I couldn’t connect to any of the characters, I didn’t care for the plot and the romance (which is the main reason I read this in the first place) felt underdeveloped and lacklustre.

Take my review with a grain of salt as it seems to be in the minority, and I am definitely a noob when it comes to manga. There are also themes of infidelity, so be warned if that bothers you.

There are Things I Can't Tell You by Edako Mofumofu is such a well told story about friendship and how there are certain things that you keep even from your closest friend. The manga revolves around two young men who meet in junior high, and how their relationship evolves from simple childhood friendship to something that becomes more difficult to describe as they grow older and their feelings for each other deepen. It is a book about facing personal biases while navigating the often difficult course of young adulthood.
Kasumi and Kyousuke are complete opposites. While Kasumi is shy, reserved and keeps mostly to himself, Kyousuke is often the center of attention, always around friends and not afraid to go after what he wants. Growing up, they are often each other's pillar of strength. Kasumi sees Kyousuke as a hero, saving him from bullies, and Kyousuke sees Kasumi as the calmness in the middle of the tsunami that is his life.
I really enjoyed this book and it’s exploration of friendship and how that can deepen into love. I really liked the fact that the relationship wasn’t manipulative or one sided. There was no unnecessary miscommunication or misunderstanding. Everything these two boys did, even those things that hurt each other, they did because they believed that it would make the other happy. As misguided as that was, the thing they could not tell each other was that the other’s happiness was more important than their own.

***I was provided a digital copy of this title by NetGalley for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the art of this graphic novel. The story itself was okay, but I wasn't too invested in it. Still, I think it was a good quick read and I'm really glad that I was able to pick it up.

It doesnt support or open after I download the pdf version of it. It's also not showing in my shelf in netgalley and I cant open it to read

Please look into the issue and if you can send me the pdf in my mail ID- taniagungunsarkar@gmail.com

I cant read the book from here. Please look into the issue

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc! This was a good standalone story. There were times that the story got a little convoluted as it seemed to jump around a lot but over all the best friends to lovers with miscommunication is a classic that is not done as much in the US, but common and appreciated in manga. I would for sure read more from this author as her writing progresses.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Kasumi and Kyousuke have been best friends since primary school, despite being polar opposites. Shy, clumsy Kasume has always looked up to outgoing, atheletic Kyousuke as a hero. After they graduate from school, though, things have grown more complicated for them, and they find that they have trouble saying how they really feel.

This was a cute, angsty friends-to-lovers story with beautiful artwork. I hated that Kyousuke felt so much internalized homophobia and didn't feel he could be himself. I hope future generations will grow up in a world where they don't need to feel that way. There are other heavy and adult topics mentioned in this story; this is an 18+ story. I loved that Kyousuke and Kasumi were fully developed, realistic characters. I definitely cheered for them to reveal their feelings to each other and find their happily ever after.

Sometimes the person you love most is the person you shouldn't have... Kyousuke Shiina knows this well. After all, he's in love with his best friend, Kasumi. Has been for ages. Childhood friends who last touch then reconnected, Kyousuke and Kasumi have been dancing around their feelings for years. Kasumi once wanted to date Kyousuke, but Kyousuke turned him down and now the shoe is on the other foot. Kinda. There are complications including Japan's feelings toward homosexuality. Will Kasumi and Kyousuke be able to overcome everything and say the words that they just can't seem to say?

--

First a little cultural background, Japan is a fairly conservative country. More conservative than a lot Westerners realize. It's a lot more 1950s in a way with their cultural expectations. Some of the expectations include: Women should focus on being homemakers after they get married and not jobs; If a person is arrested for a crime, they must be guilty; having tattoos means that you're part of the yakuza, and homosexuality is unnatural. The last seems counter-intuitive but it definitely exists. Having worked with people in the Japanese entertainment industry for the last 20 or so years I've seen this first hand. There's a huge stigma associated with being homosexual.

