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君には届かない。 [Kimi ni wa Todokanai.] #1
I Cannot Reach You, Vol. 1
No matter how much time we spend together, I’ll never become special to you.
Childhood best friends. Two halves of a whole. The cool, smart one who’s good at almost everything, and his average, dorky friend who struggles to do anything right—Yamato and Kakeru. Always by the other’s side, but not together in the way they truly want to be. No matter how hard they try, their hearts cannot reach each other…
Childhood best friends. Two halves of a whole. The cool, smart one who’s good at almost everything, and his average, dorky friend who struggles to do anything right—Yamato and Kakeru. Always by the other’s side, but not together in the way they truly want to be. No matter how hard they try, their hearts cannot reach each other…
154 pages, Paperback
First published June 27, 2019
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February 22, 2025
I'm just speaking from experience / Nothing can compare to your first true love / So I hope this will remind you / When it's for real, it's forever (Don’t Forget About Us – Mariah Carey).
Whenever I start a manga, nowadays I'm only ever really looking for these few things: is it gay, lovely, and… oh yeah, is it so cute that it rips my heart out in the process. That’s not too much to ask for, is it? Yeah, I think I've gotten a little spoiled whenever it comes to queer stories recently because back in the days of yore, I was just happy when a manga didn't include a harmful gay stereotype! I love Dragon Ball, I really do, but there's some awful imagery in there, I can't lie. I'm mostly kidding, I'm well aware that my checklist is not an easy hurdle to clear, and yet here we are with another awesome manga that clears it. Cool! In fact, I’m starting to think that this incredible run of manga that I’ve had for the last couple of months is the result of some kind of blessing, like a spirit of gayness cast “Abracadabra, amor-oo-na-na, Abracadabra, morta-oo-ga-ga, Abracadabra, abra-oo-na-na all the gay manga you’ll read this year are going to be your new favorites!" on me. wow! Thanks spirit of gayness, and thanks Lady Gaga!! Speaking of gayness, this manga is actually very similar to both I Hear the Sunspot by Yuki Fumino and My Summer of You by Nagisa Furuya in that they all feature the lovely pairing between the “super cool, attractive” guy and the “hyperactive and loud, yet kind and sweet” dude. At this point it’s a classic dynamic, really, and I get it, you know? Contrasts are always striking, and it's a good show of shorthand that gets the audience on board right away with minimal exposition while also giving us a comforting sense of familiarity with the characters. Though I will say that it does beg the question if all of these manga artists have also grown up on Naruto the same way I did and felt robbed when it ended without Naruto and Sasuke getting together? I don’t know, probably not… but on the other hand… why not? Why shouldn't I just add that my core belief system anyway. I mean, to this day I've never actually finished Naruto because it started sucking ass even outside of all the queerbaiting, but I do know that the ending was awful. Not Game of Thrones season eight level of trash, but bad enough to the point where I don't list it among my favorites even though it was my first experience in realizing how amazing a story could have been had it just been queer.
Anyway, anyway, anyway, in this gay and lovely story that's so cute it ripped my heart out in the process, we follow the gay shenanigans of Yamato, who is apparently the most handsome on the planet (no really, literally everybody in this manga says so at every given opportunity) as he tries desperately to communicate to his childhood bestie, Kakeru, that he’s hopelessly in love with him. It’s nice and simple, and while I could see how this push-and-pull could get a little tiresome after a while, I think I give a lot of leeway to these characters because they’re clearly portrayed as not yet having come to terms with their sexuality. Sure, I think it's fun to laugh at oblivious characters every now and then, but I’m also acutely aware that there’s a different underlying subtext hidden there when writing queer characters, as queer folk can't be as “out in the open” as their peers. Not everyone has the luxury of being forthcoming and freewheeling with their feelings. So yeah, I keep saying this, but I can't seem to get over just how good I Cannot Reach You really was! I mean, I hope I'm not overselling things, because it's important for you to know that nothing here is actually all that unique, but that didn't dull my enjoyment at all! Not everything needs to be subversive in order to capture my attention. Besides, at least this manga does exactly what it said it on the tin. You know, because it’s called “I Can’t Reach You,” I almost figured the story would get real melancholic with it, something tragic happening or whatever, but... nah, it turns out Yamato literally can’t reach Kakeru because he’s just so damn clueless! Who would have thought? I was watching this YouTube video titled “Roasting YouTuber’s attempts at music” and I had to stop it a quarter of the way through because the lady kept being too nice about it and saying stuff like, “ooh, this is pretty good, I can’t lie teehee” and it’s like, NO! Under no circumstance does the guy who thinks saying the word "moist" over and over again is a good substitute for humor makes music that slaps!! It's trash just like his trash react content. Well, now I'm the one roasting YouTubers, but it's like... if you title something “roasting YouTubers,” then you'd better get to roasting some Tubers! The tin, remember the TIN!!! Don't lie to me, Peter Molyneux style! I never was a big fan of false advertising... or advertising in general for that matter, but that's a conversation for another day.
