Não Consigo Te Alcançar (2023)

The cuteness and fluffiness reached my heart!

Been on my list ever since the pre-released announcement as it is one of my most anticipated BL shows this year. This is all thanks to the incredible pairing of the main character who gave me butterflies from their cuteness that are too soft yet gentle for my heart. I do trust Japan when it comes to executing the relevant details and personality of the characters, wherein, Yamato and Kakeru played it very well. The childhood-to-lovers trope is honestly not my cup of tea but this is an exception.

The visuals presented by the production team are stunning. Those bubble effects are whenever there’s a need to highlight and emphasize that the romantic feeling reached by the other person is wholesome. Honestly, I was expecting that this drama might reach the standard of Cherry Magic and Kieta Hatsukoi level, but unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the two mentioned dramas. Yet, I Cannot Reach You is still an above-average BL that gives us a real on-the-spot kissing scene!

I therefore conclude that Haru is the most adorable J-BL actor in the industry. His smiles had that impact of piercing your heart into pieces of joy and sunshine. I wish that both he and Kentaro will reunite in another BL project as still the main couple cause I love them that much.

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friends to lovers, tsundere/sunshine

Other tropes: self acceptance, self worth, high school BL, live action yaoi, soft romance, kindness

The moment I finished binging this show I was thinking about writing about it and re-watching it. This is a sure sign that I adored a piece of media. 

This is a wonderful BL.

Truly well executed, with smooth filming and lovely acting, both of a simplistic style that felt slightly more Korean than it did Japanese. It reminded me a little bit of Seven Days and a little bit of Takara and Amagi, and since these are my two favorite high school JBLs obviously I was bound to adore ICRY.

But what it reminded me of more than anything was Cherry Blossoms After Winter. Odd for JBL and KBL to be so closely linked. Like CBAW show, ICRY is classic live action yaoi.

Like the MOST classic of CLASSIC. There is even a “seme looses control to desire” scene which leads to dub con. There is an abject apology after but still - you’ve been warned. 

The premise is: smart sporty hot (and hella gay) Yamato has a long standing crush on his silly sunshine sweetheart bestie, Kakeru. Yamato is also stiff, self isolated, shy, and has only ever really managed to get along with Kakeru. I love this kind of pining seme so damn much, it probably biased me.

Unlike most uke, Kakeru starts to slowly figure out that his best friend is in love with him by ep 2 (let the chaos bisexual identity crisis commence).

So do some of the friends around them.

The story thus revolves around Yamato trying to unsuccessfully suppress his desire, and Kakeru trying to figure out if he can return Yamato‘s affection.

This biggest barrier is actually Kakeru's feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness (when compared to Yamato). Bu this is tempered by his genuine kindness which forces him into act with integrity around his dear friend's love and strive to fix everything (even himself) to prove worthy of it - whether he can ultimately return it or not.

Kakeru's struggles are pitted against Yamato‘s repressed need that keeps bubbling over and figuratively (sometimes literally) attacking Kakeru with romantic, emotional, and physical intensity.

Quick pitch:

This classic friends-to-lovers BL is everything Japan does best. Angsty. Emo. Aching. Driven by real thirst. Yamato is deeply in love with his childhood bestie, Kakeru, and has been for ages, unable to hide his ungainly damaging high school need. He wants Kakeru in every way possible and it oozes off of the screen. Kakeru is silly and a little simple, but not frenetic or overly camp about it. He is earnest, and genuinely wants to keep Yamato in his life which means giving a romance (and gayness) a fair chance. We watch him realize his affection and what form it can take in a truly authentic way. This show was impossibly kind to both of its lead characters and I felt almost honored that I got to watch something so lovely and rare play out on my screen.

I’m not gonna lie, I dithered over whether to give this a 10/10 and nearly didn’t. But there is nothing wrong with it AS A BL.

And it's so GOOD to ALL of its characters and they are so good to each other. It's quiet and because of its goodness it will get overlooked, but I LOVED IT.

