A town framed by three giant ‘water coolers', sets the background for a young romance over the looming threat of culminating radiation levels. However, as the two youths, Hayaka & Hieda, explore the mystery, the metallic taste in the air, and argue over the source of sickness, they also must balance their feelings and the disbelief from adults.
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“Young, Alive, In Love”, marks itself as a mature take on young romance, framing the world of the two young outcasts by three towers that are part of their town's identity. Slightly reminiscent of “The Place Promised in Our Early Days” by Makoto Shinkai, the story captures a childhood obsession with a building that causes equal amounts of wonder and fear. Furthermore, the main protagonist finds himself attracted to a girl, who may or may not be suffering from some sort of sickness. That is not to say that the work is an imitation of the work of Shinkai, rather, it resonates the same sense of youthful wonderment found in the narrative work of the famous director/author.
The first volume does leave the reader with a sense of mystery, though the concept of radiation poison seeping into a town seems the most logical conclusion to what is happening. The taste of metal in the air to an uncontrollable illness imbues a sinister vibe in the otherwise playful narrative. Consequently, the relationship between Hayaka & Hieda seems doomed from the start, their strong connection setting the stage for tragedy. We will have to wait to see what the following volumes bring, but the inaugural release sets the stage for a compelling tale.
The art style of Nishijima can best be described as minimalistic, with a greater emphasis on narrative over art. However, this allows certain sentiments to carry more weight -text can take up an entire panel making the readers linger longer on certain words. In addition, each chapter is broken up by this approach using bold text in front of a red background to encapsulate the feelings of the young couple. This element won't necessarily wow the reader, but it acts as the perfect way to convey the story that Daisuke Nishijima wanted to portray. Furthermore, the book also contains a rather adorable aesthetic when it comes to character expressions and landscapes that will find an appreciative audience
“Young, Alive, In Love” is available in both digital and physical, marking Star Fruit Books continued growth from a strictly digital publisher to printed press. The publisher works closely with the mangaka to ensure that the end product/translation is as close to the original artistic vision as possible. Furthermore, this direct approach allows for greater gains for the mangaka, something that knowledgeable fans will know is a constant struggle for artists to get deserved pay for their work. As such, there is good reason to support releases like this, the fact that Star Fruit Books has done a phenomenal job of curating unique and interesting content being a bonus on top.
Love in the time of nuclear turmoil, “Young, Alive, In Love” is a wonderful coming-of-age romance story haunted by an impending doom. The inaugural release in the series sets the stage for a poignant and profound story – get in on volume one and follow along.
