Slam Dunk

*NO SPOILERS

heyo! This is a review of Slam Dunk, one of my favourite manga or my favourite manga series. so here we go!

I read this Manga when I was 12 for the first time and it was so amazing, so I decided to read it again a while ago. And it is as amazing as I remember.

-this manga is about basketball, (I assume y'all know that) but it is not just for basketball lovers. As one who never played basketball back then, I enjoyed the series so much that I started basketball.

-Every game was thrilling, exciting. Every point scored makes you go like," adhsgcausjebgdnux..." and drove my brain crazy.

-The characters are really cool, tho some of them are just like "stereotypical sports anime/manga characters", they still made amazing use of the characters.

-The main characters has a lot of characters development and personality. The support characters are pretty good, they have less character development and less time in the book, they still had pretty solid personalities.

-The team is super lovable, I was so sad when I realised that I was on the last volume, I wish there was more of the story, I really loved the characters.

-The manga has some solid art in it, every character looks completely different and each of them gives of a different vibe even if you just give a look to them. Every play was drawn nicely, thanks.

-This is one manga that you can get obsessed over with your whole family, including that cousin that is 7. (well my dad recommended it for me, thanks dad) Or watching the anime with your family is also fun.

-This series is amazing and I recommend it 1000%! Please read it!

There are way too many 10/10 reviews for Slam Dunk so writing a review with actual criticism felt like an obligation.

Characters (0/10):

-Sakuragi: He is your typical dumb yet overpowered protagonist who relies on convenient scenarios and his plot armor. The entirety of his character consists of a tall teenager boy who falls in love with every single girl he comes across, bullies everyone for comedy's sake and is really stubborn. So basically, he digs his heels in making up with some girl who likes basketball and then joins the basketball team just to flirt with her even though he knows nothing about basketball. Of course, once he's already in, he plays the role of the prodigy who doesn't even know how make the ball bounce yet somehow manages to win a match against the captain of the team thanks to Inoue's asspulls. In addition, he also demands first class privileges inside the team such as being a starter, which makes no sense, since he is a beginner.
Ah, and he also harbors a really toxic envy towards Rurakawa just because he is the crush of the girl he likes (and because he is a better player than him).
I wonder what was Inoue thinking when he decided that Sakuragi's awful personality would be perfect to drag the story forwards- because, yeah, all the story consists of Sakuragi creating problems from nothing due to his unrelenting stupidity and the typical tournament-like structure that serves well as a lazy way of pushing the plot onwards.

-The gorilla whose name I don't remember (I think it was Akagi but I don't care enough to look it up): As expected from the cast of a show whose characters rely on lazy clichés, there is, too, a character who is, in a few words, your typical stubborn captain of the basketball team who is an airhead and goes insane whenever. it comes to basketball. That's it. That's the entirety of this character.
Wait, almost forgot, and he is the brother of the girl the protagonist felt in love with (you can imagine that cliché scene in which Sakuragi is trash talking about the gorilla in front of the girl he likes and then he finds out the person he's talking about, the girl's onii chan, is behind his back. You know, peak comedy).

-Rukawa: Even though he is the least ticking off character BY FAR, which is probably because he barely opens his mouth, we can't ignore the fact that he is just another simple character who is another rip off of the cliché character who is handsome, cool and overpowered and is liked by every girl in existence.

-The girl Sakuragi likes: Let us be honest, who cares about her? She is just an element used by our top tier writer, Inoue, to drag the plot forwards by making Sakuragi make contact with basketball.



Art (7/10):

Maybe I am being too generous with this score, but I've got to admit the anatomy of the bodies in some panels are really difficult to draw. The art is definitely the best thing about Slam Dunk, although it's a pity only a 10% of its panels are decent, as the panels are really inconsistent.



Story (0/10):

Disclaimer: I am judging the story regarding the 40 chapters I've read. I dont know, maybe by the 200th chapter Rukawa starts a gay relationship with Sakuragi and dies in a car accident right after breaking up with Sakuragi, which leads to a great drama I couldn't possibly know about, so don't mess around saying the latter part of the story is not about that and blah blah blah.

