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There Are Things I Can't Tell You

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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.

This book contains sexual content and is intended for an audience aged 18 years and up.

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2019

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2992 people want to read

About the author

Edako Mofumofu

5 books22 followers

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5 stars
934 (27%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 639 reviews
Profile Image for Dilushani Jayalath.
1,033 reviews200 followers
August 18, 2023
Edit: 18.08.2023
Two years later and my feeling only deepens regarding this gem. It's quite hard to convey so many feelings in one manga and this really manages to do so. Despite the feeling that we're reading a simple, there are so many nuances under the simple words spoken by our characters. This is in no way an easy story to take. As human beings, we're all flawed. We could be 20, we could be 30, we could be 40, we could even be 80 and still make mistakes but it is how we grow from it. This story does not only show the growth of Kasumi and Kyosuke but it shows it's ok to make mistakes even if he grow.

End of Edit

This is an underrated gem with a powerful message that does not shy away from the bitter truth that follows the LGBTQ+ community. We have two perfectly flawed human beings put on the pedestal in terms of love and acceptance. The choices they take are not perfect, hell it’s not even good but with their journey they learn to accept themselves and even accept the bitter pills that they will one day swallow. In the end, are the sacrifices worth our happiness?
Profile Image for daph pink ♡ .
1,305 reviews3,294 followers
August 26, 2021
3 stars ✨

Starting with the art which was pretty good and the plot which was pretty meh.

I loved how the story explored their relationship right from starting and dived deep into each of their characters and personalities but there relationship for me was a major turn off.

Kasumi need to get his mind straight as to what he want. His actions confused me a lot many times.

At times cute at times confusing perfect for a light read.💜
Profile Image for jenny✨.
590 reviews929 followers
July 22, 2020
I always felt like I was being drawn into your world. No matter how hard I tried to stop it from happening.

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

Apart from the drool-worthy illustrations (seriously, the MCs 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.

And then, like tumbling down a hill… I fell in love with Kasumi.

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.

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

There is SO MUCH ANGST, Y'ALL. This is a friends-to-lovers arc with LOTS of doubting of oneself and masochistic denial of feelings ("I must stay away for his sake") that was only just a smidge repetitive. Oh, and let's not forget the 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.

Bottom line: I really liked There Are Things I Can't Tell You. I MEAN, JUST LOOK AT THESE TWO—







Thanks to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for a copy of this gem!
Profile Image for mina reads™️.
646 reviews8,455 followers
July 24, 2020
This was a cute manga, very angsty and full of mutual pining and miscommunication. I feel like the story flowed strangely at times 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. 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.

Arc provided by Netgalley and Tokyopop in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Lauren Lanz.
901 reviews311 followers
July 31, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for the E-arc!

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!
Profile Image for destiny ♡ howling libraries.
2,006 reviews6,204 followers
July 20, 2020
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!

Representation: all characters are Japanese. Kasumi is bisexual and Kyousuke is gay.

Content warnings for:

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Trio.
3,619 reviews209 followers
September 13, 2020
My first manga! I lucked out because not only is this beautifully drawn and fun to read, there’s a sweet and romantic tale here as well.

I was pleased by how easy There are Things I Can’t Tell You was to read. The conversations flow from the top to the bottom (sorry if that’s obvious, but newbie here), and there are helpful little messages for additional information along the way.

The drawing is lovely. I was amazed at how expressive these characters’ faces are, and how much that impacts the story. I enjoyed the story of these two young men turning friendship into romance, very nice.

a copy of There Are Things I Can’t Tell You was provided to me by NetGalley for the purpose of my honest review
Profile Image for Teal.
609 reviews252 followers
Read
July 14, 2023
So... I read this. And that makes it the second manga I've ever been able to finish. But I can't say I understood it. Yes, it's been translated into English. And YES, I read it back to front. But I'm not sure how different an experience it would have been if I'd read it front to back, honestly. They get together, they break up, they get together, they break up... by The End I had no reason to think that THIS time it would be any different.

There were lots of wild emotional swings, and the MCs' thoughts almost seemed like they'd been randomly generated. (By the Random Thought Generator™, no doubt — there must be one on the internet somewhere.) And I wasn't expecting to see explicit drawings of sex acts. (Not a complaint, just a comment.) Which may simply reflect my ignorance of the genre. I see it tagged as yaoi, so maybe that was a clue, but if so it was wasted on me. Like, not only am I clueless, I'm teflon to clues, so they bounce right off me. Whatever.

I don't feel qualified to rate this. Not that feeling unqualified usually stops me! But in this case I'm going to just leave it unstarred.
Profile Image for Precious ✨.
671 reviews109 followers
November 13, 2024
So let's talk about There Are Things I Can't Tell You. Besides the fact that I wish I could have more.

You've got two very different leads who've known each other since grade school.
--->Kasumi and Kyosuke. Who are both btw still two massive soft cinnamon rolls I hold dear to my heart and I wanted to protect at all cost throughout the book.
description

Kyosuke is popular, confident, and naturally talented. While Kasumi is unassuming, unsure, and reserved. The main story takes places after college with flashbacks to their adolescence. Which I liked because it helped clue us in to the "why's" without info dumps or chopping up the book in different segments.

There is a ton of yearning on both sides that I felt that I could touch it physically. I think the exceptional art might have helped that along as well. Essentially, these two have a love that neither is sure of acting on, but for two totally different reasonings. The thing is they both think they are doing what's best for the other. However, we come into their relationship at the boiling point where choices are made, confessions are said, and mistakes happen.

This was heartfelt and wholesome, while still having mature emotions and moderately intimate scenes.

Trigger Warning: there are themes of depression and internalized homophobia.

Thank you the Diamond Book Distributors/Tokyopop via NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Iman (hiatus).
726 reviews260 followers
August 20, 2022
3.75 ⭐️

Another Saturday Buddy Read, this time Manga with Hugo

"We attended the same school through junior high and high school. Even when our majors and art school got between us I still used the excuse of our friendship to stay as close as I could to him."


This was a fast paced story but I still love the message and feelings behind it. It made me tear up. I love the gay representation so much it hurts. It wasn’t much, but it was still sad. Friends to lovers are always superior and this was quite good.

The pining was visual and I felt so sad with Kyousuke. I also love how opposite they both are. This was heartwarming and cute-made me smiling like an idiot a couple times. I love the art, the storyline and the message behind it. I truly did not care about what was going on with the plot with their work and stuff, but I loved everything else. Wish this was more detailed and longer :)

"Even if this is a mistake. . .As long as we’re together. . .I won’t regret a thing."


The representation……*sobs*
Profile Image for Santy.
1,260 reviews77 followers
August 14, 2020
At first I thought this was going to be the quintessential story about unrequited love between childhood friends. But things were not as they seemed and were much more complicated.

Kyousuke and Kasumi both wanted each other happy but they lived in the deeply Conservative Japanese society and thought the best way to deal with it was well... not dealing with it.

Needless to say, this led to quite some angst and heartache along the way. BUT! As we all know, the heart & soul wants what it wants. No matter the time, distance, or impediments that come along the way.

I've always loved Japanese style of comics and this was no different. The art was beautifully rendered and had some sexy panels which added to the adult feel of the manga. The story was also very well written and tugged at my heartstrings all through out.

The only issue I had was that it ended. I needed more of their cuteness after they finally got their act together and were all "loved up" and had the manga had 50 more pages, I wouldn't have minded one bit! :D

Review Copy Graciously Provided by Publisher via Netgalley in Exchange for an Honest, Unbiased Review
Profile Image for 灰.
160 reviews30 followers
February 7, 2023
“If you’re going to be unhappy… then I want you to be unhappy because of me.”

