Ichi the Killer in 200 words

Ichi the Killer explores the demented mind of Ichi, a highly skilled karateka with powerful legs, as he kills according to the orders of Jiji, his contractor. Ichi starts out as a crybaby who looks weak and pathetic, but his deeper personality and mentality is unraveled as the story progresses. Jiji is the mastermind, developing schemes to help him and Ichi come out on top in a battle against a Yakuza group. Ichi's mentality is the main focus of the series, exploring the contradiction of a hitman with incredible fighting prowess who cries all the time while fighting. Most people see Ichi as a coward and weakling, fooled by his lack of confidence and meekness, yet the split between his internal motivations and outward appearance is one of the most critical themes of the story. Jiji is the limiter for Ichi, directing him on who to kill. He walks a tight balancing act, demanding control over Ichi while trying not to set the unstable killer off. Some aspects of Ichi's past aren't made clear at the beginning of the story, so the reader must question their view of Ichi and Jiji's relationship, deciding how honest they are to each other.