Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit, Vol. 4

Now once again anyone can jump into the Ikigami series with the way that the writer has done it, but in this case, the ending of this volume will beg one to pick up volume 5. I can give yet another overview since this is the fourth review for the series (basically an ikigami is a letter that states you will die within 24 hours from immunization shots given in childhood as a result of Japan enforcing an National Welfare Act in order to teach people to value their life...the story follows the life of a character who works for the agency tasked with delivering ikigamis and his dealings with it; meanwhile the series specifically follows the lives of people who receive ikigamis) This volumes actually involves two stories and without going into details one of them is bound to stick with you. I found that both stories did it for me in that one was actually heart wrenching since one of the characters had a child, while the other one was just a matter of unfairness. But anyway it was definitely a fast read. About the Ikigami's this volume actually presents some aspect of history about it and presents a startling story with the character who works at the agency, with the way it ends, it makes it seem like something may be going on in their office. The artwork is once again on par and the facial expressions are always drawn with such immense detail and accuracy. The characters look truly lifelike. I would definitely pick up this volume and enjoy it. Its a nice read for an hour or so and makes for a great series to add to ones manga library. And as usual* Pros -Read in the traditional style, from right to left -Great cover design -Fresh concept for a manga series -Modern-English sounding translation -Excellent art design in panels helps to add life to the stories and enhances the reader/story connection -Realistic Con -No bonuses (previews, afterword, etc)

Motoro Mase's `IKIGAMI - THE ULTIMATE LIMIT' definitely gives us a unique perspective on a alternate Japan where the government instills fear of death as a means to obtain a peaceful society. The manga series focuses on the character of Fujimoto who works for the government and his job is to notify people with an "Ikigami" notice that they will die within 24 hours. The premise of the story is that when a citizen enters elementary school and receives their immunization shots, the National Welfare Immunization is given. Among the immunization shots given to children, 0.01 percent of the shots contain a special nano-capsule. About 1 in 1,000 citizens are injected with the capsule and when they are between 18-24 years old, the capsule ruptures on a predetermined date and they person will automatically die. The Japanese government believes that because citizens never know who has been injected with the capsule, they all grow up wondering if they will be the one that dies and so, this forces the individual to take life more seriously and become socially productive. Since the law for the National Welfare Immunization was passed, crime and suicides in Japan have fallen and the Japanese concern of birth rates have increased (note: In reality, Japan is concerned that their population is shrinking as many couples are not wanting to produce offspring and worry that Japan will not be productive in the future unless this is changed now. Also, the crime and suicide problems of Japan have steadily grown). In the nature that someone does die, their family of the deceased is paid a pension but if by any chance, the person who commits a crime after receiving their Ikigami, the family will be denied the pension but also will be liable financially towards the crime committed by the deceased and in effect, will be ostracized by the community and will be forced to relocate. Also, if anyone voices their disdain publicly about the National Welfare Immunization, they will also be dealt with and will be injected with the capsule. Now four volumes into the manga series, I'm not sure if there is an ending especially with Fujimoto. I'm starting to think more and more that Mase's inclusion of Fujimoto is to show how these employees who deliver the ikigami's bare some suffering as well as they are literally the harbinger of death. In this case, in volume four, Fujimoto learns how an ikigami had affected a good teacher in the worse possible way and in the second story, the difficulty of delivering an ikigami to a young mother with a child. It's absolutely heartbreaking but that's how life is in this version of Japan. Each story, there is a moral issue of how one spends their final day of life before they die but also how it affects the people around them. This latest volume was the first that dealt with a mother and a child and no one wants to see a parent being taken from their young child but the ikigami has changed the face of Japan and even put some worry into t