Perfect World is a series that has probably been recommended to me for over a year, especially since I am known as a fan of A Sign Of Affection. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have a condition called Cerebral Palsy and use a wheelchair in my day-to-day life. As such, realistic disability representation in manga is very important to me. Now, on to this very exciting review!
Note: For the sake of this review, I will primarily refer to the characters by their first names, although they themselves refer to each other by last name without honorifics.
Chapter 1
Tsugumi Kawana enters a company dinner party where she is unexpectedly reunited with her high school crush, Itsuki Ryukawa. Tsugumi has mental flashbacks to when they would run into each other at the school library and how determined Itsuki was to become an architect. The two schoolmates update each other on their careers. Itsuki did indeed become an architect, as he dreamed, and Tsugumi hopes to become an interior designer within her company. Their reunion is cut short when Itsuki says he has to go, and Tsugumi is silently shocked to see him leave in a wheelchair.
One of Itsuki’s co-workers explains that Itsuki was already in a wheelchair when he began working for their company. When a companion says that he is handsome, but she can’t see herself dating someone in a wheelchair because it wouldn’t be easy, Tsugumi can’t quite bring herself to say, “That’s not true.”
When Tsugumi next meets Itsuki, she decides to be upbeat and cheerful and not pry about his condition. Itsuki invites her for a bite to eat, and he volunteers to tell her what happened. He was hit by a car while riding his bike on a rainy day, resulting in a spinal cord injury.
Itsuki tells Tsugumi all about a big project he’s working on and how excited he is to be leading the project. He feels it is the first time he is truly being relied on at work, and the submission deadline is fast approaching. Every time Tsugumi interacts with Itsuki or thinks of him, we see a flashback of her high school life. She realized a little too late that her feelings for him were romantic and never confessed in high school.
While Tsugumi and Itsuki are having dinner together, one of Itsuki’s co-workers sees them together and indirectly asks if the two are an item. They both deny it, but Tsugumi feels awkward about how quick she was to say no.
A few days later, Tsugumi decides to check in on Itsuki when she remembers that the deadline for submitting his contest project is in a few days. She rushes to the hospital when a co-worker tells her that Itsuki has been hospitalized due to complications from a bed sore. (I have never suffered one myself, but I am certainly familiar with how they occur.) I appreciated the explanation of how bedsores occur and how much they can affect people with limited mobility. Especially those with spinal cord injuries and others who are unable to feel when they are forming. It is important to inform the reader realistically of some of Itsuki’s challenges.
Despite his condition, Itsuki is determined not to let his team down regarding the project and works around the clock. His determination both inspires Tsugumi and worries her as she sees his complications firsthand.
Tsugumi tries to encourage Itsuki, saying there will be other projects and contests, but Itsuki is brutally honest when he tells her it’s now or never because he doesn’t know when he will die.
This makes Tsugumi realize how honest he was when Itsuki told her he wanted to hold on tight to his opportunities. She asks for his permission to take care of the coloring stage of the proposal. Tsugumi is pleasantly surprised when Itsuki admits that he saw her final art project exhibited in high school and loved it.
When Tsugumi completes coloring the proposal, and Itsuki thanks her, she quietly realizes she is falling for Itsuki all over again.
Chapter 2
A month has gone by since the contest submission. Although their entry didn’t win, it was featured in magazines and got a lot of praise. As a result, Itsuki was named lead architect on a restaurant project, with Tsugumi as the lead interior designer. In a meeting with the client, Itsuki’s idea to add a ramp to the design was turned down. The client asks why they should add such an accommodation when they are not sure of the number of guests it would bring in. (On a personal level, this makes my blood boil. How would you know how many able-bodied people are coming into the future restaurant under that logic?) Itsuki is not discouraged. He is determined to find a design that works for everyone.
Ever since finishing the contest entry together, Tsugumi and Itsuki have spent a lot of time with each other, such as going to the movies. Tsugumi thinks that ever since she began spending more time with him, she has become more aware of the blatant stares and the way strangers treat differently-abled people. (Girl, don’t I know it. On any given day, when I’m out and about in my chair, I could be minding my own business, and supposedly religious people will come up to me and bless me and sometimes try to touch me without permission. Sometimes, grown people will stare as if looking at a mermaid on land.) Tsugumi is even self-aware enough to admit that she was probably like that, too, before reuniting with Itsuki.