The story consists of Sakuragi training basketball and showing off that he is a prodigy in every sport ever whereas he repeats over and over the same interactions with his schoolmates- interactions which could be summarised in: sexually harrassing the girl he likes and being a show off with everyone he comes across. In addition, the "comedy" of this manga is based on the fact that the main character is a sexualy depraved bastard, a tyrant and a bully- but hey, it's comedy instead of drama because Sakuragi feigns ignorance after physically assaulting poor guys and because Inoue draws an innocent moe-blush panel afterwards. Inoue tries too hard to make comedy out of physical abuse.
Regarding the matches, they're just as bad (at least the ones I've seen are). Lazy, vague, strategies with no detail at all, typical match structures in which the main characters start losing and then they make a comeback thanks to the plot armor and Sakuragi messing around bothering everyone and acting like a moron 24/7.
Without any doubt, the Greed Island arc from Hunter x Hunter has much more interesting and original matches than Slam Dunk, even though it's not even about sports.



Conclusion:

I believe Slam Dunk is a manga that many elitist wannabes use to let their true, simple minded, self take over their shitty taste while avoiding getting called a moron with no taste, which is what they really are. Maybe I'm resting too much on my personal experience, but there's a bunch of people I know who are huge fans of Berserk, Monster and whatever elitist stuff while they also love Slam Dunk. Leaving personal preferences aside, if we compare either Berserk or Monster with Slam Dunk, we'll see that the both of them are much more (much, much more) complex and original than Slam Dunk.
Well, leaving this latter personal reflection aside, I wholeheartedly recommend you to stay away from this piece of garbage. It's the worst work of fiction I've ever read.

holy crap..! when im reading this i was so excited and i even got chills!!! Its one of the longest series ive read so far (POT 379 these two were my all time favourite sports manga/anime), & honestly, it never bored me... they were totally awesome and theres a part that i almost cried!!! (what?) no, what i mean is i cried from laughing b'cuz of Sakuragi stupidness & cute boastfullness..LoLz.. this is the best ever.. I mean this is my best anime/manga & my favorite.. I REALLY REALLY REALLY LOVE THIS.. from the story line,characters, oh everything.. though Im not a basketball fan but through this Ive learned more about basketball.. the line art was awesome & the story were so cool.. oh man, Sakuragi is so funny & hilarious all the time & certainly hes my favorite character in this anime/manga i mean of all the characters.. hes my number 1..!! he really makes me laugh...I really love this.. Yeah.. SLAMDUNK IS GREAT.. it REALLY ROCKS.. m/ m/ m/.. Sakuragi is absolutely a tensai.. but an idiot tensai...Lolz.. still he's the best..hahaha.. ill give this one a 10/10 its all becuz I LOVE SAKURAGI that much.

- Great Comedy Aspects.
-enticing story and rivalry aspects.
-If you love traditional basketball you'll love this, stays true to the game without any gimmicks or super powers.
-The art is great and sometimes changes for more gag like frames of the manga.
-There is a great heroine who comes to like the sakuragi.
- this displays how sakuragi started to play basketball because of the girl that he likes to how he tries his hardest to not lose the gaems and make everyone proud.
- You see how Sakuragi's skills develop from a person who's never played basketball before to a key player in all of Japanese high-school basketball.


Overall id say its your perfect shounen/sports manga from the exciting matches to the climactic endings and hilarious gag scenes all the way to the development of the MC's skills, Love for the game, and never giving up attitude!!!!!

This sport manga about basketball is truly a classic. I watched the anime the first time back in 2010. Then I decided to read the manga in all one go. Here, I'm writing this review after 3 years. I have read this manga 4-5 times already. As I said, it's a classic. It never gets old! And once you start, you cannot stop on reading. The manga is better than the anime, as the pacing for the anime is quite slow, but it is also good watch.

Story: 8/10.
Of course, this story is about a man name Sakuragi Hanamichi who is a delinquent and plays basketball all because of one girl. She, obviously likes his supposedly rival. As the story goes on, his love for basketball grows more and more. Turning his attention more than just a game to get Haruko to like him. The story seems like it's been done before right? This was one of the earliest basketball mangas so I can't say it's cliche, but this manga has charm to it. Though it contains aspect of expected scenes, little scenes and parts to it make it up.


Art: 9/10 .
So, the art for this manga is good. I love how when they get serious, the art gets real nice. It shows lot of the emotions being carry out by the players. Also, especially to the chibi drawings. It really brings out the comedy effect when it needs to show that.

Character: 9/10.
I love Sakuragi's character growth in here. From being a childish newbie player to a more refined player who appreciates and enjoy basketball. How his character is from scratch to someone important or find some kind of value in life. I just love this kind of growth in characters. But also, tensai sakuragi's funny comments and his personality. The characters in here really stand out and has realistic feeling to them.

