REVIEW: Slam Dunk - Season Two - Eps 13-20 (1994)

An Anime TV Series

I’ve made some more progress into my watch-a-thon of the 90’s sports anime classic Slam Dunk and figured it was time to share my thoughts again. This review covers what Netflix labels as “Season 2,” spanning episodes 13-20, which roughly encompass the second story arc. The majority of these episodes cover a single basketball game, and it goes by “Dragon Ball Z rules.” Remember when Frieza was going to blow up the earth in two minutes and that played out over the span of like ten episodes? Imagine that but with a basketball game that spans a similar timeframe.

In these episodes, Hanamichi Sakuragi continues his journey toward becoming a vital member of the Shohoku Basketball Team. While he’s still as goofy as ever, he’s slowly realizing that basketball isn’t just a way to get closer to his dream girl, he actually has raw potential and might be naturally good at it, despite having no grasp of the fundamentals.

With a practice match against Ryonan High School, one of the top teams in the region, on the horizon, the team begins intense training. Sakuragi still struggles with basics like dribbling, shooting, and understanding team dynamics, but his natural athleticism and relentless determination start to shine through. He also was given special training by both the team captain, Akagi, and the love of his life, Haruko, just prior to the game.

When the match finally kicks off, Shohoku faces an uphill battle against Ryonan’s ace players: Uozumi, a towering giant who somehow manages to be more imposing than Shohoku’s own Captain Akagi, and Sendoh, whose laid-back attitude masks his sheer brilliance on the court. Sendoh’s skill is so effortless that it almost seems like basketball bores him.

Via Wikipedia HERE

13 – “Shohoku vs Ryonan. Burning Captain!” – The faceoff between Shohoku and Ryonan begins. Hanamichi is crushed when it is revealed that he won’t be in the starting lineup, but soon relaxes when Anzai reassures him that he will become their “secret weapon”. Uozomi and Akagi begin their rivalry as captains.
14 – “Super Basketball Match With Ryonan” – The match starts off with Ryonan leading 19-0. Life returns to Shohoku after Rukawa gets the rebound and faces off with Sendo, passing the ball to Akagi for the dunk. Shohoku manages to catch up, ending the first half with a score of 42 to 50.
15 – “Hanamichi Nervously Steps Into the Spotlight” – Finally, Sakuragi gets a chance to play when Akagi injures himself while playing. Now, there is only about 9 minutes left on the clock.
16 – “Who is This Guy? Taoka’s Miscalculation” – With just 8 minutes left in the second half, Ryonan is still leading. Taoka tells the Ryonan to continue to attack. Sakuragi plays whole-heartedly and this impresses Sendoh.
17 – “The Rebound King Sakuragi Hanamichi’s Distress” – Ryonan is leading with 3 points ahead of Shohoku, and Taoka says that the game will depend on how Sakuragi plays. Meanwhile, Sakuragi begins to realize how important rebounds are.
18 – “Last 2 Minutes! I’ll Be the One to Defeat Sendoh” – Sendoh is amazed at how good Shohoku has become, thus he begins to take the game seriously. Anzai then calls both Rukawa and Sakuragi to approach, to tell them of his plan.
19 – “Time’s Up! The Decisive Battle with Ryonan” – Although Shohoku has lost the game, Sakuragi played very well for his first game. Sakuragi and Rukawa vow that in their next game with Ryonan, they will beat Sendoh.
20 – “Basketball Shoes” – The next day, Haruko has to accompany Sakuragi to the sports shop to buy a new pair of shoes because his old shoes are in bad shape after the practice game with Ryonan.

Shohoku’s key players, Akagi, the reliable team captain and center, and Rukawa, the talented yet brooding freshman forward, step into the spotlight, while Sakuragi is kept as Shohoku’s “secret weapon.” Whether Coach Anzai is humoring Sakuragi to keep him from wreaking havoc or has a deeper strategy in mind remains to be seen for a lot of the season. At first, Sakuragi continues to be viewed as a clown, but he eventually proves himself to be surprisingly competent, maybe even the “genius” he constantly claims to be.

The rival coach had made a wager that they would win by well-over thirty points, and by the end of the first half of the game it was blatantly obvious that would not be the case. Although Shohoku struggles against Ryonan’s polished teamwork and experience, this game becomes a pivotal moment for the team. The game is especially important for Sakuragi, as he is finally allowed to play in areal game towards the end.

I really enjoyed the pacing and tone of these episodes, as they reminded me a bit of the vibe from The First Slam Dunk film. Sure, there are still some gags sprinkled throughout, and Sakuragi remains a bit over the top, but he’s starting to tone it down little by little. I’m not saying I want this to be completely serious—far from it—but I do want the main character to stop being the most infuriating person in the show!

In fact, I’d even say that if someone wanted to get a real sense of what this anime is all about, this story arc might be the ideal starting point. It’s not that the earlier episodes are bad, but they lean too heavily on humor and don’t capture the same balance of tone as these episodes. Yes, Sakuragi still does ridiculous things, like pulling a brazen Kanchō prank on the rival coach, but the silliness is dialed back before it crosses the line. Unlike the first few episodes, this arc avoids pushing Sakuragi’s antics to the point where he risks becoming outright unlikable.

I really appreciate how the story develops Sakuragi as a character. He’s far from being a “Mary Sue” who excels at everything—a common pitfall in some sports anime where the protagonist is unrealistically portrayed as the greatest player ever. Instead, Sakuragi is undeniably talented but unfocused, and it’s the people around him who help reveal his true potential and guide him toward his role on the team. While he might see himself as the star player, that’s far from how others perceive him. However, as Captain Akagi wisely points out, “Those who control the lay-ups control the game,” hinting that Sakuragi could very well be the “secret weapon” Coach Anzai has envisioned.

Sadly, Shohoku ends up losing the game to Ryonan, but only by a single point—a far cry from the ludicrous 30-point blowout that Ryonan’s coach had predicted. Despite the loss, the game undeniably put Shohoku’s basketball team on everyone’s radar. Even in defeat, Shohoku had plenty of reasons to be proud of their performance, showcasing their potential and resilience against a powerhouse like Ryonan. If they can build on this experience, and if Sakuragi can cut back on the bickering and silliness, this team could become truly unstoppable.

I think my favorite episode from this block was the slower-paced coda following the end of the tournament, which marked a turning point for Sakuragi as he truly became a member of the Shohoku Basketball Team. And all it took was a proper pair of basketball shoes! Throughout the series, many noticed Sakuragi playing in his run-down old school gym shoes, without socks, no less. This led to some humorous misunderstandings, with people assuming he was too poor to afford new shoes, sparking unwarranted sympathy for a situation Sakuragi likely didn’t even realize he was creating.

After Shohoku’s heartbreaking one-point loss, Sakuragi was feeling down. Haruko, ever supportive, offered to take him to a shoe store to pick out some new sneakers. For Sakuragi, this outing was less about the shoes and more about what he saw as a potential “date.” Amid the zaniness, including the shoe store owner’s suggestive comments that Sakuragi awkwardly tried to deflect, he finally walked away with a new pair of basketball shoes. Predictably, he immediately turned them into yet another source of his misguided arrogance about his basketball skills. Sometimes, it seems like Sakuragi never learns…

We also get a tiny glimpse of a new character for the show, one I recognize quite well—Ryota Miyagi. Having seen his backstory and growth in The First Slam Dunk as the point-of-view character, it’s fascinating to go back and see him at this earlier stage. I’m really looking forward to his interactions with Sakuragi and the eventual introduction of Hisashi Mitsui, a complex character with deep history involving both Miyagi and Captain Akagi. The next batch of episodes should be compelling with these two characters coming into focus, and by the end of season three, it feels like all the pieces will be in place for some truly exciting games.

Overall, I’ve made it pretty clear that season two surpasses season one in nearly every way. Not only is it more serious while retaining its hilarious charm, but the pacing is significantly improved. Having the entire season center around a single game is both thrilling and incredibly binge-worthy—I ended up watching all the episodes in one go. This is quickly shaping up to be the show I was expecting based on how much I loved the movie. Stay tuned as I dive into what Netflix labels as “season 3.” I’m still not entirely sure if that’s accurate, but for now, I’m rolling with it.