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たとえとどかぬ糸だとしても / If I Could Reach You #5
This Love That Won't Reach Vol. 5
Uta, a teenage girl living with her older brother Reiichi and his wife Kaoru, experiences a feeling of great turmoil and unrequited feelings after realizing the fact that she has fallen in love with Kaoru. Even after consulting her friend a few times, Uta just can't get the thought of Kaoru out of her head and the consequences that could leave their relationship tumbling towards a dark road.
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First published August 16, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 3, 2020
Everything changes in the end.
Kaoru is very close to figuring something out. Chloe is too. The differences between their respective situations will be the fulcrum that this volume pivots on.
This book. I have kept up with this series despite it being aimless, slow, and ofttimes too timid to do anything with its plot. Sometimes I wonder why I stick with a manga and pray it might get better. Rarely has that decision ever paid off and it almost never pays off like it does here.
Volume 4 promised a lot and delivered nothing - it was probably the least enjoyable this story has ever been. It ended with the suggestion of something happening, but that’s nothing new for this series, so imagine my surprise when, for once, something actually does.
Uta and Kaoru’s talk has been a long time coming. It starts off with the perfect encapsulation of two people desperately (and awkwardly) talking about anything but what they should be. The ‘cream on face’ trope is wonderfully subverted to illustrate the tension in the room.
It looks like it’s about to just back away, like this series has done many times over, but then Uta takes charge and it all explodes. She comes clean about everything and it’s finally showing that she is, for better or worse, taking charge of her life.
Kaoru is not so lucky and she takes all of this so hard. When she lashes out it feels like it comes from such a confused, wounded place. The unintended cruelty of her actions, then her words as she tries to hit the reset button really end up hurting both herself AND Uta. Even as the latter is happening, I’m literally yelling “nononononono” in my head throughout. Kaoru trying to dismiss Uta’s feelings for, really, her own protection goes exactly as badly as you think it would.
I’m suddenly so invested in this to an extent I never was before. Uta and Kaoru bookend this volume as well and the way Kaoru handles the goodbye suggests that she might have a lot to work through now that she can’t avoid it anymore.
In between these two we spend time with Chloe and Miyabi and the contrast here speaks to the strength of both narratives. Chloe has always been an admitted brat, but, somewhat against her will, she is slowly changing her attitude towards other people (Miyabi mostly).
It’s something else to watch Uta have nothing she wants and learning to do without, compared to Chloe getting everything she never wanted and learning to accept it in her life.
I particularly liked the telling way Chloe accuses (and obsesses over) Miyabi of having escalating designs over a kiss, but it turns out that she’s the only one thinking that way. Whoops. Their date is an absolute delight, along with Chloe’s very cute encounter with Miyabi’s mother.
I have never been struck by this series’ art, but it is better than I give it credit for. You can feel the emotions in this volume SO well, a lot of this could be silent and you could still follow every beat, and the mangaka knows exactly what they’re doing - there are very deliberate shots of Kaoru’s wedding ring placed for maximum impact during her conversations with Uta.
Then, towards the end, we have a moment where Uta and Kaoru’s eyes meet and the two of them are in separate panels looking across the gap at one another. It might not be subtle, but it’s a perfect summation of where everything is in that moment.
Negatives, negatives... uh, I guess a quick digression Uta has with The Other Woman is a little pointless? But it’s short and nudges the plot along a smidgen, so I’ll let it pass. There, that’s it.
Yeah, 5 stars. It might be inflated because of how down I’ve been on this series as a whole, especially after last volume, but it’s the best thing I’ve read all week, no contest. I was floored by how much I enjoyed this.
The series that was going nowhere and doing nothing actually went somewhere and did something and no matter how subsequent instalments go, this one felt just perfect.
Kaoru is very close to figuring something out. Chloe is too. The differences between their respective situations will be the fulcrum that this volume pivots on.
This book. I have kept up with this series despite it being aimless, slow, and ofttimes too timid to do anything with its plot. Sometimes I wonder why I stick with a manga and pray it might get better. Rarely has that decision ever paid off and it almost never pays off like it does here.
Volume 4 promised a lot and delivered nothing - it was probably the least enjoyable this story has ever been. It ended with the suggestion of something happening, but that’s nothing new for this series, so imagine my surprise when, for once, something actually does.
Uta and Kaoru’s talk has been a long time coming. It starts off with the perfect encapsulation of two people desperately (and awkwardly) talking about anything but what they should be. The ‘cream on face’ trope is wonderfully subverted to illustrate the tension in the room.
It looks like it’s about to just back away, like this series has done many times over, but then Uta takes charge and it all explodes. She comes clean about everything and it’s finally showing that she is, for better or worse, taking charge of her life.
