2.75/5 stars Overall it was fine. I'm a sucker for an LGBTQ+ relationship, but if it was heterosexual I really wouldn't have liked it. It's pretty boring and I'm not a fan of the black and white art style. I'm not used to Manga, so if that's what it's usually like then never mind, but I just found it very lack luster.

First of all: I cried and I loved it. And I really want to read more by this author. The art is beautiful, the feelings hit hard and I loved the development of their relationship and how they struggled with what was supposed to be the "right" way to love and all the bad things they learned thanks to not very healthy families.

Kyousuke Shiina is a workaholic designer who suffers from intense internalized homophobia and has been in love with his best friend Kasumi since they met as children. "I love him but I can't make him happy" is his whole struggle with his feelings for Kasumi and it's the source of most of the angst (which there's a lot of, and despite my own personal love for pure fluff this was still great).

Kasumi Amemiya is a mess (and I loved the author's note about him wearing glasses but not being put together), who feels he was saved by Shiina's friendship when his whole family life was falling apart.

There's not much to the plot beyond both of them trying to deal with adult life and their feelings for each other and their issues with internalized homophobia and loneliness, but it's really well developed for an oneshot, and we get to see them from their first meeting through figuring out a relationship and learning to be honest with themselves.

There's a lot of talk about making mistakes and opening new paths (thanks for hitting me hard, manga!) and even with aaaaall the angst I loved it so much!!!

content warnings: (internalized) homophobia, mentions of cheating, toxic parents, nsfw scenes

The cover is absolutely stunning, and I really enjoyed the art-style throughout. Some of the transitions between scenes, particularly with the flashbacks were a little jarring in places, and overall I feel that this manga could have worked a little better if it had been longer. That said, I absolutely adored the characters and the story, and while a lot could have been resolved with better communication, their reasons were believable and you couldn't help but emphasize with both of them, and it was a wonderful blend of mutual pining and angst with a realistically happy ending (with Kyousuke's professional success and progression still a work in progress).

Manga is admittedly my least read genre. Maybe a handful including this one over the course how many years I've been reading. There Are Things I Can't Tell You< was short compared to my usual novel length fiction books but oh my bookness it was amazing.

Kasumi and Kyousuke have been friends since elementary school, the story goes back and forth with flashbacks to tell their story. There's a lot of internalized homophobia, a lot of abuse from parents and the mentality of "I must stay away from him for his own good" which I hate with a passion but in this case, it stems from years of being bullied and abused... this was angsty AF.

"If I’m going to share my life with anyone… I wish I could be with someone who really loves me."

The images were just beautiful, so much that it genuinely made me wonder why I don't read of this, they were just stunning down to the details, amazing work!

This was a cute manga, very angsty and full of mutual pining and miscommunication. I feel like the story flowed strangely for me because there's so many flashbacks interspersed and at times I felt like the characters would shift so quickly in their emotions and things weren't making sense in the middle. Overall it was a cute read about two flawed, angsty dudes and their journey towards each other but it didn't wow me like I was hoping it would.

3.5 Stars - The story itself isn't something necessarily new to manga (Yaoi especially), but Yaoi fans will embrace this wholeheartedly as it tugs at the heartstrings and carefully paced to provide the greatest impact possible. Also the artwork is absolutely beautiful!

There are Things I Can’t tell you, was a quick read, that features the story of Kasumi and Kyousuke- both friends since childhood and both deeply in love with each other.
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While I wasn’t a fan of the missed communication- seriously these guys would have saved themselves YEARS of pain if they JUST TALKED- honestly men! I truthfully enjoyed everything else about this manga. The artwork was INCREDIBLE. All the details in the panel, it was wonderful. I loved both of the main characters, I appreciated their flaws and I love that Kasumi is bisexual. In such a short amount of the time the author manages to craft a love story that developed for years, and explores both internalised homophobia and mental illness.
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There are Things I Can’t tell you will definitely break your heart but the beautiful ending will put it back together. I loved this and I highly recommend.

This manga was so adorable! It was the story of two best friends who fell in love with each other and didn't want the other to know. It showed how love can make someone stronger or a coward when it comes to facing it. Recommend this manga to everyone!!

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 by Edako Mofumofu is currently scheduled for release on July 21 2020. Kasumi and Kyousuke are polar opposites when it comes to personality. Kasumi 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 Kasumi, 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.

