Japanese manga, 'Real,' focuses on wheelchair basketball team

Takehiko Inoue, the artist and writer who had a successful basketball manga series called Slam Dunk, has turned his attention to a wheelchair basketball team in Real, Vol. 1-7.

The series has already sold 9 million copies, and a Feb. 1 review in the Daily Yomiuri Online is extremely positive, and says Real explores the human drama of the basketball team members, more than than being traditional sports manga.

Here's a selection from the review: "Real has enormous story depth that can be interpreted in any number of ways. It can be a tale of overcoming mental and physical barriers, a story of growing up and letting go of your ego or a story about accepting others. It can also be a story about finding your own limits and trying to surpass them."