Kaoru is not so lucky and she takes all of this so hard. When she lashes out it feels like it comes from such a confused, wounded place. The unintended cruelty of her actions, then her words as she tries to hit the reset button really end up hurting both herself AND Uta. Even as the latter is happening, I’m literally yelling “nononononono” in my head throughout. Kaoru trying to dismiss Uta’s feelings for, really, her own protection goes exactly as badly as you think it would.
I’m suddenly so invested in this to an extent I never was before. Uta and Kaoru bookend this volume as well and the way Kaoru handles the goodbye suggests that she might have a lot to work through now that she can’t avoid it anymore.
In between these two we spend time with Chloe and Miyabi and the contrast here speaks to the strength of both narratives. Chloe has always been an admitted brat, but, somewhat against her will, she is slowly changing her attitude towards other people (Miyabi mostly).
It’s something else to watch Uta have nothing she wants and learning to do without, compared to Chloe getting everything she never wanted and learning to accept it in her life.
I particularly liked the telling way Chloe accuses (and obsesses over) Miyabi of having escalating designs over a kiss, but it turns out that she’s the only one thinking that way. Whoops. Their date is an absolute delight, along with Chloe’s very cute encounter with Miyabi’s mother.
I have never been struck by this series’ art, but it is better than I give it credit for. You can feel the emotions in this volume SO well, a lot of this could be silent and you could still follow every beat, and the mangaka knows exactly what they’re doing - there are very deliberate shots of Kaoru’s wedding ring placed for maximum impact during her conversations with Uta.
Then, towards the end, we have a moment where Uta and Kaoru’s eyes meet and the two of them are in separate panels looking across the gap at one another. It might not be subtle, but it’s a perfect summation of where everything is in that moment.
Negatives, negatives... uh, I guess a quick digression Uta has with The Other Woman is a little pointless? But it’s short and nudges the plot along a smidgen, so I’ll let it pass. There, that’s it.
Yeah, 5 stars. It might be inflated because of how down I’ve been on this series as a whole, especially after last volume, but it’s the best thing I’ve read all week, no contest. I was floored by how much I enjoyed this.
The series that was going nowhere and doing nothing actually went somewhere and did something and no matter how subsequent instalments go, this one felt just perfect.
November 24, 2020
There's so much here. It's hilarious and devastating. There is a real understanding of longing and the complexity of love in here. It's beautiful.
September 8, 2025
Okay so I read this in a bit of a blurr as I read vol 4-7 in one sitting so I don't remember the exact details of just this volume as I mainly just remember the story as a whole. I think this volume had an interesting twist in it that I really didn't see coming that added some tension to the character dynamics that I thought was really interesting to explore more.
September 13, 2021
So much angst. Also, I don’t get why Kaoru ever trusted Risako? She’s clearly extremely shady.
March 14, 2022
Certainly my favorite volume thus far. The author's pacing is awesome for a romance manga, and I'm totally hooked. This volume had so much going on, but never felt bloated because of how naturally we got there. The confession was a great scene and fantastic payoff. With the move and everything, I'm desperate to see how the next volumes go, a lesser series could have ended right here. Also Kuro and Miyabe just fill my heart, I love it so much.
August 15, 2021
Aw yeah! This is finally getting GOOD. Uta finally confesses to Kaoru, who was slowly beginning to suspect anyway. Uta confirms. It makes things really awkward and Uta realizes there's no way she can stay under the same roof anymore. Her terrible mom is back in Japan and wants Uta to move in with her anyway...and suddenly that doesn't seem like such a terrible idea anymore...if nothing else just a landing pad until she can move out for good and live independently. Uta shows a lot of confidence and bravery. She also refocuses her attention on Chloe....and we get a delightful side story about Chloe & Miyabi's budding romance...aromantic Chloe slowly accepting Miyabi's intense feelings for her, enjoying spending time with her. There's also a friendly "going away" party for Uta, attended by all her friends (minus Kaoru, who was invited but didn't show for obvious reasons). Uta also runs into her brother's old flame from High School, the mysterious vixen we've seen him spending time with behind Kaoru's back. She's overly friendly to Uta, who is polite but regards her with suspicion. The day of the move arrives and Uta says her (final?) goodbye to Kaoru. She turns to leave and Kaoru grabs her arm....Kaoru's face is flush with emotion but she can't get a word out. Uta gently frees herself from Kaoru's grip and leaves without another word. Kaoru collapses to her knees in the front foyer. End. Goodness what an improvement over the last volume! Uta is no longer suffering in silence. The cat's out of the bag. She confessed, got rejected, and has no choice but to keep moving forward. She doesn't regret confessing, knows that love is important to her, etc. She gets some vicarious enjoyment out of watching Chloe & Miyabi fall in love, Chloe's irritated denials to the contrary. It's funny that I'm starting to "read" these characters with specific Anime voice actress voices in my head....Margret McDonald for Uta, Hilary Haag for Chloe, etc. It makes it even more entertaining and amusing to do so.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2020
If I Could Reach You is manga series focusing on the romantic interactions of a group of young women (or, a yuri series). This particular volume develops two plotlines: in one, two girls go a romantic Valentine's Day date; in spite of herself, the more experienced woman who's sworn not to love finds herself falling for her more naive partner. In the other story, a girl confesses her love to her sister-in-law and in the fallout after decides to move out of the apartment she shares with her and the girl's brother.