Okay, tuber rant over. I'm calm again. There are no major twists or left turns here in I Cannot Reach You, and that’s totally fine by me. Otherwise, what’s nice about gay manga (or at least the few that I’ve read) is that they get the specific dynamics between the characters that I really enjoy. Maybe that makes me selfish for simply rating things higher because they cater to my specific tastes, but I've never been accused of being an objective reviewer! Anyway, I know I’m literally always saying this, but whatever, I'll say it again. What's one more time, huh? Well in my experience, if there’s a character that’s loved by everyone within the narrative, then it’s ironically harder to make them likable to the reader. It's like some kind of "contrarian oxymoron" or something. The more a character is said to be perfect, the more I look at them with disdain! In my opinion, the best way to offset this is by having the super handsome and beloved one do most of the “chasing” throughout the romance, so to speak. Mr. Perfectly Fine is the one who’s got to be running through airports, making grand gestures, and apologizing profusely if need be. I don't think I need to explain this, but you'd be surprised at how many books I've read where the antagonistic aspect of the romance between the characters just fizzles out without any kind of satisfying resolution. Yeah so, as long as a story has the "cool" dude doing literally anything to make it look like they’re putting in the work, then I’m totally cool with it. Sorry, I don’t make the rules. Ann~nnd, that’s exactly what I got here with Yamato, the coolest man on the planet, so… yay, I'm happy! I hope I'm not laying it on too thick at just how much I loved this manga, because I know for a fact that it's always a uphill battle to get me to like something whenever other people sing its praises too much. I still haven't started Severance season 2 yet because of how many people keep talking about how great that scene is where Adam Scott is running through a bunch of hallways, so I think I'll probably leave the compliments right there. Don't want to over hype it. Oh, there is one more thing, though! I thought it was kind of funny how within the story Yamato seems like the luckiest man in the world (good grades, everybody loves him, he’s good looking) but because he’s so hopelessly in love with the most dense idiot alive, it almost feels like a cruel joke is being played on him. Well "cruel" might be too strong a word, because maybe he just hasn’t been visited by the spirit of gayness yet? Hopefully soon, though, Lady Gaga, might be looking over him in the future! Well, I guess we’ll find out in the next volume!
“It’d be nice to stop… having unwanted feelings”
Whenever I start a manga, nowadays I'm only ever really looking for these few things: is it gay, lovely, and… oh yeah, is it so cute that it rips my heart out in the process. That’s not too much to ask for, is it? Yeah, I think I've gotten a little spoiled whenever it comes to queer stories recently because back in the days of yore, I was just happy when a manga didn't include a harmful gay stereotype! I love Dragon Ball, I really do, but there's some awful imagery in there, I can't lie. I'm mostly kidding, I'm well aware that my checklist is not an easy hurdle to clear, and yet here we are with another awesome manga that clears it. Cool! In fact, I’m starting to think that this incredible run of manga that I’ve had for the last couple of months is the result of some kind of blessing, like a spirit of gayness cast “Abracadabra, amor-oo-na-na, Abracadabra, morta-oo-ga-ga, Abracadabra, abra-oo-na-na all the gay manga you’ll read this year are going to be your new favorites!" on me. wow! Thanks spirit of gayness, and thanks Lady Gaga!! Speaking of gayness, this manga is actually very similar to both I Hear the Sunspot by Yuki Fumino and My Summer of You by Nagisa Furuya in that they all feature the lovely pairing between the “super cool, attractive” guy and the “hyperactive and loud, yet kind and sweet” dude. At this point it’s a classic dynamic, really, and I get it, you know? Contrasts are always striking, and it's a good show of shorthand that gets the audience on board right away with minimal exposition while also giving us a comforting sense of familiarity with the characters. Though I will say that it does beg the question if all of these manga artists have also grown up on Naruto the same way I did and felt robbed when it ended without Naruto and Sasuke getting together? I don’t know, probably not… but on the other hand… why not? Why shouldn't I just add that my core belief system anyway. I mean, to this day I've never actually finished Naruto because it started sucking ass even outside of all the queerbaiting, but I do know that the ending was awful. Not Game of Thrones season eight level of trash, but bad enough to the point where I don't list it among my favorites even though it was my first experience in realizing how amazing a story could have been had it just been queer.
