About:
Warning:
There will be spoilers for the manhwa series Confessions of the Night.
Trigger Warning: There may be references to religion, terminal illness, death, and impersonation, as it appears in the manhwa.
Synopsis:
Enoch is a priest. He has been struggling recently after the death of his lover, Ray, who passed away from illness. Though his faith is a comfort, it does little to assuage his loneliness. All of these feelings come to a head when he begins to see his dead lover, Ray, amongst the congregation in the church. At first, it's like he's nothing more than a ghost or a shadow, appearing out of nowhere but not interacting with anyone or anything. But then this echo of Ray starts talking to Enoch, and Enoch discovers he is the only one who can touch or speak to Ray.
The intensity of the interactions only grows and grows until Ray is openly trying to seduce Enoch. Can this man of God avoid temptation? Or will this imposter of his lover be too much to reject?
Review:
The art in this is pretty. It starts out a bit awkward with ear placements not really making much sense and the faces changing shape, but within an episode, most of that is rectified. This series is only four episodes long, so there is only so long to develop the style and find a rhythm, but it does rather quickly. It probably helps that 90% of this is smut, and there's a lot that can be fixed with a really well-drawn ahegao face, which we see a ton of. I also have to point out how nicely Gamiel's, aka fake Ray's, butt is drawn. He has one of the nicest butts in manhwa, and it's both fortunate and unfortunate that we only get four episodes to see it. We see it for pretty much all four episodes, but it's sad that we're limited to the four.
While I'm all for a good smutfest, this has too much potential narratively for it to be limited to a four-episode smutfest. I love the idea of a priest becoming so depressed and lonely from the death of his lover that he ends up summoning a demon through his prayers. Then, having that demon, who wants that love for himself, pretend to be the lover and seduce the priest, only to end up having the priest fall for the devil as he is and laying claim over the devil by saying the devil's real name. None of this is really explained within the story, but much of it can be inferred, which I don't mind. I like that I can put my own meaning into this, but I wish there were more. I would have loved to have seen an arc of the priest questioning fake Ray's true identity and discovering who it is. I would have loved to have gotten more insight into why Gamiel fell for Enoch.
But we have to talk about the main reason I am so desperate for more: that ending. It ends as it began, with sex, but there is an added element. While in the midst of sex, Enoch asks for the devil's name, which is where it is revealed to be Gamiel. As soon as Enoch says Gamiel's name, a mark appears around Gamiel's neck, implying some kind of bond or contract, tying Gamiel to Enoch for an unspecified amount of time. I would have loved to have learned more about what that mark means and how it works, but we don't get much beyond what can be inferred. Then, soon after this occurs, it all ends with Enoch telling Gamiel he wants to keep him forever. That's all well and good, but it feels like a cliffhanger. I just want more in the best way, and I'm so sad there isn't. I had similar feelings about Placebo, and then it came back as a longer series, so I'm hoping if I put the energy out there, I'll be blessed with the same in this instance (see what I did there? Blessed? Cause religion? Yeah, alright, you get it).
Beyond the smut and the potential of the narrative, I also have to talk about how much I love the concept of a sinful priest and guilt-ridden devil. They are so counter to their stereotype, and I love it. The sinful priest without any guilt whatsoever paired alongside a devil who seems to only know guilt is the most romantic irony of all time. The devil wants love from the priest and nothing more. Meanwhile, the priest wants everything from the devil. A priest being more devilish than the devil, while the devil is more giving and sacrificial than the priest? It makes me swoon.
Results:
If you want an unholy smutfest between a human priest and a devil, this is right up your alley. I didn't think I would want this until I had it, and now I just want more. Much like Enoch, I have become greedy, and I will pray in hopes that we'll get a fully fleshed-out series for this title someday. It, unfortunately, isn't a favorite simply because it's too short and just not long enough for me to feel satisfied, but I feel like it has the potential.
Have you read Confessions of the Night? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!