Real, Vol. 7

Drama, tragedy and fast breaks...on wheels. Life goes on... Get Real. Real men, real basketball, real manga. R to L (Japanese Style). With the Tokyo regionals coming up, Kiyoharu Togawa is at a crossroads. Should he stay with the Tigers just when they are starting to come together as a team, or should he go to the Dreams, where the level of play is so intense it will surely boost his already formidable playing skills? A motorcycle accident, bone cancer, a speeding truck crashing into a boy on a stolen bicycle--tragic, life-changing events turn the worlds of three young men upside down. Three very different personalities have only one thing in common--their passion for basketball. Critically acclaimed, award-winning manga artist Takehiko Inoue doesn't pull any punches in this stunning portrayal of people struggling with serious life issues. Masterfully combining rich character development with beautifully detailed line art, Inoue, the creator of mega-hit masterpieces Slam Dunk and Vagabond, brings the medium of manga to a completely new level of storytelling.

Takehiko Inoue is the creator of one of the most popular manga of all time, Slam Dunk, which has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. He followed that series up with two titles lauded by critics and fans alike--Vagabond, a fictional account of the life of Miyamoto Musashi, and Real, a manga about wheelchair basketball. Inoue is the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious Tezuka Osamu Culture award and the Media Arts Festival Award. In addition to his work on manga, Inoue has worked on television commercials, character designs for video games, and is the founder of a scholarship to foster Japanese basketball talent.