REAL

When you tell someone to read a manga about wheelchair basketball it sounds almost absurd, but once you get into it you realize this manga is more than just wheelchair basketball

If i had to describe real, it would be this sentence: "life is fucking hard", because this is what real is, the hardness of life, the effort one has to make to keep living, this is the reality of the world.

What i like most about REAL it's that it has more than just 1 protagonist, the series revolves around 3 persons, each one battling their own demons and battling to survive the condition their living in. The characters from REAL have so much depth and development that i'd have to say, from all the mangas i've read, this manga is the only one that actually made me cry, and it wasn't just some tears, i was actually crying my eyes out, which made me realize how much connection i had to the characters on this manga. The ways the characters are presented makes you feel what they're feeling, for example even though Takahashi is presented as an asshole and a selfish person, the more you know about him, and the more you go on into this character you start to like him, you start to feel what he's feeling on a deeper level, which many mangas fail to do, the same can be said about nomiya or togawa, they're all created on such a personal level, that i'd say this manga feels more real than most of the manga I've read.

If you wanna read something serious, something to actually think about at night or in the shower, then read REAL, I wouldn't say everyone would like it, it feels more of a book than a manga, for the simple fact that this manga doesn't follow the normal characteristics and tropes of a manga.
It isn't farfetched to say this is the best manga I've read up to date, and if you wanna have something to think about, then give it a try.

Great, great manga. Another masterpiece from Takehiko Inoue.

This is not a new Slam Dunk. It deals with much heavier and mature themes, deepens them to an unprecedented level. The love of basketball here is a background and, at the same time, a crucial aspect.

It's a background because the story, at least until now (volume 14), is not about basketball, but it's about people dealing with the various impacts of a physical disability.

It is crucial because it is in the rescue or building of love of basketball that the characters rebuild themselves from trauma and resignify their experiences with the physical disability.

Real basically deals with this: how disability, with its specificities, with its challenges, with all that it brings, is also a possibility of a rescue of the past, of a re-elaboration, a re-signification of oneself, a rescue - and a discovery - of potentialities and of what really matters in life.

The protagonist trio brings together such diverse characteristics, so different ways of dealing with how the physical disability goes through their lives. In common, the fact that their stories intersect from the (re)discovery of basketball as a turning point.

3 men, 2 points in common: handicap and passion for basketball

With Real, Takehiko Inoue signs, once again, a masterpiece. I have to point out the magnificent drawings!

Disability
Takehiko Inoue tells the story of 3 young men who have seen their lives destroyed because of disability.

Tomomi Nomiya has just been expelled from high school. Passionate about basketball, he has not played since he caused a motorcycle accident in which his passenger - Natsumi Yamashita - lost the use of his legs.
While visiting Natsumi, Tomomi meets Kiyoharu Togawa. Amputated with one leg, Kiyoharu started playing handi-basketball but he finds his team mediocre.
Hisanobu Takahashi became leader of the basketball team after Tomomi's dismissal. One day he gets hit by a truck trying to steal a bike. Surgeons tell him he's lost the use of his legs.

Inoue Sensei and his love for basketball: a recurring theme
Takehiko Inoue has already praised basketball in his mythical work Slam Dunk (I have never laughed so much).

In Real, the mangaka uses basketball as therapy. Basketball, as a lot of sports, unites and enables people to surpass themselves.
Thus these three characters must accept their handicap, face it and especially stand up against it.

Friendship, love, family
The characters may gradually face their disability but it would not be the same without their loved ones who try as best they can to help them. They also have had their lives turned upside down. Standing beside each other will enable them to overcome the handicap little by little, defeat after defeat, victory after victory.

The publication rate is too slow
The only negative point is undoubtedly the publishing rate (13 volumes since 1999). If Takehiko Inoue had declared several times that he wanted to take his time and publish at his own pace, the wait becomes very long and we end up losing the thread...

You can still start the manga which currently contains 13 rich volumes. Some chapters have been released since...

In summary
A realistic and touching manga, sometimes funny, sometimes sad.
A truly inspiring lesson, sometimes very hard, that shows that no matter what the hardships, you have to get up again and again because life is worth living.

Maybe the best manga I've ever read. Inoue's ability to make you love what he loves is unparalleled. If you don't love basketball before reading this, you will at least understand what it is like to have a passion for something.

