Alive: The Final Evolution
Encyclopedia
is a manga
series written by Tadashi Kawashima
and illustrated by Adachitoka. The series premiered in Monthly Shōnen Magazine in October 2003. Tadashi finished the series on his sickbed in February 2010 and the final chapter was published in the March issue of the Monthly Shōnen Magazine. The chapters were later collected by Kodansha
and released in 21 tankōbon
bound volumes. Del Rey Manga
licensed series for an English localization and released eight volumes as of November 2009. An anime
adaption for the series was planned and to be produced by Gonzo and co-produced by Anime International Company. The adaption was canceled due to Gonzo being delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange
.
When Taisuke's friend, Yuichi Hirose, discovers his powers he kidnaps fellow friend Megumi Ochai and heads north to the heart of Akuro. Taisuke, obtaining his own powers, follows in an attempt to bring Hirose and Megumi back home. On his adventures, he is accompanied by fellow comrades Yuta Takizawa and Nami Kusonoki. He tracks down Hirose to a lake where the latter absorbs Akuro's heart. Taisuke defeats Hirose by triggering a volcanic eruption, which apparently kills them both and destroys the heart.
Two years later Yuta and Nami learn from Aoi Tezuka and Jun Tezuka that Taisuke is alive. They meet Taisuke, who has been living with amnesia
since his battle with Hirose. After regaining his memories, they learn from Yukie Tezuka that the army has the dormant Hirose and set out to destroy him along with the heart. After several attempts on infiltrating the military, Hirose awakens and flees from the military base. Deducing Hirose's return to Japan, Taisuke and his friends prepare for the upcoming battle.
Eventually Hirose is defeated by Taisuke who is empowered by the piece of Akuro's heart. Akuro's consciences, Mitama, uses the Akuro heart pieces to gather and recompile Akuro. Hirose, acknowledging his crimes, has his soul accompany Akuro into space. As all the pieces of Akuro leave their hosts, comrades are rendered powerless once again and the world returns to peace.
Her eldest son, , is 28 years old, who took care of his younger siblings in Yukie's absence. Her second eldest son, , is a 27 years old martial artist and a Comrade with the ability to manipulate electricity. is the 16 years old daughter and a computer wiz. She controls the technical aspects of their operations. is the second oldest daughter in the family and is 10 years old. She is Yuta's classmate and a Comrade with the ability to run at high speeds. The last 3 kids are Osomatsu, Karamatsu and Choromatsu (nicknames), and 5, 4 and 3 years old, respectively.
anything. After he accidentally murders his bullies, Hirose is put into police custody where Katsumata brainwashes him to into joining him to search for a piece of Akuro's Heart. He complies after kidnapping his childhood friend, Megumi. Upon absorbing the piece of Akuro's Heart, his body becomes intangible and he gains the desire to destroy all life on Earth.
with an inferiority complex. Okada's power is Shinigami
's Contract, allowing him to create promises with others and when the promise is broken, results in their deaths. He also committed suicide after Hirose absorbs the Heart. is a selfish girl who goes through all lengths to have what she wants. She killed Nami's brother out of annoyance with her ability which allows her to detonate metallic objects. She dies after failing to absorb Akuro's Heart. is a Catholic priest who's ability allows him to petrify
anything he touches. After petrifying a child he attempted to save, Asou begins to suffer from his mistake and is brainwashed by Katsumata to do his bidding. He commits suicide after Hirose's fusion with the Heart. was a young boy at Asou's church who became a Comrade with the ability to liquify himself. After Asou's death, he joins Kyouko Amamiya and Masashi Oda on their journey as reporters.
After Taisuke and Hirose's apparent deaths, Katsumata had brainwashed three other comrades to assist him and Mitama to find the other two pieces of Akuro's Heart. is a Comrade with the ability to enter and take over another person's body, killing them in the process. Under Katsumata's orders she infiltrates the American military to get closer to the heart but is eventually killed by McPhearson after entering the body of his subordinate, D3. is a muscular man who does menial tasks for Katsumata. He is able to control gravity. He is killed by Hirose after being ordered to take his piece of Akuro's Heart. is a mysterious man who is searching for the meaning of life. He has the ability to copy and retain another Comrade's power. After confronting Katsumata on his goals, his fate is left unknown.
