is a Japanese

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

series written by

Nobuyuki Fukumoto is a Japanese manga artist, well known for his work including unique and original gambling ideas, deep psychological analyses of characters, and his distinct art style. Gambling and yakuza are recurring themes in his manga. In English-speaking c ...

and illustrated by

Kaiji Kawaguchi is a Japanese manga artist. He is known for works such as '' The Silent Service'', '' Zipang'', '' A Spirit of the Sun'' and '' Kūbo Ibuki''. Generally, his stories involve Japan and examine the moral choices that people make in extreme situati ...

. It was serialized in

Kodansha is a Japanese privately held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha publishes manga magazines which include ''Nakayoshi'', ''Morning (magazine), Morning'', ''Afternoon (magazine), Afternoon'', ''Evening (magazine), Eveni ...

's manga magazine ''

Young Magazine Uppers was a semimonthly seinen manga magazine, published in Japan from April 1, 1998, until October 19, 2004, by Kodansha. List of serialized manga * '' Piano no Mori'' by Makoto Isshiki (1998-2004), (moved to Weekly Morning after the cancellation ...

'' in 1998, with its chapters collected in a single volume. A

live-action Live action is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live action with animation to create a live-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define film, video games or ...

film adaptation premiered in May 2024.

Plot

The story follows two friends from the J University

mountaineering Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...

club, and , who are hiking the 3,200-meter peak of Mount Obari. When a storm hits, they become lost, and Ishikura falls and injures his leg. Believing he is about to die, Ishikura confesses to Asai that five years earlier, he murdered a fellow club member, , whose death was reported as an accident. Opportunely, Asai spots a nearby lodge and carries Ishikura there, ensuring their survival while they wait for help. However, Ishikura begins to regret his confession. Sensing this, Asai panics, fearing that he too may be killed for knowing Ishikura's crime.

Media

Manga

Written by

and illustrated by

, ''Confession'' was serialized in

's manga magazine ''

'' in 1998. Kodansha collected its chapters in a single volume, released on July 9, 1999; a edition was released on January 23, 2001; and a edition was released on December 12, 2007. A new edition was released on April 5, 2024. In March 2024,

Kodansha USA Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC is a publishing company based in New York, US, and a subsidiary of Japan's largest publishing company Kodansha. Established in July 1st 2008, Kodansha USA publishes books relating to Japan, Japanese culture, and man ...

announced that they had licensed the manga for print release, with the volume published on December 17 of the same year.

Film

In January 2024, it was announced that the manga would receive a

film adaptation, which premiered on May 31 of the same year. It was produced by , directed by

Nobuhiro Yamashita is a Japanese film director. Career Born in Aichi Prefecture, Yamashita attended Osaka University of Arts where he worked on Kazuyoshi Kumakiri's '' Kichiku Dai Enkai''. His graduation film ''Hazy Life'', took the Off Theatre Competition Grand ...

, with scripts by Shūji Yuki and , and music composed by

Masa Takumi , better known as Masa Takumi, is a Japanese Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music producer. He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2014 for '' Best Reggae Album'', won a ''Best Global Music Album'' for his solo album, ...

. It stars

Toma Ikuta is a Japanese actor. Ikuta is known for his roles in ''Hanazakari no Kimitachi e'', '' Honey & Clover'', '' Sensei!'', '' Maō'' and ''Ouroboros''. He also stars in feature films, notably '' Hanamizuki'', '' Ningen Shikkaku'' and ''Brain Man'' ...

and

Yang Ik-june Yang Ik-june (born October 19, 1975) is a South Korean actor and film director. He is best known for the 2009 film '' Breathless'', which he wrote, directed, edited, and starred in. Career Born in Seoul in 1975, Yang graduated from the Departme ...

. The film's theme song is , performed by

Maximum the Hormone is a Japanese heavy metal music, heavy metal/hardcore punk band from Hachiōji, Tokyo. Their lineup consists of vocalist Daisuke-han, drummer Nao, guitarist Maximum the Ryokun, and bassist Ue-chang. Each member alternates singing lead vocals, of ...

. It was screened at the

28th Fantasia International Film Festival The 28th Fantasia International Film Festival was held from 18 July to 4 August 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Juries Compétition Cheval Noir * Matt Johnson (director), Matt Johnson, Canadian filmmaker – Jury President * Steve Dollar, ...

on July 19, 2024.

Reception

Shuichi Oguro of '' Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Web'' wrote that the series "exquisitely matches the extreme situation and abnormal psychology", praising the psychological depiction in the story crafted by Fukumoto. Ettore Gabrielli from ''Lo Spazio Bianco'' praised the series for its atmosphere and the tension between the main characters, commending as well Kawaguchi's artwork, recommending it to

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

fans.

References

External links

* * {{Young Magazine Uppers Anime and manga about crime Kaiji Kawaguchi Kodansha manga Nobuyuki Fukumoto Mountaineering in anime and manga Psychological thriller anime and manga Seinen manga