Ah, best way to be toxic unintentionally (¬‿¬). I’m jk 😭

I adored this so much!!! Although, some of the grammar and words are spelled wrong or missing (in the physical copy), the story is so great. The characters and their depth, their lives with and without each other, and THE INTENSITY OF UNSPOKEN WORDS? So beautiful.
Profile Image for Cristina.
Author 38 books108 followers
October 8, 2020
Emotional and heartfelt, There Are Things I Can't Tell You by Edako Mofumofu is a tender BL focusing on the relationship between two childhood friends, Kyosuke and Kasumi, who seem incapable to confess their mutual feelings due to fear and miscommunication.

The storyline is not very original, but the execution is excellent.

Kyosuke and Kasumi are well-rounded characters, believable and relatable in their interactions. The sense of fear they both feel when faced by their deepest feelings is often heartbreaking, especially in Kasumi's case.

The art is truly beautiful, very atmospheric but still grounded in a nice urban setting.

Really recommended!

Profile Image for Delaney.
720 reviews125 followers
April 13, 2022
THE FLUFF.

THE ANGST.

THE MUTUAL PINING.

THE CHILDHOOD FRIENDS-TO-LOVERS TROPE.

THE SMUT.

THE CHARACTERIZATIONS.

THE COMPLEXITIES.

THE REALISTIC ELEMENTS.

THE MESSAGES.

THE SOFT ART.

Profile Image for Sylvs (NOVELty Reads).
458 reviews61 followers
August 12, 2021
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 move 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)
Profile Image for It's Jess✨.
103 reviews448 followers
July 21, 2020
This adult romance manga was a very intimate look into a couple learning to accept their sexuality and accepting love.
I won't speak on the representation but I thought for the first volume we got a firm grip on the characters and relationships. It was also exciting to see male characters be vulnerable and discuss feelings. Many mangas paint males in one particular stereotype but this manga aloud each character to have their own strengths and weakness.
All round adorable and heartfelt!

Tigger warning for sducidal thoughts and homophobia.
Profile Image for Ben Howard.
1,500 reviews252 followers
December 18, 2021
Kasumi and Kyousuke have been friends since they were kids. The kind of close relationship that developed from platonic love to something more serious as they grew older.

Kyousuke overhears a homophic remark, from his father that mars his perception of same-sex love. Older now, he still believes that his love for Kasumi is wrong. He wants nothing more than for Kasumi to be happy, and in his mind he can never make that happen.

The journey they both take to overcome their issues is heart-wrenching and filled with angst. However the HEA is well worth it!
Profile Image for Jen.
3,480 reviews27 followers
May 31, 2024
Not bad. The angst was there and the artwork was pretty, but I’m so over the miscommunication trope.

I get WHY they couldn’t be honest with one another at first, childhood trauma and what society sees as right versus wrong. They needed to be able to be honest with themselves first. That’s not easy and some people never get there.

I’m just not a fan. Though their love is so sweet when they finally are honest with one another.

3, maybe I’m too old for this trope, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Pam Z (Pam's Shenanigans).
707 reviews102 followers
July 21, 2020
I got the ARC of this book from Netgalley! This doesn't affect my review/thoughts about the book.

If you're planning to pick up There Are Things I Can't Tell You soon or when it releases, please prepare for A LOT of emotional constipation and mutual pining!!! Although given how short one volume is to build character development and flesh out further Kasumi and Kyousuke's relationship, Edako did an amazing job showing how complicated a gay relationship could be when one has a really hard time accepting who they are which just leads to a lot of hurt along the way. Both characters are flawed - realistically and rightfully so, given their complex personalities and backgrounds.

If you're looking for a story with fantastic art that is heartwarming and endearing but would make your eyes sweat at 12 am, I recommend this one!

