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 1000 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. Ill 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 wont get too much up in arms about that kind of overlydramatic 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 Orwells 1984 from thought crimes and social miscreants to prisons for reeducation. It explores very real hardhitting 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 its easier than fighting for a third remind you of anything?. Chapter 59 is Ikigami at its finest. This is where: In short Ikigami is a highly political manga that criticizes corrupt systems and our lack of response.