Enjoyment: 8/10.
As much as I like this manga, some parts were quite long. But then each time something amazing happens, it never fails to. It really keeps you going and next thing, you're done with the manga. XD

Overall, 9/10. No need to say more, what's been said above told it all.

First of all, I'm not a basketball player so my opinions on this would be from a more non-basketball accuracy manga reader. However, most if not all of the content look really accurate, especially with the manga reader being a long time basketball player.

Let's begin.

[Story:9/10]
As much as the story is realistic, with amazing detail and art, sometimes going frame by frame of how the basketball players play, as well as the story focusing on Sakuragi Hanamichi and the Sohoku team of how they progress, there is still some "too remarkable moments", especially early on.

This is pretty amazing already, given how most sports mangas like to perform "Giant Killing" using underdogs using a lot of willpower and/or strategy to blow away the rest of the teams/competitors. It's quite amazing how the story flows smoothly as well, given that there are multiple complications, climaxes and comedy. There is hardly one part of the manga that seems out of place, and from start to end as reality is, there are good times and bad times.

[Art: 10/10]
I would give 12 if I could, the art is just amazing, especially at various points of the last chapters, where there were a lot of different tones and styles used to highlight certain areas, and detailed skillful drawing of various basketball moves, facial expressions, background and so on.

[Character: 10/10]
This is another selection I would like to point out, the character characteristics and backstories of some characters are incredibly explored. However, for the few main characters (5 + 1 actually), a few of them were only touched on surface and there is still little understanding of how the "incredible rookie" could possibly be so incredible, aside from talent, a term which I believe every sports manga tries to exploit.

Still, the amazing portion of the characters might be character development, as we watch how the various characters grow through their toughest periods inside games, as well as what we can learn from their "experiences".

[Enjoyment:10/10]
I would give a 11 if I could. The emotional rollercoaster and growing potential of both the home team and competitor team alike gives great pleasure to the reader, very much like how I enjoyed reading "Zatch Bell". It is where you will not be able to predict much of what will happen next and the suspense hangs thick in the end due to improvements during battles/matches on both sides.

[Overall:10/10]
All in all, this manga is amazing, furthermore I had read that Slam Dunk was a manga that popularised basketball in Japan. This is amazing, since this meant that when it was starting, basketball is actually not a hot topic, but the manga managed to catch on to several volumes and even influenced culture.

^^

Slam, motherfuckin, Dunk. You say those 3 words & they just begin to resonate throughout the room. That’s the power this manga has. Slam Dunk is a series that, I hate to use this phrase because I think it’s stupid. “Transcends manga”. I don’t necessarily use that because I think it’s the most well written, most clever, or best manga ever. Slam Dunk doesn’t even crack my top 10 of all time (but it comes pretty damn close). So why do I use that phrase? Because I honestly think Slam Dunk is a manga that appeals to everybody.

Basketball is a universally understood concept. It’s popularity may vary across regions/countries (especially given that before Slam Dunk Basketball in Japan was not a popular sport) but it’s nevertheless something everybody understands. However if Slam Dunk being about Basketball was all it had going for it then it wouldn’t be as fondly remembered as it is & most certainly wouldn’t be the 7th & 9th highest rated manga on Anilist & MyAnimeList respectively. Want proof? Just look at Takehiko Inoue’s Buzzer Beater manga, while not outright awful it’s essentially a glorified advertisement for some ESPN website in Japan at the time & it’s not even remotely remembered as well as Slam Dunk is because being about Basketball is the only thing Buzzer Beater has going for it.

So what does make Slam Dunk as good as it is. Well it’s quite simple really, Inoue himself does. Takehiko Inoue may just possibly be the most passionate Japanese Basketball fan of all time. So what does he do? He takes a concept as universally understood as Basketball, gives it some fantastic characters with a lot of charisma, charm, & identifiable traits. Then takes both & writes a straight-forward narrative with hype moments throughout, characters that we get to see grow throughout the narrative, at first bad art but it quickly becomes good, & then near the end of the series phenomenal, & packages it tight so that it keeps a fast pace that makes the series incredibly addicting to read. But that’s just a generalization of these concepts.

