What do you think?
Rate this book
リアルアカウント [Real Account] #1
Real Account, Vol. 1
UNFOLLOW OR DIE Like many of his peers, Ataru Kashiwagi has found himself addicted to the newest social networking service, Real Account. But one day, Ataru and almost 10,000 other people, get sucked into the Real Account Zone, where they have become players in a series of deadly games. The basic rules of these games are simple—if you lose all your followers, you die in real life, and if you die, all of your followers die with you. As these depraved games decimate the players around him, Ataru must use quick thinking and his knowledge of Real Account to win each round and return to the real world. But when true friendship determines whether he lives or dies, can Ataru really survive when the only people he can count on are his Internet friends?
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 9, 2014
176 people are currently reading
544 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
October 13, 2022
Please don't ask me wtf I just read because it is beyond twisted. I was shocked by this first volume. I heard that it was dark and gritty, but honestly it's beyond that. Real Account follows the main character, Ataru, as he gets sucked into a social media platform. While in this game, he and other "contestants" learn that they will be challenged to several games that are matters of life and death. And trust me when I say that these people get killed over nothing. You moved too slow, you die. You have people in the real world unfollow you, you die. It's gory as hell and I do not recommend this for the faint of heart. I do believe that it is such interesting commentary on our reliance on social media to tell us who we are and who other people are. I'm not sure how to necessarily review this one without giving too much away, but if you're a fan of horror manga then this is one to definitely check out.
December 1, 2017
... blah blah isekai blah blah trapped in a video game blah blah people dying left and right ...
At this point I'm beginning to think nothing else but manga with these tropes has been published these last few years.
Not a bad start but this could get stale quickly.
At this point I'm beginning to think nothing else but manga with these tropes has been published these last few years.
Not a bad start but this could get stale quickly.
December 31, 2016
I have a certain fondness for the "game of death" sub-genre of fiction. A well-constructed story in this vein examines human nature at its worst and/or most desperate, delivering pointed commentary on society, beneath its bloodshed and body counts. So far, Real Account is shaping up to be a very worthy "game of death" story.
Basically, imagine if Mark Zuckerberg were evil, and that Facebook was all a front to expose just how frail and tenuous the "friends" people make online really are. Sure, there's some hand-wavy "now you're stuck in the game, and if you die here, you die in real life" pseudo-science going on, but if you can get past that one cliche, there's the start of a really good story here.
I'll start with the characters, specifically our protagonist, Ataru. He comes across as refreshingly human. He's not a "Mary Sue," who's innately great at everything he does, nor is he a pathetic loser with no personality--both tropes that are much too common in anime/manga these days. Yes, he's socially awkward, but he's trying his best to get through life, despite losing his parents, and being rather poor. He's a regular guy who gets pulled into a situation he never could have anticipated, but once he's there, he does his best to do what he thinks is right--even if it means risking his own life to try and protect the lives of people important to him. It's his tendency to put others first, and think fast on his feet that makes him so likable--but the important thing is he's not perfect. He's smart, and has so far outwitted Marble (the guy holding all these people prisoner), but he's not infallible, and seeing his failings adds a lot to how believable he is as a character.
Getting into the others would mean varying degrees of spoilers, but it's a pretty likable cast and one of the strongest aspects of Real Account, so far. Another major strength is the plot itself, or rather the nuances beneath the surface. The death game Marble has set up takes 10,000 random social network users, with the intent of finding out just how many of the "friends" they've made online actually care about them. As a central theme, it's great. Some of us see our number of online friends as a sort of status symbol, but how many of them do we actually know? Moreover, if we were in danger, how many would put themselves at risk to try and help us? Who can you really count on when the chips are down? Anyone? All of the games Marble sets up are designed to stress that question, and so far they're covering a lot of aspects of people's online personas in rather interesting ways.
How do you know that person you're following really is who they say they are? How important is it to be accepted by your online peers? Could you be brutally honest to someone, even if it meant destroying their self-esteem? I'm not really doing this justice, but in just one volume, Real Account goes a long way toward exploring people's insecurities, vanity, loneliness, and greed in a way that says a lot about society.
And that's why this series is so good so far: Not for the blood and guts, but for what the violence exposes. There are a few loose ends that are dangling pretty freely right now (I hope the police become more involved as the series goes on, because right now their absence is a huge elephant in the room), but all in all I had a blast with Real Account. Can't wait to see where it goes from here.
