The Confessor
The confessor is an unnamed primary character featured in the one-shot At a Confessional.
A man who committed a mortal sin, the confessor was an average worker who caused the death of a Vagrant and lived his life in fear of the vagrant's revenge as a spirit. He confesses this tale to Rohan Kishibe on his trip to Italy.
Appearance
In the flashback, the confessor is a young man with an average build. He has short, light hair with four long spikes of hair protruding from the front. At some point in his luxury years, he and a loyal servant have plastic surgery to switch their faces.
In the OVA adaptation, a mole is added to the confessor's neck in order to differentiate him from his servant.
Color Schemes
Personality
When he was younger the confessor was a hard-working man, too busy for relationships. Despite this work ethic however he disdained the work at the food market. When a vagrant approaches him asking for food, the confessor is irritated, describing him as lazy and lashing out. He demands he work for his food like he does and being cruel as the vagrant carries bags around. When the vagrant dies under the pressure of the work and hunger, he becomes a vengeful spirit that curses the confessor for his cruelty. The confessor lives his next few years in fear of the spirit's vengeance.
The confessor is quite clever, being able to outwit the vengeful spirit by having plastic surgery with a loyal servant and fooling it into attacking the servant. During his luxury years he's able invent sweets that become very successful and live a privileged life with a loving wife. He however could never be truly content under the spirit's curse until he a had daughter and with a stray thought of happiness, enabled the spirit to manifest. With the servant murdered by the first spirit, it begins to haunt him as well.
At the present the confessor shows a great amount of guilt for his ploys, and confesses his sins at a confessional in Italy, unknowingly to Rohan Kishibe. Rohan respects the man's courage, not giving up under the curse of two spirits but still thinking of him as evil.
History
He was a common worker who carried bags of corn for hours. One day an Asian man begged him for food, not having eaten for five straight days. The man was frustrated at the vagrant, and made him carry the corn bags in exchange for his food. The vagrant was crushed by the heavy bags. His spirit swore revenge on the man that was to come at his happiest moment. After that, the man had great luck. He received money from relatives and had the idea to process corn into corn flakes and popcorn. The idea was a big hit and he became a rich man, the master of a mansion with several servants. He married a model and they eventually had a daughter.
However, he still feared the vagrant's curse. He found a servant willing to do anything for him, and they had plastic surgery to switch their faces. Suddenly, the spirit of the vagrant possessed the man's daughter and revealed that he assisted the man's prosperity from behind the scenes so that he could fulfill his vow of taking the man's life at his happiest moment. The man rushed to interfere, but he was knocked out by the spirit. The servant fell victim to the spirit, who was fooled by their changed faces.
The man later goes to a confession booth to confess his sins, as he was responsible for the deaths of two people. He confesses to Rohan Kishibe, who had mistakenly entered the priest side to research the church. As the man exits the booth, it is revealed that the spirits of the vagrant and the beheaded servant both vow to watch him around the clock to make sure that he does not do anything suspicious again. Rohan watches with curiosity, deciding to interview him later if given the chance.
Chapters / Episodes
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16 (OVA): At a Confessional
Quotes
- “Father, I've come to make a confession. I have committed a great sin.”—The Confessor to Rohan Kishibe, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
- “I'm here working overtime, while this guy was probably lazing about behind the station or at the park. And now he wants me to give him food? What a prick.”—The Confessor about the vagrant, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
- “What the hell are you?”—The Confessor about the vengeful spirit, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
- “Thoughts of that dead man continued to occupy a corner of my mind.”—The Confessor to Rohan Kishibe, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
- “I carelessly thought, "I am so happy right now."”—The Confessor to Rohan Kishibe, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
- “But you're still alive. Is that what you were thinking, Father?”—The Confessor to Rohan Kishibe, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
- “You can even enter churches?”—The Confessor to the two vengeful spirits, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
Gallery
References
- ↑ Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan (OVA) - Model Sheet No.CR懺悔_09A
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional