16 Jan / Real (vol. 1) by Takehiko Inoue, translated by IT Planning, Inc.
Let the weekend games continue: if yesterday’s basketball story was a (mostly) feel-good, rah-rah fest, today’s post is definitely more somber. The kids in this game are older, harder, more cynical … but they all love the game of basketball like nothing else.
Nomiya’s been thrown out of high school, unable to deal with his guilt-ridden demons: taking a joyride on his motorcycle has left a young girl in a wheelchair and he spends more time visiting her in the hospital than going to school.
Now that Nomiya is out of the way, arrogant big-boy-on-campus Takahashi has taken over as captain of the school basketball team, which gives him free rein to bully some of the less talented members.
Frustrated Nomiya who’s always in search of a game meets Togawa, another ultra-talented basketball addict … who plays sitting down. In fact, he’s the star of a wheelchair basketball team, and even Nomiya can’t keep up with him!
These three boys’ lives will collide, intersect, and dovetail again and again, in surprising, even gasp-causing ways. The first of a nine-volume series thus far in English translation (the manga is a huge bestseller in its native Japan), Real is exactly that … and sometimes reality can overwhelm you with unexpected, literally back-breaking moves.
Manga artist Inoue, who also created the manga/anime empire Slam Dunk (more basketball!), seems to have the uncanny ability to make his characters swoosh across the page, fling their sweat from one frame to another, even feel the jolt of slamming brakes. His basketball manga is so popular that he’s actually been credited with inspiring kids throughout Japan to go out and actually play the sport! Now that’s true life-changing inspiration!
Readers: Young Adult, Adult
Published: 2008 (United States)
REAL © Takehiko Inoue
Original Japanese edition published by Shueisha Inc.
Very cool, I remember reading about this, and checking some of Inoue’s stuff online, like 10 yrs ago! I’m re-reading SLAM DUNK for Korean practice, but would love to see some of his more edgy stuff in English. To be honest, as a doodler of sorts, I just fell in love with Inoue’s artwork, and would grab anything he did.
Another one of his that is incredibly cool is Vagabond. I’m going to try to get my hands on that (Impossible to find in Canada).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vagabond_(manga)
I’m gonna load up on a few of his from Amazon 😉
You are way ahead of me! I’m just catching up with some of the ‘older’ manga … I might have known what manga was 10 years ago as a genre, as pop culture, even as literary history (Hokusai, etc.), but I certainly had NO idea at the vast richness out there! And I certainly didn’t know of Inoue’s work back then, that’s for sure! I’m just so grateful to even think about catching up someday, somehow!
I’ve read the first three volumes of (and posted here on BookDragon about) Vagabond … and WOW! Am hoping to read the rest. So many manga, so little time!
Do you know the Ōoku series? You could look at those as a gender-bender alternative to Vagabond … or even a companion series of sorts.
Oh the wide world of manga! I think, if I could, I’d be reading nothing else for a year or so … and then go back to prose! Maybe …!
Yes, DO load up! Oh, and am so impressed you’re re-reading Slam Dunk in Korean! Whoo hooo! Good for you!
Not sure if you’ve already perused these, but he has produced a couple eye popping ‘coffee table’ books based on his distinctly japanese style from Vagabond… Just breathtaking. I wouldn’t hesitate to get
WATER http://goo.gl/7jIyD
SUMI http://goo.gl/7WOH5
(scroll down for a video on the book)
On amazon, but I would hesitate to bring these out when friends come over. Getting coffee/wine stains on those is just not acceptable 😉
Am having an especially Luddite morning … I just wrote a reply and it’s disappeared. And although you are an “approved” commenter, this last one above ended up as “spam” which I rarely check, just hit “empty” but I happened to see your chop just as I was about to clear. Gads!
Thanks so much for the heads up about Inoue’s titles, and the warning NOT to let them get stained! Hee hee hoho! True artistry must be protected indeed!
Did you see the website, by chance, of the person who posted the video of Sumi? HOLY MOLY talk about a labor of love!
Thanks, as always, for visiting BookDragon. Hopefully, I won’t be finding you spamming again …!