Itsuki tells Tsugumi that she should get a boyfriend soon because hanging out with him must be difficult sometimes. This prompts Tsugumi to ask why he doesn’t have a girlfriend. Itsuki admits that he and his high school girlfriend broke up after his accident in college. He says that dating someone has its own challenges, and why would an able-bodied woman date him when she has other options? In another moment of realism, Itsuki even tells Tsugumi about the bathroom challenges he faces. Tsugumi later contemplates whether that was Itsuki’s way of letting her down gently.
A friend alerts Tsugumi to an impromptu high school reunion. and Tsugumi and Itsuki drive together.
There, Itsuki has a not-so-unexpected run-in with his ex-girlfriend.
Itsuki and his ex excuse themselves to talk outside. The moment Itsuki leaves, some of his former schoolmates start talking and trying to ask questions about him. Tsugumi gets fed up and says they can ask him directly; instead of talking behind his back, she storms off.
Tsugumi unintentionally witnesses/eavesdrops on the conversation between Itsuki and his ex. The ex came to the reunion tp tell Itsuki that she is getting married tomorrow. (Girl, don’t nobody care about your marital status.) She tells him he deserves to be happy, too. (He doesn’t need your permission to be happy.) He tells her he has moved on, and she should, too. That’s when they notice Tsugumi is there listening.
When Itsuki’s ex catches up to Tsugumi, she admits that it was actually Itsuki who broke up with her. There was a lot of pressure from her family to break up with him. All the stares and how people treated them when they were seen together took a toll on her as well. She says that when Itsuki broke up with her, he released her from all that. Okay, her “You deserve to be happy too” spiel wasn’t as narcissistic as it sounded. She still gets little sympathy from me for her delivery. Tsugumi realizes that Itsuki may have left a few things unsaid and that he and his ex both deserve closure. So Tsugumi drives him to the wedding somewhat against his will.
With sincere congrats and a genuine smile, Itsuki gives them the closure they deserve. He says to Tsugumi that he feels that he made the right decision when he broke up with her. He is so happy to see her happy, allowing him to move on too.
Chapter 3
Itsuki was given permission by the restaurant developers to rework the ramp back into his design. (Yay!) Tsugumi realizes that she is falling more deeply in love with Itsuki than she ever had in the past. The chapter also begins with an explanation to the reader that Itsuki sometimes suffers from phantom pain. The phenomenon is more common for those who have lost limbs; it also occurs in people who have suffered spinal cord injuries.
Tsugumi tells Itsuki about a barrier-free home renovation project that her company is involved in. She asks Itsuki if he would like to get involved. He tells her that if his company approves it, he would love to join.
The clients who need their house renovated are a mother and her teenage son, Haruto-kun. Haruto-kun has suffered a spinal cord injury. Itsuki asks Haruto-kun where the injury is (T9) so he can make the most informed suggestions regarding the renovations. Such as heated flooring, because it can be difficult for people with a spinal cord injury to maintain their body temperature.
Haruto-kun’s mother explains that he hasn’t come to terms with the reality of his condition. Which is the reason for his dismissive nature towards Itsuki and his renovation ideas. Outside of Haruto-kun’s house, they are introduced to his girlfriend. She has not seen Haruto-kun properly in a year because he refuses to see her. She stops by his home in the hopes of visiting him every day.
Tsugumi says that Itsuki should try talking to Haruto-kun, especially after learning that Haruto-kun is a former basketball player, just like Itsuki. Itsuki agrees to speak with him, but otherwise seems pensive. Later that evening, we see that Itsuki still suffers in silence over his phantom pain. The next day, Itsuki tries talking to Haruto-kun about the wheelchair basketball league he is a member of, but Haruto says nothing interests him anymore. He gets upset when Itsuki mentions his girlfriend.
Haruto-kun starts berating Itsuki, saying that there is no way he has overcome his disability and he is probably just a diversity hire. Itsuki tells him that even if that were true, he is glad to have the opportunities he now has. Itsuki tells Haruto-Kun that he can’t stay stuck in his indecision. He has to make a choice for his girlfriend’s sake, too. He reluctantly accepts Itsuki’s invitation to wheelchair basketball practice.