The military use the comrade, , refereed to as the in order to predict future events. He possesses a piece of Akuro's Heart. He was killed by Mitama and had his piece of the heart taken.
is Taisuke's childhood friend. After Hirose joins Katsumata, he kidnaps Megumi to be with her. She is eventually put under Katsumata's mind control making her subconsciously stay with the group. During the two year time skip, she lives with Katsumata and attends to Mitama's care in America.
Ryou Fukiishi
is a truck driver that Taisuke encounters after just leaving his home in search of his friends. She leaves Yuta with her phone number so he can call her if he gets lonely as she bears a striking resemblance to Yuta's late mother. She has a husband and a daughter that she adores. She visits Taisuke's sister every year on his birthday.
Kyouko Amamiya and Masashi Oda
and are reporters, chasing after Taisuke in order to investigate the strange happenings surrounding him. Upon learning the truth, they side with Taisuke and attempt to assist him anyway possible.
and illustrated by Adachitoka, premiered in Monthly Shōnen Magazine in October 2003 and ended its run in March 2010. The chapters were later collected by Kodansha
and released in tankōbon
bound volumes in Japan. The first volume was released on November 17, 2003 and the final volume was released on May 17, 2010. Del Rey Manga
licensed the series for an English release with the first volume released on July 31, 2007 and the eighth on November 24, 2009.
but still retained the core that appeals to fans of that genre. He also commented on how Adachitoka's art style suited the manga. Katherine Dacey of Pop Culture Shock also commended the plot for not showing the cause of the mass suicide which helps create a "deliciously creepy atmosphere". She described the first volume as "...a suspenseful, entertaining read that mixed teen angst and X-Files
paranoia to good effect". Deb Aoki from About.com
also praised the mixture of science fiction and high-school life but criticized the overused "shonen manga stereotypes". In his appendix to Manga The Complete Guide, Jason Thompson
commended the art style for being "...an attractive example of the Shonen Magazine house style, with photorealistic environments" and concluded the series to be "An above average “realistic superheroes” story.". Greg McElhatton from Read About Comics panned the volume for its muddled plot and how shock treatments appearing in quick succession lessen the shock effect of each event and stated the volume overall as a disappointment.
Carlo Santos of Anime News Network
regards the series' plot pacing to be slow and commented on how the art style is too ordinary making most characters not stand out. He commended the psychological battle in volume 5 and praised Hirose's character transformation. Comics Worth Reading's Ed Sizemore review of the first eight volumes of the series was highly positive. He praised the slow-build storytelling by Tadashi Kawashima for being interesting and suspenseful and commends Taisuke Kano's to be an extremely believable character. He originally considered the art style unimpressive, but as the series continues, he notes that Adachitoka's art style improves immensely and compares it to Takeshi Obata
's style. The improved art style is later praised for the character's emotion and body language and the fluid fight scenes.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series written by Tadashi Kawashima
Tadashi Kawashima
was a Japanese manga artist and manga gensakusha from Ehime Prefecture. He is best known for writing the manga Alive -Saishū Shinkateki Shōnen-.-Career:...
and illustrated by Adachitoka. The series premiered in Monthly Shōnen Magazine in October 2003. Tadashi finished the series on his sickbed in February 2010 and the final chapter was published in the March issue of the Monthly Shōnen Magazine. The chapters were later collected by Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
and released in 21 tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
bound volumes. Del Rey Manga
Del Rey Manga
was the manga-publishing imprint of Del Rey Books, a branch of Ballantine Books, which in turn is part of Random House, the publishing division of Bertelsmann. It was formed as part of a cross-publishing relationship with Japanese publisher Kodansha. Some of the Del Rey titles, such as Tsubasa...
licensed series for an English localization and released eight volumes as of November 2009. An anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
adaption for the series was planned and to be produced by Gonzo and co-produced by Anime International Company. The adaption was canceled due to Gonzo being delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange
Tokyo Stock Exchange
The , called or TSE for short, is located in Tokyo, Japan and is the third largest stock exchange in the world by aggregate market capitalization of its listed companies...
.
