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.