Can Nomiya get past his bad temper and play basketball well enough to make the pros?
Creative Staff
Story & Art: Takehiko Inoue
Translation/Adaptation: John Werry
What They Say
That life-changing moment when you discover what you really want to do—Togawa had his a while back and is determined to achieve his goal. Nomiya just recently had his epiphany and can’t wait to take his next step forward. Takahashi is on the verge of finding out what he can aspire to and that it’s always been there for him.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
This volume focuses heavily on Nomiya. He rides the line of failure or success so closely, it’s hard not to cheer for the big man. A high school drop out and unemployed, the sudden drive to become a professional basketball play makes me believe he can do it. He gets up early every morning to train, hangs out with a couple basketball teams while they practice and things about nothing but what it will take for him to make it. But after his temper gets the better of him in a practice match, maybe I should be wary of his potential to succeed?
Nomiya doesn’t carry the whole volume by himself, Togawa has less time in this volume but it is “bigger” than anything Nomiya has going on. Togawa has reached his one year anniversary check up to see if his cancer has come back. He is a tough kid, but while he can hide his anxiety from those around him, he can’t hide from himself. That and seeing his father speak to Togawa’s dead mother’s photo about his own worries for their son really got to me. I think that’s why this is such a good series. While REAL may focus on the wheelchair basketball theme, it still branches out into areas that a lot of us have seen or dealt with in our own lives. Whether it is a battle with cancer, or just a battle with the bum cards life dealt you, REAL has something just about everyone of us can relate to.
Takahashi on the other hand seems to be going in the opposite direction of Togawa and Nomiya. It is still difficult to watch Takahashi fail to get on with his life. The time the story spends around him and the rehab center can really bring the reader down. Takahashi tortures himself by constantly thinking about basketball and the former wrestler Shiratori seems to be coming to the realization that he may never walk again, much less wrestle. But things aren’t all doom and gloom thanks to their trainer. She sees Takahashi staring longingly at the basketball court from time to time and calls in a favor from a former student. The former student just happens to play for the Dream wheelchair team that beat Togawa’s team in the last tournament. Could seeing a wheelchair basketball scrimmage first hand finally turn Takahashi around and convince him that wheelchair basketball is as real a sport as you make it?
In Summary
This is another nice production from Viz’s “Signature” line. Oversized with color pages both in the front and again on pages 71 and 72, this book also has the nice book flap or French flaps on the edge that can double as a bookmark. Viz also uses this on their Ooku title, but strangely not the Black Lagoon title despite it also belonging to the Signature line.
I enjoy some sports, but basketball isn’t one of them. So for Inoue to write a story about basketball and wheelchair basketball that keeps me interested and anticipating the next volume, that is impressive. I mean, to each their own, but I find basketball boring. However, there is nothing boring about the action on the court in this series or the difficult life situations the characters find themselves dealing with. These two aspects of the REAL series act as good counterweights, never being to depressing as basketball action lifts up the reader almost as readily as a small success any given character may have as they battle through life.
A great series that everyone should at least give a chance.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: B
Readers Rating: [ratings]
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: November 15th, 2011
MSRP: $12.99
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