A gorgeously drawn graphic novel with an interesting narrative, plot, and concepts. Definitely recommended for fans of this genre.

Nice gay rep, though there is a lot of internalized homophobia (due to upbringing) and more will they won't they than I really cared for (angst out the wazoo), but the art was really nice and both guys were cute in their own ways.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free manga*

This was super super gay and in parts very graphic, I didn't expect the latter as I didn't know it was yaoi, but that's me not having read the blurb carefully enough. Anyhow, it's super gay and explicitly erotic, comparable to "Call me by your name".

Quirky Kyousuke & shy Kasumi fall in love in school, but Kyousuke rejects Kasumi as he doesn't believe he could make the other boy coming from a problematic family background happy. A few years later, at 27, Kyousuke is an extreme workaholic who reconnects with Kasumi.

The story focusses on the two main characters who are a bit archetype-y but still evolve during this very short manga (I read it in one sitting). I thought the story was a bit predictable but I was still somewhat emotionally invested in the characters.

No idea how realistic or unrealistic the sex scenes are, but I found parts of it a bit weird, almost a bit cliché, but I'm not a suitable person to judge this.

But it was kind of a sweet story, the two of them finding together after so many years.

3,5 Stars

This is an ADULT manga that follows a m/m romance between two childhood friends. This gets really graphic when it comes to the sex scenes. While, that isn't something I enjoy, I don't tend to let it affect my ratings of other books and I won't let it affect my rating of this one.

But what did affect my rating was the story itself. The only thing I can really say is that it needed to be longer. Not only did I want it to be, it needed to be. We got their story from being middle schoolers to adulthood, with a skip in time between from high school-ish to after college.

But that's too much time to cover over one volume. There was so much to get into that this manga just wasn't able to delve deep into because of its length. If they would have made it a couple volumes longer, I could have felt more for the relationship and would have cared more about what was happening between these two.

That being said, I didn't hate this book. I did enjoy it and I know that it could have been even more amazing if it would have been longer. I didn't hate my experience while reading this book.


That's why I'm giving this manga 3 stars.

"There Are Things I Can't Tell You" is a Yaoi Manga about two male friends, and the way their relationships changes as they grow up. They both have very different personalities but they complement each other. The story and the art are pretty cute. Tigger Warning: it does talk about depression, internalized homophobia and parental abuse.

Romance manga has been a comfort throughout the current quarantine. But given the ample time on my hands to read since lockdown started, I quickly ran through my favorites in the shojo and josei romance areas and found my way yaoi, more affectionately known as Boy Love or BL. The romances in BL can vary from traditional shojo hand-holding with a kiss in the final chapter, or they can be romantic stories with explicit sex scenes illustrated. There Are Things I Can’t Tell You from Tokyopop and mangaka Edako Mofumofu is the latter of these but offers up a complex romance story that sees us following two friends who developed feeling for each other during childhood but were kept apart by perceived ideas of “normalcy.”

Masumi and Kyousuke are polar opposites when it comes to personality. While Masumi is reserved, soft-spoken and shy, Kyousuke is energetic and has always been popular among their peers. As the saying goes though, opposites have a tendency to attract, and these two have been fast friends since elementary school. To Masumi, Kyousuke has always been a hero to look up to, someone who supports him and saves him from the bullies. But now, school is over; their relationship suddenly becomes a lot less simple to describe. Facing the world — and one another — as adults, both men find there are things they struggle to say out loud, even to each other.

As a BL title, it’s no surprise that the two are in love, but its what this title does with this love and the revelation of it that makes it an amazing series. Over the course of just over 200-pages, this one-shot manga masterfully tells a story of becoming comfortable in your sexual identity and how society’s homophobia can wound individuals regardless of if they see their own pain or not. While there are two explicit sex scenes in the main story, the storytelling isn’t based on smut. In fact, it’s focused on telling a story of love, loss, and fear, and it just so happens to offer up some steamy moments that also have a deep emotional pay-off.

If you’re not familiar with BL as a genre, this storyline isn’t new. Often shonen-ai and yaoi both feature characters who have been love each other since childhood and for whatever reason, be it age or circumstance decide to confess each other. But this is also where There Are Things I Can’t Tell You diverts from the typical storytelling tropes by focusing on the societal pressures that impact budding love even when both parties want to move forward.

While the opening of the book shows us that Kyousuke is in seemingly unrequited love, an argument between him and Masumi reveals that he had actually rejected a confession from his best friend before. Instead of accepting Masumi’s love and returning it, Kyousuke was brought back to the way his father treated the simple idea that his son could be gay. With that stigma deeply rooted in his heart, Kyousuke chooses to push Masumi away from himself and encourage him to seek someone else. Mofumofu uses ideas of normalcy and “right” and “wrong” to show how deeply this self-hatred and runs in Kyousuke despite his deep love for Masumi.

While we do get one chapter told from Masumi’s point of view, recounting the events of their childhood which led to their friendship and eventual love, There Are Things I Can’t Tell You is Kyuosuke’s story. It’s about him coming to terms with sexual identity and allowing himself to feel like he is both deserving of love and that he can return it in the way that Masumi needs it. The beautiful storytelling can’t be understated and it comes from an understanding of not only how to build tension but also how to avoid common tropes within the BL genre, like expected plot twists and confessions.

There Are Things I Can’t Tell You is an emotional and beautiful romance that also offers up a critique on the way society forces people to hold themselves back from happiness. There is a beauty in this one-shot that makes it one of my favorite BL titles. From illustration to writing, Mofumofu does an excellent job of filling each page with a tenderness and understanding that you need when picking up a romance title.

I liked it. It reminded me of heavy dramas I enjoyed in the past -and those rarely had queer leads so this was a welcome improvement-, and the art is pretty. But if you don't like miscommunication as the main conflict, maybe skip this one. Things would've been resolved earlier if the protagonists were just super honest with each other. ⁣
⁣
Then again, I would argue that it would be out of character for both Kyosuke and Kasumi to just say everything outright. What I liked most about this is the fair portrayal of people struggling with their sexuality. It isn't always pretty, and people do stupid things out of desperation or confusion, but it can still be quite beautiful at the end. It gets better. And these characters got the happiness they deserved.⁣
⁣
It ends with HFN, thank goodness, and it is also explicit, though not very. Just right if you're looking for something stirring, with servings of spice. ⁣

Love this m/m romance manga!

I've read manga from this author before, and was once again impressed by the quality of the artwork, which pulls you in from the first page. The story is fantastic, fully showing the hard reality of many LGTBQ+ relationships. I love this couple and was really rooting for them the entire time!

I did feel some frustration with the main obstacle to their romance being them just not communicating. That by itself was fine, but she kept using the same misunderstanding several times in the manga.

Still, I devoured this manga in one sitting, and that's the sign of a good one for me! 5/5

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

First I want to thank netgalley for providing me with this ARC.


There Are Things I Can't Tell You is about two boys that have been in love with each other since they were younger. They hold back their feeling while the reader gets to explore their past and present. The main characters have to face their own personal demons in order to find a way to be together.

This is my first manga that I have ever read. It took me a few pages to understand the right way to read the text. After learning that I understood some of the flow of the story. Some sections did seem a bit out of place or strangely ordered. Favorite scenes are when we get to explore both main character past because it gives us a glimpse of both their POV and how they see one another. *Please note that there are sex scenes*

All in all I am rating this manga a 2.5 out of 5 stars.

This manga was a roller-coaster of confessions, steamy scenes, and breakups. I loved that it comprised a lot of flashbacks, offering a closer look at the characters' backstories. I know it's a manga and it adheres to certain rules if the genre, but I wish it gave us some more insight into what it means to be queer in a society as conservative as Japanese. Jumping straight into a sex scene right after a love confession just doesn't cut it, there are some other things at play.

My expectations were just a little higher, maybe because the publisher's description suggested it was going to be more introspective. I think more manga creators should take a page from Kabi Nagata's book (well, not literally) and think about more than fanservice.

Otherwise, it was a cute read.

I received this through Netgalley! It was honestly such a cute manga though I wish there was more to their story. I would have loved to have seen them grow as a couple. The slow burn was really good despite it being over the course of one novel. I haven't read too many MxM in manga series before so this was really refreshing. I am a bit sad because I think it's a standalone and I want more from this world!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley

3.5 stars
I'm not really a manga person but this was described as a romance between two angsty boys so i gave it a try. I wanted this story to be a bit longer there was a few flashbacks that felt too weak for me to really see the realtionship grow. The characters were interesting though and i could connect to them despite the format of this book that doesn't really permit to dwell on everything. The romance is short and sweet pretty romantic with a few graphic sex scenes that unfortunately lacked chemistry in my opinion.
Great story with gay representation for people who enjoy manga.

tags: m/m pairing, erotic manga, stupid boys pining for each other, sunshine type character and shy introvert character fall in love
content warning: homophobia, toxic relationship with parents, death of a relative, depression and suicidal thoughts

There Are Things I Can't Tell you doesn't do much to stand out within its genre, but at the same time, it's a perfectly lovely story that I enjoyed reading.

It tells the story of two men who have been friends since school. The outgoing workaholic Kyousuke and the messy introverted Kasumi. Kyousuke has been in love with Kasumi for a long time, but he believes that Kasumi will find happiness elsewhere and so is hesitant to act upon his feelings. Little does he know Kasumi's happiness is more entwined with him that he thought.

The art style was lovely, and I enjoyed reading this story. It was very typical of the genre, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I wholeheartedly believe that if you like mlm manga you'll enjoy this.

There were some thoughtful themes surrounding happiness, homophobia and working hard to overcome mistakes. I wish they'd engaged with them a bit more, but as something relatively short it was enough.

Overall I didn't rate this as highly as I could because it didn't bring anything new to the table for me, but I do recommend this to people who like this genre as it's a beautiful, feel-good story with the perfect amount of drama.

I just finished reading my first ever manga. The story was really cute and the art was wonderful and well executed. I really enjoyed reading it and it was really easy to get through.

