“Before you call yourself a Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu or any other theology, learn to be human first.”
― Shannon L. Alder
First published in 1999, REAL has been capturing my attention. REAL is a Japanese wheelchair basketball-themed manga series created by Takehiko Inoue. For those who don’t know what manga is, the manga is an umbrella term for all sorts of comic books and graphic novels originally published in Japan.
Even though REAL is written in Japanese (there are English translated-version available), quotes from the series have significantly influenced my English writings and my writing style in general. And not only are those quotes beneficial for my writing style but also they helped me get through even difficult days.
Despite the fact that REAL’s main theme is wheelchair basketball, it’s main focus isn’t about sports. Basketball in the series is just a connective element that brings together the three main characters. The story mainly revolves around the three and depicts their realities. One is a high school dropout and the other two characters are physically challenged. They face their realities and have been through their ups and downs.
By illustrating their realities, the manga series reveals social issues that are often considered hard to discuss. As the series navigates through their lives, the reader would grow sympathies for the characters. Since physical disabilities are also a main theme of the series, it gives us a chance to have a glimpse into situations handicapped people may encounter in everyday lives.
Having mentioned physical disabilities, REAL cast a question to readers throughout the entire storyline: “What does it mean to be strong?” Shiratori, one of the sub-characters who used to be a pro boxer but became half-paralyzed down one side, asked that question. He described himself as socially vulnerable despite his thirst for power for all those years until his injury.
All in all, REAL is my personal favorite manga series, and quotes from the manga still shine in my heart. Had it not for the manga series, my writing style would be quite different. Here is my collection of REAL volumes.
Lastly, for international friends, I wish I could bring you those great quotes from REAL, but I wasn’t able to find proper English translations. I’m sorry about that. But here, I found some images on Pinterest and Instagram. My hope is that you can get some feelings for REAL.
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