After a bit of coaching from Itsuki on the different kinds of strength needed to make a shot while playing wheelchair basketball, the former MVP does make the shot. Haruto-kun seems elated, but when he sees his girlfriend, he has a breakdown. Saying that even if he can play basketball again, it doesn’t change the fact that he can’t walk. Itsuki hits Haruto-kin with some real talk. Explaining that he himself has never fully “accepted” his disability. he has learned a lot through the challenges he has faced but would rather be living life as an abled body person if he could.
Itsuki reassures Haruto-kun that even if part of him can never fully accept his circumstances., it doesn’t mean Haruto-kun can’t get through life. Itsuki reminds Haruto-kun that life can be hard, but finding joy in the things you love can help you live on. Itsuki’s kind words inspire Haruto-kun’s girlfriend to confess how much she loves him again.
Tsugumi is moved by the positive attitude Haruto’s girlfriend exudes. This inspires Tsugumi to call Itsuki later that night. Although Itsuki doesn’t tell her, his phantom pain subsides as he talks to Tsugumi.
Chapter 4
Itsuki’s architecture firm is entering into another contest. This time, to design facilities for the Paralympics (cool beans.) Tsugumi ruminates on how much she enjoys spending time with Itsuki.
Tsugumi learns that Itsuki is hospitalized again with a fever due to a UTI. She goes to see him, and Itsuki introduces her to his mom. Tsugumi and Itsuki’s mom bond while talking about food. Itsuki’s mom is kind to Tsugumi and mentions that she is happy to hear of a girl in his life. A few days later, Tsugumi and Itsuki go around the hospital grounds when the staff encounter an abandoned cat. Itsuki agrees to care for it and become the cat’s owner.
Later, the doctor explains to Itsuki and his mom (Tsugumi isn’t present.) that he is fine for now, but if things get worse in the future, he may need dialysis. This prompts Itsuki’s mom to try to convince him to move back to their hometown. Itsuki explains to her that he can’t give up so easily, even if it means pushing himself to the limit. He has already given up so much that he won’t abandon his architectural dreams.
When Itsuki’s mom mentions Tsugumi, it stops him in his tracks. When he tries to explain that nothing is going on between them, Tsugumi, with perfect shoujo timing, reappears. Itsuki’s mother excuses herself, and Itsuki rejects Tsugumi. Telling her that after breaking up with his ex, he has dedicated himself to living alone and excelling at work.
Tsugumi leaves the hospital after Itsuki’s declaration. Sometime later, Itsuki’s mom contacts Tsugumi, and the two meet up. She tells Tsugumi the truth about Itsuki’s complications. About how it is common for people with spinal cord injuries to die of kidney failure. She also tells Tsugumi about how much stress Itsuki was under after the initial accident. Itsuki’s mom bares her motherly anguish. Telling Tsugumi that being with her son would be hard, but she wants her son to be happy with someone.
Itsuki’s mother’s plea helps strengthen Tsugumi’s resolve. She intends to confess to him, although it may lead to heartbreak. When Tsugumi goes to Itsuki’s apartment to confess, she discovers his cat is missing, and the two go out to find it. When Tsugumi expresses concern for Itsuki because he is exposing himself to the cold, he says it doesn’t matter. This triggers Tsugumi, who yells that he does matter and he can’t just decide unilaterally that she would be unhappy with him. She cries.
After Itsuki comforts Tsugumi, they head back inside to realize that the cat is snuggling in a drawer that Itsuki had accidentally closed. Itsuki comments on Tsugumi’s wet hair due to the snow. Tsugumi shoots her shot and the two kiss.
Wow, what an impactful first volume. I can see why people recommended the series for so long
10/10 I really enjoyed the honesty. To the point where it made me wonder if the mangaka took a look at my 10th-grade diary. I do not pretend to speak for the differently-abled community at large, especially those of us who live life on wheels, but I feel many of us have shared some of Itsuki’s self-doubt. On a positive note, I also feel like many of us share his drive and determination. I personally try to live my life every day, striving to be my very best and focusing on what makes me happy and what brings me joy and purpose.
