I Cannot Reach You, Vol. 2

君には届かない。 [Kimi ni wa Todokanai.] #2

by Mika .

If I asked you...
...would it change the way we are now...?

Childhood best friends. Two halves of a whole. Yamato and Kakeru. Since he believed that the handsome, popular Yamato would never feel the same way, Kakeru was stunned when Yamato admitted he would be upset if Kakeru got a girlfriend. But Yamato’s admission—instead of reaching Kakeru’s heart—puts a strain on their already tense relationship. Can the two find a way to fix their friendship, or will their feelings of jealousy and inferiority ruin everything…?!

Genres: Manga, Romance, LGBT, Young Adult, Contemporary, Queer, Yaoi

178 pages, Paperback

First published December 26, 2019

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had more of those bad dreams, you were ten feet in front of me / I went runnin', but I couldn't catch, just the shadow of your silhouette (The Loneliest Time – Carly Rae Jepsen & Rufus Wainwright).

Well folks, looks like we’ve got another yearner here on our hands. Let’s hear it for the millionth yearner in a row, whoop whoop! I would have probably changed my book sorting method on here by now so that I only have two categories between one shelf titled “emotionally devastating” and the other being “just a light and breezy time,” but I really don’t want to mess up the perfect rectangle thing I’ve got going on up there. Like, do I really need a separate shelf for the three Wattpad stories I've read? No, of course not, but plays a crucial role in my beautiful Jenga tower, take it away and the whole things topples over! Anyway, like always, I Cannot Reach You volume two is one of those sleeper hits that, when it hits… it really hits. In bold, and right in the feels! Which, you know, is pretty damn cool. Sorry, I know I should totally be more enthusiastic here, and I truly am grateful to be smack dab in the middle of this little Gay Manga Renaissance, because as someone who grew up with manga like Bleach and Naruto, I have to admit that while they'll always hold a special place in my heart, they were written by authors with the emotional maturity of a fortune cookie. Now, I always like to joke that, to this day, Naruto still carries the award for being the gayest manga I’ve ever read, but saying so is getting a little boring because one, it’s really not that funny, and two, I think continuing to use the line is doing a disservice to the authors who actually go out of their way to empathetically express the queer experience through their art. So yeah, I’ll try to stop saying that from now on. Besides, Naruto is only gay in that ancient mythological kind of way where the stories are so hateful and dismissive towards their female characters that the relationships between men are the only ones that are given any kind of emotional weight. Which is actually why it’s so easy for retellings like The Song of Achilles to be able to slip a queer interpretation of the classic text in there so naturally while also managing to stay truthful to the source material. Or how works like Circe can be so flexible with its reinterpretations and re-imagine the myth to both include and center around unheard voices. I'm a big fan of Madeline Miller, by the way. Don't know if you noticed. Wait, what was I talking about again? Oh yeah, I’m going to stop joking that Naruto was the media that made me gay growing up because now there's an abundance of intentional queer representation in manga to choose from. Wow, how liberating! I mean, my main actual queer awakening was shirtless Link from Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess, so the Naruto thing was never even true to begin with. Now I can let go of all the resentment I still have over Naruto focusing all of its energy around Naruto chasing Sasuke to the ends of the earth to save his soul or whatever. All telling each other that the other one is the only person who understands them, pshhh, and you’re trying to tell me that’s not a queer love story!? Anyway, since I'm clearly over it, maybe I Cannot Reach You will be the winner of the Gayest of the Gay award from now on! Who knows? Anything can happen.

