Netflix’s romantic series, I Cannot Reach You, revolves around two high school best friends, Yamato and Kakeru, who inevitably fall in love with each other. The Japanese romantic drama is a bit unconventional as it draws our attention to the gay love story, unlike other romantic dramas that usually include heterosexual couples. The Kawaii love story is sure to melt our hearts! The revelation of love comes slowly, as it becomes difficult for them to explore their sexual orientation in the beginning. What turn will the romantic affair between Yamato and Kakeru take? Will Kakeru reciprocate Yamato’s feelings in the long run? Let’s find out!
Spoiler Alert
Why Does Yamato Feel So Attracted To Kakeru?
Yamato, being the most popular boy at school, is followed around by girls all the time. Many girls are seen expressing their feelings for him, but he does not seem to reciprocate them because he has feelings for Kakeru. He feels a deep bond with Kakeru because they are childhood friends and understand each other better than anyone else. He always felt comforted in Kakeru’s presence. Kakeru had been his shoulder to cry upon when he lost his father in an accident at a very young age. When he tries to showcase his attraction to him, Kakeru does not seem to understand his feelings completely because he has not started exploring his sexual orientation. He is surprised by the sudden concern that Yamato shows him while they are on a trip to Togetsukyo. He likes spending time with Kakeru and shares his thoughts with him, while others think of him as a reserved kind of person, as he does not open up easily to them. While on a trip, he shows his concern for Kakeru and also expresses his feelings for him. Kakeru feels awkward about a kiss that they shared during their trip and drifts away from Yamato for a while.
Do They Grow Feelings For Each Other?
Kakeru thought that he was attracted to Akane, another girl from his school, until Yamato expressed his feelings to him. Yamato also tries to give the two of them space because he does not want to intrude on Kakeru’s love life. Eventually, when Kakeru realizes the deep connection that Yamato feels for him, he starts considering him as a partner. Everyone at school notices their chemistry, but only Kakeru was not sure about it previously. Later on, realizing Yamato’s feelings, he says that he is willing to give it a shot. Yamato wonders what in him could have possibly attracted the most popular boy in their school, as he had nothing to offer him as Yamato was smarter and better looking than him. This series brings out the fact that love does not look for any logic, and people just fall in love without any reason. Yamato is seen asking Kakeru out on a date, where they spend quality time together, enhancing Kakeru’s feelings for him. Kakeru notices that Yamato has been making a lot of effort in their relationship. He cares for him like a kid. When Kakeru trips and hurts his leg, he carries him around on his shoulders. When he learns that Kakeru has been sick, he visits him at his place. Kakeru also puts in effort for Yamato, as he is seen studying hard and getting better grades to impress him. He also gets him sweets on Sakisaka Day, which makes it clear that he has finally reciprocated Yamato’s feelings. He wants to express his feelings for Yamato on various occasions, but something or another comes up that keeps him from doing so. The two of them spend a lot of time together, which eventually strengthens their bond and helps them understand each other’s feelings better.
What Does Mikoto Want?
Mikoto, Yamato’s younger sister, is concerned about her brother’s feelings for Kakeru, as she thinks that he might not reciprocate, causing her brother to be hurt. She is very protective of her elder brother, as they had no parents to support them. She tries seeking information about the trip and whatever happened there between Yamato and Kakeru from their friends, as she is eager to know about whatever is going on between them. It is, however, possible that Yamato had feelings for her own brother. Reo approaches her and tells her that he knew that she was eager to know about whatever happened on the trip because she had a brother-complex, denoting her strong obsession for her Yamato. She also tries to discourage Yamato from meeting Kakeru on Christmas, as she says that she is scared that he might hurt him. She had not been supportive of their love at all. There is also a possibility that she did not want others in the school to know about her brother’s sexual orientation, as it would cause her public humiliation.
What Happens On Christmas?
When Kakeru is sure of his feelings for Yamato, he asks him out on a date for Christmas and is preparing to reveal his feelings for him. However, on his way to meet Kakeru, Yamato sees a girl being eve-teased on the road. He saves her and takes her along with him on his date. When Kakeru sees that he had brought someone else with him to join them on Christmas, he gets annoyed as he is not able to express his feelings to him in front of another person and decides to walk out on Yamato. As he walks away, Yamato follows him and cluelessly asks him what the matter is. He breaks down and asks him why he brought another girl with him, as it ruined his plans, and expresses his feelings for him. It was one of the most dramatic revelations of love that one can ever witness on screen. They were finally able to unite with each other after overcoming all the barriers in their minds. Kakeru finally tells Yamato how he has been waiting for a long time to express his feelings for him and how much effort he has been putting in before finally expressing his feelings to him.
Final Words
The main barrier that was initially obstructing Kakeru from expressing his feelings to Yamato was his inferiority complex! He thought that he was not good enough for someone like Yamato and was amazed at how Yamato could be attracted to someone like him. He had, however, failed to realize that the beautiful bond that they had developed since early childhood had comforted Yamato and eventually caused him to have feelings for Kakeru. The efforts that they put in for each other are really commendable. Keeping aside the societal barriers, the beautiful love story of two boys has been beautifully portrayed in the miniseries I Cannot Reach You. The plot of the series has, however, not been well-knit, as it lacks an actual plot and is only built around the feelings of two people. The series also lacks a proper story, which we can expect to be built up in the next season. The series is, however, soothing to watch, as it takes us back to our teenage days!
