Title: Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit Vol 2
Author: Motoro Mase
Publisher: Viz
ISBN: 9781421526799
May Contain Spoilers
I am so happy that I don’t live in the world of Motoro Mase’s Ikigami, where 1 in 1000 young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are chosen to die, all so others can gain a greater appreciation for life. The setting seemed even more grim in this volume; the government rules through fear and intimidation, some of the brightest and the best are sacrificed to maintain social harmony, and everyone is expected to do their duty and report social miscreants and their harmful behavior. No wonder so few of the characters actually know how to smile.
The first story arc features a drug addict who dreams of becoming a director, and his patient girlfriend. I didn’t enjoy this episode very much, because Katsumura is not a very likeable guy. He thinks the world owes him a break, because he is the only one of his peers who is still basically a gopher for the production company where he works. Everyone else has been promoted or has moved on to better positions, while he has been passed over time and time again. When he finally does get his big break, an ikigami intrudes and forces him to make a difficult decision. Of course he makes the wrong one, and it was hard to work up some sympathy for him when he finally figures that out.
The next story was much, much better. A clumsy orderly at a nursing home tries very hard to improve and better himself, but he is so inept that everyone is constantly yelling at him. When an old lady confuses him for her late husband, he is given an opportunity to snap her out of the stupor she has willed herself into. Though not physically ailing, she refuses to walk and very rarely communicates. Shoji is a nice guy, and you do feel bad for him, because nobody has ever given him any credit except for his grandmother. She loved him unconditionally, while the rest of his family could only find fault with him. This story hits several high notes, and it was very touching. Two people who were trapped within themselves form a bond and become stronger because of it.
After my first introduction to Fujimoto, I kind of liked him, and felt a little sorry for him. It’s not easy having to deliver the rotten news to people that they are going to be dead within the next 24 hours. Now, though, I think he is a weenie. When his girlfriend dumps him because he’s gloomy and doesn’t know how to communicate, he threatens to turn her in for being a social miscreant. Being an honorable government employee, there is no way that he could be the one at fault in the relationship, and the very fact that she can’t understand why he’s non-talkative and has a little black rain cloud over his head proves that she has issues. Really? By the end of the volume, Fujimoto is questioning his some aspects of his position as a messenger, but he is also becoming more callous and unemotional as he continues delivering his death notices.
Ikigami continues to offer up a thought provoking read through slice of life moments in a world where a death lottery is meant to make people productive and useful members of society.
Grade: B
