April Mangakissa – Alive: The Final Evolution by Tadashi Kawashima

“Alive is not an easy meal to prepare.”

Author Tadashi Kawashima states the obvious in a note worked into one of his early volumes of this 20+ volume series, which ended in Japan earlier this year but has some catching up to do here in the West.  This supernatural tale speeds along as high school drama meets science fiction freakiness a la Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  Taisuke has had a close relationship with his older sister, Youko, since childhood, when they were orphaned, as well as a tight bond with longtime girlfriend Megumi and buddy Hiro.  Hiro is often the victim of bullies at school, and Taisuke takes a hit now and then while protecting him.  Suddenly, the media is full of suicide stories from around the world, mass, unexplained deaths that number over 100,000 during one week alone.  Four students from their high school fall to their deaths from the school roof while Hiro is present, and he becomes the prime suspect in their murders.  Taisuke insists that his friend is innocent, although all four victims were bullies who had tormented Hiro. 

While in jail, Hiro undergoes a strange psychological transformation and refuses to see Taisuke, who is devastated by the events that have taken over his school.  Hiro’s interactions with the police inspector are disturbing; the inspector encourages him to feel happy for his mother, who has succumbed to the strange suicide urges that have swept the world.  When Hiro is released from jail and exonerated of the charges, he returns to school, where the other students throw a party to welcome him back and tease him a bit in an obvious attempt to reconcile themselves to the unexplained deaths of their classmates and the bizarre behavior of the accused boy.  Hiro decides to go up to the roof, and tries to encourage Megumi to follow; when she refuses, he forces her, and by dragging her up the stairs, leaves one of her shoes behind.

Taisuke finds the shoe while searching for his friends and discovers the pair wrestling as Megumi attempts to release herself from Hiro’s grasp.  Hiro insists that the two of them should jump, and that he will protect her as they fall, but Megumi continues to struggle, and Hiro attacks Taisuke from a distance with a strange new power that leaves Taisuke bleeding and disabled, but still able to race out and grab Megumi as she is pushed over the edge.  Hurt and confused, Taisuke holds Megumi close as the two fall to what seems to be a certain death, but both are unharmed as they land carefully on the ground. 

This strange blessing, which Hiro claims is due to special powers like his own, is a brief respite from Hiro’s manic behavior.  He grabs a dazed Megumi and runs off, leaving Taisuke stunned and bleeding on the sidewalk.  His horrifying adventure has just begun; with a dangerous mystery to solve and a girlfriend to save, he tumbles headfirst into more death and disaster.  This story is reminiscent of Stephen King’s The Stand, not only because of the unexplained illness and continuous death, but also because of the characters’ ferocious desperation during their struggle with the unknown and upsetting – including a Randall Flagg-ish man who claims “comrades” with a disturbing smile, while his tongue hangs out of his mouth.  This is the author’s first and only manga series; hopefully, he, along with the two-woman artist team known as Adachitoka, will continue to produce compelling stories enhanced by accurately detailed art.