Basically, imagine if Mark Zuckerberg were evil, and that Facebook was all a front to expose just how frail and tenuous the "friends" people make online really are. Sure, there's some hand-wavy "now you're stuck in the game, and if you die here, you die in real life" pseudo-science going on, but if you can get past that one cliche, there's the start of a really good story here.
I'll start with the characters, specifically our protagonist, Ataru. He comes across as refreshingly human. He's not a "Mary Sue," who's innately great at everything he does, nor is he a pathetic loser with no personality--both tropes that are much too common in anime/manga these days. Yes, he's socially awkward, but he's trying his best to get through life, despite losing his parents, and being rather poor. He's a regular guy who gets pulled into a situation he never could have anticipated, but once he's there, he does his best to do what he thinks is right--even if it means risking his own life to try and protect the lives of people important to him. It's his tendency to put others first, and think fast on his feet that makes him so likable--but the important thing is he's not perfect. He's smart, and has so far outwitted Marble (the guy holding all these people prisoner), but he's not infallible, and seeing his failings adds a lot to how believable he is as a character.
Getting into the others would mean varying degrees of spoilers, but it's a pretty likable cast and one of the strongest aspects of Real Account, so far. Another major strength is the plot itself, or rather the nuances beneath the surface. The death game Marble has set up takes 10,000 random social network users, with the intent of finding out just how many of the "friends" they've made online actually care about them. As a central theme, it's great. Some of us see our number of online friends as a sort of status symbol, but how many of them do we actually know? Moreover, if we were in danger, how many would put themselves at risk to try and help us? Who can you really count on when the chips are down? Anyone? All of the games Marble sets up are designed to stress that question, and so far they're covering a lot of aspects of people's online personas in rather interesting ways.
How do you know that person you're following really is who they say they are? How important is it to be accepted by your online peers? Could you be brutally honest to someone, even if it meant destroying their self-esteem? I'm not really doing this justice, but in just one volume, Real Account goes a long way toward exploring people's insecurities, vanity, loneliness, and greed in a way that says a lot about society.
And that's why this series is so good so far: Not for the blood and guts, but for what the violence exposes. There are a few loose ends that are dangling pretty freely right now (I hope the police become more involved as the series goes on, because right now their absence is a huge elephant in the room), but all in all I had a blast with Real Account. Can't wait to see where it goes from here.
September 27, 2020
Really imaginative!
I really liked this first book of this series. I liked the idea of the book. And I liked how it unfolded. I’m looking forward to the next book.
I really liked this first book of this series. I liked the idea of the book. And I liked how it unfolded. I’m looking forward to the next book.
November 16, 2023
Okay, okay. This is an interesting premise. I'm curious to see how this goes!
December 3, 2023
Just an ordinary story.
February 6, 2017
Lekker akelig verhaal, maar wel heel interessant en met een goede plottwist!
May 19, 2022
Un autre survival-horror, mais dont l'intrigue est basée sur les médias sociaux.
Les dessins, les traits de crayon reflètent bien l'inquiétude, l'angoisse.
Assez intriguée pour vouloir lire la suite de la série.
Les dessins, les traits de crayon reflètent bien l'inquiétude, l'angoisse.
Assez intriguée pour vouloir lire la suite de la série.
February 6, 2023
Sapete quei numeri uno che avete per casa, soli soletti, che avete comprato in tempi non sospetti e che poi son rimasti lì per anni? Quelli che sì, leggerò, e invece rimangono a prendere polvere tra le pila di fumetti non letti? Ecco, questo è Real Account per me.
È saltato fuori proprio oggi perché ho trovato un annuncio su internet per l'intera serie per una sciocchezza. Così son andata a scavare e l'ho ritrovato.
E letto.
E... Diciamo che non avevo letto la trama dietro, non avevo consultato Animeclick... In pratica non avevo idea di quello che mi sarei trovata davanti: un gioco di sopravvivenza ambientato in un mondo virtuale. Diecimila utenti sono stati trasportati verso questo mondo virtuale con le seguenti regole: «Con zero follower si muore all'istante» e «Se un giocatore muore, muoiono anche i suoi follower». E comincia la carneficina.
Ammetto che non so come possa andare avanti per altri ventitré volumi, che sono tantissimi. Però questo prima volume l'ho apprezzato. Serve sottolineare che GR è l'unico social su cui sono presente e ho un cellulare del 2008 che funziona alla perfezione e non supporta WhatsApp. :-)
Adesso vediamo come procede il gioco al massacro.
