Confidential Confessions

• Ja Kanji — 問題提起作品集 • Ja Romaji — Mondaiteiki Sakuhinshū • Genre — Drama

• Type — manga • Author — Reiko Momochi • Publisher — Kodansha • Magazine — Dessert • First — 2000 • Last — 2002 • Volumes — 6

• Type — manga • Title — Confidential Confessions: Deai • Author — Reiko Momochi • Publisher — Kodansha • Magazine — Dessert • First — July 11, 2003 • Last — November 22, 2003 • Volumes — 2 Confidential Confessions is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Reiko Momochi. The individual volumes of the series were originally published by Kodansha in Japan as Memai (Dizzy), Namida (Tears), and Tobira (The Door). The three were published in 2000, 2001, and 2002, respectively. The series was published in English under the title Confidential Confessions in North America by Tokyopop; the Tokyopop version of the manga is out of print as of August 31, 2009. The series contains a collection of plots and characters about the hard-hitting issues that real-life teenagers faced during the manga's publication. Each volume tackles such topics as teen prostitution, rape, HIV, stalkers, suicide, and sexual harassment. There are six volumes in the series. A sequel, Confidential Confessions: Deai, was released around May 2006. It detailed the situation of Rika, a young teen in need of a job, and her group Peace when they become involved in the deai-kei industry.

In "The Door", a high school girl named Manatsu feels that her life is boring and meaningless. Her father left, and her mother seemed to care more about school and studying than Manatsu's feelings and needs. While at school, Manatsu meets a bullied girl nicknamed Asparagus who cuts to relieve her pain. With Asparagus, Manatsu develops a friendship and they begin to create a suicide pact. Manatsu enjoys her time with Asparagus and begins to feel alive again, as well as taking an interest in death and the fragility of life. They raise money and order cyanide pills off the internet, but Manatsu starts to feel uncertain about dying. After confronting Asparagus on a rooftop, planning to take the pills, Manatsu accidentally falls and grabs onto a ledge. She begs Asparagus to save her, realizing she does not want to die, but instead Asparagus decides that she will jump. The girls are saved at the last moment by civilians, and Manatsu rekindles her relationship with her mother and begins to see life differently. She later learns that Asparagus committed suicide. At her funeral, the bullies refuse to acknowledge their fault. Manatsu concludes that suicide is not brave or wondrous and realizes the pain it leaves on those alive.

Volume 5 of Confidential Confessions placed as number 84 on ICv2's 'Top 100 Graphic Novels' list, which indexes estimated sales from the Diamond comic distributor to comic stores, for September 2004. Volume 1 of Confidential Confessions: Deai reached 77 on the 'Top 100 Graphic Novels' for April 2006.

• Volume 1: released July 8, 2003 (208 pages) • Volume 2: released September 9, 2003 (208 pages) • Volume 3: released November 4, 2003 (216 pages) • Volume 4: released April 6, 2004 (232 pages) • Volume 5: released September 14, 2004 (224 pages) • Volume 6: released February 8, 2005 (224 pages)