Plot
The series follows Taisuke Kanou, a teenage student in Japan who lives a normal life with his sister Yoko Kanou and also has a friend named Hirose. The story begins when an alien being flies towards Earth after sensing life. It is learned that the being, Akuro, is composed of souls who were granted immortality and who wanted to die but could not do so without a body. These beings separate from each other and enter the bodies of humans in order to pursue death. As a result, a large number of people begin to commit suicide worldwide and the incident became known as Nightmare Week. The humans who resist Akuro's influence gain powers from the possession and become known as "Comrades"When Taisuke's friend, Yuichi Hirose, discovers his powers he kidnaps fellow friend Megumi Ochai and heads north to the heart of Akuro. Taisuke, obtaining his own powers, follows in an attempt to bring Hirose and Megumi back home. On his adventures, he is accompanied by fellow comrades Yuta Takizawa and Nami Kusonoki. He tracks down Hirose to a lake where the latter absorbs Akuro's heart. Taisuke defeats Hirose by triggering a volcanic eruption, which apparently kills them both and destroys the heart.
Two years later Yuta and Nami learn from Aoi Tezuka and Jun Tezuka that Taisuke is alive. They meet Taisuke, who has been living with amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
since his battle with Hirose. After regaining his memories, they learn from Yukie Tezuka that the army has the dormant Hirose and set out to destroy him along with the heart. After several attempts on infiltrating the military, Hirose awakens and flees from the military base. Deducing Hirose's return to Japan, Taisuke and his friends prepare for the upcoming battle.
Eventually Hirose is defeated by Taisuke who is empowered by the piece of Akuro's heart. Akuro's consciences, Mitama, uses the Akuro heart pieces to gather and recompile Akuro. Hirose, acknowledging his crimes, has his soul accompany Akuro into space. As all the pieces of Akuro leave their hosts, comrades are rendered powerless once again and the world returns to peace.
Protagonist
Taisuke Kano
is the main character of the series. He is haunted by guilt for his role in the accident that killed his parents. After his parents died, he was raised by his older sister, . Taisuke's ability is destruction and reconstruction. Though unable to fully use his reconstruction abilities, Taisuke is able to manifest his destruction abilities by emitting fire which permanently damages cells.Yuta Takizawa
is a young boy who gains his powers after his mother commits suicide in front of him. His power is isolation, cutting off objects from the outside world by creating psychic barriers of various sizes, for defensive purposes or trapping his opponents. After his mother's death, Yuta's father disowned him in fear of his powers and mistaking that Yuta killed his own mother. He journeys with Taisuke after witnessing his kindness and teaches him the basics on using his powers. After Taisuke's apparent death, Yuta resumes his daily life in the care of his grandparents.Nami Kusunoki
has the power to freeze water to form any shape she chooses, usually forming it into claws to augment her martial arts, and projecting them like knives to pierce and freeze her targets. Her younger brother, Satoru, was burned alive by Kanon's abilities leading to her hate of Comrades. She journeys with Taisuke and Yuta in search of Katsumata after learning Kanon had joined him. She gradually begins to develop a romantic interest towards Taisuke and begins to envy his and Megumi's relationship.The Tezuka Family
is the mother of the seven Tezuka children who each have separate fathers of different nationalities. Before "Nightmare Week" occurred, Yukie was a nomadic woman who traveled constantly leaving her children to live on their own. Upon acquiring a piece of Akuro's heart, Yukie is able to feel her families sadness due to her abandonment causing her to return to her family and taking a more maternal role. Using the powers of Akuro's heart, she is able to manipulate other people into her bidding. After Taisuke's battle with Hirose, she nurses him back to life. She is killed by Hirose when he awakens and had her piece of the heart stolen.Her eldest son, , is 28 years old, who took care of his younger siblings in Yukie's absence. Her second eldest son, , is a 27 years old martial artist and a Comrade with the ability to manipulate electricity. is the 16 years old daughter and a computer wiz. She controls the technical aspects of their operations. is the second oldest daughter in the family and is 10 years old. She is Yuta's classmate and a Comrade with the ability to run at high speeds. The last 3 kids are Osomatsu, Karamatsu and Choromatsu (nicknames), and 5, 4 and 3 years old, respectively.
Yuichi Hirose
was Taisuke's best friend. He is a timid and shy boy who is often bullied but saved by Taisuke. After Nightmare Week, Hirose becomes a comrade allowing him to fire spheres which can annihilateAnnihilation
Annihilation is defined as "total destruction" or "complete obliteration" of an object; having its root in the Latin nihil . A literal translation is "to make into nothing"....
anything. After he accidentally murders his bullies, Hirose is put into police custody where Katsumata brainwashes him to into joining him to search for a piece of Akuro's Heart. He complies after kidnapping his childhood friend, Megumi. Upon absorbing the piece of Akuro's Heart, his body becomes intangible and he gains the desire to destroy all life on Earth.
Shigeki Katsumata
is the lead investigator of Hirose's incident. He has a piece of Akuro's Heart allowing him to brainwash his minions which he uses to gather Comrades for Mitama's purposes. He is eventually revealed to be plotting Mitama's demise but his plan fails. He is then killed by Mitama who takes his Akuro Heart piece.Katsumata's Comrades
Katsumata had recruited six other Comrades to journey with him on the expedition to Akuro's Heart. is an artist who loves drawing people he knows with the aim of knowing them better. His ability is to create pressurized bubbles which he can detonate at any time. After Taisuke and Hirose's seemingly deaths, he defects from Katsumata's rankings. He joins Yukie Tezuka in order to search for the heart and becomes brainwashed by her. Yura is later killed by Hirose. is a Comrade with the ability to create wind blades to cut objects. He was tasked with murdering Taisuke by Katsumata but ultimately fails. He commits suicide after giving in to Akuro's influences when Hirose absorbs a piece of Akuro's Heart. is an obese otakuOtaku
is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun...
with an inferiority complex. Okada's power is Shinigami
Shinigami
is the personification of death in Japan. It's unclear when the concept entered Japanese culture; it may have been imported from China , or possibly been imported from Europe during the Sengoku era—that period in European history featured a common motif of the Grim Reaper gathering souls...
's Contract, allowing him to create promises with others and when the promise is broken, results in their deaths. He also committed suicide after Hirose absorbs the Heart. is a selfish girl who goes through all lengths to have what she wants. She killed Nami's brother out of annoyance with her ability which allows her to detonate metallic objects. She dies after failing to absorb Akuro's Heart. is a Catholic priest who's ability allows him to petrify
Petrifaction
In geology, petrifaction, petrification or silicification is the process by which organic material is converted into stone by impregnation with silica. It is a rare form of fossilization...
anything he touches. After petrifying a child he attempted to save, Asou begins to suffer from his mistake and is brainwashed by Katsumata to do his bidding. He commits suicide after Hirose's fusion with the Heart. was a young boy at Asou's church who became a Comrade with the ability to liquify himself. After Asou's death, he joins Kyouko Amamiya and Masashi Oda on their journey as reporters.
After Taisuke and Hirose's apparent deaths, Katsumata had brainwashed three other comrades to assist him and Mitama to find the other two pieces of Akuro's Heart. is a Comrade with the ability to enter and take over another person's body, killing them in the process. Under Katsumata's orders she infiltrates the American military to get closer to the heart but is eventually killed by McPhearson after entering the body of his subordinate, D3. is a muscular man who does menial tasks for Katsumata. He is able to control gravity. He is killed by Hirose after being ordered to take his piece of Akuro's Heart. is a mysterious man who is searching for the meaning of life. He has the ability to copy and retain another Comrade's power. After confronting Katsumata on his goals, his fate is left unknown.
Akuro
is an alien being containing the souls of an advanced civilization that obtained immortality. Without a body, the souls were unable to die and searched for hosts in order to commit suicide. Upon finding Earth, Akuro split into the souls of the civilization, four hearts, and a single consciousness referred to as . Mitama originally inhabits the body of an owl, and later is able to enter and animate a girl's corpse.Military
is the sergeant in charge of Akuro's heart. He is highly skilled and is able to kill Comrades though he possess none of their abilities. He is ruthless, viewing his subordinates as expendable once he no longer needs them. However, he risked his life to save D4. He eventually sides with Taisuke's group and helps leak military information to the public about "Power Users" under the pseudonym Clay. He has three subordinates , , and . As the series progresses D2 and D3 are killed off. D4, known as , is the only female member of the team who stays by McPherson for romantic reasons.The military use the comrade, , refereed to as the in order to predict future events. He possesses a piece of Akuro's Heart. He was killed by Mitama and had his piece of the heart taken.
