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Nobuyuki Fukumoto, Kaiji Kawaguchi's CONFESSION Manga Gets Live-Action Film

GAGA Corporation announced on Wednesday that it is producing a live-action film adaptation of the Kokuhaku -CONFESSION- manga by Nobuyuki Fukumoto (Kaiji) and Kaiji Kawaguchi (The Silent Service). The film stars Toma Ikuta (live-action Hana Zakari no Kimi-tachi e, Honey and Clover) and Yang Ik-june (Breathless, Wilderness), and it will open in May.

The manga centers on Asai and Ishikura, two friends who have been mountain climbing since college. Stranded on a mountain due to an accident, and on the brink of death, Ishikura decides to confide to Asai in his last moments that he had committed murder a long time ago. But when they find a cabin on the mountain to take shelter from, they both survive. With the confession hanging over both their heads, they spend an awkward night at the cabin.

The film changes the character of Ishikura to a Korean exchange student named Ryu Ji-Yeong, with Yang Ik-june playing the character. Toma Ikuta plays Asai.

Nobuhiro Yamashita (Linda Linda Linda, Let's Go Karaoke!) is directing the film, with a script by Shūji Yuki and Ryō Takada.

The manga ran in Kodansha's Young Magazine Uppers in 1997 to 1998, and Kodansha released one compiled book volume for the manga.

Fukumoto launched the Akagi manga series in Kindai Mahjong in 1992, and it ran for 27 years. The manga inspired a 2005 television anime by the Studio Madhouse, and Crunchyroll streamed the anime starting in 2013. The manga also inspired a 10-episode live-action television series in summer 2015, and Crunchyroll streamed that series as well. A second season, titled Akagi "Ryūzaki, Yagi-hen" "Ichikawa-hen" (Akagi "Ryūzaki, Yagi Arc" "Ichikawa Arc"), premiered in October 2017. A three-episode live-action mini-series debuted in May 2018.

Fukumoto's gambling manga Kaiji inspired two television anime and two live-action films.

Viz Media published Kawaguchi's political manga Eagle in North America. Central Park Media released the naval anime special The Silent Service inspired by Kawaguchi's manga, and Geneon Entertainment (USA) released the Zipang television anime based on Kawaguchi's manga.

Source: Comic Natalie