This book had an engaging plot, likeable characters and good graphics. It was also good that both POVs were told in the story. This book made for a quick and fun read.

I enjoyed this so, so much. The art is absolutely lovely, the characters made my heart ache, and the romance was angsty and sweet. Childhood-friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite romantic pairing tropes of all time, and this is the way I love to see it executed best: two people who have pined after one another for so long that they can't possibly imagine ever actually being together, leading to the most emotional, passionate confession moments possible. Precious. ♥

I adored both Kasumi and Kyousuke tremendously, and their polar opposite selves balance one another beautifully. Kasumi struggles with taking care of himself at times, so Kyousuke steps in to keep him functioning, but Kyousuke's lack of self-care through overworking himself is still present, too, on top of his general struggles with internalized homophobia. I felt like the two of them both worked to smooth the jagged edges left by the other's traumas so well — nobody "fixed" anyone, but they supported one another as much as they could.

Finally, after reading a handful of other reviews, I thought it may be necessary to remind anyone interested in this manga that it is an adult romance and, yes, there are absolutely explicit scenes. If that makes you uncomfortable, this is probably not the manga for you, but if you're comfortable with fairly graphic (though brief) depictions of sex, I recommend this romance manga so highly! I hope to have the chance to read more from this author very soon!

Thank you to NetGalley and TokyoPop for sending me an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
<i>There Are Things I Can't Tell You</i> follows Kasumi and Kyousuke who are friends that are polar opposites. When they become friends again after drifting apart, they find that there are things they have to face as men that they couldn't say to each other when they were younger.
I want to say that this manga does have some sex scenes in it so be aware of that when you go into this book if you aren't a fan of sexual scenes being show.
This book also features characters who are LGBTQ+ and I have no say in representation as far as that goes. Please seek out own voices reviewers to see how this was handled.
It also brings up a very important topic that isn't talked about which is what it is like to be gay in Japan. Again, this is not something I have any say in but that I do think is a very important topic that needs to be discussed.
What a delightful story. I really enjoyed this manga and I am so happy that I got this as an ARC. I really loved the art style of this to start. The scenes felt drawn enough that I could see the space but it didn't take away from their characters or their story. It was a gorgeously drawn manga and I really wanted to visit a cafe that was featured in this manga because it was done so well and really interesting.
I really loved both the boys in this. They are truly opposites of each other but it's those opposites that makes them work so well. I felt like there was just enough backstory given about them that I was able to understand why they are the way they are an dhow they are with each other. I loved seeing how they became friends and grew closer when they got older. I thought they both were very unique characters who I loved following.
The plot of this is pretty much a slice of life. You see a bit of their life together and I really enjoyed that about this book. It had just enough angst to keep me reading but not so much that I was getting frustrated. I will say the reason this is getting four stars instead of five is because it did feel a bit rushed. However, I recognize that the author was shoving a whole story into one volume and things did have to move quickly to keep the plot moving so I understand.
Overall, I really enjoyed this manga. I loved the two boys in it and I can't wait to see more from Edako Mofumofu. I think this would be a manga that is really important and that many people will enjoy.

Wow, this story was heavy.

Following two men who have been friends since childhood, but have only just gotten back into contact after a school reunion. Both of them come with their own baggage, and it follows their past and current feelings for each other, while also being the people who hold them back.

This story is full of drama, even in the first few pages. You’ve got unrequited love, emotional issues from past abuse, and heartbreak galore. I was on the edge of my seat, just hoping these two can get a happy ending after all the suffering they’ve been through. The backstories we get for them really fleshed them out as people, and how their own internal conflicts exist outside of their own relationship. How Kyousuke’s feelings of inferiority are stemmed from his need to overachieve and how the need to be the best we’re caused by his father’s high expectations and lack of love. Kasumi has his own issues with his parents indifference to him, lack of love, and being seen as an outsider. I saw him clinging to the people who showed any ounce of love, from his feelings for Kyousuke, and his affair with Yuriko that was an outlet for their own loneliness and isolation.