Hm, I feel like I’m somewhat more off topic than usual (is that even possible?), but I'm of the mind that I don’t need to go into full synopsis mode with this review considering volume one is nothing more than a distant memory at the back of our minds by now. It’s nice because now I'm free to yap about anything that comes to mind. Yay! What should I talk about? Um… it’s pretty nice to read something that’s reasonably popular for once! Like, people have actually read this manga, what a weird feeling! It can be a little lonely being the only review on a book page because it feels like performing to an empty theater or like I’m one of the five other people at a Normani concert. No but really, if you’re looking for a manga that has a steadily escalating pacing, then I Cannot Reach You probably isn’t the one for you. When they’re not pining for each other, Yamato and Kakeru misconstrue, miscommunicate, and misremember their way through each and every panel, and I can’t lie, it can be frustrating! But here’s the thing, just because something in a story is annoying doesn’t mean it’s not realistic. I mean, the fact that these two block-heads will constantly miss each at every chance for as long as the story goes is literally hinted at in the title! The inherent tension and drama that drives the plot of I Cannot Reach You forward is that while it’s obvious that these two best friends are in love with each other and are literally in close proximity, the chasm between them only grows the longer they aren’t truthful about their real feelings. It’s a real “Distant Lover” kind of vibe. You know the one, “Distant lover, lover. Ooh, so many miles away. Heaven knows that I long for you. Every night, every night and sometimes I yearn through the day” and all that. But yeah, while this manga is ultimately a love story, it’s interesting how the story mostly highlights both Yamato and Kakeru’s differences. Yamato is the good-looking quiet dude who always gets confessed to and Kakeru is the goofy happy-go-luck guy that everybody likes but nobody like likes, if you catch my drift. It’s all very Naruto and Sasuke coded, which is a dissertation for later, but I will say that it’s a dynamic that can easily get stale very quickly, what with one guy always being labeled “the loser” and the other being “the cool dude" within the narrative. But what I liked about how it's used in I Cannot Reach You is that while Yamato's constantly stated to be the attractive one, nobody in the story actually likes being around him all that much due to his reticent and restrained nature. In a meta sense, his lack of arrogance and penchant for self-loathing not only helps him escape the “Sasuke Problem,” but it also adds a level of depth to the character and makes him the perfect love-interest and foil to Kakeru. I Cannot Reach You is a story that could have easily been a miserable reading experience, but because of its focus on character writing above all else, it instead remains a sweet little slice-of-life love story. So yeah, that’s all there is to it! Sure, this might be yet another volume full of missteps and misfires in the romance department, but I Cannot Reach You still manages to engage on a deeper level, and it hit all the correct beats to emotionally resonate... and maybe even devastate.

And you're lookin' right through me / Just like Shakespeare wrote a tragedy / But our story, never finished it / 'Cause our love, we never finished it.

[Cyndi (hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just tell him already!!!😭 These boys are killing me.

[Suppi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need to stop allowing these authors to physically punch my gut like this. It cannot be healthy for my gastrointestinal system.

[Johnee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m beginning to really love this series! I can’t help but be reminded of Blue Flag just a little, since there are some similarities, but otherwise it’s still standing well on its own.

Also, I hate the miscommunication trope but I think this is one instance where I’m just riding that wave and really enjoying it for what it is! Who knew it would just be in manga form?!)m

[adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

SCREAMING CRYING

[Jen13 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This back and forth is frustrating to read, but also fun in a weird way. I love Yamato's personality and the chemistry between him and Kakeru is undeniable. I would have loved to binge read this series, but I'm stuck waiting to get my hands on the next volume.

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet series. Too bad it’s out of print almost everywhere right now.

[Marureviere · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love me some slowburn, childhood friends to lovers with one-sided pining

[Peyton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE when the readers can tell that the main character likes someone before the main character realizes it themselves!! Yamako and Kakeru need to talk things out before I go insane omg

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

They keep refusing to communicate and leaving each other at a loss for the other’s actions, and I’m like, “AAAAH please just talk!!” But even if the words aren’t crossing the gap, the tension is, with mixed results…. They’re so so adorable, but please!! SPEAK!! ;-;

[Neoday☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐
They were making me kinda anxious... need them to sit down and talk!

[Kinsey Breland .: avid_midnight_reader :. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I get that Yamato is scared to tell Kakeru that he likes him, but when Kakeru keeps going on about all the girls that like Yamato, he could start by just saying that he likes boys. Kakeru is so stuck on this idea that “there is no way that Yamato could like me” that just having Yamato say that he is not interested in girls, would at least get things on the right track.

It is so frustrating and funny at the same time how these two keep going back and forth in their heads, trying to work out their feelings. I mean, one of them will think the other is mad at them, while the other is thinking how happy they are at that moment.

This volume does get a little repetitive. The author kept going back and redoing the same scenes multiple times from different point-of-views. I can understand why some people might not like this format, but I found it interesting to see what was going on in everyone’s heads, and what they were thinking and feeling in those scenes.

[DonutKnow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooft, that push pull trope of romance manga 💔

[Nathan Bartos · Rating 4 out of 5]

These boys are killing me. Pick these up at your own risk of throwing your copy across the room. The romantic tension is so high, and the burn is so slow. On the other hand, highly recommend; they're great.

[Andreth Saelind · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If I never told him, I wonder where these feelings would go. Desires without a place to reach, and words that could not be said... will they vanish someday, as if they never existed?"

This volume blends the coziness and the heartbreak so well, it hurts and heals at the same time. Kakeru and Yamato are trying to figure out how to mend things between them, when there is seemingly nothing wrong to begin with. Both of them have noticed the other one withdrawing lately, and they are both scared to lose their childhood friend. Kakeru is slowly working through his feelings and trying to understand exactly what Yamato means to him, and Yamato is trying (and failing) to keep all his feelings bottled up, so he doesn't destroy their friendship. As a result, they both hold onto the other very strongly, letting actions speak louder than words.

This volume made me so emotional with its simplicity and its coziness! The moments between Kakeru and Yamato are very touching, they speak to loneliness, friendships, and the hardships of growing up. They find themselves in a delicate situation, and they both know that if they misinterpret or make a mistake, they could lose the other forever. The manga has a way or writing out emotions that are so strong, and yet with a simplicity that resonates quite deeply. While the action may move slower in this one than in the first volume, we really get to spend time with each character and get more attached to them, as a result. All in all I highly recommend this series if you like a cozy, almost slice-of-life story and a brilliantly done slow burn.

[Laura]

Unpopular opinion but like, half of this felt super repetitive. I get that having the two perspectives from the same situations can be productive and illustrate the characters' feelings very well, but honestly, I felt that the flashbacks (? If I can call them that) were too long, as if the readers wouldn't remember the situation, so for me it felt like the same things happened over and over again. Plus, in the end, their different feelings were only explored a little bit, and I would've wanted more after having to read through so much sameness.

I got the feeling that this mangaka is starting out with this series, and that the editors are using the artist's popularity instead of contributing anything significant to their work. I liked the bonus story but it only contributed to the general "jumble" feeling of this volume.

I was super excited for this volume and sadly it felt like I got close to nothing, with so much repetition of so little progress in the plot. The only good thing is that apparently there is a drama cd of this?! But I couldn't find anything online :(

[Paula (lovebookscl) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seguimos con los protas y la dificil decisión de ¿Le digo que me gusta y que cambie toda nuestra relación? o ¿Me quedo callado y que estos sentimientos me consuman?

Independiente de la respuesta, para ambas opciones signifca un impacto en sus vidas. Ya sea arriesgarse o guardar una pena que los seguirá por siempre.

Amo que aunque ambos están muy confundidos, siempre tratan de cuidar del otro lo mejor que pueden aunque nunca es perfecto.

[Azbaqiyah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot - 3 ⭐
Character - 3 ⭐
Writing Style - 3 ⭐
World Building - 3 ⭐
Art - 5 ⭐
Cover - 5 ⭐

Overall - 3.66 ⭐

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting to finally see a series that's fully dedicated to slowburn, miscommunication and secret pining (emphasis on the slow burn). Most BL manga speed rush this to get to the happy ending, because they need to wrap up the story in one volume. This one takes its time. It's sweet and enjoyable, but it doesn't quite capture me as much as I'd like. 3.5 stars

[Rin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to reread the first one because i forgot everything

[Carmelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh sweethearts 🥺

[Zita Azlina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a "I need to talk to you—" "HEYYYY YOU THERE" *some random friend yelling before their conversation happen* like.

[Brandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m really enjoying this story it’s so cute 🥰

[ERICLAND · Rating 3 out of 5]

the misunderstandings were played out waaayyyy much. i understand what the author was going for but i feel like most of the misunderstandings or miscommunication stemmed from nothing, were nothing, and resulted in nothing but two hugs… which is nice but this feels like padding in an unnecessary way. still had cute moments and i love the two mc’s so.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Augh. I don't know why I put myself through the pain of starting these series that don't have any end points set in place. I hadn't looked into this one, but it seems like there are at least 5 volumes (in Japanese, which means the translations will be slooow to come to the U.S.), and I'm not sure if that's the conclusion yet, or if this will trail on for much longer. Frustrating. I want to see their happy ending! But the journey is enjoyable (if you call angst and emotional turmoil "fun"), so I suppose I'm happy to go along for the ride. Volume 3 will be out in December, so I'll see if they've made any progress at all by then!

This volume had lots of excellently achy pining. There's not much in the way of actual movement, though, which does make me wonder what's going to happen for at least three more volumes...I will start to get bored if it's just the same repetitive scenes dragged out for eternity. I was hoping for more forward momentum, but we actually get less development, in a way, than in Volume 1.

The structure's a little confusing, because scenes get repeated - from Yamato's point of view, then seen again from Kakeru's - which was interesting but not really that necessary. It makes it feel like Mika's already running thin on ideas, which isn't a good sign for how many volumes are left to go. The author note at the end, though, is "I'd like to have Yamato work harder next volume," so hopefully he does start breaking out of his shell a bit more, and taking more concrete steps to establish the future he wants.

I liked the bits of insight we got into Yamato's personality, through conversations with his coworker and his sister. (Although his sister was confusing, too, and I didn't understand what was going on with her. What's her motivation? Why were the two of them set up to look like they were on a date? The translator threw in several "bro" lines to make it clear that these were siblings, not another budding love triangle.)

Yamato is completely certain of his own feelings for Kakeru, and has been since middle school. It's not that he's confused about what he feels or who he wants...he's just absolutely convinced that Kakeru is straight and that telling him will ruin their friendship. But as his coworker and sister tell him, and as he's beginning to realize himself, keeping his feelings locked up inside isn't making him happy, and it's still hurting their friendship. Something has to break...and maybe by Volume 3, he'll actually tell the truth?

Kakeru, in the meantime, isn't really all that oblivious; it's just that he's very used to being the less interesting, less popular, less handsome, less intelligent, less everything guy in the group...and when he's thought in the past that a girl was interested in him, he'd been wrong. He figures the same thing is true here; Yamato has no reason to be interested in someone like him, so Kakeru must be simply reading the signals wrong again, thinking too much of himself. But he's struggling, because he feels Yamato pulling away from him, and it's making him miserable - without any idea of how he can stop it.

The mirrored, desperate hugs were wonderful. While this volume is a little too slow-paced and repetitive, there's still a lot to like, and I look forward to the next installment.

[Katja · Rating 5 out of 5]

My poor heart! C'mon guys, aren't there enough signs already??? I say that I'm obviously on board for their emotional journey, no matter how many turns is takes to get to the goal. The next volume is too far away!

I liked that Yamato actually talked some people a little about his feelings (not to Kakeru of course, that wouldn't do yet, now would it?), take their advice, please! His sister was giving off warning signs in the first volume but now she seemed to be more levelheaded about it all. And Nitta was taking the fact she doesn't have any hope regards Yamato very nicely.

Kakeru is in various states of panic throughout as he tries to understand what is it that he's feeling. Slowly, slowly...

There were some sweet moments, many kinda painful ones and all of them giving me all kinds of feels.

[Milenrrama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quizá un 4,5, pero es que me gusta tanto que lo redondeo para arriba.

Son: idiotas. Me gusta que Kakeru tiene su traumita con respecto a dar por supuestas las cosas y eso explica su obsesión de no malinterpretar. Y la mejor parte ha sido la conversación de Yamato en el centro comercial (y su posterior activación instintiva y celosona xDDDD). Bueno, y los extras. No me habría importado leer un oneshot entero con el último extra, en absoluto.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

April 2022. BL manga volume 2 about two lifelong friends who are individually realizing their crushes on one another and navigating their feelings and if they should confess or not.
The premise isn’t unique but the execution is incredibly sweet and charming, and quite funny at moments. Really adore this series.

“I Cannot Reach You” volume 2 by Mika.

[eve.lyn._.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

≜⇎⋠𝙸 𝙲𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚈𝚘𝚞⋡⇎≜
  Kakeru is extremely confused by Yamato's actions as well as the emotions that he has dormant within him. He considers the possibility that Yamato could like him only to push away the thought, unable to believe that someone as popular and good-looking would ever love him. Yamato struggles even more with the barrage of confessions, but the one he truly loves he believes he will never reach. As Yamato feels newfound jealousy at Kakeru's hopes to find a girlfriend, and Kakeru feels as though he lives in Yamato's shadow, the two worry that the way they are together may be irreparably changed.

"If I asked you . . . would it change the way we are now . . .?"
-Yamato and Kakeru
 I Cannot Reach You triggers extremely loud emotional responses from me. While reading this, anyone in the vicinity can either hear me giggling (in a way I normally don't) or screaming at the top of my lungs at night at the characters and speaking a mixture of incoherent thoughts. Ever since I started reading manga, it's become a new passion of mine, and I am so glad that I have been able to find such fantastic manga in different genres.

"If I never told him . . . I wonder where these feelings would go. Desires without a place to reach . . . and words that could not be said. Will they . . . vanish someday . . . as if they never existed."
-Yamato to Kakeru

  AHH I swear that this is one of the cutest BL romances—and romances in general—that I have ever read. While romance isn't my genre of choice or something I choose to read often, this was a romance that I absolutely fell in love with. This book is literally like a burst of serotonin on a cold day, but it is also filled with such heart-wrenching longing and hesitancy. I loved the exploration of Yamato and Kakeru's friendship as well as the way their relationship has evolved throughout the story so far.

There's no hope. There isn't even a chance. If telling him, won't make either of us happy then, I'll keep these feelings to myself for the rest of my life. It's better if I live with them hidden deep within me. In the end . . . I'm just a coward at heart. They're only my selfish desires. I don't want to ruin something that's important to me.
Nitta: "But then . . . where will your feelings go, Yamato-kun?"
-Yamato

Mika really explored the internal struggle within Yamato, letting us see what nobody can see on the outside. Yamato is a guy of few words who experiences a lot of emotions. Throughout the story, his innocent longing for Kakeru is evident, as is his reluctance to ruin what they already have. What I really appreciate about Yamato is that he shows kindness to everyone. Although he is shy and cold, he treats everyone with respect. Yamato is sincere, never one to have false words or harsh statements. While he does show kindness to Kakeru, unlike others, I really appreciate that he still treats everyone well. (I hate that trope where the love interest only shows kindness to the other protagonist and then treats everyone else like garbage!)

"But still, whenever I see him next to me . . . he always looks so bright. It makes me so happy . . . that I always want, to stay here for just a little longer."
-Yamato about Kakeru

        Volume two deals with something that has been hinted at throughout book one. Kakeru always wishes for Yamato's success and cares a lot for his best friend. But he also struggles with an inferiority complex, especially in Yamato's presence. It's sad to see that he feels this way, but it also makes sense when we see several scenes of Kakeru watching as Yamato is popular, good-looking, and intelligent. This is an important part of Kakeru's personality that only further explores how they are polar opposites. 

"When I'm with Yamato I feel at home. So much so that I don't care . . . about feeling jealous or feeling inferior. I like these moments. They're so precious to me that I don't want to lose them. I don't know how Yamato feels. I don't know that . . . but I know he's my best friend."
-Kakeru about Yamato

  I really enjoyed the relationship between Yamato and his sister, as well as Kakeru and his sister. They were both so hilarious, and I loved the sibling dynamic. I also love how Yamato's sister is encouraging and straight-forward. There were certain scenes in this volume that were filled with such tension and emotion that I loved. I love watching the boys come to terms with their emotions. Excited to pick up volume three!

"If I make a move when I don't know what I'll gain or lose . . . and end up regretting my actions, then I'd rather stay the same and not change. It's a lot easier that way!"
-Yamato about Kakeru

"In the end it's always like this. I'm afraid of change so I desperately look for excuses, and line up the most plausible words and repeat. I don't have the courage to admit my feelings to him, or the guts to find out how he feels either. There's no answer to this. I can't figure out what to do. It hurts."
-Yamato about Kakeru

"Kakeru . .. am I not good enough for you?"
-Yamato's thoughts about Kakeru
☑️PLOT
☑️CHARACTERS

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is going down as one of my favourite BLs.

The tension between the two is crazy!! I really makes me wonder what Mika has cooking for us in the coming volumes.