What’s REAL? And what’s not?

The legendary Japanese manga artist Takehiko Inoue throws a question to the audience with this one — "What is real, and what is not?"

You can have endless conversations over that subject, but only you know what is real to you and what is not. This appears to be what the characters in Takehiko Inoue's manga 'Real'  discover.

The manga centres around three young men of similar age, from different walks of life. 

Nomiya Tonomi, a highschool dropout, is a bully; obnoxious and dimwitted, but has a love for basketball. Togawa Kiyoharu, a talented sprinter, was about to become the top junior high sprinter in Japan, but his right leg was partially amputated because of osteosarcoma. 

And finally there is Hisanobu Takahashi, the arrogant basketball captain of Nishi High Basketball team, who used to look down on people from his olympic heights of academic and athletic excellence, but now can't feel his body down from his waist due to the unfortunate accident he met. 

These three individuals struggle to rebuild their lives through a common purpose, a common goal, a common sport: Basketball.

Simply put, Takehiko Inoue is brilliant. The reader will be dying for more after reading this book, because of the incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm it generates for sports. 

For shounen manga, the art style is quite sophisticated; the shading and intricacies incorporated into the artwork are magnificent and capture the reader's attention. The thought of a manga investigating a subject that most authors, whether manga or not, avoid, seemed intriguing to me.

This is a story that will appeal to any audience while having the typical components of shounen manga, like gruff characters, action, a little drama, and a few schoolgirl skirts. 

The narrative is insightful and truthful, delving into the graphic and occasionally upsetting details of someone who has undergone physical alteration. The audience will be hooked and will be left yearning for more by the interpersonal relationships, contentious plotlines, and gorgeous artwork.