Anyway, anyway, anyway, in this gay and lovely story that's so cute it ripped my heart out in the process, we follow the gay shenanigans of Yamato, who is apparently the most handsome on the planet (no really, literally everybody in this manga says so at every given opportunity) as he tries desperately to communicate to his childhood bestie, Kakeru, that he’s hopelessly in love with him. It’s nice and simple, and while I could see how this push-and-pull could get a little tiresome after a while, I think I give a lot of leeway to these characters because they’re clearly portrayed as not yet having come to terms with their sexuality. Sure, I think it's fun to laugh at oblivious characters every now and then, but I’m also acutely aware that there’s a different underlying subtext hidden there when writing queer characters, as queer folk can't be as “out in the open” as their peers. Not everyone has the luxury of being forthcoming and freewheeling with their feelings. So yeah, I keep saying this, but I can't seem to get over just how good I Cannot Reach You really was! I mean, I hope I'm not overselling things, because it's important for you to know that nothing here is actually all that unique, but that didn't dull my enjoyment at all! Not everything needs to be subversive in order to capture my attention. Besides, at least this manga does exactly what it said it on the tin. You know, because it’s called “I Can’t Reach You,” I almost figured the story would get real melancholic with it, something tragic happening or whatever, but... nah, it turns out Yamato literally can’t reach Kakeru because he’s just so damn clueless! Who would have thought? I was watching this YouTube video titled “Roasting YouTuber’s attempts at music” and I had to stop it a quarter of the way through because the lady kept being too nice about it and saying stuff like, “ooh, this is pretty good, I can’t lie teehee” and it’s like, NO! Under no circumstance does the guy who thinks saying the word "moist" over and over again is a good substitute for humor makes music that slaps!! It's trash just like his trash react content. Well, now I'm the one roasting YouTubers, but it's like... if you title something “roasting YouTubers,” then you'd better get to roasting some Tubers! The tin, remember the TIN!!! Don't lie to me, Peter Molyneux style! I never was a big fan of false advertising... or advertising in general for that matter, but that's a conversation for another day.
Okay, tuber rant over. I'm calm again. There are no major twists or left turns here in I Cannot Reach You, and that’s totally fine by me. Otherwise, what’s nice about gay manga (or at least the few that I’ve read) is that they get the specific dynamics between the characters that I really enjoy. Maybe that makes me selfish for simply rating things higher because they cater to my specific tastes, but I've never been accused of being an objective reviewer! Anyway, I know I’m literally always saying this, but whatever, I'll say it again. What's one more time, huh? Well in my experience, if there’s a character that’s loved by everyone within the narrative, then it’s ironically harder to make them likable to the reader. It's like some kind of "contrarian oxymoron" or something. The more a character is said to be perfect, the more I look at them with disdain! In my opinion, the best way to offset this is by having the super handsome and beloved one do most of the “chasing” throughout the romance, so to speak. Mr. Perfectly Fine is the one who’s got to be running through airports, making grand gestures, and apologizing profusely if need be. I don't think I need to explain this, but you'd be surprised at how many books I've read where the antagonistic aspect of the romance between the characters just fizzles out without any kind of satisfying resolution. Yeah so, as long as a story has the "cool" dude doing literally anything to make it look like they’re putting in the work, then I’m totally cool with it. Sorry, I don’t make the rules. Ann~nnd, that’s exactly what I got here with Yamato, the coolest man on the planet, so… yay, I'm happy! I hope I'm not laying it on too thick at just how much I loved this manga, because I know for a fact that it's always a uphill battle to get me to like something whenever other people sing its praises too much. I still haven't started Severance season 2 yet because of how many people keep talking about how great that scene is where Adam Scott is running through a bunch of hallways, so I think I'll probably leave the compliments right there. Don't want to over hype it. Oh, there is one more thing, though! I thought it was kind of funny how within the story Yamato seems like the luckiest man in the world (good grades, everybody loves him, he’s good looking) but because he’s so hopelessly in love with the most dense idiot alive, it almost feels like a cruel joke is being played on him. Well "cruel" might be too strong a word, because maybe he just hasn’t been visited by the spirit of gayness yet? Hopefully soon, though, Lady Gaga, might be looking over him in the future! Well, I guess we’ll find out in the next volume!
“It’d be nice to stop… having unwanted feelings”
December 8, 2025
*Original Review 3/2/2021*
I really really liked this! It was so freaking cute!! My HEART. They're both so oblivious and I love it. I can't wait to get my hands on the second volume. I'm really looking forward to seeing their relationship develop.
