Admittedly, Alive gives off the Psyren vibe but mostly because at the beginning, you sense that there is some scientific fiction involved such as the great apocalypse. Then, as the novel progresses, it also evolves into what seems to resemble a battle manga. However, what differentiates those two is that Alive does not rely solely on the battle! train! battle! train! battle! formula that continues to plague most battle-oriented shounen manga. This is what makes Alive so entertaining: the smooth and neat transitions between arcs. Still, Alive resorts to a heavily overused concept of humans with inhuman abilities. It fails to tie back to the reason behind the powers at some moments, when all the characters care about is beating the other side.
Speaking of characters, their pasts and current personalities help reveal the mangaka's basic theme. They have their own obstacles and troubles, but they do grow and develop. The question, though, is this: Just how realistic are they? Both Hirose's and Taisuke's circumstances further elaborate the answer to that very question, as they are the two with the most unrealistic character development (in my opinion). Despite the notion of disbelief, the characters can be well-liked by the readers through their humorous and friendly interactions / relationships. The extra volume and the omake illustrate this point well.
Like all manga, the art does gradually improve over time to the extent that it reminds me of Ga-Rei with its gradient tones. It is good, but nothing too decorative or stunning.
I highly enjoyed this manga. Personally, it held moving suspense, introduced characters smoothly, and the underlying theme kept me going as well. If you have read Psyren or Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro, this series may delight you.
