When you put anime and sports together, you often get some of the most memorable and important projects. For example, the volleyball-based “Haikyuu!! ” has won over a lot of fans with its story of an underdog team trying to get back on top. New entries, like “Blue Lock,” try to change the game by breaking down the idea of a star player in a dystopian setting that feels more like “The Hunger Games.”
But before “Blue Lock” and “Haikyuu!! “, a basketball-themed manga may have set the standard for sports anime. Takehiko Inoue’s manga “Slam Dunk,” which is about a high school basketball team in Japan, came out for the first time in 1990. Soon after, an anime series came out, which made the series even more popular and influential among fans.
CNN says that “Slam Dunk” is the reason why a whole new generation of people love basketball and why the Japanese Basketball Association knows who Inoue is. Inoue could have been happy with “Slam Dunk” and done nothing else. Instead, the author kept pushing his art to new heights with other well-known manga like “Vagabond,” which stars Musashi Miyamoto, and “Real,” which is also a heartfelt basketball story about athletes in wheelchairs.
Still, it looks like Inoue will make a movie based on the series that made him famous this year. The movie, called “The First Slam Dunk,” will come out this year. So put on your sneakers, because we’re going to talk about everything we know so far about “The First Slam Dunk.”
When Will the First Slam Dunk Be Released?
The First Slam Dunk came out in Japanese theaters in December 2022. In April, Anime Limited said that the film would also be shown in the UK and Ireland.
It has been confirmed that the movie will come out in the summer of 2023, but no official date has been given yet. Fans who want to know more can come back to this page for the latest news. There is no way to stream the first Slam Dunk series in the UK right now.
What Will Be the Story of the First Slam Dunk?
The “Slam Dunk” series is about a red-headed high school student named Hanamichi Sakuragi, who isn’t your typical jock. He starts his first year at Shohoku High, where he meets a girl named Haruko Akagi who loves basketball.
This changes his plans. Haruko notices how athletic Sakuragi is, and even though he doesn’t like basketball, he ends up joining the school’s team. In “Slam Dunk,” Sakuragi and his teammates work together to become a strong team and improve as players.
But “Slam Dunk” is more than just the story of a basketball team made up of misfits. “Slam Dunk” is a story about friendship that can only be told through a sports story. It has comedy, drama, and exciting on-court action. Takehiko Inoue told Anime News Network, “Well, ‘Slam Dunk’ is technically about basketball, but I don’t think it’s really a basketball story.
It could have just as well been about soccer. I really just wanted to show how sports make people feel in general, and I hope that anyone can relate to that.
“The First Slam Dunk” is based on the last part of Inoue’s manga and tells the story of Shohoku High‘s exciting game against their rivals, Sannoh Industry. Geek Culture says that this move “makes sense from a story point of view.” “Of course, this means that first-time viewers are thrown into the deep end, but ‘The First Slam Dunk’ gives them enough background to catch up and get a basic idea of what’s going on.”
Who Will Play the Main Roles in the First Slam Dunk?
Through Anime News Network, Toei Animation announced in November 2022 they would be voicing the members of the Shohoku High School basketball team. The company says that Shugo Nakamura will give Ryota Miyagi’s voice, Jun Kasama will play Hisashi Mitsui, and Shin’ichir Kamio will play Kaede Rukawa.
Takenori Akagi’s voice will be done by Kenta Miyake, and Subaru Kimura will play the manga’s main character, Hanamichi Sakuragi. The German-Japanese actor was born in Leipzig in the same year that “Slam Dunk” came out for the first time, he said in an interview for “The First Slam Dunk.”
He said, “At that time, I hadn’t even read it, and I wasn’t part of the real-time generation, so I didn’t watch it as a child.” “When I was an adult, I read the manga and streamed the anime TV series, and I fell in love with it right away.” Kimura went on to say that when he got the part, he felt a lot of pressure and asked Takehiko Inoue for help.
“He told me a lot about how he felt at the time, how he felt about starting from scratch with the movie, and why he chose me,” he said. “So I was able to face the challenge by taking in Director Inoue’s will and thoughts with my whole body.”
Is There a Trailer for the First Slam Dunk?
What Was the First Slam Dunk Performance in Japan?
Japanese cinemas released “The First Slam Dunk” on December 3, 2022. Anime News Network reported 40 IMAX and 34 Dolby Atmos screenings nationwide. According to Box Office Mojo, the anime sold 847,000 tickets and made $9,647,895 in its opening weekend. Dolby Cinema released “The First Slam Dunk” on December 10, expanding its audience. The film grossed almost $73 million in Japan in its first month.
“The First Slam Dunk” surpassed Makoto Shinkai’s “Weathering With You” in lifetime gross by May 2023, a major milestone for the basketball franchise. At the time of this writing, it has grossed 14.33 billion yen (about $102 million), making it Japan’s ninth-highest-grossing anime film and 15th-highest film overall. International releases?
In Asia and Europe, “The First Slam Dunk” has been released. The film made almost $37 million in South Korea and broke box office records in basketball-loving China. Variety reported that “the biggest opening for any foreign animation title on IMAX and for any Japanese film on IMAX in China” was $55.2 million in four days. “The First Slam Dunk” grossed $211 million worldwide before opening in North America, according to Comscore.
Where Can You Watch the Slam Dunk Series?
“The First Slam Dunk” could start the series well. There are many ways to start “Slam Dunk” before the movie comes out. Japanese fans may have an advantage again since Toei posted the anime series on its Animation Museum Channel on YouTube for free (via Geek Culture).
Until November 19, 2022. Unless you’re viewing YouTube from Japan, you can’t benefit. Toei may hold a North American event after a Western date is revealed. Crunchyroll currently has all 101 “Slam Dunk” anime episodes.
“Slam Dunk” requires a Crunchyroll subscription, but other shows can be watched for free with ads. New subscribers get a 14-day free trial. That’s enough time to binge “Slam Dunk” before paying. Manga fans can revisit “Slam Dunk”‘s origins. Viz published all 31 “Slam Dunk” volumes. The Shonen Jump App doesn’t offer it digitally, but each book costs $9.99 in print.
Conclusion
Takehiko Inoue’s manga “Slam Dunk” set the standard for sports anime, and now he is making a movie based on the series. “Slam Dunk” is a sports story about friendship and friendship, with comedy, drama, and exciting on-court action.
Toei Animation will voice the members of the Shohoku High School basketball team in “The First Slam Dunk”. “The First Slam Dunk” is Japan’s ninth-highest-grossing anime film and 15th-highest film overall, making it Japan’s ninth-highest-grossing anime film. Moreover, you can bookmark our website if you want to more entertainment news.