What do you think?
Deep 3, Volume 1
A story of determination and a young basketball player willing to do whatever it takes to get back on track.
Demian Kawai has been devoting himself to basketball in Japan with the goal of becoming the top scorer in the world's top professional league, the NBO. However, this promising young player was struck by the tragedy of the yips, a condition that causes his arms to stiffen up whenever he approaches the goal. Can he persevere and realize his dream?
Demian Kawai has been devoting himself to basketball in Japan with the goal of becoming the top scorer in the world's top professional league, the NBO. However, this promising young player was struck by the tragedy of the yips, a condition that causes his arms to stiffen up whenever he approaches the goal. Can he persevere and realize his dream?
208 pages, Paperback
Published March 10, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 16, 2026
One of the worst sports manga I read. Characters are dull as can be.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A digital review copy was given to me by Media Lab Public Relations on behalf of TOKYOPOP and Caesar Noir for a fair review.
---
Sports manga (and anime!) are an anomaly for me. I dislike playing and watching most sports. I tried to play sports in school (soccer, volleyball) and was terrible at it, and never enjoyed myself. I kept myself in shape with ballet instead.
But there’s something magical about sports manga. I get really, really into the games, the strategies, the camaraderie, the teamwork, the losses and successes…and Deep 3 is no exception. I really enjoyed this first volume in what will be an ongoing series.
Demian’s Japanese mother is in the US trying to be a dancer for the NBO, while Demian is back in Japan, training to be the best basketball player he can be so he can someday be in the NBO too, like his father, Earvin Johnson.
There’s a lot of pressure here. Demian’s dream is huge, and he trains all the time for it; he has the weight of his father’s legacy on him; he has his teammates to inspire and rely on; and, of course, they’re playing to get into the Interscholastic Tournament and then go even farther!
Demian’s already dealt with one tragedy that kept him on the bench–in a previous year, he suffered from an Achilles tendon injury that wiped him out. Now that he’s back in action, he wants to make up for lost time and show everyone the phenom he’s always been meant to be–but now he’s dealing with a case of the yips.
They do explain what the yips are when Demian goes to the doctor’s office. In Demian’s case, his arms twist or lock up, especially when he’s trying to dunk or shoot close to the basket. But I wanted to know more.
This study (link in original post on my website), while focusing primarily on golfers, says that the yips are psychological and physical.
"In golf, they appear as involuntary movements and/or freezing during a stroke (1–6). These movements have been described as jerking, twisting, and/or a tremor, while freezing is a hesitation prior to executing a swing (1–6).
The yips have been categorized in a variety of ways. They have been described as “physical symptoms (dystonia: type I), psychosocial symptoms (choking: type II), or a combination of both (non-categorized)” (6). One study categorized the yips as dystonic and non-dystonic where dystonic yips had a “jerk, twist, or posturing” (7), and non-dystonic forms appeared as “pushing or steering” the ball while putting (7)."
A famous example that is somewhat recent is with Simone Biles, who suffered from the “twisties,” another variant of the yips, but in the world of gymnastics. While Biles did take significant time off from gymnastics to deal with this condition, when she returned, she performed incredible feats.
One can only have the same hopes for Demian as he struggles with the pressures he’s always felt, plus this new diagnosis of the yips. His doctor says there is no cure, and that it is a condition one sort of lives with. This is just another thing Demian has to contend with as he struggles to fulfill his dreams.
Despite these setbacks, Demian also has wins here and there, giving him enough confidence to persevere–he just can’t figure out how to keep his performance consistent or reliable.
There are numerous nail-biting scenes that alternate between Demian succeeding and failing, and how his teammates rely on him (and the shame he feels for letting them down). There are a lot of close calls in the games that make them interesting, and the manga ends on the introduction of a Japanese high school with formidable basketball players who like to both talk the talk and walk the walk. With incredible highs and lows, and surprises up the players’ sleeve, Demian is determined to turn things around. The manga ends with him shouting to his teammates: “We haven’t lost yet!”
I definitely want to see how they do in the next manga! What a way to leave it!
The art in this manga is really well done. Characters are unique and thoroughly expressive, and the action is well depicted. Demian even looks beautiful sometimes! The combination of a vivid, intense storyline with gorgeous art really makes this manga come out on top.
Mitsuhiro Mizuno, the story creator, shares a special essay at the end of the manga about how, as a child, he wanted to be like Michael Jordan, and talks about a few Japanese players that went on to play in the NBA despite shortcomings like height or differing abilities from the US players. Just like the manga itself, these are brief stories of overcoming adversity, and you can see where Mizuno formulated his story. I recommend giving this short essay a little read for a more complete look at the manga.
The artist, Ryosuke Tobimatsu also has a few panels he drew at the end talking about the challenges of drawing basketball scenes, and the difficulties living (and drawing through COVID). While only a couple panels long, it gives you a look into his art and humor. I think, while he’s never played basketball, he did a tremendous job drawing it.