Trigger/Content Warnings: homophobia, internalized homophobia, bullying, adultery, neglectful/emotionally abusive parents

BLOG: Pam Who Cried Books || Twitter || Instagram
Profile Image for Rebecca.
4,341 reviews69 followers
July 15, 2020
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.
Profile Image for Adi Rocks Socks.
232 reviews57 followers
November 15, 2020
4 stars

It’s been a while since I read a graphic novel, so getting back to this wondrous form of story telling was a treat in itself, only made better by Edako Mofumofu’s skill when it comes to portraying angst so viscerally. There Are Things I Can’t Tell You is a love story which explores internalised homophobia, repressed and unrequited love, and coming to terms with one’s sexuality.

The ease with which I could read this book was a sharp juxtaposition against the gravity of the theme that was explored via our two main characters, Kyousuke and Kasumi. They’ve been friends since they were in school, and have always been in love with the other, albeit without knowing that their feelings were actually reciprocated. Cue the mutual pining. ;)

The story starts with them as adults, with flashbacks to their childhood, time in high school, and their time at college/university. It’s clear right off the bat that Kyousuke is an outgoing workaholic, while Kasumi is your textbook introvert, a little shy when it comes to socialising. Kyousuke is hard on himself and pushes himself to the extremes, always a perfectionist. He’s highly protective of Kasumi, and cares for him when the latter isn’t doing well mentally.

They’re both emotionally damaged and have their baggage. Kyousuke has been repressing his homosexuality ever since he was a child, thanks to his father’s homophobic remarks. He’s also forced to be the best at everything he does, because his dad expects only the best for him, and anything lesser is met with by strong beratement. Kasumi, on the other hand, has always been quiet and shy, causing him to be the target of bullies at school. Coming from a broken home, he feels isolated and the day he and Kyousuke start interacting is the day he finally gets someone he can rely on.

I loved how the narration wasn’t completely linear. The flashbacks were spaced appropriately, such that you could see how certain incidents in the past influence these two lovely boys to behave the way they did in the present. Owing to their upbringing and Kyousuke’s internalised homophobia, it’s not as simple as confessing their love to one another and having a HEA. There’s the matter of your brain accepting that this is what your heart wants; that this is the person who makes you happy; and if society judges you for being in love with someone of the same gender, it’s society’s problem and not yours.

Of the two, I enjoyed Kyousuke’s narration a lot more. He’s also the main narrator, which made the book all the more interesting for me. His home life, the pressure from his dad, how he continues to push himself to be the best at work even as an adult — I was hooked. Though the main element of the story was romance, we also get to see how things are at Kyousuke’s work place — his relationship with his mentor and his colleagues, his attitude towards his work, and his experience facing their rival company. Mofumofu apparently based the highly positive and supportive relationship between Kyousuke and his mentor on his real-life relationship with his ex-boss at a previous workplace, and kind of paid homage to it by including it in this graphic novel.

Kasumi — well, while I preferred Kyousuke’s POV, I can’t help but feel bad for Kasumi. He constantly got the shorter end of the stick. Kyousuke broke Kasumi’s heart quite a few times in the course of the story. Kasumi is really gentle and thoughtful, and I felt bad for him multiple times. Kasumi is a lot more dependent on Kyousuke, mentally and emotionally, and that’s why I loved that Kasumi finally decided not to be dependent anymore. It was real character growth, and it made me want to cheer for him.

This book was thought provoking. Kyousuke says (I’m paraphrasing a bit here), “If you’re going to be unhappy, I’d rather it be because of me.” This made me think quite a bit — one of the reasons Kyousuke breaks up with Kasumi at one point is because he’s convinced he’ll make Kasumi unhappy in the long term. Eventually, when he seem that Kasumi is miserable and completely sad without Kyousuke in his life anymore, Kyousuke makes this remark when they get back together. At first glance, it seems like a selfish and callous thing to say, but thanks to the layers of meaning we understand through this story — it’s so much more. It’s also a bit of an oxymoron, which is easier to appreciate if you’ve read the book.

