REVIEW: Slam Dunk - Season One - eps 1-12 (1993-4)

An Anime TV Series

In 1993, Slam Dunk burst onto the anime scene, dribbling its way into the hearts of sports fans and anime enthusiasts alike – at least in Japan that is. While the show never really took off in The West prior to the streaming age, it has its western fans and they are very passionate about the show; it was always one of those things I had heard about fondly, but never got around to watching. Adapted from Takehiko Inoue’s acclaimed manga, this basketball-centered series not only revolutionized the sports anime genre but also left a lasting cultural impact, sparking a wave of interest in basketball across Japan. While I am no expert, having gone back to this show, I can see bits of it in nearly every modern sports anime I have seen like Ahiru no Sora or Haikyuu!!. With Slam Dunk’s mix of dynamic action, heartfelt character development, and an underdog story brimming with humor, one can easily see why this show is so well revered. Even today, with the release of an all new animated feature film in 2022, fans are clamoring to see if there will be more Slam Dunk, even twenty years on.

As with many of my recent dives into theatrical anime, I ended up watching Slam Dunk in reverse order. Last year, my son and I watched The First Slam Dunk, the somewhat confusingly titled adaptation of the manga’s final chapters, which had never been animated before. In my review of the film, I promised myself I’d go back and watch the original series, and upon discovering it was available on Netflix, I finally did. What I found initially was a very different show compared to the movie. Watching the conclusion of the manga’s story first, especially in such a polished and modern adaptation, can certainly frame expectations for the original series in surprising ways. It’s not uncommon for older series to feel different from their modern adaptations, so I was prepared for this.

I later came to understand that the manga shifted its focus over time, starting as a blend of delinquent comedy, romance, and drama before transitioning into a full-fledged dramatic sports story. If that assumption is wrong, I will discuss in a later review, I plan to do eight of these so hang tight. While those early episodes caught me off guard, I grew to appreciate them for what they were, especially given my love for similar shows like Great Teacher Onizuka and Shonan Junai Gumi. Given that Slam Dunk initially shares that same rebellious, character-driven humor as those shows. it will be fascinating to see how Slam Dunk evolves from this style into a quintessential sports anime.

Via Wikipedia HERE

1 – “The Genius Basketball Player Is Born?!” – Hanamichi Sakuragi is depressed after being rejected by 50 girls during middle school. Once he enters high school, he meets a girl (Haruko Akagi) who introduces him to basketball.
2 – “Go to Hell, Basketball! Hanamichi vs. Rukawa” – After school, Hanamichi has a run-in with Rukawa Kaede, who Haruko has a crush on. Hanamichi gets into a fight with him out of jealousy, causing Haruko to hate him. Later, Hanamichi gets into a competition with the Shohoku basketball captain after he calls the sport ‘childish’.
3 – “Gorilla vs. Hanamichi! Big Showdown!!” – Hanamichi pulls off an amazing defense and manages to steal the ball from Akagi. He also manages to successfully pull off a slam dunk against Akagi. After the challenge, he finds out that Akagi is actually Haruko’s brother.
4 – “Basketball Player Hanamichi Joins the Team!” – Hanamichi decides to join the basketball club, which Akagi is against. Sakuragi tries to find a way to get on Akagi’s good side for Haruko’s sake. After Hanamichi shows his determination, Akagi lets him join the team and entrusts his basic training to the manager, Ayako.
5 – “A Spiritless Afternoon” – Hanamichi is tired of being made to do basic dribbling practice by himself. After Akagi refuses to let him practice with the rest of the team, Hanamichi gets into a fight with him and quits the club. He later regrets his actions and returns to the club.
6 – “Rukawa vs. Akagi: The Real Showdown” – Kogure remarks that Hanamichi is improving at an astonishing rate. Coach Anzai stops by to announce that they will be having a practice match against Ryonan High School soon. Anzai sets up a match, freshmen vs. seniors, to measure the freshmen’s skills, but Akagi doesn’t let Hanamichi play. Rukawa pulls off some great moves, but isn’t able to score against Akagi.
7 – “Hanamichi Debut! Dunk Explosion” – After Rukawa is defeated by Akagi, he reveals his true potential and makes a spectacular dunk. Hanamichi is allowed to play for the last two minutes of the game, and he demonstrates his skill at dribbling that he learned from Ayako. He refuses to cooperate with his teammate Rukawa, however and tries to make a slam dunk, but end up smashing the ball into Akagi’s head instead.
8 – “Hanamichi’s Crisis! The Judo-man’s Trap” – Aota Tatsuhiko, captain of the Shohoku Judo Club and a childhood friend of Akagi and Haruko, decides that he wants Hanamichi in the Judo Club because of his innate talent. He tries to use pictures of Haruko as bait to lure Hanamichi into the Judo Club.
9 – “I’m Going to Play Basketball” – Aota continues to try and bribe Hanamichi into joining the Judo Club using Haruko’s photos. Hanamichi decides that he will take the pictures, but not join the Judo Club. The two get into a fight, and Hanamichi declares that he will not join the Judo Club as he is a basketball player.
10 – “The Commoner’s Shoot is Difficult” – Akagi decides that it’s about time that Hanamichi learns how to shoot. He asks Rukawa to demonstrate a simple layup shot, but Hanamichi isn’t interested in learning from Rukawa. Inevitably, they get in a fight, and are banned from practice for the day.
11 – “Our Love’s Special Secret Training” – After practicing the lay up shot with Haruko before school, Hanamichi finally makes it in. After a bit more practice late after school, he figures that he can make the shot roughly one in three times. A player from Ryonan named Hikouichi comes to investigate Shohoku while Hanamichi is attempting a dunk, mistaking him for Rukawa after admiring his jumping ability.
12 – “Defeat Ryonan! The Fierce Training the Night Before the Match” – The team practices for the upcoming match. Akagi stays after with Hanamichi the day before the match to instruct him on rebounds.