È saltato fuori proprio oggi perché ho trovato un annuncio su internet per l'intera serie per una sciocchezza. Così son andata a scavare e l'ho ritrovato.
E letto.
E... Diciamo che non avevo letto la trama dietro, non avevo consultato Animeclick... In pratica non avevo idea di quello che mi sarei trovata davanti: un gioco di sopravvivenza ambientato in un mondo virtuale. Diecimila utenti sono stati trasportati verso questo mondo virtuale con le seguenti regole: «Con zero follower si muore all'istante» e «Se un giocatore muore, muoiono anche i suoi follower». E comincia la carneficina.
Ammetto che non so come possa andare avanti per altri ventitré volumi, che sono tantissimi. Però questo prima volume l'ho apprezzato. Serve sottolineare che GR è l'unico social su cui sono presente e ho un cellulare del 2008 che funziona alla perfezione e non supporta WhatsApp. :-)
Adesso vediamo come procede il gioco al massacro.
September 26, 2020
Not the most unique when you are looking at it surface value, but much more varied when you look closer.
This was brutal. It had a lot of deaths and had blood. I thought the red spots on the cover were just for decoration, but they are a good representation of the actual content. It wasn’t graphic in my terms, just very disturbing and not for a lot of people. The back cover calls it a “death game” story, which it is.
I enjoyed the story since it was well thought out. It was pretty freaky and I feel like in some instances the main antagonist, or whatever the crown dude is, took it way too far. I am curious to see where it takes it from here since the story really compels you.
The art was charming. I liked it. It suited the “contemporary iseki” vibe that this story is, which is important.
The second major downside was the combination of all the popular stories. I felt like a lot of the iseki tropes were in this story - which was both good and bad. Some tropes suited the story while others just gave this a tacky vibe.
——
Makes you think about social media and your followers, but also about who you follow and why.
This was brutal. It had a lot of deaths and had blood. I thought the red spots on the cover were just for decoration, but they are a good representation of the actual content. It wasn’t graphic in my terms, just very disturbing and not for a lot of people. The back cover calls it a “death game” story, which it is.
I enjoyed the story since it was well thought out. It was pretty freaky and I feel like in some instances the main antagonist, or whatever the crown dude is, took it way too far. I am curious to see where it takes it from here since the story really compels you.
The art was charming. I liked it. It suited the “contemporary iseki” vibe that this story is, which is important.
The second major downside was the combination of all the popular stories. I felt like a lot of the iseki tropes were in this story - which was both good and bad. Some tropes suited the story while others just gave this a tacky vibe.
——
Makes you think about social media and your followers, but also about who you follow and why.
September 3, 2019
While the setting--a bunch of people trapped in a video game where if they die it's for real--is a cliche of near future science-fiction in any medium at this point, Okushou uses his setting to blister social media itself. This is a satire of all the things we do and see others do on the internet that should be appalling but somehow aren't because we experience them as "unreal" or "unimportant." This satirical bent sets it apart from the "sucked-into-the-game-now-have-a-fist-fight" that is the real cliche of stories in this setting.
December 11, 2021
An interesting start to a game of death manga. I'll be honest, I picked this one up after watching Squid Game and googling 'death game' manga's so who knows what I am signing up for.
Ataru is an introvert at school, with very few friends, but in the social media world of Real Account he has hundreds of followers. After he and thousands of others are sucked into the Real Account servers, they are forced to fight to the death and expose each other's social media lies to decide who (if any) will make it home.
Ataru is an introvert at school, with very few friends, but in the social media world of Real Account he has hundreds of followers. After he and thousands of others are sucked into the Real Account servers, they are forced to fight to the death and expose each other's social media lies to decide who (if any) will make it home.
September 27, 2022
Wow, bin richtig begeistert. Ein Erstlingswerk und erstaunlich deep. Total fesselnd, erschreckend und ich bin so froh, dass ich gleich mit Band 2 weiter machen kann.
Ich weiß nicht, wann ich das letzte Mal beim Manga lesen pausiert habe, um über das gelesene nachzudenken. Mangas empfinde ich Sonst eher als leichte Kost, aber hier, echt heftig...
Ich weiß nicht, wann ich das letzte Mal beim Manga lesen pausiert habe, um über das gelesene nachzudenken. Mangas empfinde ich Sonst eher als leichte Kost, aber hier, echt heftig...