And usually in romance whatever personal problems the main characters have, they’re usually fixed once they fall in love and enter a relationship, which is a very idyllic view of love, but I appreciate the author for not doing that. Kyousuke and Kasumi’s problems aren’t fixed by being together, but they make each other happy regardless and support each other through them, so while their issues aren’t resolved, it leaves on a hopeful note.

As much as it can get cute, just a warning there is some explicit content and sexual scenes, so I recommend this to older teens and adults. This is a great manga for anyone who wants an angsty romance BL.

This graphic nivel was very nice to read. The illustrations are beautiful, and the story is as well. In an educator opinion, I think I would recommend high schoolers to read this, but since my area is middle grades I would probably leave it in my class library but I wouldn't verbally recommend it to them.

I've read extensively in the Yaoi genre, and there's always some hesitancy when I start a new story, because you never know if you're going to absolutely fall in love with it or be very very troubled by it.

This story was right in the middle for me. We got to know Kyosuke more than Kasumi, but even still, I couldn't connect that well with him. I felt sorry for him, and wanted him to work things out and experience true character growth. I was left curious about Kasumi, because his story was only brushed upon.

I thought the art was lovely and consistent. No issues with awkward translation or interpretation.
Overall, I'd keep reading if there were sequels, but I don't see myself itching to reread this.

ARC received by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

TW: INTERNALISED HOMOPHOBIA, PARENTAL ABUSE, DEPRESSION, EMOTIONAL NEGLECT

If there is anything anyone knows about me it is that I am an avid reader of graphic novels and manga. I love seeing the character art, the way the story plays out and how each character interacts with one another. Heading into There Are Things I Can't Tell You, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I just know that what I got was completely and utterly unexpected.

The book focuses on two main characters Kasumi and Kyousuke, two boys of which have been close since 5th grade. Both boys are in love with one another however are scared of admitting their secret desire and wish to become something more. Circumstances dare to keep the two apart however, both characters come to realisations and battle past demons so that they can more forward with their lives.

Both characters were well written. Kyousuke in particular was an interesting character to read about. He exuded this aura of self-confidence to those around him and was shown to be a very dedicated and driven young man. Being a hopeful advertising director, he put so much strenuous work onto his conscious and carried himself with this sense of pride. However, behind closed doors, he was beautifully flawed and fearful of pursuing what his heart truly desired.

Kasumi couldn't have been more different from Kyousuke. Having been brought up by two people that didn't truly love each other, all Kasumi wished for was to truly be loved by someone. This background had led him to keeping his thoughts and feelings to himself, having little confidence to share his own personal truths. After a situation that occurred between him and Kyousuke, Kasumi tried pursuing a relationship with an already married woman, creating a rift between the two boys.

The book really highlighted a lot of deep issues and topics. It was at times quite philosophical and really contemplative such as one character's struggles between right and wrong. You could see this being portrayed in the flashbacks to the past and present time. You could also see both characters coming to different realisations about what they really wanted in life and how they will pursue it. I loved seeing Kasumi's and Kyosuke's relationship unfold. However, at times it was extremely graphic with the sex scenes. I honestly didn't know that it would be that forward. The description did say it was an "adult title with poignantly illustrated and emotional intimate scenes" however I thought it would be less "out-there" and more covered up. Nevertheless, I continued reading on until the end and despite the two explicit scenes, I did enjoy the story.

All in all, There Are Things I Can't Tell You was a deep and meaningful manga about regrets, love and pursuing what your heart truly desires.

ACTUAL RATING: 3.5 STARS (rounded to 3)

•ENGLISH/ESPAÑOL•

~ENGLISH~

The ARC for this novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kasuga and Kasumi are opposites in every way. Kyousuke is extremely energetic and outgoing, while Kasumi is shy and quiet. Both have known each other since they were children and are childhood friends, inseparable, until an unexpected event causes them to distance themselves from each other for many years. When the two meet again, it seems that everything is in their favor, but although Kyousuke loves Kasumi, he thinks that it isn't correct that you are together. In the adult world, full of difficult moments, Kyousuke will have to decide if his love for Kasumi is worth fighting for or if he should let him stay with a woman who gives him a "normal" and happy life.

