Real

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Real is indeed the "real" basketball manga!

Real is a basketball manga with a high level of character development, and I'm saying this after only reading six chapters. In the few chapters I've read, I've already grown fond of the characters. I like how strong and distinctive their personalities are (something that will likely change as the book progresses).

In any case, it's an extremely high-quality basketball manga, both in terms of art and narrative. However, there's something that sets this manga apart from other basketball manga series: it's about basketball players with disabilities, something I've never seen before, and which, besides providing relatability, also gives the ... work a greater degree of relevance. I still plan to read this book one day, but for now, that's it. I definitely recommend this manga; it's definitely worth it.

=================================================================================================================Versão em Português=====================================

Real é de fato o "real" mangá de basquete!

Real é um mangá de basquete com um nível alto de desenvolvimento de personagem, olha que digo isso tendo lido apenas 6 capítulos. Nesses poucos capítulos que li já tive a capacidade de me afeiçoar pelos personagens, gosto de como a personalidade deles é forte e bem marcante (algo que provavelmente vai mudar com o decorrer da obra).

Em todo caso, é um mangá de basquete de extrema qualidade, seja na arte ou na narrativa, porem, há algo que difere esse mangá dos outros de basquete, estou falando sobre se tratar sobre jogadores de basquete com deficiência, algo que nunca vi antes e que além de proporcionar identificação para as pessoas, tambem dá um grau de relevância maior a obra. Ainda pretendo ler essa obra com calma algum dia porem até o momento é isso, recomendo este mangá com certeza, vale a pena demais.

REAL is a manga that has a lot more than what it seems on the surface.
Here to tell you to give this underrated gem a read, to wait for the next Vagabond chapter (we will be here for a while)

When I started to read REAL, which on the surface I thought was a natural progression of the author's love for the game of basketball. But what I found was that this series is more than just basketball, and more so a progression of Takehiko Inoue's charachter writing, with basketball and the even more complex wheelchair basketball as it's backdrop, rather than being in the forefront.

What ... strikes me immediately is how familiar it starts from Slam Dunk. We have the delinquent, the prodigy and the boy who has been doing this for a while (who is doing basketball in a wheelchair). But what is happening here is that none of these characters will be playing together, but somehow all have an influence in their character arcs.
It is through those character arcs that we see a new side to how the author approaches a similar type of story, from an emotionally mature place (that every new chapter, especially after a prolonged hiatus keeps growing!)
The theme of this story isn't becoming the best basketball team, or player, but rather, how a person changes through circumstances.
This is a story of kids maturing in both age, but also emotional bonds and traumas that happened in the far past, the past, and the present.

Nomiya, a delinquent who, unlike Sakuragi, is a complete basketball nut, but also like Sakuragi, can't play it well enough to save his life. It is through his upbringing and a life altering event that his story is one of self discovery through reflecting on himself in the acts that he has committed, and wanting to become a better person.
A character that goes through similar growths is Hisanobu, who is a prodigy in the game of basketball, but also through a life altering event is going through a huge trial of self acceptance, doubt and finding purpose in life. Even though it is similar to that of Nomiya, the framing and that event truly puts a different vibe and twist to how these similar ventures work for two different perspectives.
Togawa is probably the most mature out of the three of them. Having been wheelchair bound, his story is all about making leaps with the circumstances that he already has overcome. He serves as a great exposition of how the game of wheelchair basketball is played, what the mentality is, how a team is bounded and especially how difficult the sport is.
Though they may not directly impact one another, the ways how these three get in their character arcs and interact, makes the battles on the basketball field and in their personal lives that much stronger.

Of course, we cannot deny that even though the art isn't made in the same way as Vagabond, one has to be honest and knows just how much the art is still, incredible! It feels like a great timeline of Inoue's artistic journey as different approaches are being taken, you can tell because of how both Vagabond and Slam Dunk The First took a lot of influence in the way how he would draw certain scenes and expressions. Every chapter is a treat for the eyes, and especially the introspective moments are always shown in this way that I don't see a lot of manga do, unless we talk about obviously Vagabond, but in some ways, I feel that REAL does this better than Vagabond.

Lastly, I think in the current landscape of sports manga, we are seeing too much of the same thing. This is of course because they are all following something that made Slam Dunk so popular in the first place. But what I can compare this to isn't a shonen sports manga or anime, but something more in the line of Ping Pong by Taiyo Matsumoto or The Climber by Shin'ichi Sakamoto as it does something a lot more mature in both style and introspection. This is a mature manga that should be read from a mature perspective. A true to heart seinen manga.

This manga deserves a lot more attention and praise. There is a good reason why Takehiko Inoue is still making new chapters to this day. Not only is it about his favorite sport, I think it gives him the opportunity to explore new ideas about character plots and introspection that he could have never really explored with any of his series to date. All of which reflect onto Vagabond and even recently Slam Dunk's latest movie: The First.

I recommend this for any Slam Dunk fan that wants to find a more mature story with similar sports. I recommend this to people that are patiently waiting for Vagabond. I recommend this to people that aren't into sports manga, because of how much the sports are being presented as something that is carefully put in, also, wheelchair basketball, is a overlooked sport that is worth looking into.
This manga, to me, is a masterclass in character development and what it means to become an adult with hopes and dreams.

Real isn't just a manga about wheelchair basketball;

The brilliance of Real lies not only in its stunning artwork but also in its ability to delve deep into the human psyche. Inoue's characters are flawlessly crafted, their complexities laid bare for readers to explore.
From the fiercely determined protagonist, Nomiya, to the troubled former basketball star, Takahashi, each character's journey is portrayed with authenticity and depth.

I found myself initially intrigued by the title "Real" when I began reading this manga, but its significance became clearer to me as I delved further into the story.

This Manga feels Real.

If you're looking for a manga that feels genuine ... and true to life, look no further than "Real."