It's not one of those that BL outsiders will understand, and you must like Japan's style to enjoy it. But I'm in it. It's for me.

What am I hung up over? Even the kisses are good.

10/10

I CAN'T RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY ENOUGH

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J-BL Gem of 2023

Oh yeah, this was the shit. This was everything and more to me. This is the kind of story I crave more in BL -- simplistic first love stories that can tug at every heartstring until you're desperately crying out for more once it ends. I Can't Reach You was a spectacular J-BL that I'm so glad I found cause this was exactly what my little soul needed.

Let's Dive In.

Friends to lovers will always be my cup of tea, but add on childhood friends to lovers and you've basically sold me. And then on top of that, it's a first love story where we get to go through them experiencing their firsts with each other. And then on top of THAT, you throw in a plot without evil scheming characters or a third wheel -- just pure fluff, and feelings. I loved this, but I think that's obvious at this point.

Oh gosh, how I loved Yamato and Kakeru. They were flawed individuals with traits and odd perspectives like that of any hormonal teenager. Seeing Yamato so head over heels was nice, but getting to go through the story and finding these little moments when you can tell Kakeru is starting to feel something too -- the longing stares, keeping little memorabilia, laying his head on his shoulder, holding hands, the sparkling eyes while he smiles -- urgh, fuck, I love that shit so much.

Everything was so perfect, it was the right mix of awkward first encounters with figuring out feelings and how to go about them. The leads had great chemistry and great connection. Off-topic, but Kentaro (Yamato) is the prettiest J-actor I've ever seen and I could write an entire essay on his essence and soft masculine power. And yes I mean the prettiest (aka hottest) sorry I don't make the rule.

I just loved the plot too. I spoke a little bit about this, but there's nobody getting in the way of the main characters but themselves. No conniving jealous person, no evil parents or siblings, no troubling third wheel. Truly just feelings and a bit of miscommunication (which they fix by the end! Gosh, I love them). And yes, there were the girls practically throwing themselves at Yamato, but they were there as a jealousy mechanism for Kakeru and vice-versa, not an actual third wheel that you would have to worry about.

I love the other characters. I loved Yamato's sister, I loved the blonde-haired dude who was pretty much their love advisor and helped move their relationship. I loved that we didn't spend any time on them coming out or Kakeru having some deep contemplation on the fact that he liked a guy or the fact that others didn't react to it either. It was just a regular-smegular love story between friends and it's perfect. This was just such a gem of a series, seriously, it was so great.

My only little negative thing to say was that I hated when the sparkles would pass by their faces, it looked like some really cheap editing, but that might just be me. Also, the subtitles weren't it for a couple of the episodes, but again, just slight nit-picking.

Ratings:

Story: 9/10 - So so good! The pacing was perfect the storytelling was perfect and we went straight into the plot as soon as the series started.

Acting: 9/10 - great! They all did really good! I won't say their acting was the best I've seen, but still did really well! I liked Haru (Kakeru)'s acting the most!

Music: 7/10 - I didn't pay much attention to it, but it wasn't distracting.

Recommendation value: 10/10 - I rarely give something a 10 out of 10, but gosh lee, this really was so good and I highly recommend it. It's good for wanting something simple and fluffy and happy. I know I'm happy!

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The acting is just.. so..

Easily one of the worst Jdrama BL's I have watched (or attempted to watch). It's rare that I drop dramas and even more rare that I write reviews, but I gotta write this to warn you: the acting is bad. One of the leads looks 5-10 years too old to be in highschool but I was willing the brush that aside. The acting actually gave me a innate physical reaction and that never happens. Both of the leads don't know what their characters are supposed to be feeling and in the more intense or sensitive moments, their expressions are so incredibly forced. There's not subtly. Ugh

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Cute & Sweet With Earnest & Thoughtful Characters.