I enjoyed myself way more than I expected to with this manga, only because personally, I am not a big fan of sports. They’ve always been in a realm bigger and outside of myself, and I’ve never been able to crack it. Manga is the closest I can come to doing so. And Deep 3 makes you feel all the things while rooting for Demian and his team members. Highly recommended.
---
Sports manga (and anime!) are an anomaly for me. I dislike playing and watching most sports. I tried to play sports in school (soccer, volleyball) and was terrible at it, and never enjoyed myself. I kept myself in shape with ballet instead.
But there’s something magical about sports manga. I get really, really into the games, the strategies, the camaraderie, the teamwork, the losses and successes…and Deep 3 is no exception. I really enjoyed this first volume in what will be an ongoing series.
Demian’s Japanese mother is in the US trying to be a dancer for the NBO, while Demian is back in Japan, training to be the best basketball player he can be so he can someday be in the NBO too, like his father, Earvin Johnson.
There’s a lot of pressure here. Demian’s dream is huge, and he trains all the time for it; he has the weight of his father’s legacy on him; he has his teammates to inspire and rely on; and, of course, they’re playing to get into the Interscholastic Tournament and then go even farther!
Demian’s already dealt with one tragedy that kept him on the bench–in a previous year, he suffered from an Achilles tendon injury that wiped him out. Now that he’s back in action, he wants to make up for lost time and show everyone the phenom he’s always been meant to be–but now he’s dealing with a case of the yips.
They do explain what the yips are when Demian goes to the doctor’s office. In Demian’s case, his arms twist or lock up, especially when he’s trying to dunk or shoot close to the basket. But I wanted to know more.
This study (link in original post on my website), while focusing primarily on golfers, says that the yips are psychological and physical.
"In golf, they appear as involuntary movements and/or freezing during a stroke (1–6). These movements have been described as jerking, twisting, and/or a tremor, while freezing is a hesitation prior to executing a swing (1–6).
The yips have been categorized in a variety of ways. They have been described as “physical symptoms (dystonia: type I), psychosocial symptoms (choking: type II), or a combination of both (non-categorized)” (6). One study categorized the yips as dystonic and non-dystonic where dystonic yips had a “jerk, twist, or posturing” (7), and non-dystonic forms appeared as “pushing or steering” the ball while putting (7)."
A famous example that is somewhat recent is with Simone Biles, who suffered from the “twisties,” another variant of the yips, but in the world of gymnastics. While Biles did take significant time off from gymnastics to deal with this condition, when she returned, she performed incredible feats.
One can only have the same hopes for Demian as he struggles with the pressures he’s always felt, plus this new diagnosis of the yips. His doctor says there is no cure, and that it is a condition one sort of lives with. This is just another thing Demian has to contend with as he struggles to fulfill his dreams.
Despite these setbacks, Demian also has wins here and there, giving him enough confidence to persevere–he just can’t figure out how to keep his performance consistent or reliable.
There are numerous nail-biting scenes that alternate between Demian succeeding and failing, and how his teammates rely on him (and the shame he feels for letting them down). There are a lot of close calls in the games that make them interesting, and the manga ends on the introduction of a Japanese high school with formidable basketball players who like to both talk the talk and walk the walk. With incredible highs and lows, and surprises up the players’ sleeve, Demian is determined to turn things around. The manga ends with him shouting to his teammates: “We haven’t lost yet!”
I definitely want to see how they do in the next manga! What a way to leave it!
The art in this manga is really well done. Characters are unique and thoroughly expressive, and the action is well depicted. Demian even looks beautiful sometimes! The combination of a vivid, intense storyline with gorgeous art really makes this manga come out on top.
Mitsuhiro Mizuno, the story creator, shares a special essay at the end of the manga about how, as a child, he wanted to be like Michael Jordan, and talks about a few Japanese players that went on to play in the NBA despite shortcomings like height or differing abilities from the US players. Just like the manga itself, these are brief stories of overcoming adversity, and you can see where Mizuno formulated his story. I recommend giving this short essay a little read for a more complete look at the manga.
The artist, Ryosuke Tobimatsu also has a few panels he drew at the end talking about the challenges of drawing basketball scenes, and the difficulties living (and drawing through COVID). While only a couple panels long, it gives you a look into his art and humor. I think, while he’s never played basketball, he did a tremendous job drawing it.
I enjoyed myself way more than I expected to with this manga, only because personally, I am not a big fan of sports. They’ve always been in a realm bigger and outside of myself, and I’ve never been able to crack it. Manga is the closest I can come to doing so. And Deep 3 makes you feel all the things while rooting for Demian and his team members. Highly recommended.
August 18, 2026
This was my first introduction to "yips." it seems triggered by performance-based anxiety.
While it's nice to have a Blasian lead, this sports manga hasn't pushed me to read a second volume. The characters haven't had time to express their personalities beyond "ball is life." Demian seems to have a kind "captain?" leader dude who encourages him. Ultimately, there were more basketball scenes (it is a sports manga, but there's a balance) than there were character interactions.