So with that, I should probably give some trigger warnings. CW: Homophobia, CW: Internalized Homophobia, CW: Parental abuse/neglect, CW: Parental death, CW: Infidelity

The manga "There Are Things I Can't Tell You" zooms in on that stigma through the lens of Kyousuke and Kasumi's relationship. Kyousuke has known from a very early age that he's gay, but he has also had to hide it because he overhears his mother calling homosexuals "disgusting." This is something he carries with him. Internalizes. And it affects him throughout his life.

I found the story sweet, like the light shojo comics I devoured in the early 2000s. But there were deeper themes present. And this is definitely not a book for kids unless there's an adult around to provide context or answer questions. I liked how the stigma of being gay in Japan was handled. It felt real to the stories my friends have told me. The Manga also captured the Japanese work culture really well -- from the late nights to the perfectionism and nepotism. It reminded me of a lot of my own dealings. ^_^

One thing I didn't love was that there were a lot of flashbacks in this to previous parts of their lives. Some scenes are told from both characters POVs. It's not my favorite storytelling device -- especially in a book this short.

The plot veers into pretty steamy territory. (Read:Very Steamy) For those who like that sort of thing. There's some good consent, which I appreciate. And there's some even better communication during the love scenes. Trust me, folks, communication is hot.

I related to Kyousuke quite a bit. His whole outward and inner selves warring with each other. The difficulty he faces in being who he wants to be and who society expects him to be. I could feel his yearning and desires.

The art is pretty in a very josei style (It reminds me of Mayu Shinjo in a way.) Especially when it came to the romantic scenes. There's some odd pattern choices, but that's sort of par for the course. Plaids never translate well to animation or manga.

In all I liked this story and it's trip to a happy ending.

Four and Half Stars rounded up to Five.

I received an ARC via NetGalley

2.25/5 Stars

This childhood friend-to-lovers oneshot had some cute moments. I also enjoyed aspects of the plot and did feel for the characters during parts of this. However, it seemed like too much for a one-shot. Despite being a story that relied on a lot of pining, it went very quickly. I also don''t think that the time allowed us to really get an understanding of who the characters were outside of their relationship with each
other; this was especially true for Kasumi's character. A few of the flashbacks were a bit confusing and left me unsure of when they ended and the main timeline started again. It also felt like the events of the present day timeline went really quickly. I do think that the general idea of it was good and the relationship was cute. However, the execution was ultimately a bit awkward and rushed.

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There Are Things I Can't Tell You is a very sweet manga that will make your heart ache. I have a hate to love relationship with friends to lovers but I think this manga successfully pulls it off -- you can tell Kasumi and Kyousuke yearned for each other.

The characters were polar opposites: Kyousuke is extremely career driven will put himself through the wringer in order to get noticed at work, while Kasumi is focused on romance that keeps slipping away from him. Both of the men are in love with each other but neither realise it, nor do they think they're good enough for each other. The story focuses on these men learning to come together, overcome homophobia, and realising they can be together.

The art style is very beautiful and engaging! I'll definitely be checking out more from the author.

Prose (Story): Awkward, shy, reserved, the victim of many a bully - this describes Kasumi, the glasses-wearing, soft-spoken kid who, in grade school, met his hero in the form of Kyousuke. Outgoing, into sports, with a ton of friends, handsome and charming to all, Kyousuke not only befriends Kasumi, the two become inseparable - best friends in a bond that's lasted from childhood until now - when, as young men, each is trying to find his way in the world ... while also dealing with the hidden feelings each has secretly felt for the other since boyhood.

