Comics / Manga

Takehiko Inoue's Real: Volume 3

By Leroy Douresseaux
January 13, 2009 - 10:24

Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”

Tragedy brings three different young men together.  Hisanobu Takahashi is a natural athlete, smart student, and all-around popular guy who is now a paraplegic.  Tomomi Nomiya is a high school dropout dealing with the guilt of paralyzing a young woman in a traffic accident.  Kiyoharu Togawa AKA “Vince,” lost his leg due to cancer, and now, plays wheelchair basketball.  All of them are united by their love of basketball.

In Real, Vol. 3, Hisanobu wakes up to the reality that he will never walk again.  Virtually imprisoned in his hospital bed, he lashes out at everyone who visits him.  A visit from his estranged father could make things better… or worse.  Tomomi is confronted with the fact that he has no future when he attempts to visit the young woman he paralyzed.

THE LOWDOWN:  Talk about keeping it real.  Real is the third basketball manga produced by manga-ka Takehiko Inoue; the other two are Slam Dunk (also published in English by VIZ Media) and Buzzer Beater.  Real is special.  This is the first volume I’ve read, but I immediately understood this drama.  Inoue tells such a complex narrative about tragedy, disability, grief, guilt, recovery, redemption, responsibility, self-determination, unity, and teamwork.  It’s also about obligations to family, friends, and loved ones.  This superb character and life drama is from a writer and storyteller that is supremely skillful at taking a plot point in his story and using it as an “in,” a way to move inside a scene to examine the human condition and/or human interaction.

An example of this is when Tomomi visits the hospital where Natsumi Yamashita, the young woman he paralyzed, is recovering.  In that scene, Inoue ruminates on Natsumi’s struggles with her recovery while dealing with the hospital staff.  At the same time, Inoue can not only present how Tomomi reacts to this, but also allow his readers to observe Tomomi’s guilt and struggles, as well as his own need to recover.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  While VIZ Media rates this as a manga for “Older Teens,” it’s subject matter and the way that the author executes the story makes Real a seinen manga (comics for adults) that older readers will find rewarding.

A

 

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12