Demian's father seemingly abandoned him to buy drinks (not explicitly milk, but still), who seems to be a tongue-in-cheek homage to Magic Johnson but with Kobe's facial features. Demian desperately wants to be in the NBO (NBA). I don't think it's necessarily to follow in his father's footsteps. The boy just loves the game of basketball for himself.
The art style is fine. Most of the characters look all right, though some look more animalistic. The author tends to exaggerate facial movements; they can go from goofy to the intensity of a singer trying to force a high note.
I'm not sure how much can be derived from this plotline, but mangas have squeezed lemons into lemonade before. Still, I'm not interested in more at the moment.
While it's nice to have a Blasian lead, this sports manga hasn't pushed me to read a second volume. The characters haven't had time to express their personalities beyond "ball is life." Demian seems to have a kind "captain?" leader dude who encourages him. Ultimately, there were more basketball scenes (it is a sports manga, but there's a balance) than there were character interactions.
Demian's father seemingly abandoned him to buy drinks (not explicitly milk, but still), who seems to be a tongue-in-cheek homage to Magic Johnson but with Kobe's facial features. Demian desperately wants to be in the NBO (NBA). I don't think it's necessarily to follow in his father's footsteps. The boy just loves the game of basketball for himself.
The art style is fine. Most of the characters look all right, though some look more animalistic. The author tends to exaggerate facial movements; they can go from goofy to the intensity of a singer trying to force a high note.
I'm not sure how much can be derived from this plotline, but mangas have squeezed lemons into lemonade before. Still, I'm not interested in more at the moment.
Review of advance copy
Deep 3 Volume 1 is a sports manga centering a high school basketball star named Demian. Demian has yips, athletes' illness. His condition affects his mental health and even leaves him weak in the games. He dreams of being the next NBA MVP, yet struggles with multiple things.
The manga checks most criteria for being a "seinen" and sports manga. But the pacing was a bit fast, the plot went as if the book was already an anime.
However, given that it was originally published in the recent years (2021), the amount of prejudice and sexism towards Demian's mother and others feels weird to me. If Deep 3 was written in the 90s, it would be due to the time's "normal"s. 2020s and still this just gave me bad vibes.
Here is a quote I like:
"If you can't defend it alone, then we can defend it together"
⭐️My Overall Rating:
5.5/10
Disclaimer: I do not know if a newly-published typical manga in Japan has the same amount of sexism. Maybe I am looking from a too Western perspective.
Thanks to BookSirens and TOKYOPOP for providing me an advanced reader's copy. All opinions are my own.
The manga checks most criteria for being a "seinen" and sports manga. But the pacing was a bit fast, the plot went as if the book was already an anime.
However, given that it was originally published in the recent years (2021), the amount of prejudice and sexism towards Demian's mother and others feels weird to me. If Deep 3 was written in the 90s, it would be due to the time's "normal"s. 2020s and still this just gave me bad vibes.
Here is a quote I like:
"If you can't defend it alone, then we can defend it together"
⭐️My Overall Rating:
5.5/10
Disclaimer: I do not know if a newly-published typical manga in Japan has the same amount of sexism. Maybe I am looking from a too Western perspective.
Thanks to BookSirens and TOKYOPOP for providing me an advanced reader's copy. All opinions are my own.
April 22, 2026
I think the translation did this one a disservice. They’re clearly talking about Kobe Bryant as the main character’s inspo (and dad?) but they keep calling him Earvin Johnson (Magic). And that threw me, but they also don’t really mention it much after the initial reveal. It’s cool that he’s fighting through the yips. Unfortunately the solution (shoot from super far away) is the kind of unrealistic nonsense that has only been seen in John Grisham’s Sooley. It’s just so bad and it’s not fun enough to make up for it. Oh also, they push these “we need foreign players to be good” and “basketball is an unfair genetic lottery” narratives that *could* be something but just aren’t. Airball of a book.
April 1, 2026
Decent sports manga. I have no idea if basketball is being portrayed at all accurately as a sport, but I was at least able to follow the action, and it was generally pretty exciting. I liked that the main character is a talented athlete with the yips. It's a little different, and kind of a break from the usual prodigy protagonists in sports manga. The characters, aside from lead Demian, are pretty shallow. Most of his team aren't present in any sense, and the ones that are don't have much personality aside from wanting Demian to succeed.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This should have been good, but it has zero character development, rendering the basketball narrative uninteresting.
June 19, 2026
5 mois sans avoir lu de manga, ça fait du bien quand même
June 21, 2026
An interesting take on a sports manga! I'd never heard of the yips before, and I've also rarely seen a mixed race protagonist like Demian in a sports manga. The art is also really great and dynamic.
July 14, 2026
J’crois que j’aime pas les mangas de sport qui parlent absolument que de sport
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews