I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Confession by Kaiji Kawaguchi and Nobuyuki Fukumoto is a psychological thriller manga set in a cabin during a blizzard. Asai and Ishikura have been friends for years and have climbed many mountains together. When Ishikura is injured and believes he will die, he makes a startingling confession. But Asai finds a cabin for them to stay in and Ishikura is determined to keep his secret safe forever.

One of the things I tend to prefer in psychological thrillers is that no character is a paragon of virtue and everyone involved has made mistakes. Psychological thrillers are very often about the human psyche and the reasons why we do things and what it would take for us to go beyond the norm and dip into darker impulses. A deathbed confession of this magnitude makes complete sense and as does Ishikura wanting to kill Asai to keep that secret.

What really sells it for me is that Asai is aware that Ishikura might want to kill him and tries to stay one step ahead, but he is constantly second guessing himself because this is someone he has known for a long time. There’s a ton of push and pull between them in a very small space and once we reach the tipping point, it does not stop.

I would recommend this to fans of psychological thrillers told in a visual format and those looking for a short, fast-paced manga

Publishing date: 17.12.2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Have you ever regretted telling a secret to someone? Probably, but not as much as these people ... To think this much tension can be created from a little confession. Of course, circumstances.

I don't think I have read such a tense manga before. Most of them lack tension, but have plenty of "ew", or all the tension is wrapped up the moment it is brought to life. Here it begins early and holds you at gunpoint all the way to the end.

The story itself doesn't span that much time, but it feels longer because the chapters creep slowly. It is a very very slow story. And you get a lot of monologues. Hope you like reading people's thoughts.

Final ranking and star rating?
4.25 stars, A tier. Fantastic manga. Typical manga artstyle, cool little plot. Will absolutely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for providing me with an arc for review.

Confessions reminded me a bit of a manga adaptation of a Japanese detective novel. Just, sans detective. While the atmosphere and art of the manga did heighten the tension, I did find it a wee bit repetitive and predictable. Again, maybe it's just because I've read a handful of similar genre-esque Japanese novels.

That all being said, I had fun with this book. It was creepy (maybe... eerie?) and had a real sense of cold. The art was almost grotesque, but in a way that added to the story.

That twist ending! I flew through this and was on the edge of my seat throughout. Really had a great time reading this and the blizzard setting was apropos of the wintertime I chose to read! Thanks to NetGalley for h the ARC.

Incredibly twisty and suspenseful. Beautiful and eerie in the simplicity of the illustration, this was a fantastic afternoon read. I was hooked immediately and powered through this in one setting. An immersive and chilling winter thriller that I believe many thriller and manga fans will love!

This was near perfect. I had doubts at times, but oh, it was a rollercoaster of suspense and thrills and it needs to be a movie! It has a bit of King's Misery, a bit of Poe, there's madness, there's paranoia, there's suspense and mystery!

I never know how to talk about books that shock me in a very good way. All I can say is that you have to read it!!

A really good psychological horror manga

There are certain elements that guarantee a good psychological horror for me. Two of my most important criteria were executed perfectly in the manga :

1. Setting

The place the plot occurs in is perfect. The bittering cold, the isolation from everyone, the small space of the cabinet all create the perfect circumstances to make the reader squirmy.

2. Character development

The spiral into madness for both mmcs was so well done. ESPECIALLY when you consider the physical side effects on top of their mental struggles due to the harsh weather conditions.


Honestly I got actual chills reading this during the night. The only reason I took one star off was the backstory/ reasoning behind the murder which I just didn't find that satisfying. Overall absolutely recommend

A great psychological thriller. I read this over a couple of days because it honestly made me feel too tense to read it in one go! Great plot and an amazing realistic but still stylised art style! Also a thriller where I was very surprised by the ending and that RARELY happens!!

This was actually such a fun read. And I loved the twist. Looking forward to more like this. I recommend this one.

A deathbed confession goes wrong and two men find themselves trapped together in a mountaintop cabin as a storm rages outside. Between the storm and an injury, the men have no choice but to wait until help can arrive, as a long-held secret eats away at their sanity. I enjoyed the intense atmosphere of the paranoid cat-and-mouse game played between characters as tensions rose and their trust in each other unraveled. Confession is a taut thriller that is easy to fly through in a single sitting.

Originally published in 1998, Featuring stunning artwork with a style reminiscent of the 1980s, the manga was a blast from the past and a treat to read. The snowy mountain setting makes it a perfect read for the winter season.

**reviewed from eARC via netgalley**

graphic fiction - horror/suspense (manga translated from Japanese, reads from right to left)
Injured and lost in a blizzard on Mt. Owari, a man (Ishikura) confesses to his fellow trekker (Asai) that he murdered a woman 5 years ago, then regrets his confession when they find a cabin to take shelter in and wait for rescue.

a fast-paced, suspense-filled read--I read the first chapter in a preview of the book, and couldn't resist reading the rest. Blizzardy isolation and a crazed, knife-wielding maniac makes this story reminiscent of The Shining -- lots of fun overall for fans of psychological horror.