Don's (Review): Tokyo Pop has become my go-to place for manga depicting male-on-male romance, but here things are bumped up even more as author Edako Mofumofu creates two very-real heroes in both Kasumi and Kyousuke, two guys who couldn't be more different but grow up as close as two best friends could ever be. At the same time, since childhood, Kasumi has been in love with his best friend but is too afraid to tell him ... while Kyousuke, in love with Kasumi, has some emotional scarring in his background that makes him unable to not only reveal his feelings; he also has himself convinced that such feelings are wrong, and that he could only ultimately hurt Kasumi by telling him the truth. This would seemingly set up the kind of Hallmark movie kind of plotting, where much is misinterpreted or mistakenly assumed by the characters, keeping them apart in a way that feels more like a plot device than a real relationship here. But no, even when it seems Mofumofu is going that way, the trope is avoided and the relationship between the two men gets even more complex - and threatened. Another way this manga bumps things up a notch is in the depiction of the sex scenes; while not full-on full frontal (this is from Japan, after all), There Are Things I Can't Tell You is definitely for mature audiences in its visual depictions of two men making love (something to keep in mind, depending on your feelings about m/m sex, too). While initially a bit of a shock, like everything here the eroticism/sex scenes only fit with the story and characters, and while the ending of this genuinely romantic love story felt just a bit rushed, for me it was also one of the most realistic, believable depictions of two guys falling in love - complete with emotional baggage attached - I've yet to read, particularly in a manga. 4.5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

An heartwarming story about two people who want the other happy, even if its against their own happiness.
I just had so much fun reading about them, how they met and how they finally finally fot their happy ending in the end.

Kasumi and Kyousuke are friends from back when they were on school, and even if they had a few years distant because of something in their past, now they are back in their friendship as adults working and doing they own things. Even if one of that things is having a affair with a married woman.

Its just hearthwarming their friendship and their feelings.!

Especially for a one shot manga, it was the right pacing and the right writing!

This was a really cute manga. I really loved the characters and how they complimented each other. The only problem that I had with the book was that I found it confusing when the book switched perspective, but overall this story was engaging and heartwarming.

"There are Things I Can't Tell you" by Edako Mofumofu (translated by Christine Dahiell), is a sweet adult romance about two childhood friends who secretly harbor feelings for each other.


This manga was super sweet! From the very first page I was sold. The art style, the characters and the emotional story really had me swooning.

Kasumi and Kyosuke are childhood friends who have recently rekindled their friendship after a falling out/misunderstanding in High School.

Both main characters are earnest and hardworking, but show vulnerabilities. In this one shot we follow the two of them as they sort out their feelings from both their childhood and currently. This manga doesn't just stop at "does he like me" it also discusses internalized homophobia and taking that leap to live your life as yourself. It's really sweet overall.

There are a lot of flashbacks in this manga, and we see shared experiences from the perspectives of both characters. I appreciated both sides, the flashbacks did get a little tedious. I wanted to spend a little more time in the present rather than the past.

There were a few instances of miscommunication. I'm not particularly fond of this trope, but it does support some of the feelings that the characters are having (self doubt, fear etc) so it didn't bother me too much.

The art in this manga is super cute! Both main characters are very attractive ( like really attractive), and the lines aren't super harsh (which is my preferred style of manga). It gives the story a really warm and gentle tone.

There were a few SPICY scenes, but each was tasteful and manga didn't revolve around that. The end goal wasn't the SPICE, it was understanding each other and finding love.

Overall I really enjoyed this manga. It's a romance that gives you a little more than just romance and leaves you feeling warm at the end.

This review also appears on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3525804490?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This is the sweetest and cutest thing that I’ve read so far this year.
It’s just the hug that I needed after I crashed myself with Banana Fish.
Here we have two friends Kasumi an introvert guy and Kyousuke the charismatic and popular one
We start the story with them as adults, Kyousuke has been always in love with Kasumi, but the current comments of his father saying that liking another man is wrong and a mistake made Kyousuke to retract his own feelings towards his friend.
Something beautiful and sweet is that we can see small glances of the past, to where they were kids, how their friendship started and what they meant to each other
The drawing is cute. It hurts a little but you have your happy ending, which it’s the best, I don’t know what I would do if this had ended badly for them. 4/5 stars
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Esto es de lo más bonito y simple que he leído en el año.
Es justo el abrazo al corazón que necesitaba después de romperme con Banana fish.
Aquí tenemos la historia de dos amigos Kasumi un chico introvertido y Kyousuke el chico carismático y popular.
Empezamos la historia con ellos de adultos, Kyousuke siempre ha estado enamorado de Kasumi, pero los constantes comentarios de su padre le han hecho pensar, a lo largo de los años, que el hecho de que le guste otro hombre está mal y es un error. Por eso es reticente ante sus propios sentimientos.
Una cosa hermosa es que te den esos vistazos al pasado y veas como estos dos se hicieron amigos y lo que significaba el uno para el otro.
El dibujo es hermoso y tierno. Y te duele un poquito, pero tienes un final feliz en todo esto y eso es lo que me alegró, no sé lo que hubiera hecho si esto hubiera acabado mal, mis sentimientos no pueden con eso. 4/5 estrellas.

There Are Things I Can’t Tell You, by Edako Mofumofu, tells the story of two young men struggling to come to terms with their feelings for each other. The first thing that drew me in was the striking cover. The art throughout the book is lovely, if a little hard to follow at times.

Unfortunately, the writing does not live up to the art. The dialogue is stilted and unrealistic, and the characters are two dimensional. I appreciate the simplicity of the story, as well as the narrowness of the scope of the book, but ultimately the motivations for both main characters lack much interest. I found myself far more interested in the (admittedly very minor) side characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for the ARC.

4.5 stars

this is a super cute manga and very wholesome about 2 boys who have been childhood best friends but won't admit to each other that they love each other which leads to a lot of angst!! this manga really emphases the importance of good communication and how important it is to tell others how you feel and find out what they feel, rather than just doing what you think is best for them!! both the main characters are so sweet and really compliment each other and their romance was adorable!

also this is my fault for not reading the description properly but this manga is STEAMY - i was NOT expecting the penises lol

#ThereAreThingsICantTellYou #NetGalley
Love the story and art style. I like how it talks about how hard it is to express one's emotions. How miscommunication and one's worth can affect our relationship with others.

**I was provided an ARC by Diamond Book distributors/Tokyopop via Netgalley**

I thought this manga was pretty cute, the story was a little confusing at times just because of the back and forth but it was pretty easy to get used to it. I thought that some characters (especially at the office) were only added to cause drama and not really well fleshed out but I will say that the two main characters had their own personalities and style. I was not wowed by the story but it was definitely interesting enough for me to finish it. One thing the manga had going on for it was the art, it was simple but beautiful!

Overall, pretty flawed story, characters but the results wasn’t bad at all!

I enjoyed reading this, it was good. I definitely recommend this manga for everyone who loves reading bl/yaoi mangas.

TW: homophobia, internalized homophobia, adultery

I was scrolling through NetGalley tonight and decided to download this on a whim, and I'm so glad I did! I've been in the mood for relationships that are intense and make me emotional, and when I read the description of There Are Things I Can't Tell You it was just what I was looking for.

There Are Things I Can't Tell You follows Kasumi and Kyousuke, two best friends who have been in love with each other since they were in middle school. Now that they're adults, their feelings for one another is becoming something that they can't hide or ignore anymore, despite their best efforts.

I really liked this story, Kasumi and Kyousuke were likable but flawed, and I loved the way they revolved around each other. Edako Mofumofu did a really nice job adding in little details to connect both characters together to both each other and their past selves. The way internalized homophobia was a part of the story felt natural as well, rather than something used as a plot device to keep the love interests apart, which I appreciated. There was one scene that I felt like cut to another one a little abruptly, but it was such a minor thing I doubt anyone else would even notice it.

This was an emotional and heartfelt story, so if you're into that sort of thing, definitely try to pick this up!