Edit Jan 2024: increased my ratings after re-watching with proper subtitles after the international release. These two boys do actually put effort into communicating with each other, and keep trying even though they are interrupted at almost every turn. I think the only thing that didn't interrupt them was an animal, lol.

A simple but very well done childhood friends to lovers story with good acting, soft cinematography, and no unlikable characters. Lots of mutual uncertainty and sweetness. All angst is resolved by the end.

An easy watch with eight 20min episodes. Also known as "I Cannot Reach You".

In the USA, I first watched it in Nov 2023 with fan subtitles, which were obviously awkward but better than nothing. In Dec 2023 it was released internationally and became available on Neflix and I re-watched it. The proper subtitles made a big difference! It noticeably increased my enjoyment and satisfaction with the characters, their bond, and their efforts at navigating their complex feelings with each other. Though I tried to give the dialogue a pass in my initial review because of the circumstances, I have now raised my rating a full star (to 9/10). I will watch again.

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The perfect first love story.

This drama is an absolute gem and a perfect introduction to BL for those who haven't watched any before. The storyline is light and follows the classic childhood friends-turned-lovers plot, making for a very innocent and heartwarming high school love story. The lack of major conflict between the main characters, Kakeru and Yamato, is refreshing and the few misunderstandings that do occur are due to unspoken feelings, which is a common theme in Japanese BL series.

What I appreciate most about this drama is that there is no pressure or force of feelings in either of the characters. Yamato has been concealing his feelings and is not pressuring Kakeru to accept his feelings, while Kakeru is trying to figure out his own feelings at his own pace. The cinematography and choice of filming locations are also excellent, portraying the magic of love in various ways, with sparks flying whenever the characters express their feelings for each other.

The actors, Maeda Kentaro and Kashiwagi Haru, who play Yamato and Kakeru respectively, are both exceptional in their roles. Maeda Kentaro brings out Yamato's cool, perfect-all-rounder vibes, and his eyes are simply mesmerizing. Kashiwagi Haru, despite his young age, perfectly portrays Kakeru's shy, cheerful, and friendly character, making it hard to believe that he was born in 2005. Overall, this drama is a must-watch for anyone who loves a heartwarming love story.

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Sweet romance

This was a very short series, but it packed so much heart into it. I was able to believe every word and they did this without any of the tropes being over done or even present. The little details of each interaction sold the story.

The story is nothing special, as friends fall in love all the time, but the execution of it in this series was well done. The small details that made the other wonder but could never quite figure out why made it seem natural. They are supposed to be best friends and that seemed to be the main driving force behind everything. It was really well paced with the romance building without being outright, the glances the unexplained annoyances when the other spent too much time with someone else. It was all great and the fact that they had great friends was a nice touch. This complimented everything about the story, as the advice from the secondary friends were always spot on. It was a perfect example of how friends should be with each other in real life.

The acting was spot on from both leads and their chemistry was undeniable. They played well off of each other and really conveyed that jealous boyfriend energy well. This also worked well for their best friend dynamic and the supporting cast was also on point.

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Friends-to-lovers: Simple, Repetitive, Nothing new.

The title, “I Cannot Reach You”is so accurate. Yamato spent the whole drama trying to reach Kakeru. If that’s the type of drama you enjoy - shy, awkward, unsure, simple teen romance - then this might be for you.

However, to me personally, it takes too long to reach Kakeru. Nothing much really happens and the drama can be summed up into a few points:
Yamato couldn’t control his feelings for Kakero anymore but doesn’t want to jeopardize the friendship (repeat this every episode).
Kakeru is confused about Yamato’s actions and his own feelings (repeat this for 70% of the drama).
Yamato and Kakeru are constantly being interrupted during pivotal moments (repeat this for 70% of the drama).