There are a few graphic sex scenes which i personally don't mind, but some people might want to know about it before going in.

Very readable and highly recommended.

Honestly the story line was fine, a lot of yaoi is built around homophobic themes/tropes and I feel like that definitely was the case here (I'm usually able to look past that because I'm aware of the problematic aspects of the genre in and of itself) and up until a certain point, I was willing to rate this book two stars because while I was pretty uninterested in the story, I didn't hate it. Then wham! A Rape Scene That Was Played Off As Being Consentual (when one character was literally begging the other one to stop too...!) and my rating went doooooooown. Needless to say, this wasn't for me, but if you're into reading yaoi I guess you could give this a try, just beware of the rape scene.

I liked the art style just fine though.

<i>Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review</i>

This is a short, cute story about childhood friends to lovers. Kasumi and Kyousuke, two boys with very opposite personalities, struggle to come to terms with their feelings for each other. There’s a good mix of angst, sweet moments, and smut.

I really thought I would enjoy this more—I always love the trope of lovers who are polar opposites. However, I ended up finding the story quite boring. I’ve read enough romance to say that this was not unique at all and was way too cliche and predictable to keep my attention. The characters weren’t as interesting as I thought they would be and quite honestly I found them to be a bit annoying at times. I also thought the timing was confusing.

I do think others who either don’t heavily read romance or don’t mind cliches would find <i>There Are Things I Can’t Tell You</i> enjoyable. But if you’re looking for something fresh and new, this isn’t the story for you.

There Are Things I Can't Tell You
by Edako Mofumofu
☆
A beautiful story. Kyousuke loves Kasumi but is too afraid to admit it because he was raised to believe those feelings were wrong. Kasumi tries to fill the void with an equally shattered person commiting infidelity.
We watch them struggle with the social expectations and feelings for each other.
It was a very compelling story about the struggle of growing up with confusion about your own sexuality. Definitely a good gateway to BL Graphic Novels.

I received the arc from NetGalley.
This one came across suddenly. I have not read yaoi or LGBT manga in a very long time because they started to cater to a certain audience. So, I never paid much attention. This one, the cover especially, was what made me want to read it. This was a heartwarming book regarding real struggles of the two characters. Kasumi and Kyousuke just wanted to be together, but before that, they had to answer some questions they have been holding on to for a long time in their hearts. I would love a sequel, to see how they continue their journey balancing their relationship and work. This was a good start. I really enjoyed it!

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

There Are Things I Can’t Tell You is a boy love manga about childhood friends Kasumi and Kyousuke as they navigate adulthood and their complicated feelings towards each other.

First things first, this is a mature manga with explicit content in it. So if that is not something you want to read, this comic is not for you.

The story is really good and these characters feel like real people. Kasumi and Kyousuke as characters are developed really well and they are both complex and multifaceted which is awesome. They are polar opposites that fit together and you can’t help but cheer for them. The highlight of this manga is the character development.

The plot is also really well done with twists and turns I definitely was not expecting. This isn’t a simple happily ever after story, and that makes it more realistic and interesting to read. I was visibly reacting to this manga as I read it, cheering the good things and being shocked by the unexpected. I would have enjoyed this as a longer series because the plot and characters are that good.

I am not a member of the LGBT community, so I don’t 100% know what the experience of being gay is like. I did appreciate that this manga explored the complex nature of being gay in our current world where it is considered taboo and “wrong” by many. This is a driving theme of the manga and it is interesting how these characters approach and overcome this.

Overall, if you enjoy LGBT love stories, particularly boy love, and want complex characters and an unexpected plot you will enjoy There Are Things I Can’t Tell You. Again, however, it is a mature manga with sexual themes so keep that in mind before reading.

Wonderful art style, heartfelt storyline, and loveable main characters. This was a fast and enjoyable read that deals with heavy topics while also managing a nicely developed romance.

~★~ What is this manga about? ~★~

There Are Things I Can’t Tell You follows best friends Kasumi and Kyousuke through dual timelines. As a kid Kasumi was mainly reserved and shy, without many people to turn to. Kyousuke was like a storm that demanded the attention of all around him, though he somehow chose lonely Kasumi as his preferred companion.
An incident causes the childhood friends to separate for years, though they meet once again at a high school reunion party. In no time the two boys are closer than ever, trying to manage the mutual feelings that ended their friendship in the past. But they’re adults now, and will have to make choices that could follow them forever.

~★~

While I really loved both Kasumi and Kyousuke as characters, the author definitely paid more attention to the latter. We received incite into both boys’ family life, though as a reader I definitely felt more attached to Kyousuke because of the extra attention. His emotions were more forthfront along with his past and backstory. It was great to see the two learn and grow from the past that previously shaped them.

There were a few moments and important subjects touched upon by the author that were handled really well. The internalized homophobia within Kyousuke inspired by his parents was looked at with great care. His development in overcoming these notions was wonderful.

The romance moved at a good pace, with necessary complications due to the characters’ backgrounds. My fondness for both protagonists came with added patience, which heightened the reading experience for sure. This was a really good manga!