My only qualm with this book is that I would have LOVED it to be longer. :D Mofumofu has done a great job with the graphics and the portrayal of emotions. The angst was on point, and any fanfiction lover like me is bound to enjoy this story.

I would like to thank Tokyopop for providing me with an ARC of the English version via Edelweiss. Further, I had a lovely experience with them — I had issues with the DRC I received, and was half way through the story when the digital rights expired and I couldn’t download the story anymore. The folks at Tokyopop were kind enough to help me out when I privately reached out to them, and helped me out my issues. I genuinely did not expect them to reply to me (I got in touch with them via the Contact Us page on their website), and when they got back to me in 24 hours, it truly made my day. :)

TW: internalised homophobia, bullying, suicidal thoughts, nsfw images in the second half of the book (not really a TW; but needs to be tagged nevertheless)

_*_

Mid-reading note:

I just want to share this positive experience I had today with the publisher, Tokyopop:

I received an ARC via Edelweiss. Downloaded it, but halfway through the book, the DRM period expired, because of which I couldn't open the protected file anymore. I headed back to the Edelweiss site, but the book had been archived. I reached out to Tokypop via their website, and they helped me out within a few hours. They're amazing folks, and I just want to give them a shout-out!
Profile Image for Rebecca Reviews.
234 reviews25 followers
July 27, 2020
Edako Mofumofu’s There Are Things I Can't Tell You is a good boy love graphic novel with nice art and a simple but heartfelt storyline. I liked this moving book but I wish the plot and characters were less generic and more memorable.

Kasumi and Kyousuke have been best friends since elementary school. The two are vastly different in personality: Kasumi is quiet and shy while Kyousuke is popular and outgoing. However, as they transition from school days to adulthood, the two must navigate their changing relationship and come to terms with things that they struggle to express out loud.

The realistic plot is well-paced with ample angst, painful miscommunication, and sweet fluffy moments. It is very painful but authentically moving to watch Kyousuke and Kasumi struggle with their sexualities, various societal expectations, and romantic feelings for each other. I really enjoyed their complicated and angsty but ultimately sweet relationship. I also like the satisfying and lovely ending. I really think it fits the characters and their story. I also like the soft and expressive art. Kyousuke and Kasumi are nicely and distinctly rendered as both adults and children.

However, I do think the overall plot is a bit generic. I’ve seen this same storyline many times before and Mofumofu doesn’t really offer anything new or memorable. I also wish the story was a little less repetitive and had some more action. Furthermore, the storytelling is disjointed at times with jarring transitions. Sometimes, I had trouble differentiating between flashbacks and the current timeline. I also had trouble figuring out who was speaking.

Kyousuke and Kasumi are interestingly flawed and authentic characters. Their backstories, especially in relation to their families and how they deal with their sexualities, are realistic and poignant. However, I wish that they were a little more unique and memorable. I feel like I’ve seen very similar characters in many other stories. I also wish Kasumi’s character was a little more developed because I feel like I know much less about him in comparison with Kyousuke. I also wish the book had spent less time on Kyousuke’s daily worklife.

There Are Things I Can't Tell You is a solid and poignant graphic novel. I liked this moving and realistic book but I really wish the characters and plot were more unique. Edako Mofumofu is promising and I will definitely check out more of their work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for this book in exchange for an honest review.


🗣️ 🗣️ 🗣️ ½ out of 5 speaking emojis!
Profile Image for Ray Flores.
1,706 reviews255 followers
August 21, 2020
4.5/5
Kyosuke and Kasumi have been friends since childhood but they couldn’t be more different: Kyosuke is the golden boy, extroverted, confident in himself and good at pretty much everything; whereas Kasumi is more introverted and kind wary of people’s intentions. Thus, even as friends, they complement each other.