*Reread 5/3/2025*
I really really liked this! It was so freaking cute!! My HEART. They're both so oblivious and I love it. I can't wait to get my hands on the second volume. I'm really looking forward to seeing their relationship develop.
*Reread 5/3/2025*
May 31, 2022
It's somewhat furstrating to see how Kakeru is clueless but it's a cute story nonetheless. Hopefull we'll get more progression by the second volume?
March 6, 2023
a beautiful little love story. frustrating for them to express their feelings to each other, because it’s clear they both are falling in love. for one it doesn’t make sense to him, since they’ve been best friends for a while, and the other won’t express his emotions. i can’t wait to see how the rest of the series develops their relationship.
i reread it and gave it the same rating but i forgot the sisters also in love with kakeru, the drama sheesh. also seeing him get so upset that he isn’t a girl so the romantic moments they have make sense, breaks my heart all over again.
i reread it and gave it the same rating but i forgot the sisters also in love with kakeru, the drama sheesh. also seeing him get so upset that he isn’t a girl so the romantic moments they have make sense, breaks my heart all over again.
July 30, 2021
3.5 ⭐️
The characters in this book were amazing and fun to follow. Especially since the author did an amazing job of making the characters feel realistic. I liked seeing the contrast the author set up between the two main characters. The ending of this book was also really good for what it set up in the next volume. But the rest of the volume in terms of action and storyline didn’t have a lot. The story got better as we got to learn more about the main characters, but needed more action to keep the story gripping. Overall, I enjoyed the characters but wanted a bit more to the plot.
The characters in this book were amazing and fun to follow. Especially since the author did an amazing job of making the characters feel realistic. I liked seeing the contrast the author set up between the two main characters. The ending of this book was also really good for what it set up in the next volume. But the rest of the volume in terms of action and storyline didn’t have a lot. The story got better as we got to learn more about the main characters, but needed more action to keep the story gripping. Overall, I enjoyed the characters but wanted a bit more to the plot.
March 11, 2021
2021 Read #64
For me, I think the thing that really saved this volume from being completely generic and boring for a BL title was Yamato’s characterization. You really get the sense that he is pretty introverted and easily embarrassed, and the way he reacts to Kakeru’s obliviousness is funny on one hand but a bit sad on the other hand. Yamato’s just a really easy character to root for, and he’s the reason I’ll be coming back for more. Ganbatte, Yamato-kun!!
For me, I think the thing that really saved this volume from being completely generic and boring for a BL title was Yamato’s characterization. You really get the sense that he is pretty introverted and easily embarrassed, and the way he reacts to Kakeru’s obliviousness is funny on one hand but a bit sad on the other hand. Yamato’s just a really easy character to root for, and he’s the reason I’ll be coming back for more. Ganbatte, Yamato-kun!!
August 25, 2021
LOVE the crippling anxiety that comes from a will-they/won’t-they/miscommunication storyline!!!!!! Side note, I’d sell what’s left of my soul for someone to rewrite this as a Kageyama/Hinata Haikyuu fanfic.
March 20, 2022
STOP THIS IS SO CUTEEEKAHBFKJDS
December 11, 2022
It was so sad to watch Kakeru pining for Yamato. He was so clueless. Yamato even said that his “type”, when it came to dating, was “a childhood friend I’ve known forever” (70). Not only is Kakeru Yamato’s only friend, but they have been friends since their childhood. I don’t understand how Kakeru could still not be sure if Yamato was gay and into him.
I loved seeing the jealousy from both of them. With Kakeru, it was more of “if I was a girl at this moment, something could happen between us”. He would get stuck in his head too much, but for Yamato, he would legitimately get jealous. Especially when Kakeru had exchanged numbers with a girl and had started texting with her.
This was such a strange situation to read about. Usually in a story where two characters are pining for each other, and one of them is shy, you know that the other character is going to have to be the one to take that step and confess first. In this situation though, Kakeru was so sure that his friend was straight and was trying really hard to help Yamato meet more people and get a girlfriend. In this situation, it was obvious that the shy Yamato would have to be the one to speak up first.
I loved seeing the jealousy from both of them. With Kakeru, it was more of “if I was a girl at this moment, something could happen between us”. He would get stuck in his head too much, but for Yamato, he would legitimately get jealous. Especially when Kakeru had exchanged numbers with a girl and had started texting with her.
This was such a strange situation to read about. Usually in a story where two characters are pining for each other, and one of them is shy, you know that the other character is going to have to be the one to take that step and confess first. In this situation though, Kakeru was so sure that his friend was straight and was trying really hard to help Yamato meet more people and get a girlfriend. In this situation, it was obvious that the shy Yamato would have to be the one to speak up first.
August 17, 2024
this is the sweetest thing ever! I can't wait to see their relationship develop!
Yamato's sister is so pretty! I love her already.
Yamato's sister is so pretty! I love her already. 
March 31, 2021
The yearning I must have more.
January 2, 2022
On this episode of: communication makes the world go round. Ahh!!
May 31, 2022
partial slay
December 26, 2025
El tomo 1 de I Cannot Reach You me pareció bonito y sí fue para mí, aunque no terminó de atraparme del todo. La historia se centra en dos personas con una relación cercana, donde una de ellas tiene sentimientos que no sabe cómo expresar. Todo avanza lento y hay mucha indecisión, pero ese estilo suave y tranquilo me gustó.
El dibujo es lindo y las escenas se sienten calmadas. Entiendo por qué a muchas personas les encanta y dicen que es tierno. A mí me gustó, aunque me quedé esperando un poco más de avance en la historia.
El dibujo es lindo y las escenas se sienten calmadas. Entiendo por qué a muchas personas les encanta y dicen que es tierno. A mí me gustó, aunque me quedé esperando un poco más de avance en la historia.
March 18, 2024
this was so cute!! but kakeru’s obliviousness is killing me 😭😭
June 28, 2023
3.5 ⭐
January 6, 2023
★★★★☆ (4.25)
*rating for the entire series
one of my favourite tropes: two childhood friends, one smitten and brooding, the other a ray of sunshine and absolutely clueless
why did I not know yen press was translating this too
*rating for the entire series
one of my favourite tropes: two childhood friends, one smitten and brooding, the other a ray of sunshine and absolutely clueless
why did I not know yen press was translating this too
July 10, 2021
This was super cute! It was so funny at times and oh my goodness THE ANGST and the slow burn feels. It was a nice, quick read!
EDIT:
Ok I wrote the review above after I read it at 3am but I woke up with thinking about it and kinda am rereading it again haha. Super cute!
EDIT:
Ok I wrote the review above after I read it at 3am but I woke up with thinking about it and kinda am rereading it again haha. Super cute!
December 5, 2021
childhood friends, sunshine and grumpy, and mutually oblivious...*chef's kiss*
January 25, 2022
Such a sweet story w beautiful artwork!! Excited to get my hands on volume 2.
March 6, 2024
what is stopping me from buying this entire series right now???
January 8, 2023
Amazing! So adorable!
July 26, 2023
OH MY GOSH GUYS Yamato and Kakeru are so friggin adorable. My heart just melts with these boys like the stuggle of a confession is so worth it even if it's painful to see. I'm in awe lads 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
April 24, 2024
I really liked the tv series based on this manga series, so I was super excited when I found out my local library has the first volume! This book is falling apart as we speak, I don't know what it has been through but it's a lot for sure.
Kakeru and Yamato are childhood friends and always by each other's sides. But not in the way they want.... Kakeru is rather clueless in the show too but he really is one obvious idiot in the manga. I love him for that.
This makes me feel rather nostalgic for my own high school days which is weird because I absolutely hated my time in high school.
please wish me luck, I'm now going to go on hunt for the second volume...
Kakeru and Yamato are childhood friends and always by each other's sides. But not in the way they want.... Kakeru is rather clueless in the show too but he really is one obvious idiot in the manga. I love him for that.
This makes me feel rather nostalgic for my own high school days which is weird because I absolutely hated my time in high school.
please wish me luck, I'm now going to go on hunt for the second volume...
November 13, 2023
3,5/5
Super cute. Really looking forward to the continuation.
Super cute. Really looking forward to the continuation.
May 8, 2024
Sehr süß, sehr hübscher, klarer Zeichenstil, aber auch typischer 0815 Missverständnisse-Manga zwischen Kindheitsfreunden.
August 7, 2023
WHAT IS WITH THAT ENDING?? VOLUME TWO HERE I COME. my only compliant is that i want panels of them as kids but the story is just so cute!! those special mini story panels at the end made my heart burst.
September 13, 2021
It was lovely and sweet but I didn't like it enough to keep reading, the story and the characters were really cute tho
September 2, 2024
haha! this was terrible! all the problems were internal conflicts based on terrible communication skills over and over and over again. even when you make this overused, shoujo romance trope gay, it can still be really boring! a common life problem, but reaaaaal boring to read about if it's the only issue and the characters only keep talking to themselves in their minds!
diversity win!: the gay manga I read was just incredibly boring--nothing divisive or problematic or whatever (if you want your representation to be oddly morally pure)--just very boring.
diversity win!: the gay manga I read was just incredibly boring--nothing divisive or problematic or whatever (if you want your representation to be oddly morally pure)--just very boring.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 345 reviews