I also find the acting below average. There’s a way to act awkward, shy and cute. But I find Yamato too awkward (especially in the earlier episodes) and Kakeru acting way too cute. Maybe I am too old for this drama or I’ve seen too many already. This drama doesn’t bring anything new. However, this could be a gentle and easy watch for someone who just needs a breather. I might have liked this more if the acting is better and if there are more cute and fluffy moments.


Completed: 12/25/2023 - Review #387

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TOO basic Bl plot and a lot of cringe

The worst scenes are when people interrupt their *progress* and interactions in the dumbest ways. The shorter guy is just unbearable. He acts like a manga character (well most characters do) but it doesnt translate well into a live action drama. The cliches are overused. At least its good for a laugh :)) The tall guy kinda saves the drama. He’s a good actor and the character is likeable and not cringy.

Kinda spoiler territory: the “cupid” is also unbearable. JUST WHY CANT THEY COMMUNICATE IF THEY ARE CHILDHOOD FRIENDS???? and they need some rando who is just another cliche.

Not the most organised review ik

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The softest teen angst you've ever seen

My god this was so sweet and light I think I strained some face muscles from grinning so much.
This show's premise may be nothing new, but it manages to depict the struggles of falling for your best friend and the sheer, horrifying exhilaration of first love so well, it borders on perfection.
At first I was a bit put off by the almost aggressive wholesomeness of the series and the constant sparkles every time something vaguely romantic happens, but dammit they won me over alright.
The writing is genuinely great and the entire cast delivers such engaging and believable performances that it's a real challenge not to fall in love with the characters.
They're all just such good kids, trying their best to be there for one another and I really can't think of any way to describe the whole thing other than "genuinely heartwarming"
There is essentially no external conflict in the series, no antagonists, no dramatic plot twists, nothing of the sort. Instead, the story focuses on our two leads figuring out their feelings and learning how to communicate with one another, giving each other space to process their changing relationship and carefully consider their choices all the while.
One slight trigger warning I have to mention, however, is a scene in which one of the characters doesn't stop his physical advances on the other until he's been asked to stop three times.
Personally, in light of how well the fallout of this event is handled and how deeply loving and respectful the characters' relationship is overall, I found I could just about stomach that scene. If you are sensitive to these issues, you may want to proceed with caution though.

All in all, if you want to see an incredibly soft, yet grounded high-school romance reminiscent of beloved classics such as Kieta Hatsukoi and Kamisama no Ekohiiki, or are simply looking for a light, wholesome rom-com to while away a rainy day, then this show is perfect for you.

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Wasted Time

I'll start with a positive - the actors are really cute, and the guy playing Ohara is talented, with good subtlety of expression, and his eyes are beyond stunning. The guy playing Yamato is less impressive, although I doubt that's his fault as he was clearly directed to act like a manga character, which didn't work in live action. It rarely does.

The writing is abyssmal, stuffed with every possible cliche, and lazy beyond belief, with EVERY SINGLE important conversation or almost-kiss interrupted, often by the very people trying to get them together. This happened several times per episode, to the point I stopped caring and wondered where Godzilla is when you need him.

When everything is driven (or rather tha brakes applied) by ridiculous, contrived external events, some unbelievably coincidental - as if Tokyo is so small that you can't go anywhere without running into someone that wil ruin your relationship - there is no character development or organic development of the relationship, which was already there because of the childhood friends cliche. The only thing about this that I liked is that Yamato knew Ohara liked him, but consciously tried to deny to himself that he knew because he was afraid it would mess up their friendship.

I get that this is a chaste high-school drama, but there's a point where something is so devoid of heat that it's hard to understand why they should change their status as best friends. There are a couple of kisses, which were awful and destroyed by the obession with cliches, so that Yamato always had to have his eyes wide with shock, even when he was expecting to be kissed, which made it come off as vaguely non-consensual - not so much so that it was disturbing, but it left them totally without any quality that made it something I wanted to watch.

This is frustrating and ultimately boring and is the last JBL I will ever attempt to watch. I would pass, altough most otherpeople seemed to like it.

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