Reading: THERE ARE THINGS I CAN'T TELL YOU - Edako Mofumofu (author), Christine Dashiell (translator)

Prose (Story): Awkward, shy, reserved, the victim of many a bully - this describes Kasumi, the glasses-wearing, soft-spoken kid who, in grade school, met his hero in the form of Kyousuke. Outgoing, into sports, with a ton of friends, handsome and charming to all, Kyousuke not only befriends Kasumi, the two become inseparable - best friends in a bond that's lasted from childhood until now - when, as young men, each is trying to find his way in the world ... while also dealing with the hidden feelings each has secretly felt for the other since boyhood.

Don's (Review): Tokyo Pop has become my go-to place for manga depicting male-on-male romance, but here things are bumped up even more as author Edako Mofumofu creates two very-real heroes in both Kasumi and Kyousuke, two guys who couldn't be more different but grow up as close as two best friends could ever be. At the same time, since childhood, Kasumi has been in love with his best friend but is too afraid to tell him ... while Kyousuke, in love with Kasumi, has some emotional scarring in his background that makes him unable to not only reveal his feelings; he also has himself convinced that such feelings are wrong, and that he could only ultimately hurt Kasumi by telling him the truth. This would seemingly set up the kind of Hallmark movie kind of plotting, where much is misinterpreted or mistakenly assumed by the characters, keeping them apart in a way that feels more like a plot device than a real relationship here. But no, even when it seems Mofumofu is going that way, the trope is avoided and the relationship between the two men gets even more complex - and threatened. Another way this manga bumps things up a notch is in the depiction of the sex scenes; while not full-on full frontal (this is from Japan, after all), There Are Things I Can't Tell You is definitely for mature audiences in its visual depictions of two men making love (something to keep in mind, depending on your feelings about m/m sex, too). While initially a bit of a shock, like everything here the eroticism/sex scenes only fit with the story and characters, and while the ending of this genuinely romantic love story felt just a bit rushed, for me it was also one of the most realistic, believable depictions of two guys falling in love - complete with emotional baggage attached - I've yet to read, particularly in a manga.  4.5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.