“Three disabled young men bond through wheelchair basketball, overcoming trauma and disability to chase their dreams together.”
Real
リアル
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Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
Synopsis
Three disabled young men bond through wheelchair basketball, overcoming trauma and disability to chase their dreams together.
Tomomi Nomiya, former captain of his high school's basketball team turned delinquent, decides to drop out of school after he is crushed by the guilt of ruining a young girl's life in a traffic accident. As he dedicates his free time to helping her, he stumbles upon Kiyoharu Togawa, a former sprinter who has lost the use of his right leg and now plays wheelchair basketball as an alternate outlet. After challenging Kiyoharu to a one-on-one game, Tomomi is completely defeated. Inspired by this encounter, he realizes that he can't let his love for basketball die so easily and decides that he will do what he can to help others while striving to become a professional player. Meanwhile, Hisanobu Takahashi, Tomomi's replacement as the high school's team captain, gets into an accident and finds himself permanently paralyzed below the waist. Real tells the touching tale of these three young men as they struggle to overcome their disabilities and inner conflicts in order to achieve their dreams while igniting a passion that will bring them together.
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 30 sampled reviews
What 30 readers settled on.
Strong agreement
σ 0.56 · scores cluster tight
—
Not enough recommend signal yet
↓ 0.23
Running avg · Nov 2008 → Feb 2026
- 10 “Maybe the best manga I've ever read. Inoue's ability to make you love what he loves is unparalleled. If you don't love basketball before reading this, you will at least understand what it is like...”
- 10 “Yes, this is a manga about wheelchair basketball. I've enjoyed SLAM DUNK, but this manga is so much more than just the sports itself. The story is a roller coaster throughout. It isn't a tear...”
- 10 “Its one of the best readings of my life until now. The development of the characters is so insane that you only wanna know more about them and EVERY CHARACTER have they time to shine in the history...”
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A Manga Publication
- Published Oct 1999 – ongoing
- Source Manga media type
- Ref. BS-M0625 catalog