The First Slam Dunk

The First Slam Dunk

Shohoku's “speedster” and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team along with Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui as they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship. And now, they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.

  • Released: 2022-12-03
  • Runtime: 124 minutes
  • Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama
  • Stars: Shugo Nakamura, Jun Kasama, Shinichirou Kamio, Subaru Kimura, Kenta Miyake, Shinichiro Kamio, Chikahiro Kobayashi, Ryota Iwasaki, Katsuhisa Houki, Maaya Sakamoto, Kenichirou Matsuda, Masafumi Kobatake, Asami Seto
  • Director: Takehiko Inoue
 Comments
  • ronstark-87331 - 19 May 2024
    Closure for Slam Dunk fans finally arrives with "The First Slam Dunk" - A review from a die-hard fan
    Ever since the anime concluded in 1996, fans have been left hanging since the series ended with Shohoku finally entering the national tournament, prompting enthusiasts to seek the manga for answers. Regardless, many fans missed out on the potential on-screen drama the series portrayed in the books.

    "The First Slam Dunk" emerges as a heartfelt tribute from Takehiko Inoue to the devoted fan base that patiently awaited the continuation of this beloved saga. It retains the nostalgic charm of the original anime while offering deeper character portrayals previously unseen in both manga and anime formats.

    Story: The First Slam Dunk takes place in the final match of the manga series (Shohoku vs. Sannoh, missing out on the Toyotama match). This disparity of events between the movie and the anime requires the viewer to read the manga to understand and appreciate the film in its entirety.

    Furthermore, it spotlights Ryouta Miyagi more than its original main character, Hanamichi Sakuragi. Despite this change, the film still feels like a Slam Dunk film as the change in focus doesn't affect the flow of the story, as to the manga, but instead adds a new angle. (He connects his one-shot "Piericing" to "Slam Dunk" at some point in the movie.) However, this change takes away the impact of the match's final moments as it was the culmination of Sakuragi and Rukawa's character arcs.

    Lastly, There were some significant highlights in the manga that the film chose to omit. (Such as Mitsui shooting unconsciously due to fatigue, Sakuragi's interactions with Mikio, Rukawa's flashback with Sendoh, Sakuragi's Confession, and many others). Given the limited screen time, these cuts were understandable, but they could have added a more in-depth feel of the situations and appreciation of the characters.

    Animation: For a sports anime, one of its way to portray its story is through the actions, expressions of its characters during the match. Thus, standout feature of the film is its seamless blend of hand-drawn artistry by Inoue with CGI, breathing life into the basketball matches with stunning detail portraying the narrative and stakes between Sannoh and Shohoku. Not only does it make the film feel like an actual basketball match, but also its animation style is able to make portray small details that adds flavor to the story.

    Conclusion: "The First Slam Dunk" provides the long-awaited closure to a franchise that concluded over two decades ago. While requiring prior knowledge for full understanding, it offers a revitalizing experience for both seasoned fans and newcomers alike. Inoue's masterful work shines through, reigniting our love for Slam Dunk and deepening our appreciation for his other works.
  • makavelix5 - 26 December 2023
    Both disappointed and had fun (mostly of good memories)
    SlamDunk anime is one of the funniest and also better sport animes of all time. I also read the whole manga and it is also extremely fun and exciting. SlamDunk franchise is about Hanamichi who just wants to impress a girl who is into basketball. This movie tho, for whatever reason, focuses on Ryota and sooo many dramas and so many basketball-loving moments. That's where they lost me on this. Visuals are 3d, the models are 1 on 1, some animations are great. But there are a lot of ''NPC'' moments. The worst aspect of the movie was the sound effects. For fans, it's a disappointment. For newcomers, it wont make a difference or buy the manga. They should've focus on Hanamichi and end it with him. Unfortunetely, it is a waste of oppotunity.
  • ninpuu-kamui-imdb - 1 August 2023
    Perfect paced adaptation
    I'm not giving it ten points because the 3D crowd was pretty bad in some scenes. Other than that, it's a perfect movie! The pacing, emotion and tension are set up impeccably, and there are several seconds of silence towards the end of the movie where the whole theater was dead silent, some probably holding their breath.

    Fans of the manga will recognize iconic scenes that last just long enough. With the same rhythm and comedic timing, you can tell that the manga's author is the director of the film.

    It captures the charms of the manga beautifully, while also using the resources of animation to great effect, making it a masterpiece in its own right.