May 9, 2018
ein sehr gelungener Auftakt.für mich zumindest.
was ich besonders TOLL UND SUPER finde ist ,dass sich nicht in jedem 2ten Gespräch irgend jemand so Sachen sagt wie: Sorry,tut mir leid, es ist meine schuld usw sagt.den das nervt mich manchmal tierisch. eine Empfehlung von mir.
was ich besonders TOLL UND SUPER finde ist ,dass sich nicht in jedem 2ten Gespräch irgend jemand so Sachen sagt wie: Sorry,tut mir leid, es ist meine schuld usw sagt.den das nervt mich manchmal tierisch. eine Empfehlung von mir.
February 4, 2023
MANGA NUMMER EINS FOREVERRRR
April 18, 2024
04/18/2024 Notes:
Jam packed first volume! Dark, gory, loads of social commentary and mild twists that keep the story fresh.
Only a handful of volumes on KU. May add series to buy list.
Jam packed first volume! Dark, gory, loads of social commentary and mild twists that keep the story fresh.
Only a handful of volumes on KU. May add series to buy list.
December 30, 2022
Mit SAO habe ich wohl einen Faible für Battle Royal Konzepte und Death Game Storys entwickelt.
Auch Real Account hat mich mit Band 1 bereits am Haken. Dass die Spiele mit den Social Media Accounts der Charaktere zusammenhängen und auch deren Follower betreffen, macht das Konzept doppelt spannend.
Der erste Band, klar, dient vor allem dem Worldbuilding und nutzt die Chance die Leser:innen möglichst gut ins Bild zu setzen.
Das Einzige, was mich aktuell noch etwas skeptisch macht, ist die Schnelligkeit, in der Spiele abgehandelt werden. Kann mir noch nicht ganz vorstellen, wie damit 24 Bände gefüllt werden. Aktuell liest sich das eher wie vorbei in 5 Bänden. Aber ich lass‘ mich gern überraschen.
Auch Real Account hat mich mit Band 1 bereits am Haken. Dass die Spiele mit den Social Media Accounts der Charaktere zusammenhängen und auch deren Follower betreffen, macht das Konzept doppelt spannend.
Der erste Band, klar, dient vor allem dem Worldbuilding und nutzt die Chance die Leser:innen möglichst gut ins Bild zu setzen.
Das Einzige, was mich aktuell noch etwas skeptisch macht, ist die Schnelligkeit, in der Spiele abgehandelt werden. Kann mir noch nicht ganz vorstellen, wie damit 24 Bände gefüllt werden. Aktuell liest sich das eher wie vorbei in 5 Bänden. Aber ich lass‘ mich gern überraschen.
November 11, 2022
This is making me realize that I kind of like Battle Royale-esque stories and I need to find more of them.
February 6, 2025
SO FUN! Pra88ing maggot needs to disappear.
April 13, 2020
2020 Read #340
The concept is clever, but it’s too sadistic and grotesque for me. I get what the point was, to highlight how fickle and shallow social media really is, but this was too much. I’ll stick to “killer game” stories like Battle Royale and The Hunger Games.
The concept is clever, but it’s too sadistic and grotesque for me. I get what the point was, to highlight how fickle and shallow social media really is, but this was too much. I’ll stick to “killer game” stories like Battle Royale and The Hunger Games.
July 29, 2021
Similar to but much better than Sword Art Online.
November 24, 2016
"If you die here... you die in the real world too..."
What a cliche premise at this point, being forced to play a game of death in a virtual world. I picked this up with little clue what it was about, and that line in the insert made me groan. But despite the cliche (or maybe because of it) I enjoyed this.
This is the story of mostly highschoolers who post to a fictional Twitter / 4Chan account called Real Account, some creating false identities or hiding behind the screen, now flung into the virtual world with a sort of dungeon master commanding them to use the social network functions to compete against each other, the losers dying a painful death (with a few extra wrinkles to that premise to keep it interesting).
There's no subversion of the tropes really, it takes itself a bit too seriously for my usual tastes, but I think it works because the death element is a bit more visceral than some others. I believe this is a seinen, though there's not really any sexual content (the worst being ), but there are some graphic deaths for failing the games, and it doesn't pull too many punches there.
I'm expecting (or maybe hoping) it gets tougher as it goes on emotionally, but we'll see. The beginning of the game is sudden, and super chaotic, characters not getting the chance to endear themselves to the reader or characters before they meet their demise (Tohyo Game has this beat for emotion of newer "death game" series).
What a cliche premise at this point, being forced to play a game of death in a virtual world. I picked this up with little clue what it was about, and that line in the insert made me groan. But despite the cliche (or maybe because of it) I enjoyed this.
This is the story of mostly highschoolers who post to a fictional Twitter / 4Chan account called Real Account, some creating false identities or hiding behind the screen, now flung into the virtual world with a sort of dungeon master commanding them to use the social network functions to compete against each other, the losers dying a painful death (with a few extra wrinkles to that premise to keep it interesting).
There's no subversion of the tropes really, it takes itself a bit too seriously for my usual tastes, but I think it works because the death element is a bit more visceral than some others. I believe this is a seinen, though there's not really any sexual content (the worst being ), but there are some graphic deaths for failing the games, and it doesn't pull too many punches there.
I'm expecting (or maybe hoping) it gets tougher as it goes on emotionally, but we'll see. The beginning of the game is sudden, and super chaotic, characters not getting the chance to endear themselves to the reader or characters before they meet their demise (Tohyo Game has this beat for emotion of newer "death game" series).
November 23, 2017
Come sapete io vado a sensazioni quando si tratta di manga, prendo quello che trovo (innanzitutto) e che mi ispira. Quindi ho preso il primo volume di Real account attirata dalla copertina e dalla trama sul retro. La storia è molto intrigante e macabra, non nuovissima perché ricalca ad esempio Sword art online con i protagonisti che rischiano la vita nel mondo virtuale allo stesso modo della vita vera. Però è molto più tragico, c'è molto più sangue e anche crudeltà. Ataru, il protagonista, si trova ad dover affrontare dei "giochi" che sfruttano il web e le sue dinamiche, sopratutto quelle più controverse e crudeli: i tuoi followers ti seguiranno nonostante tutto? Cosa convince le persone a seguirti, una bella faccia o una bella personalità? Molto bello, ma spero non cada nella banalità e prosegua con questo ritmo incalzante e misterioso.
November 13, 2016
Very good first volume, but I hope the characters are given more personality as time goes on. I am not 100 percent sold on this manga merely being another Sword Art Online copy, as many other reviewers have stated. There is no combat, no mmo, no game. Most of the manga is spent on the ideas of 'who are your real friends' and on the liars on social media that might be encountered, and makes a death game based on that. Similar in there's a death game, but that's it.
I am glad I bought volume 2. I am looking forward to reading it.
I am glad I bought volume 2. I am looking forward to reading it.
January 11, 2020
Think Battle Royale mixed with .hack//sign splashed with a bit of Persona.
Very cutesy artwork with a hint of gore here and there. The story doesn’t flow all that well but it’s the first volume so I won’t be too hard on it. It’s interesting and I am enjoying myself and the ride so far.
3.5
Very cutesy artwork with a hint of gore here and there. The story doesn’t flow all that well but it’s the first volume so I won’t be too hard on it. It’s interesting and I am enjoying myself and the ride so far.
3.5
April 2, 2017
Enjoyable!
Battle Royale using a social network platform. Cool
Battle Royale using a social network platform. Cool
February 6, 2017
Review to come soon!!
December 22, 2017
Intriguing ideas. I honestly don't know what I'd do, but this manga has made me think a bit more about real relationships.
January 18, 2021
OK so far, I'm intrigued
But him fancying his sisters lookalike... That's a no from me dawg.
But him fancying his sisters lookalike... That's a no from me dawg.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2020
I can pinpoint the exact moment I began to believe Real Account was something more than a run-of-the-mill manga. On one page the main character, Ataru, dramatically hits the "tweet" button on his phone in an over-the-top manner that befits a shonen hero performing his special attack. He yells, "Please share! My life depends on it!!!" It's hilarious, and, even as it parodies online social media use, begs to be shared on social media (for my part I tweeted a screenshot). But Ataru is not wrong: his life really depends on that "tweet." The premise of Real Account is familiar; it is yet another isekai where the protagonist and others get sucked into an online app or game. Real Account stands out in two ways. First, the action of the manga (at least so far) takes place as a sort of deadly game show by the evil mastermind behind the "Real Account" app. There is no virtual world for its characters to explore. Second, the challenges in this show take the form of parodies of online behavior. And this leads us to what is interesting about Real Account: it wants to probe and critique how we act online. So far the satire feels a bit toothless, but it is also only the first volume. I will be checking out the second volume.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews