SLAM DUNK｜Anime

2023.10.20

“SLAM DUNK” is a Japanese manga and anime work by Takehiko Inoue about basketball, serialised in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1990 to 1996 for a total of 276 episodes. It is one of the most influential works in Japanese manga history. Many boys and girls probably started playing basketball after watching the manga.
It is a very popular work that still has a strong fanbase and as of February 2023, the total number of copies of the series worldwide had exceeded 170 million.

Synopsis

The protagonist, Hanamichi Sakuragi, is a sad man who has been rejected by 50 girls in his three years of junior high school.
He is shocked when the 50th girl tells him that she likes Oda-kun from the basketball team.
After entering Shohoku High School, he had an unusual reaction to the word ‘basketball’ and was unable to recover.
One day, he is approached by a beautiful girl in the corridor. Do you like basketball?” Without hesitation, Hanamichi answered “I like it”, as the girl, Haruko, was his favourite!
Hanamichi starts practising basketball, dreaming of the day when he will go to and from school with Haruko, the girl of his dreams. However, Haruko has feelings for Rukawa Kaede, a newcomer to the basketball club. Shortly after Hanamichi learns of this fact, a ball from the basketball team’s practice accidentally hits Hanamichi in the face. An angry Hanamichi furiously attacked the members of the basketball club. Then the captain Akagi appeared. In front of Akagi, who loves basketball, Hanamichi insults the basketball club by calling it a ‘ball playing club’, which angers Akagi, and he decides to play basketball with Akagi. Can the novice Hanamichi win this reckless match? What will happen to Hanamichi’s basketball game?

SLAM DUNK | Recommendations

The game descriptions and tactical developments are brilliantly depicted by the author Takehiko Inoue’s enthusiasm and knowledge of basketball and his excellent drawing skills. The many unique and fascinating characters, the clever combination of serious and comical scenes, and the wonderful storytelling with a mixture of laughter and tears have captured the hearts and minds of fans, drawing them into the world of “SLAM DUNK”.
One of the reasons for the large number of fans is probably the famous words of the coach of the basketball club to which the protagonists belong: “If you give up, the game is over”.

Hanamichi Sakuragi, the protagonist of Slam Dunk, initially has no interest in basketball at all, and when he first joins the club, his talent and skills are completely amateur and he starts off in a state where he can do nothing. However, he never gives up trying to improve and grows from his mistakes. His growth symbolises the Japanese spirit of never giving up.
Similarly, characters other than Hanamichi show a similar refusal to give up when faced with difficulties. They overcome setbacks and failures and do their best for themselves and their team. This attitude reflects the mental strength and hard-working nature of the Japanese people.
They also overcome their individual weaknesses and shortcomings, and develop cohesion as a team. Their spirit of cooperation and mutual help represents the Japanese spirit of collectivism and cooperation.

The Japanese spirit of never giving up in Slam Dunk reflects traditional Japanese values and culture, such as the strength to work hard and keep going, teamwork and solidarity. If you give up, the game is over. This quote from Slam Dunk must have captured the hearts of many Japanese people at the time.