is a Japanese

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) 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 prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

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 distinct artstyle. Yakuza and gambling are recurring themes in his manga. In English-speaking countri ...

and illustrated by

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

. It was serialized in

Kodansha is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...

's ''seinen'' 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 of ...

'' in 1998, with its chapters collected in a single ''

tankōbon is the Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...

'' volume.

Plot

The story follows two friends from the J University's

mountaineering Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, a ...

club, and , who are out hiking the 3,200-meter peak of Mount Obari when they get lost in a storm and Ishikura falls and injures his leg. Believing that he is about to die, Ishikura confesses to Asai that five years ago he murdered a fellow woman from the mountain club called , whose death was reported by media as an accident. Opportunely, Asai realizes that a lodge is right in front of them and carries Ishikura to the place, managing to survive, while waiting for help to arrive. However, Ishikura begins to regret his confession, and Asai, who senses this, begins to panic and fears that he will be killed too as he is aware of Ishikura's crime.

Publication

Written by

and illustrated by

, ''Confession'' was serialized in

's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''

'' in 1998. Kodansha collected its chapters in a single ''

'' volume, released on July 9, 1999; a '' shinsōban'' edition was released on January 23, 2001; and a '' bunkoban'' edition was released on December 12, 2007. The series has been licensed in Italy by

Panini Comics Panini Comics is an Italian comic book publisher. A division of Panini Group, which also produces collectable stickers, it is headquartered in Modena, Italy. The company publishes comic books in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Hunga ...

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 fans.

References

External links

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