Ikigami is set in a country where citizens have to go through a process called National Welfare. When children enter the first grade, they are injected with a vaccine, wherein 1 in 1,000 vaccines contain a nanocapsule that will end their life at any time between the ages of 18 and 24. The chosen are informed only 24 hours before their death. This system is said to help citizens understand the value of life, and work harder towards peace and prosperity.
The main character, Kengo Fujimoto, is tasked with delivering citizens with their Ikigami, also known as Death Papers (or Death Notice). However, the central focus of the story lies in seeing how these characters, chosen to die, and the people around them, react during their final moments. Truly, this episodic (or anthological?) nature of storytelling is extremely effective in conveying all sorts of different moral themes through the characters. I'll be honest, more than one have brought me to near tears.
Ikigami also does a great job in accurately displaying what I at least think all the different kinds of people would do if they were to receive a Death Paper, from rage, resentment, grief, revenge, to a sort of ego death and altruism, a desire to go out in peace. Although at time, it can be hard to believe just how altruistic and optimistic some of the moments can get, but those are always the ones that touch you the most, so I won't get too much up in arms about that kind of overly-dramatic emotional representation.
The overarching storyline regarding Fujimoto moves at a much slower pace, however, I find it to be absolutely incredible as well. The radicalization of the everyday man when faced with an oppressive state never gets old to me, and it is very reminiscent of Orwell's 1984, from 'thought crimes' and 'social miscreants' to prisons for 're-education'. It explores very real, hard-hitting social issues and how we have become too docile and passive to take advantage of our own democracy, no, our very own bodily autonomy! All blame falls towards the system, a force that can so easily be put blame on but nothing changes. We are given two options and forced to pick either because it's easier than fighting for a third (remind you of anything?).
Chapter 59 is Ikigami at its finest. This is where:
We run away everyday from our responsibility as members of society to ensure that we as a collective can survive, thinking "It's only 1 in 1000, surely it won't be us!" It's a mentality that plagues our very society and causes injustice to go unchecked every single day of our lives.
In short, Ikigami is a highly political manga that criticizes corrupt systems and our (lack of) response.
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