Even thought the twist was easy to figure out, I still enjoyed the psychological thrilling aspect of the story.
The artwork was great and would recommended and potentially get a physical edition of

Overall I enjoyed this manga but I think the actual plot and thrilling aspects are mid. I don't think I'll get a physical copy for myself or remember the story for very long. The plottwists were there but they were partly obvious and partly I didn't care enough.

An average 3/5.

This was an interesting story that, by the time it is finished, has turned on its ear. I like the artwork, the narrative, the suspense and the thoughts of the characters as they try to hide, manipulate one another and think they each will win out. An interesting glimpse of the human psyche.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing and e-arc of this title for review.
I was recommended this thriller manga by a fellow book tuber and it certainly did not disappoint! I enjoyed the setting and although the plot was pretty straight forward it was well done, and quite suspenseful. It was an entertaining read and I also enjoyed the art style. The style complemented the plot line and setting effectively and helped with the suspense building. I will absolutely be watching out for more from this author and artist.
The only thing that stopped this being a 5 star was that I predicted what the outcome would be and where that isn't always a star dropper, in this case I feel like anyone who reads thriller's will predict it quite easily.

{ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕗𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟}
by Kaiji Kawaguchi | Nobuyuki Fukumoto
|| ARC REVIEW ||
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Length: 312p
Source: ARC - NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, Vertical Comics
Release Date: December 17, 2024
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Stranded in a blizzard and badly injured, Ishikura decides to speak his deepest secrets to his companion, Asai, before he dies. But when Asai finds shelter, he realizes Ishikura’s confession changes…everything.

This one was a complete mind warp of suspicion, betrayal, and secrets. A game of cat and mouse with a thrilling twist and ending! I kind of saw it coming but the execution was perfect!

The artistry is reminiscent of older manga drawings. A bit drab but still impressive to look at.

Overall, this was a gripping read from start to finish. A true psychological thriller.

𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁…
❄️ Psychological Thriller
❄️ Survival
❄️ Altitude Sickness

{I received a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}
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Kokuhaku - Confession is one of the biggest surprises I could ever expect among the hidden gems Japan reserves if we search through the unpublished stories. In fact, this one-shot is part of a forgotten production of both Nobuyuki Fukumoto, a storyteller which builds up twisted psychological characters, and Kaiji Kawaguchi, specialized into warfare comics like Eagle or Zipang. In this sense, the union of a rough realistic depiction and a creepy, thrilling plot.
Confession is the story of a couple of climbers who finds themselves in the middle of a snow storm. As soon as the older of the pair obtain a bad injury on his leg, he decides to tell his colleague a terrible secret, in order to die there without regrets. However, the weather gets immediately better, and with this new cognition the two protagonists starts a mouse and cat game in which paranoia plays a fundamental role. They both thinks about that precise moment, and both are ready to do everything for surviving or making the secret survive. Confession uses its single location in the best possible way. The cabin in which the two main characters are blocked is a labyrinth of rooms and hidden passages, of lights and shadows, while the snow lashes the external zones. The ability of the two authors in making us in doubt since the start towards the destiny of our leads is awesome, and the amount of details, the emotional expressions of the faces, dirtied and cooked by the low temperature. This whole artistic achievement is possible thanks to a cinematographic vision of the whole storytelling, making me think why there isn't an adaptation of this story, with all its surprises and sudden turnings!

Confession is one of the most underestimated mangas I can think about, full of perspectives on the cinematographic potential of this media. A plot moved by remorse, with the necessity of finding peace and at the same time escaping from every form of judgement. In this way, a simple cabin becomes an arena in which surviving becomes more and more difficult. A twisted narrative makes the pair with a squared, rough and gritty amount of character designs and artistic features, with an ending more actual than ever.

FINAL VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Solid concept and fun twists. The pacing seemed irregular, sometimes dragging and other too quick, which didn’t hold the tension necessary for this story. I think this was more a matter of cultural trends in comics, and the fact I don’t tend to read a lot of thriller manga.

First off, I just have to mention- this book is GORGEOUS. I noticed every stroke of the pen in the classic retro style, and the facial expressions and body language of the characters were immediately readable. Their visceral looks of shock and fear had me shaking in my boots! The story is great too- a classic thriller concept done well. The ending caught me a bit off guard and it took me out of the story for a moment, but it just makes me want to go in for a reread more than anything. The suspense had me afraid to turn the page, but I couldn't stop reading. I absolutely blasted through this book.

I read it in one sitting because I just can't put it down and I'm curious about what will happen to Asai and Ishikura. It was suspenseful and thrilling, yes, but it was also a little predictable. If you are an avid reader of thriller/mystery books, then you can see the twist from a mile away. Still, it is a pretty solid manga and I enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me a free copy of this manga.

#confession #netgalley