If I Could Reach You remains an incredibly emotional and powerful storyI vaguely remember once staying home from school as a child for a somewhat extended period with an illness, and upon my recovery, I was loath to return. However, my father said that the longer I wait, the harder and more awkward it will be to return. It is with that spirit that I drag myself back towards review for the first time in over a month after the ever-grueling modern reality of isolation, paranoia, and working remotely sapped my strength and excess energy for the ninth time. However, if I have to force myself to write a review, groaning and whining all the way, I may as well make it something good, and fortunately, that part was easy to find. Indeed, the end of 2020 and opening of 2021 is stuffed with more Yuri than my lesbian vision board. I chose to go back to the most recent entry in one of my favorite series, If I Could Reach You. Perhaps this shattering and emotionally draining series is not the best medicine to cure the quarantine-blues. Still, it is nice to have a reminder that there are people in the world, or at least in manga, that are as miserable as us.The fourth volume of If I Could Reach You kicks off when Uta’s mother reenters her life after apparently staying overseas for several years. She intends to start her relationship with Uta over. She insists that the high schooler come live with her, throwing the delicate balance she, her brother Reiichi, and sister-in-law Kaoru have. On top of this, Uta is struggling after her confession to Kaoru failed to reach the older girl, who seemingly interpreted it as a statement of familial friendliness.During much of this volume, characters avoid the seemingly inevitable, which builds a sense of foreboding or even dread for what may come. Uta devotes more time to her friends, leading to a narrative focus on Chloe and Miyabi’s relationship and the Konatsu telling her story of a relationship with a young teacher. These side stories are compelling enough, but they at least feel like a joined part of the narrative, rather than a distraction as they occasionally drifted towards in previous volumes. Uta learns and grows from seeing her friends’ struggles and appears affected by them, incorporating their experiences into her journey.Uta’s experiences are mirrored perfectly by Kaoru, who is apparently more suspicious of Uta’s feelings than she let the younger girl believe. Ultimately, this leads to their big confrontation at the start of volume five and, while I will not spoil anything, the results of it are stunning. The author is uniquely able to convey the complex emotions of the characters. Utas feelings after the encounter are ones of guilt, joy, and overwhelming relief. The story is rapidly barreling towards its conclusion as she prepares to leave behind her brother, the woman she loves, and, she hopes, her feelings.If I Could Reach You’s story is as devastating and shocking as ever. The characters are complicated, and their motivations and feelings are not always clear, but not for lack of clues. Upon repeat reading and analysis of the images, their true feelings become more apparent, showing more detail the more time you spend with it. It is brilliantly paced and rewarding to invested readers who spent the time with the last few volumes and stayed invested and critical during the build-up.However, the real reason I adore If I Could Reach You is the artwork. Few of the illustrations appear breathtaking at first, or epic in their achievement, but the more so their subtleties. Every shot’s framing, the arrangement of panels, and the characters’ expressive faces and bodies all serve to prop up the story and communicate it and its intricacies perfectly. Indeed, tMnR is the master of visual storytelling and has enough confidence in their art to relieve dialogue and let the art do the work’s brunt. On more than one occasion, back before the series concluded serialization, I would browse the latest chapters in Comic Yuri Hime and just observe the art, without looking up any of the Japanese, and was consistently impressed.A lot of the time, I feel art, especially dramas, exists only to serve as secondary visuals for the dialogue and stories, a sales banner clamoring for attention and then serving only as talking heads for text which could easily be rewritten in prose or else rearranged into a large group text chat. If I Could Reach You is one of a few works that only really works in visual mediums. Much of this I have said before, but I want just to highlight how astounding and tight tMnR’s focus and artwork is.If I Could Reach You remains an incredibly emotional and powerful story. The tension continues to rise in volumes 4 and 5, as both our heroines press forward and finally reveal the truth and hurt. The series is subtle yet exceptionally direct, pulling no punches in this complex and devastating whirlwind. It is all accompanied by precise and wonderfully crafted artwork that instills a profound relationship and understanding of its subjects unique to other works. It is one of a select few series that holds my attention and investment, and for an excellent reason.Ratings: Story – 8 Characters – 7 Art – 10 LGBTQ – 5 Sexual Content – 3 Final – 8Check out If I Could Reach You volume 4 and 5 digitally and in paperback today: https://amzn.to/3rAHAHiReading official releases supports creators and publishers. YuriMother makes a small commission from sales to help fund future content.Review copies provided by Kodansha Comics
Feb 9, 2021 • Subscribe
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