Other Characters
Megumi Ochiaiis Taisuke's childhood friend. After Hirose joins Katsumata, he kidnaps Megumi to be with her. She is eventually put under Katsumata's mind control making her subconsciously stay with the group. During the two year time skip, she lives with Katsumata and attends to Mitama's care in America.
Ryou Fukiishi
is a truck driver that Taisuke encounters after just leaving his home in search of his friends. She leaves Yuta with her phone number so he can call her if he gets lonely as she bears a striking resemblance to Yuta's late mother. She has a husband and a daughter that she adores. She visits Taisuke's sister every year on his birthday.
Kyouko Amamiya and Masashi Oda
and are reporters, chasing after Taisuke in order to investigate the strange happenings surrounding him. Upon learning the truth, they side with Taisuke and attempt to assist him anyway possible.
Manga
Alive: The Final Evolution, written by Tadashi KawashimaTadashi Kawashima
was a Japanese manga artist and manga gensakusha from Ehime Prefecture. He is best known for writing the manga Alive -Saishū Shinkateki Shōnen-.-Career:...
and illustrated by Adachitoka, premiered in Monthly Shōnen Magazine in October 2003 and ended its run in March 2010. The chapters were later collected by Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
and released in tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
bound volumes in Japan. The first volume was released on November 17, 2003 and the final volume was released on May 17, 2010. Del Rey Manga
Del Rey Manga
was the manga-publishing imprint of Del Rey Books, a branch of Ballantine Books, which in turn is part of Random House, the publishing division of Bertelsmann. It was formed as part of a cross-publishing relationship with Japanese publisher Kodansha. Some of the Del Rey titles, such as Tsubasa...
licensed the series for an English release with the first volume released on July 31, 2007 and the eighth on November 24, 2009.
Volume list
Reception
The first volume was generally well received by reviewers. Manga Life's Dan Polley praised the plot for being different from normal Science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
but still retained the core that appeals to fans of that genre. He also commented on how Adachitoka's art style suited the manga. Katherine Dacey of Pop Culture Shock also commended the plot for not showing the cause of the mass suicide which helps create a "deliciously creepy atmosphere". She described the first volume as "...a suspenseful, entertaining read that mixed teen angst and X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
paranoia to good effect". Deb Aoki from About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
also praised the mixture of science fiction and high-school life but criticized the overused "shonen manga stereotypes". In his appendix to Manga The Complete Guide, Jason Thompson
Jason Thompson (writer)
Jason Thompson is a manga critic, journalist, writer and comics artist.-Life and career:...
commended the art style for being "...an attractive example of the Shonen Magazine house style, with photorealistic environments" and concluded the series to be "An above average “realistic superheroes” story.". Greg McElhatton from Read About Comics panned the volume for its muddled plot and how shock treatments appearing in quick succession lessen the shock effect of each event and stated the volume overall as a disappointment.
Carlo Santos of Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
regards the series' plot pacing to be slow and commented on how the art style is too ordinary making most characters not stand out. He commended the psychological battle in volume 5 and praised Hirose's character transformation. Comics Worth Reading's Ed Sizemore review of the first eight volumes of the series was highly positive. He praised the slow-build storytelling by Tadashi Kawashima for being interesting and suspenseful and commends Taisuke Kano's to be an extremely believable character. He originally considered the art style unimpressive, but as the series continues, he notes that Adachitoka's art style improves immensely and compares it to Takeshi Obata
Takeshi Obata
is a Japanese manga artist. He works as the artist in collaboration with a writer. He has also mentored several manga artists, including Kentaro Yabuki of Black Cat fame, Nobuhiro Watsuki of Rurouni Kenshin and Busou Renkin, and Yusuke Murata of Eyeshield 21.He originally became noticed in 1985...
's style. The improved art style is later praised for the character's emotion and body language and the fluid fight scenes.