16+ material.
It took a while for the plot to set then take off, approximately a hundred pages, but after it did, it was quite well paced.
The graphics are mesmerising and really sharp. Overall, it’s a very wholesome lovey-dovey romance with a lot of drama.

May the gods bless you, Netgalley, for letting me have this one.

It made me CRY.
Not once, not twice, but THRICE.
Thrice did I cry.

Because this manga is *amazing*. It is so raw and emotional and real. Kasumi and Kyousuke are such well-developed characters. The story is told through their alternating perspectives, and it’s both beautiful and heartbreaking to see how they each view defining moments in their relationship. Kyousuke’s struggle with his sexuality and Kasumi’s battle with loneliness make me want to climb into the book so I can hug them and tell them everything will be okay. But part of the beauty of the story is that sometimes things *aren’t* okay. They just aren’t, and no one can fix them, but maybe they can help you carry the weight.

The art style is one of my favorites and I’m in love with the cover especially; that and the description are why I requested this one. Even if you aren’t usually a manga reader, or if you are but you don’t usually read the more realistic stuff, this is worth your time.