There Are Things I Can't Tell You is a friends to more romance in manga format. I found the slow reveal of each character's feelings, and the way they struggle with their own self esteem and attraction to each other is very well done. I also liked the secondary characters and the way the story unfolded. Kasumi is shy, clumsy, and down on himself for the most part. Kyousuke seems to be outgoing and confident, but he is just as insecure as everyone else- he just hides it behind trying harder to be perfect and staying on what he thinks is the right path. Finding their happy ever after is hard, and most of the obstacles are their own perceptions of happiness and their ideas about societal views of right and wrong. The artwork is very well done, and adds emotion and detail to the story. I will warn readers that this is a romance and there are some sex scenes, which could get awkward if you are reading in public or have someone sneaking peeks at what you are reading. The illustrated format makes them a bit more obvious, so just be aware.

This book looked super cute and the cover is gorgeous. The cover drew me in and then the fact that the main romance was LGBTQ+ representative hooked me. Sadly, the love for this book ended at the cover. Cons: The characters were unrealistically paired in my opinion, the intimate scenes were very graphic and unrealistic when trying to picture the noises, the ideal is outdated which I think counters the LGBTQ+ representation and there was entirely too much back and forth and unnecessary drama that could have been avoided with some communication and honesty. Pros: The art was simple but nice though I would have preferred more color. The book read quick, though and I did like the determination that one character showed. I also appreciate that there wasn't a "fluffy", unrealistic ending; meaning he didn't get everything he wanted in both career and love. I don't think I would reread this graphic novel.

I loved this! It was such a beautiful romance, and I absolutely adored the main characters. If I had to give negatives, it would be that the "love" happens very quickly. However, this is a first love romance so the characters have known each other for a long time before the story actually takes place. I will give the warning that this is a very graphic manga, leaving little to nothing to the imagination. If you like Shungiku Nakamura or Ogeretsu Tanaka, then I highly recommend giving this one a try! I'll definitely be picking up this series in the future.

As someone who is a fan of heavy angst, I really enjoyed the PINING, the DRAMA, and the EMOTIONAL BANTERS. The amount of times I have to pause and say “Oh my god stop being idiots in love” is too plenty to remember.

Although, I just wish for more slow burn since the pacing was a bit fast for my preference (and I love emotional pain) but overall it did not affect much to my reading experience. The ending is very heartwarming and cute. Despite having a cliche plot format, it was easy to read and not at all cringy for me.

In conclusion: This is some good besties to lovers trope, would recommend.


TW: Adultery, Depression, Internalized Homophobia, Homophobia & Cheating

3.5 Stars

Ok. Here’s the thing. If I had realized this was an erotic graphic novel I probably wouldn’t have requested it. Not that there’s anything wrong with erotic and sexual visuals in a graphic novel, it just really isn’t my thing. Other than that, I really enjoyed the story of Kasumi and Kyousuke coming to terms with their feelings for each other and how they may be viewed by the conservative society they live in and the families they have. Heartfelt and sad but ultimately an HEA.

Received via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are strictly my own.

I liked the initial pace of this book, with the flashbacks helping to fill in the missing parts of our characters history. In the middle of the story the story became a little confusing, and the characters motivations were hard to place. The resolution was nice! Heads up- open door romance!

I recieved this as an Advanced Reading Copy from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

I love gay romance stories. When I was younger two of my favorite manga were Fake by Sanami Matoh and Gravitation by Maki Murakami. So when I saw There Are Things I Can't Tell You by Edako Mofumofu, I jumped at the chance to read it.

This story is about Kasumi and Kyousuke, two guys who are best friends but quite an odd couple. Kasumi is more reserved and quiet while Kyousuke is more outgoing and is quite often at the center of attention. The two have feelings for each other but can't quite find a way to express them. Can these two, who have been friends since elementary school, ever work it out?

So I may not be the target audience for a boys love manga, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it too. There Are Things I Can't Tell You is super cute and exactly what I expected from something in this genre. Two cute guys with an equally adorable meet cute form a tight friendship but secretly harbor feelings for each other.

As far as I know this isn't an own voices story. In fact, I learned that it's part of a popular genre of books written about gay love by women and for women. Here's where it gets tricky. There are those who have issues with this genre saying that it oversexualizes homosexuality for the purpose of turning it into a kink. I'm not qualified to have an opinion on any of these topics since I'm not part of either of these camps, it's just something to keep in mind when you read this.

