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Slam Dunk (manga)

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Slam Dunk
スラムダンク
(Suramu Danku)
GenreSports (basketball)
Manga
Written byTakehiko Inoue
Published byJapan Shueisha
English publisherCanada United States Gutsoon! Entertainment (2003-2004)

Canada United States VIZ Media (2008)
Singapore Chuang Yi

Australia New Zealand Madman Entertainment
MagazineJapan Weekly Shōnen Jump
DemographicShōnen
Original run1990 – 1996
Volumes31 (List of volumes)
Anime
Directed byNobutaka Nishizawa
StudioToei Animation
Released October 16 1993 – March 23 1996
Anime
Directed byNobutaka Nishizawa
StudioToei Animation
ReleasedMarch 12 1994
Anime
Conquer the Nation, Hanamichi Sakuragi!
Directed byToshihiko Arisako
StudioToei Animation
ReleasedJuly 20 1994
Anime
Shohoku's Greatest Challenge!
Directed byHiroyuki Kakudou
StudioToei Animation
ReleasedMarch 12 1995
Anime
Howling Basketman Spirit!!
StudioToei Animation
ReleasedJuly 15 1995

Slam Dunk (スラムダンク, Suramu Danku, officially romanized SLAM DUNK in Japan) is a sports-themed manga series written by Takehiko Inoue about a basketball team from Shōhoku High School. It was first serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan from 1990 to 1996 and has sold over 100 million copies in Japan alone.[1] In 1995, it received the 40th Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen.[2]

The success of Slam Dunk is cited as an influence in the increased popularity of basketball among the Japanese youth during the 1990's.[3] Inoue has also used basketball as a central theme in two other manga series: Buzzer Beater and Real.


Plot

See also: List of Slam Dunk characters

Slam Dunk centers around Hanamichi Sakuragi, who starts as an deliquent outcast, becoming the leader of a gang. Hanamichi, being very unpopular with girls, has been rejected by them fifty times. Yet, he finds out that Haruko Akagi is the girl of his dreams, and is happy when she's not scared of him like all the other girls he has asked out.

Haruko Akagi, who recognizes Hanamichi's athleticism, introduces him to the Shohoku basketball team. Hanamichi was reluctant to join the team at first because he had no previous background in any sports and thought that basketball was a game for losers (also because the fiftieth girl rejected him for a basketball player). Sakuragi, despite his immaturity and hot temper, proves to be a natural athlete with potential and joins the team in order to impress Haruko and prove that he is worthy of her. Kaede Rukawa - Sakuragi's bitter rival (both on the basketball court and love, even when Rukawa doesn't acknowledge Haruko's crush on him), the star rookie and a "girl magnet" - joins the team at the same time. Hisashi Mitsui, an ex-junior high school MVP, and Ryota Miyagi , a short but fast player, both also rejoin the team and together these four struggle to complete team captain Takenori Akagi's dream of making Shohoku the national champion. Together, these misfits gain publicity and the once little known Shohoku basketball team becomes an all-star contender in Japan.

Media

Manga

See also: List of Slam Dunk chapters

Slam Dunk premiered in Japan in Issue 42 of the Weekly Shonen Jump in 1990 and lasted until Issue 27 in 1996. The manga was originally collected in 31 tankōbon editions under Shueisha's Jump Comics imprint, and later reassembled in 24 kanzenban volumes under Shogakukan's Big Comics Selection imprint.

In North America, an English version of Slam Dunk was published by the now-defunct Gutsoon! Entertainment, which serialized the title in their manga anthology Raijin Comics from 2002 to 2004. Five collected volumes were published under Gutsoon's Raijin Graphic Novels imprint. After Gutsoon! went out of business, the license for the Slam Dunk was purchased by VIZ Media, which published a preview of the series in the December 2007 issue of the North American edition of Shonen Jump. Slam Dunk began serialization in the magazine, starting with the May 2008 issue, and as of February 2009 two collected volumes have been published.

An English version of Slam Dunk was published for the Singapore market by Chuang Yi.

Slam Dunk: 10 Days After

In 2004, Inoue produced an epilogue titled Slam Dunk: 10 Days After, which was drawn on 23 chalkboards in the former campus of the now-defunct Misaki High School located in the Kanagawa Prefecture, which was held for public exhibition from December 3 to December 5. The epilogue, along with coverage of the event, was reprinted in the February 2005 issue of Switch magazine[4]

Anime

The anime series, consisting of 101 episodes, was produced by the TV Asahi terrestrial television network and Toei Animation and directed by Nobutaka Nishizawa. It was first aired on TV Asahi from October 16, 1993 to March 23, 1996. It was later aired on the anime satellite television network, Animax, in addition to four animated movies produced. The anime series follows the manga storyline, but leaves out the National Tournament games. Toei and Geneon briefly chose to release the anime on DVD after the manga was discontinued, though the anime was also discontinued after only a few volumes. Toei is currently streaming episodes of the series on-line for a fee and for free through Crunchyroll.

