Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit 14.1

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit Vol 7

By Motoro Mase

Episode 14: The Dream I Tried to Make Come True

Act 1

Katsunori Tsumura gives up dancing on the street with his friend Nobuo. Katsunori starts studying in the hopes of getting into a good school. His father wants him to take over the cram school that he runs. His father even suggests that he could open a dance studio in one of the rooms in the school.

Fujimoto learns from Mr. Iishi that Satsuki Kaga, the Chief Examiner, isn’t done yet. She questions his handling of the case where he helped Satoshi Iizuka anonymously donate his eyes to Sakura, his sister, so that she could see once again (Episode 6). Kaga will be accompanying him on his next delivery to observe how he does his job. 

Two years have passed since Katsunori gave up dancing. He continues to study. He also coaches Nobuo and his friends in dancing. Katsunori has put on a good deal of weight, over 50 pounds, mostly through stress eating.

Nobuo, Tanizaki, and Koike are getting ready for a dance competition when Nobuo injures himself. It isn’t a life threatening injury but he won’t be able to dance in the competition. Tanizaki asks Katsunori to fill in for Nobuo but Katsunori says he can’t because he’s got too much studying to do. 

Fujimoto arrives at the Tsumura residence that evening with Kaga. He is there to deliver an Ikigami for Katsunori. 

Thoughts

There are some good moments here. I like the pages where Katsunori is thinking about how he has life changed in the past two years. He feels torn between dancing, which he loves, and his duty to satisfy his parents. 

There is a brief flashback in which Fujimoto thinks about something Dr. Kubo said. I am curious to see how long Chief Examiner Kaga will be around. I don’t remember her at all from the first time I read this series.

I am not overly impressed with story at this point but that is not unusual with the series. That could easily change after the next chapter.