Every part of it is superb:
-The art is as expected from Inoue
-The action is well drawn and suited for the genre
-The comedy is genuine
-The story is emotive and captivating

The only thing that's a negative is having to wait for him to finish the work, but to put it a way that Nomiya would say, "This is not despair. This is joy!"

Spoiler free review



The art:

The strictly realistic art, sets a serious tone throughout the manga. It never or rarely feels exaggerated, pretentious or flat out wacky. It depicts emotions in a natural, REAListic way, without trying to force them unto readers. Captivating, even from the cover, Inoue’s incredible artistic vision of facial expressions give characters a living vibe. The main characters are laid bare in artistic REALism, drawn masterfully in private situations and strong emotional states. Theres a deep, almost intimate connection made with them.




The Story:

Tough revolving around it the whole manga, wheelchair basketball is mostly used as a catalyst for story/events and also as a stage to exhibit character development. Most of the REAL DRAMA happens outside the court, in the lives of the main characters, how they cope with with REAL life difficult, AWKWARD, Far from fairy tale like, situations. Ambivalence, acceptance(not only of others but of oneself), REGRET, true friendship, starting over, love(in general), are just some of the major themes masterfully explored and expressed in REAL. This story is a down right, in your face reminder of the cruelties of real life. Little to no plot armor here, no magic dragon balls, no sugar coating it for readers, no tears falling on someone to magically heal them, no super emotional screams = flashy power up sequences, no super hero magic powers. The only super heroes you'll find here are personifications of REAL life, flesh and blood heroes. And the only powers here, are the ones of the human spirit, exhibited in true magnificence.
It is NOT as dark!!! depressing or gloomy as one might think when judging the "cover" or synopsis. I would even venture out and say its heart warming and inspiring. The unpretentious, unexaggerated darkness, has a natural “REAL life” feeling to it. A darkness we are used to, for its all around us. But this story isn't about darkness(its no emo manga), its about the radiant light that contrast it, this story is about the beauty of life!

I recommend everyone give this one a try, for the quality is world class.

This is divine work by Takehiko Inoue. It's like Dostoievski writing manga. The human behaviour is perfectly detailed, this is the best manga in this subject I have ever put my eyes on.
I am subjective about the basketball part, as i am a player, but i can tell you that he has some good points there, and some good points in leadership that any team sport can use.
His momentum is great, it blew me away how it kept crawling and digging in more and more misery.
This is some hardcore slice of life. If you're not ready for drama or facing your issues, then step away. If you just finished Slam Dunk, and are expecting an easy read with basketball flavor, mister Inoue will surprise you :)
Also art-wise, it's greatly done - consider his other ongoing manga Vagabond
I would put this manga in the education system , it's really food for your mind

No Spoiler Review...

I haven't been interested in manga in quite a long time. The reason being is that there isn't much out there that is novel and pushes story telling in a direction that only a medium like manga can...

I was quite taken aback when I started reading Real. The story itself is incredibly original and risky as we are introduced to the world of wheelchair basketball which in itself I have no interest whatsoever.

The appeal of the entire manga to me were the characters and exploring what pushes us to overcome soul-crushing obstacles. It is an incredibly sophisticated and touching story. Real takes an unflinching look at existential crises and how they both harm us yet make us stronger as a result. You become very emotionally invested in these characters and it is one of those stories that you feel make you grow.

This story was soo good, around chapter 70 I was worried about the story ending abruptly because I noticed there were only 90 chapters but I'm so glad the story isnt finished, I just hope that new chapters will come out soon, because I really wanna see more from nomiya and the three musketeers. they were my favorite characters. I def didn;t expect to cry as often as i did with this series but they way they depicted each characters trauma and their resilience and persistence to overcome their obstacles was so powerful, the shiratori arc with broom made me bawllllll T-T as did Nomiya at tryouts. def one of my new favorite series. also the art is amazing. nomiya was looking hot as fuck when he popped up on takahashi and showed off his 6 pack lmaooo. im also very interested in where the storyline will go between nomiya and the girl.

I use MAL for keeping track of series I want to read/watch, so this will be my first(and probably only) review. I could right pages about REAL but I'll keep it somewhat brief.

If you are on the fence about reading this series, do it. No hesitation. If one person starts this series because of this post, then I have done my job. If you are expecting Slam Dunk or Vagabond, it's somewhat a mixture of the two, and somewhat something completely different. We may never get a completion to the story, and taking that into consideration, it's still one of the greatest STORIES I have ever read(and I've read my fair share). That's somewhat of an extreme opinion and I don't think it will resonate as personally with everyone as it did with me, but I'm positive anybody that gives it a shot will gain something of value from it. I think that's the highest praise anyone can give for a story.

Story: 10
Riveting. Heartbreaking. Funny. Frustrating. Thought-Provoking. I have gone through almost every possible emotion through each sit-down. Essentially, the story resolves around 3 guys connected through basketball, or more specifically, wheelchair basketball. It's a balance of despair and hope, swirling through the pages as characters try to right their wrongs and find their place in the world after traumatic experiences. It's a pretty vague premise, but there are many subplots that really give the story its legs.

Art: 8
Definitely not the best I've seen as it's spotty at times(Due to the author working on Vagabond at the time), but it really has it's own charm. I think Inoue is unrivaled in portraying movement in his panels. He's mastered the small details, and easily makes you forget you're looking at a still page. It's not just basketball scenes where his art shines either. He can portray emotion with shocking realism, and it greatly adds to the effect of whatever feeling he wants you to feel. And in my opinion, his character designs are perfect. It's the sweet balance between being able to tell people apart while also not making them too outlandish where that sense of realism is lost. Each character has their own unique set of features, not just in their face but in their body language as well, which is super impressive considering a lot of the cast is in a wheelchair.

Characters: 10
The characters are the best part about this series, and that is saying a lot. You know a story is special when there're 3 main characters, and each are equally fleshed out with extreme care, depth and unique development. What's even crazier is that some of the best characters play supporting roles. Side characters are supposed to help the main characters grow, and they accomplish that flawlessly. However, countless of these characters receive just as much or even more growth that other story's MAIN cast gets. Everyone is a weirdo, an asshole or both, and yet, I can't help but root for them. Their flaws are so blatant, but you understand why they do what they do. They're given structure and as you watch these characters go through the ringer countless times, all you want to see is them come out on top.

Enjoyment: 10
Through each of my numerous reads, my interest has not faltered even a little bit. I enjoy it as much as I did years ago.

Overall: 10
It's less than 100 chapters, and still one of the most fleshed out pieces of work this medium has to offer. It's relatable on so many levels and mad me reflect in ways I never had before. In my honest opinion, a must read for everybody, not just anime/manga fans.

Out of Takehiko Inoue's three major works, I would say Real is overall the best. His first major work of Slam Dunk, whilst good for what it was, had too few stakes to keep investment high and Vagabond took too long to provide a major focus on character development. In that sense, Real can be considered the best of both worlds and overall an improvement on everything about Slam Dunk to the point of the predecessor's redundancy akin to what Hunter X Hunter is compared to Yu Yu Hakusho.

The plot is something fairly straightforward and summaries of it wouldn't make the series sound so interesting. If it were purely the disabled playing wheelchair basketball, the series would have nothing to keep investment high. What does allow it to shine compared to many other manga, especially of the sports genre, is it's focus on characters and their psychology. Most of the cast are given a large focus on their personal struggle and how being catapulted into the realm of disability can affect both their path in life and relationships with their loved ones, particularly well done with the character of Takahashi. There is also exploration on the guilt and regret that comes from this sudden change, with many of the transformations into a paraplegic being due to an accident caused by reckless decisions. This can be particularly seen through the character of Nomiya and his attempts to atone for his sins in a life that he ruined. These elements provide the opportunity to create great drama, which the series utilises to it's full potential with it's exploration on the temporary nature of life.
However, it's not as though the synergy of a plot with good themes and very good characters makes something a masterpiece. Unfortunately, later chapters of the series spend so much of a focus on the failures of characters to get past their problems to the point of derailing the manga's pacing and causing some story lines to seemingly go in circles.

Onto the superficial element of art, this is an aspect of the series that is truly excellent. Inoue's art is well renowned as highly detailed and realistic, this holding true for Real. His work as an artist and ability to catch the audience's attention through it has improved staggeringly since Slam Dunk, though I'd say the peak of Vagabond's art surpasses Real's, but when the former is one of the most breathtaking manga artistically that's still a worthy feat.

As for the conclusion, is Real the greatest sports manga of all time? No. That title would belong to Ashita no Joe. However, Real is a worthy second place in that category with it providing enough drama and danger to stand above the countless titles of lukewarm importance within the genre and act as Inoue's expansion as a writer after Slam Dunk. Too bad the series will likely be stuck in hiatus hell for many years.

Overall ranking - 7.5/10