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であい [Deai] #1
Confidential Confessions: Deai, Volume 1
Welcome to the seedy underbelly of the enormous deai-kei industry, where men pay exorbitant fees to send emails to various girls whom they hope one day to meet in person...
Rika is a young teen in need of a job. When the opportunity to join a deai-kei site presents itself, she decides to go for it--the money is good and the interaction seems innocent enough. But the longer Rika works, the more her inhibitions and boundaries are pushed to the limit--and she begins heading down a path from which there is no return.
Emotionally moving and brutally honest, Confidential Confessions: Deai" is an unflinching portrayal of teens in crisis.
Rika is a young teen in need of a job. When the opportunity to join a deai-kei site presents itself, she decides to go for it--the money is good and the interaction seems innocent enough. But the longer Rika works, the more her inhibitions and boundaries are pushed to the limit--and she begins heading down a path from which there is no return.
Emotionally moving and brutally honest, Confidential Confessions: Deai" is an unflinching portrayal of teens in crisis.
Paperback
First published July 11, 2003
142 people want to read
About the author
Reiko Momochi
39 books27 followersReiko-san is treasured by manga fans in Japan for her unflinchingly realistic portrayal of the myriad serious issues facing teens today.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 3, 2018
While the first series focused on stand alone short stories about taboo topics, Reiko Monoshi's CONFIDENTIAL CONFESSIONS: DEAI is a proper series filled to the gills with teenage drama and crises.
The story follows young Rika, a Japanese school girl who has been having communication problems with her boyfriend--literally! After resolving to earn enough money to buy him a cellphone, Rika decides to venture into the seedy Japanese paid dating scene along with some friends. Things start to go from bad to worse as they begin undertaking increasingly more and more criminal activities to satisfy their greed.
DEAI is distinctly Japanese. The book primarily deals with deaikei and enjo kōsai, the practice older men paying much younger female companions for dates and sexual favors. It's distinct from similar Western escort services mainly because it's not uncommon for young schoolgirls to involve themselves in the hook-up scene, especially when their parents aren't monitoring their phone and computer usage. Japan fell in love with cellphones long before the West followed suit, and predatory dating Japanese websites designed specifically for cellphones flourished in the early 2000s. While it's not necessary to understand all the particulars to read the book, it greatly impacts its relatability due to how technology has changed in the past decade on both sides of the globe-- it's both dated and irrelevant to its target audience.
Even so, the story flows well and shows that Reiko Momochi can tie together the many dark and serious issues that define both of the CONFIDENTIAL CONFESSIONS series-- sexual assault, gang violence, peer pressure, etc.-- without making it feel too melodramatic or unbelievable. The art, as usual, perfectly captures the dark tone without being exploitative or perverted.
The strongest aspect of volume one, however, is how it humanizes Rika's clientele. While there are some stereotypical one-note perverts and would-be rapists, most of the men who partake in her services are just plain lonely. The story touches on how Japanese society almost automatically assumes middle aged/unattractive men are sexually repressed perverts, and the country's customs and conformity to gender roles can wear people down to the point where paying a child to go on a date with them is the only way to find emotional comfort and support. When the tables are turned and Rika's friends start preying on the predators, it's shown to be just as bad as originally dating scheme. The book doesn't defend enjo kōsai (or outright prostitution, for that matter) as "victimless," but it does show how both sides are filled with very, very vulnerable participants.
It's a pity that both series have gone out of print with the collapse of TOKYOPOP, as they are powerful works proving that manga can tackle serious topics in a mature fashion. It must be noted, of course, that the depictions of assault and the predation of minors are explicit and may be triggering to some readers. DEAI is a solid read for fans of the original series, although newcomers may want to start off with the short stories first.
The story follows young Rika, a Japanese school girl who has been having communication problems with her boyfriend--literally! After resolving to earn enough money to buy him a cellphone, Rika decides to venture into the seedy Japanese paid dating scene along with some friends. Things start to go from bad to worse as they begin undertaking increasingly more and more criminal activities to satisfy their greed.
DEAI is distinctly Japanese. The book primarily deals with deaikei and enjo kōsai, the practice older men paying much younger female companions for dates and sexual favors. It's distinct from similar Western escort services mainly because it's not uncommon for young schoolgirls to involve themselves in the hook-up scene, especially when their parents aren't monitoring their phone and computer usage. Japan fell in love with cellphones long before the West followed suit, and predatory dating Japanese websites designed specifically for cellphones flourished in the early 2000s. While it's not necessary to understand all the particulars to read the book, it greatly impacts its relatability due to how technology has changed in the past decade on both sides of the globe-- it's both dated and irrelevant to its target audience.
Even so, the story flows well and shows that Reiko Momochi can tie together the many dark and serious issues that define both of the CONFIDENTIAL CONFESSIONS series-- sexual assault, gang violence, peer pressure, etc.-- without making it feel too melodramatic or unbelievable. The art, as usual, perfectly captures the dark tone without being exploitative or perverted.
The strongest aspect of volume one, however, is how it humanizes Rika's clientele. While there are some stereotypical one-note perverts and would-be rapists, most of the men who partake in her services are just plain lonely. The story touches on how Japanese society almost automatically assumes middle aged/unattractive men are sexually repressed perverts, and the country's customs and conformity to gender roles can wear people down to the point where paying a child to go on a date with them is the only way to find emotional comfort and support. When the tables are turned and Rika's friends start preying on the predators, it's shown to be just as bad as originally dating scheme. The book doesn't defend enjo kōsai (or outright prostitution, for that matter) as "victimless," but it does show how both sides are filled with very, very vulnerable participants.
It's a pity that both series have gone out of print with the collapse of TOKYOPOP, as they are powerful works proving that manga can tackle serious topics in a mature fashion. It must be noted, of course, that the depictions of assault and the predation of minors are explicit and may be triggering to some readers. DEAI is a solid read for fans of the original series, although newcomers may want to start off with the short stories first.
August 30, 2023
This was my second read through since reading it as a teen. I read some of the original series, which I liked. They were stand alones so easier to get through. I didn’t realize this was a series, so I never officially finished it.
Although this story can come off a little cliche & juvenile at times, it does touch up on some serious deeper topics, from both sides. Based on what the mangaka has already showed us, I’m sure some other topics get picked up throughout.
Although this story can come off a little cliche & juvenile at times, it does touch up on some serious deeper topics, from both sides. Based on what the mangaka has already showed us, I’m sure some other topics get picked up throughout.
June 24, 2012
Unlike the first series, this series all go together putting all the "confessions" into the lives of these young people. In comparison is a little more "fun", but still upfront with the dark side to life.
January 6, 2023
The story is told well; my issue is that I don't like any of the principal characters. This is a tale of high school girls and middle-aged men each wanting to use the other. There's no one here I can root for.
March 27, 2023
Okay… I don’t care for any of these characters but the story is so intense and so good! It was too hard to put down!! I think I like this sequel series better than the original.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews