Ever read something that was down to Earth, real, and took a shot at you like a knife stab to the gut?
Chances are if you have, you might be reading Confidential Confessions. If not, now’s a good time. The series, a harsh glaring light at real problems facing people today (from a Japanese viewpoint) doesn’t promise a happy ending (though sometimes, like here, it’ll get at least to be a good ending) but it does promise to be the harshest slice of reality without being overdone to the point of uselessness. The previous book, the first one out, dealt with suicide and prostitution. This deals with sexual harassment.
That’s where Suzuki comes in. She’s attending an exclusive all-girls high school solely on the rep of their famous tennis coach who has everyone talking… too bad the real person is nothing like the image.
The guy is rude, obnoxious, and he likes to talk dirty to his girls and occasionally fondle his girls from time to time. And when he’s not talking dirty or feeling his girls up, he’s having them do inappropriate things like giving massages, and so forth. So is this something to get up in arms about? You betcha.
However, yes, if you’ve lived with an obsession like becoming the world’s greatest tennis star, or something like that, your ill reasoning side takes over… like with most of the girls. They all tell Suzuki to just accept it since they’re mostly spineless, thinking with their future pocketbooks rather than their present day brains. So what if the coach is pawing them up? You get the same on the subway system if you go on the wrong time (and not when they have women only cars available) so what’s the difference? The difference is you don’t have to see casual pawers everyday like you do this coach, and he should know better… much better.
At first she tows the line and says nothing, especially since the whole team is going to turn on her just to protect this jerk if she tells. So she doesn’t… until he forces her to strip naked and… well, that as they say is that and, like Popeye, she has had all that she can stand, and she can stand no more! She tells her parents, and it’s suddenly hunting season with the prey being a certain pervert coach.
So what happens next? Let’s just say the guy practically has to be dragged kicking and screaming (well, kicking in a way at the very least) into the light of the truth, and boy is the school she’s in so damn pathetic that they too practically have to be dragged along with him before they do the right thing! Sheesh!
Jerk offs! Do you NEED to be dragged with the loser right into the abyss before you do the right thing?! Dammit!! Oh, and on a sidebar note she also does something about that groping on subways thing.
Breakdown time, but in a good way.
Confidential Confessions Breakdown the 2nd
What’s Hot?
Confidential Confessions is a sharp blade in the TOKYOPOP “arsenal” that digs down and “taps” into some hot button topics, drawing blood and (hopefully) dialogue on these things. It’s unforgiving, and it’s realistic. It does it’s job and it does it well, and it shines a light on topics some may not be most comfortable talking about (either in schools or in society).
Don’t want to wait for a dialogue to “appear” on important topics like sexual harassment, drug abuse, rape and so forth? Start reading this and form your own opinion on the subjects as they are presented here. It’s something they should require students to read in high schools ‘cause it’s relevant, even if it is a manga series from Japan, it is relevant and something high school students should read.
This is one of a set of mangas that must be put into high schools, and something people should push for since only the ignorant would keep things of this importance out of schools.
What’s Not?
Hmmm… what, no “homophobia” discussions? Hmm… maybe somebody will approach that in manga soon. Hopefully soon, and hopefully in this series.
Moments to Remember?
It’s a memorable title, that’s all that needs to be said here.
What to Ignore?
Ignore the voices of ill reason. Those who say books like this don’t have a voice in modern debate, nor that books like this shouldn’t be in our schools due to it’s content. You know what? It does deserve to be there. This and a set of other books for it’s strength in topic, storytelling presentation, and it’s message that it delivers which cannot be ignored… that being said they should also stock schools with nice things too.
As for “groups” like that one talked about recently that tries to keep mangas out of school libraries? It must nice to be ignorant, saves on having to think for one’s self.
Overall?
It’s a two year old book (and I don’t know how many has come out) but it’s one of TOKYOPOP’s best in it’s strength of content, and it’s something teenagers should read since it has lots of relevance to their lives and the problems they face. If you ever wanted to check something out that you could review for a class assignment or a thesis that had to do with the problems facing today’s youth (and not so young)? You really can’t go wrong with Confidential Confessions. It’s worth your time to check out, and worth your time to read and pass on to others.
Speaking of quality reads that is worth having in High School, though this is strong for different reasons than Confidential Confessions, I recommend the OT read of GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) because that is one of the most solidly written, well done titles I’ve ever had a chance to read. I didn’t read it long, though due to budgetary constraints over taste (I approve of it), but I think it’s a great read for older teens.
Try both of these and who knows? You might learn something while you’re reading.
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