Genre Sports/Drama
Age Rating For Older Teen
Price $12.99

A motorcycle accident, bone cancer, a speeding truck crashing into a boy on a stolen bicycle--tragic, life-changing events turn the worlds of three young men upside down. Three very different personalities have only one thing in common--their passion for basketball.

I didn't know what to expect with Real although I've been following Takehiko Inoue since Slam Dunk (and even the ho-hum Buzzer Beater). This was, surprisingly, a refreshing read with its combination of powerful characterization and basketball.

There's a lot of things I want to tackle. First is the size. This manga is oversized, or at least larger than your typical manga. I think it's perfect and suits the visuals which you can see in all its glory. There's no struggling with the text because of this.

Second is the artwork. This is definitely a refined Inoue as there's nothing amateurish about the drawings. While the characters aren't photo-realistic, they're detailed enough to show express and detail, which suits the mature drama going on in this title.

Third is the story. This isn't a manga that'll grab the casual reader but it's certainly for those with more sophisticated tastes. The pacing is slow with a bigger focus on developing the characters rather than the action. For me this is more of a drama manga rather than a sports one. Sure, there are basketball scenes, but that's secondary to the personal lives of the protagonists. Inoue features an interesting mix of characters, from a healthy out-of-school youth to a boy in a wheelchair who remains passionate about basketball. Towards the end, it becomes clear that one of the antagonists is going to make a recurring appearance in the manga as he transitions from villain to a sympathetic character.

Fourth, the manga has some extras but they don't shine out and in my opinion, that's a good thing. You want readers to focus on the story and they're almost invisible here. There are some character designs on the side while there's some editorial notes at the end. The latter isn't overwhelming and in the vein of the editorial notes in Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service although not as comprehensive.

Overall a fascinating read that energizes me when it comes to manga. Just when you thought you've read all there is and seen it all, Real delivers something different and sets the bar.

9