Alive: The Final Evolution Vol. 1

There has been an unusually high volume of talk behind the new manga, "Alive: The Final Evolution," and it seems to live up to the ever-growing hype.

Volume 1 of "Alive," just recently released, opens up a can of worms with a story that is like no other story I've read before. And as a person who's read her share of manga, light novels, and the like in every possible genre for almost two decades, this is saying a lot already. The overall setting and feel of the story is reminiscent of "Eden" and "Death Note," but even that's a bit of a stretch.

The story centers around Taisuke, and 3 other subsequent characters -- his sister (a nurse at Taisuke's high school), his best friend, and his "girfriend." A string of inexplicable mass suicides has occurred around the globe, including Japan, the U.S., and China over seven days, now deemed, "Nightmare Week." The cause of the mysterious suicides have been linked to a strange virus, but police are no closer to finding the cause.

The story's dark themes of life and death, and its wistful blend of comedy, make "Alive" an addicting manga. The author, Tadashi Kawashima, does an exceptional job in setting up the story and building a structure behind the four main characters and their individual connection to death. In fact, by the end of volume 1, Kawashima leaves a rather large opening, leaving the reader asking more questions and itching for even more.Why are some immune to the powers of the "virus", while others are only left to succumb to its will? What powers do Taisuke and his best friend, Hirose, have?

Volume 2 is set to be released at the end of October this year.