You have to be aware that in Japan, being queer is almost a crime, so a lot of folks have internalized homophobia, and are not as open as we are in the west. Normally, it’s hard for them to accept the fact that they are not straight. With that being said, they both have feelings for each other but they can’t confess what they truly feel ‘cause then their friendship would end.

I think their background stories are important in this manga because I know what it’s like to question everything about yourself (and sometimes hating yourself in the process), wondering what’s different from being right or wrong, and ultimately, be capable of just being you, without care for what other people may think.

This author has a beautiful art style and it really shows the drama when needed to. The expressions give you the best context and the length (normally a manga volume goes from 150-200 pages) helps building the story of these two characters that deserve nothing but the best.

I strongly recommend this manga since it is a stand-alone and for those who are wondering, they do have their HEA, but first Kyosuke and Kasumi will have to go through a lot in order to understand that it's better when they’re together, when they let themselves be loved.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
Profile Image for True Loveislovereview.
2,864 reviews1 follower
July 11, 2020
I finished this in no time. Awesome !! A beautiful story, Kasumi and Kyousuke are opposites and friends through junior and high school. Still are, even with different majors and art school. Until there is a break-up.
Alternating between past and present we get to know them. They love each other.
But life doesn’t seem to work that way. Choices aren’t always the best.
It isn’t simple but they get their hea

Great art I love good manga and Boy's Love even more! This one was really good.
Profile Image for Joel .
475 reviews67 followers
July 11, 2020
Almost a must-read

Story: 4*
Art: 4*

Since I read Dramacon last year, I've been wanting to read something else from TokyoPop. And I finally did it. And the wait was worth it

The cover is amazingly good and probably one of my favorites book's cover ever. That’s what got my attention in the first place. Yet I was unsure because sometimes manga covers are tricky. Well, this isn’t. The art style is really great. There are some specific pages that are breathtaking of cuteness and I do think it is one of my favorites drawing styles ever.

In the other hand: it has some explicit scenes that could have been better. They were a bit underwhelming.

"Don't be so kind to me. Just push me away. Be cold to me. Abandon me. If you don't... then I won't know how... I'll never be able to forget about you"

The story is enjoyable. It isn't as deep as it could be, but both main characters are adorable and relatable so it is a nice reading. They both have an interesting background story and their relationship is dramatic enough to keep us interested.
However, I think there are some pages with an excessive amount of text. I am not an expert but I guess that sometimes text is not necessary to explain some aspects we are already "feeling" with the drawings.

The Best: Art and Story work perfectly together.

The Worst: It could’ve been better to see more about Kasumi’s problems, and less about Kyousuke’s work.

I received this for free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Eri (army.reader.with.cats).
418 reviews88 followers
July 9, 2020
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

Kasumi and Kyousuke are childhood best friends, they got separated after college and now are hanging out again. What Kasumi doesn't know is that Kyousuke has been in love with him since forever but he's terrified to tell him. So, what will happen when they find themselves spending more and more time together?

It's a BL (boys love) manga with some explicit content so it's recommended for mature audience.
The story is really interesting and catching but the parts in the office seemed really boring to me. Fortunately, the parts that both boys are together were really cute and beautiful, especially when they realise what they feel for each other.
I didn't like that Kyousuke was somehow stupid and a coward but his father was really homophobic so he thought that what he felt was wrong.
It has 6 chapters and a really cute bonus comic.
I recommend it for manga lovers who like cute boys romance.
Profile Image for E. .
337 reviews281 followers
July 24, 2020
★★☆☆☆ | Okay but quite generic

👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 m/m
👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 friends to lovers
👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 internalised homophobia
👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 opposites attract

Overall, I felt that it was pretty generic.

Lots of angst — I was ready for some but I hoped for more of the cute friends to lovers but nah it was all we can’t be together because blah blah blah and lots of internalised homophobia. Oh, and then a sudden realisation and smut.

Sadly, I’ve read dozens of yaoi manga just like that and it gets very boring very fast.
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