This story is super cute but also very sad. Kasumi has been verbally abused since childhood and it seems that the only person who understands her is Kyousuke, who in turn has been pressured from childhood to be perfect in every way. Both complement each other but their own trauma and painful experiences make them decide to move away from their own happiness to choose the "right" path.

It really broke my heart to read the parts of Kyousuke, his moments where he seems to believe that he does not deserve to be happy.
All he wanted was for them to be happy and to be together but for that they had to fight a lot and that was extremely painful.

I loved the story, I loved the drawings, some parts made me feel very sad and devastated, perhaps also a little disappointed by the decisions made by the characters, but as always, I adored the format, the drawing, and the truth is that i love these sad stories~.

~ESPAÑOL~

El ARC de esta novela fue proporcionado por la editorial a través de NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.

Kyosuke y Kasumi son opuestos en todo sentido. Kyousuke es sumamente enérgico y extrovertido, mientras que Kasumi es tímido y callado. Ambos se conocen desde que eran niños y son amigos de infancia, inseparables, hasta que un inesperado evento provoca que se distancien el uno del otro por muchos años. Cuando ambos se vuelven a encontrar, parece que todo está a su favor, pero aunque Kyousuke ame a Kasumi, piensa que no es correcto que estés juntos. En el mundo adulto, lleno de momentos difíciles, Kyousuke tendrá que decidir si vale la pena luchar por Kasumi o si debería dejar que se quede con una mujer que le de una vida “normal” y feliz.

Esta historia es super tierna pero también muy triste. Kasumi ha sido abusado verbalmente desde su niñez y parece que la única persona que lo entiende es Kyousuke, quien a su vez ha sido presionado desde la infancia a ser perfecto en todo sentido. Ambos se complementan mutuamente pero sus propios traumas y experiencias dolorosas hacen que decidan alejarse de su propia felicidad para elegir el camino “correcto”.

Realmente me partió el corazón leer las partes de Kyousuke, sus momentos donde parece creer que no merece ser feliz.
Lo único que quería era que fueran felices y estuvieran juntos pero para eso tuvieron que luchar muchísimo y eso fue sumamente doloroso.

Amé la historia, amé los dibujos, algunas partes me hicieron sentir muy triste y devastada, quizá también un poco decepcionada por las decisiones que tomaban los personajes pero como siempre, adoré el formato, el dibujo, y la verdad es que estas historias tristes me encantan~.

it was a really cute, fast read. i love second chance romances, although this was more a third chance one. i really felt for them in the back and forth of their feelings, of wanting each other's happiness and thinking being together could be wrong.

I'm not crying, you're crying!

I am a sucker for second chance romance and this was no exception. The meet-cute with the wishing tree was adorable and I loved the call back at the end. The main character coming to terms with his internalized homophobia was handled well. And, finally, I like that the love interests implied bisexuality was a nonissue.

I really enjoyed this. The story was good and relatable. The characters were super cute and I loved them. The art was so cute. I love a good monochromatic color scheme.

*I received this book as an arc from netgalley.

3.5 stars!

The story is endearing and the author did a great job distinguishing between the two POVs and separating flashbacks to the current timeline. However, there were some panels where I couldn’t quite grasp what I was seeing - either really zoomed in close ups, an odd angle of something in the scene i hadn’t seen in previous panels, etc. that took me out of the story a couple times.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for providing me with an eARC.

There Are Things I Can't Tell You is a short romp into the life of two queer millennials during a period in there lives where they have to learn to accept themselves. The story is well-written, the art is is beautiful, and the story is relatable. While this is a short read, it's a worthwhile read with a feel-good ending. I would recommend this to fans of LGBT manga (with a warning for explicit content.)

