I still can't dress up nicely... 9
Still can't bowl... 13
I still can't do flexibility exercises... 16
I still can't eat cleanly... 20
I still can't manage my computer... 25
Still can't donate blood... 29
Still can't enjoy the festival... 33
Still unable to act spontaneously… 36
I still can't eat slowly... 43
We still can't all watch television together... 47
I still can't pretend to be indifferent... 51
I still can't remember the face or the name... 55
I still can't live without toilet paper... 61
Still can't do desk leg... 64
Still can't go to the dentist... 70
Still can't make the high 'mi' sound... 73
I still don't trust shoe stores... 76
I still can't throw away the socks with holes in them... 67
I still haven't read the book I bought... 78
I still haven't gotten to know the store owner... 81
I still can't cook... 87
Still can't travel long distances... 90
I still can't think positively... 93
Still no effort to resolve it… 96

Yoshitake, as always! He goes beyond picture books to captivate readers with essays.

In 2018, author Shinsuke Yoshitake published essays for adults that evoke admiration (such as “Will There Be a Bookstore,” “I Became a Dad,” “It’s Narrow and Heart-Pounding,” and “And There’s No Lid”) in Korea in addition to the picture books that have built his reputation in Korea, broadening his readership beyond children and parents and receiving much love.
The Yoshitake Syndrome, which can be summarized in one phrase, "As expected, it's Yoshitake Shinsuke!", is still ongoing, and this time, it's knocking on the door with the picture essay "Things That Ended Up Unfinished," perfect for the year-end and New Year's holidays.
This book also naturally elicits comments such as, "I can read it over and over again without getting tired of it," and "Oh, how warm!"


"Things I Couldn't Do, So I Left It Unfinished," compiled with Yoshitake Shinsuke's meticulous sensibility.

When I look at the list of things the author has failed to do, I sometimes laugh out loud, and sometimes exclaim, "Oh, me too."
Shinsuke Yoshitake is said to have compiled this list over two years.
In the beginning of the book, the author defines humans as follows:
'Humans are made up of 'what they can do' and 'what they cannot do,' and the metaphors for these things are different for each person.'

The author suggests that we are all born with different abilities and limitations, and that we all have a fateful "inability" that cannot be overcome through reason and logic.
It consoles our laziness and avoidance by saying that it's not just about putting things off, but that there's a reason why we keep putting things off.
Even though I've already organized the table of contents, there are so many things I can't do that I'm having trouble deciding where to start. I humbly open by saying that one of the things I can't do (though it's not on the table of contents) is something that guarantees the fun of this book.


The list of twenty-four 'can'ts' listed by the author is varied.
When gathering with other family members at the main house at the end of the year, he humorously expresses the difficulty he feels at that time as 'restless fatigue' (p. 53), saying that he cannot watch television programs together.
Regarding the habit of not being able to eat food slowly, he confesses that he cannot do it because it is 'adult manners to match the pace of others' (p. 49).
Also, there are times when I feel embarrassed and flustered because I have trouble remembering people's names and faces, and I belittle myself by calling myself 'unfit for society' (p. 60) because of that flusteredness.
In the section titled 'I still can't live without toilet paper' (p. 61), it is exaggerated that when the season of runny nose comes, the head is filled with runny nose, and even delicious food, happy memories, and future dreams and hopes all come out as runny nose.

There are also some unique things like "trusting the shoe store," but anyone reading this book will likely find a lot of things they can't do on the author's list that they can relate to.
If you're an introvert who likes to be alone and think quietly, your list of can'ts will likely overlap a lot with the author's list.
Anyone can compile a list like this, but it's much harder to express it with such candid, delicious line drawings and words as author Yoshitake does.
Shinsuke Yoshitake reveals that despite not being able to do many things, he has been able to come this far without any major problems thanks to the help of those around him.
He then expresses his gratitude to those around him who encouraged him and pushed him from behind. (He expresses that there will be handprints on his back from many people pushing him.)

The author mentions 'trying to solve' as the last thing he cannot do, and while he confesses that even trying to accomplish the above is beyond his scope, he also says that because there are things he cannot do, there are enjoyable things he must do.
Perhaps it's a subtle invitation for readers to write down the things they ended up not doing and make a 'wish list' to include in their plans for next year.