This was a very interesting read in that it's totally outside my usual reading zone; I tend not to read romance books, and while I've read some western comics involving queer lesbian romance, they tend towards some sort of sci fi or fantasy element--that is, they're not just romance. I also thought it might be interesting to jump into the series well into its run and see how that worked. Not great, as it turned out; I could follow the plot well enough, but I think romance requires a connection to the characters that isn't quite there for me yet. I liked the book a lot, though, and there were a lot of sweet moments. It moved a bit quickly for me though. I think if I return to the series, I might read a bigger chunk of it in one go.
This was a very interesting read in that it's totally outside my usual reading zone; I tend not to read romance books, and while I've read some western comics involving queer lesbian romance, they tend towards some sort of sci fi or fantasy element--that is, they're not just romance. I also thought it might be interesting to jump into the series well into its run and see how that worked. Not great, as it turned out; I could follow the plot well enough, but I think romance requires a connection to the characters that isn't quite there for me yet. I liked the book a lot, though, and there were a lot of sweet moments. It moved a bit quickly for me though. I think if I return to the series, I might read a bigger chunk of it in one go.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2022
That ending... oh man :(
It's sad to see Kaoru like this, but I completely get it. Even though I've never really been in Kaoru's situation, I did have a similar thing before, so I know more or less how it feels. Of course, it's probably way worse for her.
I also know how Uta feels. I've never in my life confessed to anyone, but I did have lots of unrequited crushes, so that part I get. I do however know what it feels like saying goodbye to someone you have unresolved issues with, but have no idea how to solve it.
It hurts. Both sides hurt.
It's also sad how Uta chose in the end, but I understand. I would've understood either decision.
Aww, man. This volume was so realistic, it hurts. But I love that it's like that; even if it hurts, it's better than reading about unrealistic things.
The bonus chapter tho 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I'm crying... laughing... crying...
The innocence! 🤭😝🤣
It's sad to see Kaoru like this, but I completely get it. Even though I've never really been in Kaoru's situation, I did have a similar thing before, so I know more or less how it feels. Of course, it's probably way worse for her.
I also know how Uta feels. I've never in my life confessed to anyone, but I did have lots of unrequited crushes, so that part I get. I do however know what it feels like saying goodbye to someone you have unresolved issues with, but have no idea how to solve it.
It hurts. Both sides hurt.
It's also sad how Uta chose in the end, but I understand. I would've understood either decision.
Aww, man. This volume was so realistic, it hurts. But I love that it's like that; even if it hurts, it's better than reading about unrealistic things.
The bonus chapter tho 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I'm crying... laughing... crying...
The innocence! 🤭😝🤣
March 19, 2025
Uta's mom is such a narcissist. If I was Uta I would have slapped her into next week.
Anyway, this volume was EMOTIONAL PAIN but Chloe has secretly become a great character with awesome development that actually moves at a non-frustrating pace.
Anyway, this volume was EMOTIONAL PAIN but Chloe has secretly become a great character with awesome development that actually moves at a non-frustrating pace.
July 22, 2021
That cliff-hanger ending! Hoping for more of this series.
August 1, 2021
Okayyyy unrequited feelings or….no?
October 20, 2021
chloe and miyabi my BELOVEDS theyre so cute. but my god, sm happened in chapter 21.. and so much in this one manga in general
July 13, 2022
Damn. I'm not even here for the possible will they won't they anymore, because they probably won't; I'm here for that communication vibe.
November 12, 2022
THIS WAS MY FAV VOLUME SO FAR!! uta kinnies rise!!
June 30, 2024
A lot happened here....
April 14, 2025
I like the cat
October 6, 2020
Ahh!
This story drives me crazy, in a good way of course. I just want to read it all!! I want it not to end when it's ending! Perfectly irritating cliff hanger! Just read this manga. It's different. It's amazing. Do it.
This story drives me crazy, in a good way of course. I just want to read it all!! I want it not to end when it's ending! Perfectly irritating cliff hanger! Just read this manga. It's different. It's amazing. Do it.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews