Book Review
Title: There Are Things I Can't Tell You
Author: Edako Mofumofu
Genre: Manga
Rating: *****
Review: I have read quite a lot of TokyoPop manga but when I saw a BL romance, I had to request it. This story follows Kasumi and Kyousuke who have been best friends since childhood but their relationship has just become a lot more complicated. It is clear to see from the beginning that Kasumi and Kyousuke are polar opposites when it comes to personality as Kasumi is reserved, soft-spoken and shy while Kyousuke is energetic and popular. My manga and comic reviews also tend to be quite short but I have to start by saying I adored the art style and the character designs of Kasumi and Kyousuke.
The first thing I noticed about this manga was that it bounces around between the boy’s childhood, which was difficult for both them, to their young adult years where they entered a relationship but it wasn’t the right time for them to be together to their adult lives when they are together and their break-up and what comes after. We can see that both are deeply flawed in their own ways and that they have always been dependent on each other but Kasumi feels he is a burden to Kyousuke which is why he asks they break up. In their younger years we can see that Kyousuke was deeply flawed often leading Kasumi on because he didn’t want him to be with another else but wasn’t in an emotional position to be with Kasumi himself which makes him a really selfish individual and that does come across. Their physical relationship seems to be the only way they can express their true feelings towards one another, they do say I love you on occasion but it seems to be a more physical relationship even though both, Kasumi and Kyousuke harbour intense feelings for each other.
We learn that both Kasumi and Kyousuke had hard childhoods which greatly impacted their adult lives but it was more than that which led to their breakup and Kasumi felt that Kyousuke never loved him and was only taking pity on him when Kyousuke was madly in love with Kasumi but didn’t realise until they were no longer together. However, them getting back together isn’t easily as Kasumi has entered into a relationship with a married woman, Yuriko and he believes that she is the one for him only to realise much later that she was using him and he was using her to try and forget about Kyousuke. By the time Kyousuke comes to his senses and realises he love Kasumi and wants to be with him no matter what, Kasumi has fallen into a deep depression and at first refuses to listen to Kyousuke. Kyousuke finally manages to get through to his former friend and lover and makes him see that they can be happy together if they allow themselves to be happy and truly opens his heart to Kasumi and that is reciprocated.
Overall, There are Things I Can’t Tell You was a really interesting manga and I am a little sad that it wasn’t broken up into a series where we could see more of Kasumi and Kyousuke throughout their lives and so the story could be fleshed out a little more but it does work as a stand alone manga and I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for more of the author’s work.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
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