That aside, this is a cute, short read that's well worth your time if you're a fan of the genre. The characters were realistic and relatable. The hurdles in the way of the romance was realistic too. It even briefly touches on an important topic or two but in the end this isn't anything other than a boy's love manga. So if that's what you're looking for, you found a good one.

I saw this on NetGalley and was IMMEDIATELY enamoured with the artistic style, which is but one of the things I adored about this manga.

Apart from the drool-worthy illustrations (seriously, these two are so. damn. attractive), this is also a really touching boys' love story about confronting internalized homophobia and choosing to be with someone even when it scares the hell out of you.

Kyousuke Shiina is a talented and charismatic graphic designer who's humble to boot. When he's not pulling all-nighters at the office—because that's just the sort of hardworking perfectionist he is—he's whipping up yummies in the kitchen and making sure Kasumi is doing okay.

Kasumi Amemiya is his opposite: shy, klutzy, and disorganized as all heck. The two of them have been childhood friends since grade school, when Kasumi had no friends (and nothing to live for) and Kyousuke by all means should've never crossed paths with him.

There is SO MUCH ANGST, y'all. This is a slow-burn friends-to-lovers arc with LOTS of doubting of oneself and masochistic denial of feelings ("I must stay away for his sake"), plus a dash of smutty smut.

Kyousuke grew up believing that being gay was wrong, and he grapples with what he thinks is leading Kasumi, the most important person in his life, down "the wrong path." Meanwhile, Kasumi has been in love with Kyousuke all this time, too—but cannot fathom that his confident and charming best friend could ever possibly feel the same.

To borrow a line from Stephen Chbosky, "We accept the love we think we deserve"; and what the two men think they deserve evolves throughout this story, as they grow to accept not just the other person—but also themselves.

How can I describe what it felt like to read? There are honestly no words. Right at the beginning of the story I found myself bonding with the characters. In the course of the story it's completely impossible to let go of these two characters. It is a very moving story, above all it can be light and exciting to read at the same time.

For me this book was a great surprise, it surprised me so much for the positive. I felt that it was one of those books that would end with my heart in my hands, I ended up in a way with tears in my eyes. All I liked most was the drawing, I always liked this kind of drawing and it is very well elaborated.

Honestly, I really recommend this manga, it has everything to be a good reading. Besides that, the main theme of the story is one of the themes that most need to be addressed in books. If you're looking for a story that makes you vibrate with enthusiasm, here it is.

I just felt that sometimes you get lost in the early novel and it breaks the romantic mood. Maybe give the story a little more rhythm. I think it would also be nice to see a little more of their past. However, it was a very successful story, with well created, captivating characters and a narrative that leaves any emotional.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I first wanna start off that this is not your usual manga. It's for an older audience.

I really enjoyed this manga so much! It made me so happy for both the main characters and I was to intrigued about all the events. I loved both main characters I loved how different they seemed but yet they were so alike. I think it was a great concept to the story.

The story develops really well and so do the characters. There are moments where there are flashbacks to erlier days for the characters themselves but those are not annoying at all and actually bring more depth into the story which is nice and prefered.

I loved everything about this story and I would recommend this manga to anyone that I thinj would enjoy it too!!

My Rating : 4🌟
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Kindle/ Netgalley/ July2020
#mabookyardchallengeJuly2020
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Thank you so much Netgalley for copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.
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*Second chance/ friends to lovers / unrequited start / Hea
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I am a huge fan of Manga style graphic novels and I was really excited to pick this book up. This book follows our two main characters, Kasumi and Kyousuke, over their years of friendship and how they deal with their feelings along with their other issues.
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I loved that this book discussed the friendship before introducing the development of feelings. It had a strong base to grow on and it added to the emotional value really well. The characters are polar opposites, yet gain strength from each other. It's kind of an unrequited love from both sides, but done with a twist at the end and I really enjoyed that. The two characters put the other's happiness before their own and that results in some stupid decisions being made which was just relatable as hell.
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The artwork and the story flow was amazing!! And there were some scenes where I had to aheemmm close my screen.. aheemm. So beware of that.. But I found the story quite okayish.. The characters, artwork and the feelings it delivered take the top place wrt this manga.