Real Drive

is an anime TV series created by Production I.G and Masamune Shirow (known for the Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed franchises) under the directorship of Kazuhiro Furuhashi, produced in collaboration with broadcaster Nippon Television (NTV). The series revolves around an information network known as "The Metal", and the series centers on Masamichi Haru, a paraplegic old man who was in a coma for 50 years after a test dive using Meta-Real technology went horribly wrong. After awakening from his coma, he starts searching for the "answer in the sea". The series aired on NTV and other channels from April 8, 2008, to October 1, 2008. A manga adaptation by Momotarou Miyano was serialized in Magazine Z from April 2008 to January 2009, with two volumes sold between August 22, 2008, and February 23, 2009, by Kodansha. A light novel adaptation by Yoshinobu Akita was published by Kodansha on August 5, 2008. Plot 2061 AD. Fifty years have passed since mankind developed the Network society. It was anticipated that this new infrastructure would realize a utopia where people connected with each other at the level of consciousness. However, new social problems such as personal data leaks and proliferation of manipulated information began to surface. Nevertheless, people still relied on the Network to exchange information, and proved unable to opt to abandon it. In due course, a new Network realm with more effective security measures was developed. This was called Meta-Real Network, usually abbreviated as "the Metal".