JuL.22.2011 Death Notice/Ikigami

What if you know that you only have 24 hours/1 day before you die??

A simple question yet, but hard to answered

This question will be uncovered in this manga. Death Notice/Ikigami (イキガミ) is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Motoro Mase.

This manga basically tells us about people`s psychological condition and their reaction if they knows that they will die in 24 hours. But, further more, Ikigami also tells us about the effect from the law to the public, the ikigami deliverer, and the person who received the ikigami.

• The story :

Ikigami is a story about Japan, which its government launched a law called "National Prosperity Law", due to the laziness and apathy of Japanese's people.

The law makes sure all Japanese students who sits on the first grade receive a special inoculation. It`s called special because 0,1% (1 : 1.000) of these vaccines includes a nano capsule which will flow in human`s blood and will stay in the heart. And this will kill the receiver somewhere betweeen the ages of 18-24.

No one, include the government can decide who will receive the vaccine which contains the nano capsule. It`s injected randomly which means, everyone, in the first grade have the same probabilty to receive that deathly vaccines and the identity of the receiver will only be known 1 months before the nano capsule explode and kill the person. The advance notice of death/ikigami will be sent to warned the person by the ikigami deliverer about 24 hours before he/she die.

• Why they makes such a vicious law?

The theory is, if you know that there`s a chance that you`ll die between age of 18-24, then you`ll works so hard in order to achieve your dreams before that age. And the government believes that the threat of unexpected death will increase prosperity and productivity and also decrease criminality in its citizens.

And indeed the prosperity in Japan increased because of this law and sure, makes them realized the value of life, but at a great cost, innocent lives. Citizens who do not agree with the National prosperity law and who publicly voice their opinions are accused of "thought crime."

• The plot :

The main character in this manga is Kengo Fujimoto, who has been recruited by the government as an ikigami deliverer. His job is to deliver the ikigami/death notice within 24 hours before the nano capsule inside the person explode.

He deliver the ikigami with many complex feelings, because his job is to tell person that he/she is going to die within 24 hours. Throughout the story, Fujimoto feels that this law is wrong and he struggles not to commit thought-crimes publicly and tried to break this law from inside.

What will those condemned think and do during this short time??

**

The manga was also adapted into a live-action film titled Ikigami in 2008 with Tomoyuki Takimoto as its director.

ART
The art is realistic like the concepts of the story. The characters and backgrounds are depicted vividly and arranged in order to make us easier to understand the story and it could decipher clearly the eerie atmosphere and the despair of the person who have to died.

MY REVIEWS
This is a reccomended manga because it has a moral message to live our life to the fullest because we don`t know when we`ll die. Imagine if we received the ikigami. What will we do in our 24-hours-life-time? This manga also makes my mind more clearer about life and death.

The stories in every chapter is also good, not monotonous, not boring and touching!

The persons who received the ikigami is all from different backgrounds and have different way too to accept the fact that they`ll die in 1 day. That`s what`s interesting in this manga. The teenager`s responds is different with their own problems and that`s what we can learn from this manga.