  • Opening Themes
  1. Kimi ga Suki da to Sakebitai (君が好きだと叫びたい, I Want to Shout 'I Love You') by Baad (eps. 1-61)
  2. Zettai ni Daremo (ぜったいに 誰も, Definitely Anyone) by ZYYG (eps. 62-101)
  • Ending Themes
  1. Anata Dake Mitsumete'ru (あなただけ見つめてる, I Only See You) by Maki Ohguro (eps. 1-27)
  2. Sekai ga Owaru Made Wa (世界が終るまでは…, Until the World Ends...) by Wands (eps 28-49)
  3. Kirameku Toki ni Torawarete (煌めく瞬間に捕われて, Captured in This Magical Moment) by Manish (eps. 50-81)
  4. My Friend (マイ フレンド) by Zard (eps. 82-101)

Movies

Four movies were produced by Toei Animation from 1994-1995 while the manga and TV series were still running. They contain largely new material that is either only hinted at or is not presented in the manga. From August 1-4, 2006, NHK broadcasted all 4 movies as part of its satellite networks NHK BS-2's Summer Anime Choice line-up, and TV Osaka aired the last three movies from January 3-8, 2007.

Set after Shohoku's practice game against Ryonan, the film focuses on a practice game against Takezono High. Before the game, Sakuragi runs into Yoko Shimura, the girl who rejects him in the very first scene of the series, and Oda, the basketball player she rejected him for.

  • Conquer the Nation, Hanamichi Sakuragi! (全国制覇だ! 桜木花道, Zenkoku Seiha da! Sakuragi Hanamichi), released July 20, 1994

Set during Shohoku's 4th Round Qualifying game against Tsukubu High. Covered in only two pages of the manga, the film features original characters including Godai, an old friend of Akagi and Kogure's, Nango, a wild show-off who is in love with Haruko and quarrels with Sakuragi, and Coach Kawasaki, a former pupil of Anzai-sensei. Also featured in cameos are Sendo, Uozumi, Aida, Hanagata, Fujima, Maki, and Anzai's wife (although, only Aida, Uozumi, Maki, and Anzai's wife have speaking roles).

  • Shohoku's Greatest Challenge! Burning Hanamichi Sakuragi (湘北最大の危機! 燃えろ桜木花道, Shohoku Saidai no Kiki! Moero Sakuragi Hanamichi), released March 12, 1995

Set after Shohoku's loss to Kainan, and during a practice match against Ryokufu High.

  • Howling Basketman Spirit!! Hanamichi and Rukawa's Hot Summer (吠えろバスケットマン魂!! 花道と流川の熱き夏, Hoero Basukettoman Tamashii!! Hamamichi to Rukawa no Atsuki Natsu), released June 15, 1995

Rukawa's middle school kouhai Ichiro Mizusawa will be paralyzed soon and wishes to have one last game against Rukawa. While the previous films depicted Shohoku playing against strong schools in intense games, this film is more of a drama.

Critical response

In a poll of over 79,000 Japanese fans for the 10th Japan Media Arts Festival, Slam Dunk was voted the #1 manga of all time.[5]

The English translation of Slam Dunk was listed one of the best comics of 2008 by Publishers Weekly.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Rise and Fall of Weekly Shōnen Jump: A Look at the Circulation of Weekly Jump". Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  2. ^ "小学館漫画賞：歴代受賞者" (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  3. ^ "スポーツとメディアの関係性 (Relation between sports and media)". students of Rikkyo University. Retrieved unknown, but after 2002. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ "Slam Dunk 10 Days After Epilogue's Reprint Confirmed - Anime News Network".
  5. ^ "Top 10 Anime and Manga at Japan Media Arts Festival". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2006-11-21.
  6. ^ Ermelino, Louisa (2008-11-03). "PW's Best Books of the Year". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2008-11-03. This spirited manga about high school basketball depicts all the passions of life on and off the court in high style.
  7. ^ Jerry Crowe, Former Bruin a true citizen of the world, Los Angeles Times, July 24, 2007.
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