(prologue spoiler) So there's one thing about the premise that's bothering me even though it doesn't really matter

[Paksarra]

I know that this is probably nitpicking.

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So initially I was assuming that it spared every second year so humanity wouldn't go extinct, but obviously that's not right because you don't see anyone who's older. Humanity, indeed, is going extinct (presuming the island is the last refuge of mankind and there aren't survivors outside her domain, PLEASE DO NOT CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.)

So at the start the counter is at 34. But all the people who were 33 when all the 34 year olds died last year got a year older-- they are 34 now when the counter is at 33. So does it hit anyone who's *over* 33?

[EJR]

I assumed that it always hits anyone if you would turn that age whatever the Paintress has the color on. So if the Paintress painted the number 25 but I am currently 24 but turn 25 the same year, then I will die.

[EsperLily]

If you met the Trash Man in the prologue, he complained that his birthday was the day before the Gommage. This implies to me that your current age matters rather than the entire year.

My current theory is that it affects everyone that age or older, meaning that anyone who was 33 when the Paintress painted 34 will be fine on their birthday and then affected when she paints 33. I too would love an actual definitive answer though.

[EsperLily]

The other possibility is that you’ll be affected on your birthday, but nobody has said anything so far that implies this is the case, and when the expedition sets off they say expedition members have a year to live. I suppose it’s still possible that you are affected on your birthday, and that a year to live really means less than a year, or it means they’re all 31 and that 32-year-olds simply don’t join the expedition.

[DmonHiro]

Yes, it hits anyone over 33.