This show follows the exploits of Hanamichi Sakuragi, a loud, and somewhat brash, high school delinquent with a reputation for getting into fights and a dismal track record in love, having been rejected 50 times. His life takes a surprising turn when he falls for Haruko Akagi, a basketball enthusiast who mistakes his height and athletic build for signs of a basketball prodigy. Eager to impress her, Hanamichi dives headfirst into basketball, despite knowing nothing about the sport. His overconfidence and explosive temper often land him in comedic situations, particularly clashing with team captain Takenori Akagi (who he calls “Gorilla”), who is coincidentally Haruko’s older brother. Yet beneath his antics lies raw potential, with his athleticism and energy hinting at a talent waiting to be refined. As he begins to grasp the value of teamwork and discipline, Hanamichi’s journey from a reckless punk to a budding basketball player showcases his comedic charm, stubborn determination, and surprising moments of earnestness, making him a memorable character right from the start.

There are some pretty funny moments in this slew of episodes, such as Sakuragi cleaning the locker room and cleaning all of the equipment to get into the good graces of Akagi, only to be completely ignored and flip into a total rage spiral. He would move mountains to be close to Haruko, and does the almost impossible feats to get there. Haruko, however, seems to have feelings for another character, Rukawa Kaede, who just by that respect is basically Sakuragi’s arch nemesis. Rukawa is an ace player, and what he lacks in school time discipline, he definitely makes up for in his basketball prowess. He is quiet, brooding, and somewhat mysterious. Basically the total opposite of the obnoxious Sakuragi. Whenever Sakuragi sees Haruka’s eyes drawn to Rukawa, its when he starts really showing off to impress her, usually resulting in him falling flat on his own face.

Other characters for this early portion of the show include Hanamichi’s delinquent gang – Yohei Mito, Chuichiro Noma, Yuji Ookusu, and Zozomi Takamiya. These guys often add humor and support, sometimes encouraging his more reckless behavior. It will be interesting to see if a distance widens between these characters as Sakuragi starts to take things more seriously and leave his old lifestyle for his venture into the sports world. The Shohoku basketball team is guided by Coach Mitsuyoshi Anzai, a calm and experienced mentor whose quiet demeanor and gentle approach earn him the nickname “White-Haired Buddha.”

Despite his laid-back appearance, Anzai has a sharp mind for the game and an uncanny ability to motivate his players, often offering wisdom that influences their development both on and off the court. Finally, we are introduced to the team’s manager, Ayako, who is a spirited and capable young woman who helps oversee the team’s operations and keeps things running smoothly. In these early episodes she is often tasked with training Sakuragi on basics when he had grand delusions of doing slam dunks and other showboat nonsense he is not ready for. There are some other characters that flesh out the core of the team, but as of this early portion of the show they are not very prominent, aside from maybe Kiminobu Kogure, the vice captain of the team (the guy with glasses).

Overall, the tone of the initial season of Slam Dunk leans heavily toward that of a gag anime. Hanamichi Sakuragi comes across as a lot like Eikichi Onizuka from GTO, though without the selfless, justice-enforcing side that balances the humor in GTO. While it’s clear Sakuragi will grow as the series progresses, so far, he can be a bit irritating. However, there are glimpses of his potential, particularly toward the end of this stretch of episodes, as he begins to understand the importance of teamwork. Eventually, he even realizes he is something of a Dennis-Rodman style rebound master, setting up the version of him I saw in the movie – his place in the team finally starting to materialize. One standout moment is when another young man aggressively tries to recruit him to the Judo team, offering old class photos of Haruko as a bribe, a move that feels pretty creepy, given the context of the pictures being from middle school. Sakuragi ultimately rejects the offer, showing a glimmer of integrity amidst his antics. Despite some detours, including that slightly out-of-place Judo episode, Slam Dunk is shaping up to be a solid and entertaining show.

One of the highlights for me, and a constant reminder of the battle between me and Netflix trying to skip intro and end music, are how awesome the theme songs for this show are. The opening theme is a song called “Kimi ga Suki da to Sakebitai” by BAAD, which is is an upbeat, energetic anthem that immediately sets the tone for the show. The first ending theme is “Anata Dake Mitsumeteru” by Maki Ohguro, which is somehow more mellow and introspective than the opening while simultaneously having electronic beats like a lot of 90’s J-Pop, so it’s catchy and fun. The ending theme kind of reminds me of the band TWO-MIX, famous for doing Gundam Wing music.

So far, so good! I’m only about 10 percent into the show and still in those early phases where it hasn’t quite found its footing yet, but I’m really enjoying it. Once the characters settle into their roles and all the main players step fully onto the scene, I can already tell that Slam Dunk will be heading full steam ahead toward greatness. I wish I could watch this English dubbed, which I know exists, but with it being old and by Geneon it was likely not great. Subtitles are fine, but I would have liked to watch this with my son considering how much he liked the movie. Stay tuned for more of these as I watch more episodes, hopefully sooner than later!