REAL (Japanese: リアル) is a profound and unflinching masterpiece by the legendary Takehiko Inoue, the visionary creator of Slam Dunk and Vagabond. Since its debut in 1999, it has earned universal acclaim as one of the most mature and emotionally resonant works in the medium. Moving away from the traditional shonen tropes of victory and glory, REAL is a grounded psychological drama that uses wheelchair basketball as a lens to examine the "grit" of existence. It is celebrated for its raw, humanistic storytelling and its refusal to offer easy answers to life's most devastating tragedies.

The narrative weaves together the lives of three young men, each grappling with a shattered sense of self. Tomomi Nomiya, a high school dropout, is consumed by the guilt of a motorcycle accident that left a stranger paralyzed. Kiyoguchi Togawa, once a competitive sprinter, must rebuild his identity after losing a leg to bone cancer. Hisanobu Takahashi, a former "alpha" student, faces a grueling physical and mental battle after a bicycle accident leaves him paralyzed from the waist down. Together, their stories form a powerful exploration of disability, social alienation, and the relentless search for meaning in a world that has fundamentally changed.

Alternative Names by Language
リアル / Real / Реальность / ريل / เรียล / 真实 / 리얼