The full review will be available on Geek Declassified July 20, 2020

This was a cute romance, but I didn't dig the hesitation and the characters thinking what they are doing is wrong.

While another reviewer gets the pleasure of writing this one up for ANN, I definitely envy her - the story here is thoughtful and sweet and has a point to make (in a relatively gentle way) about how getting stuck on ideas of what "normal" is can lead you to jettison happiness. Kyousuke's ingrained belief that there's something wrong about being gay causes him to push away the love of his life for too long out of a dual belief that Kasumi is straight and that there's no way being with him will bring happiness to the one person he wants above all to be happy. The story is fairly angsty (not always my favorite flavor of romance), but the ending is rewarding, especially the final wordless pages, which drive home the fact that happiness is where YOU find it, not where society tells you it is.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

This manga follows the story of two friends as their grow up as well as their relationship. They are both very different but their complement each other.

The story and the art are pretty cute, it talks about depression, internalised homophobia and parental abuse. i love how it builds their relationship and the flashbacks of when their were kids. We have the points of view of this two characters.

It was a really lovely story and the first yaoi that i read so i´m looking forward to explore more this genre.

[ESP]
There Are Things I Can't Tell You es un manga tierno y sentido. A través de la vida escolar de Kyousuke y Kasumi vemos cómo su amistad se convierte en algo más.
Con bastante drama y un desarrollo de personaje interesante, este manga se me hizo como una suerte de hermano mayor de You Are In The Blue Summer.
Personalmente las escenas gráficas sexuales no me incomodan, pero esta historia no parecía que iba a tenerlas y... las tiene. Así que ¡advertencia! si te incomodan los mangas con escenas sexuales, este lo tiene.
Pese a eso, es una historia bonita aunque no enamora.

*Muy pronto reseña completa en el blog

[ENG]
There Are Things I Can't Tell You it's a lovely and emotional story. After years of pinning in each others, Kyousuke and Kasumi's friendship becomes something more.
With two childhood friends, angst, drama and a beautiful artwork, There Are Things I Can't Tell You it's kinda the big brother of You Are In The Blue Summer. Mature content included...
However, it's a beautiful story that I enjoyed.

TW: adultery,cheating, neglectful and emotionally abusive parents, internalised homophobia, graphic sex scenes.

*eArc provided by ToykoPop in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 3.5 stars

This was a very soft, simple and quick read.

The characters, Kyousuke and Kasumi are pretty generic and cut-and-dry but that's not necesarrily a bad thing. They are still very fun characters to follow. Kyousuke's work journey made a good parallel to follow with his love life but I wish we had gotten to know Kasumi's life more as well.

The plot is simple - though very very cliched. But that makes this a rather fun read overall. It is easy to follow as well. It also helps the art-style which is pleasing and I like the dialogues.

Overall, this is a fun manga to read, especially if you are looking for something fun and harmless for a weekend evening. Do give it a try.

Alternating between perspectives and timelines in the boys’ lives, this story is about Kasumi and Kyousuke becoming friends, growing up, and falling in love. Throughout the story we learn more about each boy’s emotional struggles to be who they are and mature as they get older. It’s a cute story with a good message about how you should do and be who you are to be happy.

Warning: two very graphic (consensual) sex scenes

4 stars

Kasumi and Kyousuke’s story was so emotional. Kyousuke is the typical popular boy that everyone likes because he’s cheerful and always in a good mood. Kasumi is the introverted outcast that has no friends because he doesn’t think anyone will ever like him. They start up a friendship when Kyousuke confronts Kasumi. And as they spend more and more time together, emotions start to blossom between them. But from a young age, Kyousuke thinks that having feelings towards men is a “wrong” path so he rejects Kasumi’s confession.

Both men choose “wrong” paths in their lives but eventually they come to realize they’re in love with each other. Kyousuke’s revelation that he loves Kasumi had me tearing up because he finally realizes it was completely okay to love a man.

I definitely plan on picking up other works by this mangaka. The artwork was absolutely beautiful.

** ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review **