Takehiko Inoue’s works are often so beloved and well-drawn that many anime studios are intimidated when it comes to bringing them to the small screen. While Toei Animation did just that with the recent blockbuster, The First Slam Dunk, another of Inoue’s works, Vagabond, has yet to receive any sort of anime. In a recent interview, an executive at Studio Madhouse stated that there was one story that originated from Takehiko Inoue that the production house would like to tackle.
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As a refresher on Madhouse, the anime studio has created some heavy hitters in the anime world. On its resume, the production house created the likes of Overlord, One-Punch Man’s first season, Parasyte, and Hajime no Ippo. Recently, Studio Madhouse was able to make some major waves thanks to the release of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.
Madhouse x Real
At a recent MAPPA x Madhouse x Cloverworks, Madhouse Producer Fukushi confirmed that they would love nothing more than to create an anime adaptation of Real. The Takehiko Inoue manga first arrived in 1999 and has continued to this day, weaving a sports anime series that focuses on basketball players in wheelchairs. On top of the frantic pace, the manga also explores the main characters as they come to terms with their disabilities.
If you want a closer look at Real, here’s how the manga describes its story, “Eisner-award nominated creator Takehiko Inoue creates a dramatic tale of triumph over adversity. This is the story of three young men whose lives are profoundly changed by their involvement with wheelchair 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 the mega-hit masterpieces Slam Dunk and Vagabond, lifts the manga medium to a completely new level of storytelling. 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. These three very different personalities have only one thing in common–their passion for basketball.”
Want to see what the anime future holds for Madhouse? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for all the latest updates on the anime world and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.