As stated earlier, Slam Dunk’s plot is simplistic. It’s got the exact structure & story beats that you would expect out of a sports narrative. Because of its cast though, the story is excelled to greater heights that it would’ve obtained otherwise. We’ve got Sakuragi, the meatheaded shounen protagonist that gets heated easily but pulls his weight when it counts, has a strong sense of teamwork & loyalty under his rough exterior, & is passionate about Basketball. Then we’ve got Rukawa, the reserved member, the star player, the one who goes through giving into authenticity & opening up to his team mates. We’ve got Akagi, the captain, the really passionate Basketball player, & the guiding figure on & off the court. Even some of the characters that aren’t super important to the narrative like Sakuragi’s 3 friends offer some great comedy to the series & they play off of each other really well. I can go on all day but I think you get that Slam Dunk has some awesome characters that are one reason that really makes Slam Dunk as good of a series as it is.

As mentioned earlier, Inoue is a passionate Basketball fan & with Slam Dunk his passion oozes throughout the pages but it never comes off as cheesy. Throughout the manga you really get to feel Inoue’s passion rather it be through his detailed art, his ‘Dr T’s basketball lessons” (remember Basketball was essentially not a thing in Japan before Slam Dunk). The already mentioned characters that have just as much of a passion for the sport as the author does. It’s just a huge love letter at the end of the day. What I think encapsulates the love Inoue has for Basketball is how he goes about representing games & getting to see the characters grow. The games in Slam Dunk ar always hype, never dull, paced perfectly, & house some of the most powerful moments of the manga. But through the games we always get to see these characters grow meaning there is always some form of progression that keeps the pace going. There’s moments in Slam Dunk like Sakuragi denying the Judo club because he really has grown to love the sport of Basketball by that point. A last second unexpected loss that destroys the team’s spirts, & getting to learn bits about Rukawa’s past that help make this manga for me.

If you love seeing artist evolve overtime, then Slam Dunk is for you because you get to see it in just one manga that ran for 6 years, you don’t even need to read Vagabond or Real (though I’d recommend you do that but those are for different reviews). Slam Dunk’s art at first can honestly look quite bad. There’s hardly any shading, the compositional works can be weak, the characters look ultra simplistic, & the art in generally for the first volume can look derpy if I had to put it in one word. However the art quickly improves, Inoue’s compositional pieces become significantly better, his characters more detailed, his paneling better, I think you get the point. Then, it happens. Inoue’s art becomes phenomenal by the final 6 or so volumes. Not on every page mind you, but when it’s spreads, detailed character panels, & panels of that like. Inoue’s art gets to a point that I honestly think can rival early Vagabond. In conclusion, you get to see the artistic evolution of an artist in one work & that’s awesome, easily some of the best art that I’ve seen out of weekly shounen jump.

Well there you have it. My thoughts on Slam Dunk. I love this manga if you couldn’t tell, I think it’s absolutely legendary & a series that everybody no matter who they are should give this manga a chance. There’s very little to outright hate about this manga it’s so likeable thanks to Inoue’s passion for the sport being used to craft a simple yet compelling narrative throughout 31 volumes, 276 chapters, & xxxx pages worth of material (if somebody wants to tell me how many Slam Dunk actually is feel free). This manga, while not necessarily being my favorite or a manga that I think is the best. This manga gets my highest recommendation above all other manga due solely to its mass appeal & likeability. If you have not read this legendary series, get on it.

Everything about this was jus incredible, it was one smooth hilarious touching ride, one after the other.

Art: each character looks unique, can recognize each of them quickly (unlike some mangas where characters jus get a hair-style change and they call it another character). Gets better and better, quite realistic drawings compared with other mangas. The people look pretty real and the guys look damn cool when they're supposed to be. The girls are pretty cute too.

Story: Read to find out, don't wana give spoilers. Nothing feels extra in this, everything fits together. Be prepared to laugh lots and feel inspired with the characters' perseverance.

Character: If someone asks me whose my favorite character, I find it hard pressed to name one. Their interactions are funny to see and even the loss of a single character in the Shohoku team will surely be sorely missed. The whole Shohoku team combined is my favorite character.

I'm so happy to see so many reviews with such good vibes regard to this manga, it really makes me happy cus i just finished this like a week ago and i felt like crying when i got to the end, it was just too good, man. I initially started watching the anime, but i wanted more so here i am.
Basketball itself is such a beautiful sport, i mean, my dad used to play it and he told me all the rules about this, do's & dont's, but i didn't pay attention that much and i regret so bad i didn't play it too. The fact that i found this manga it made me love basketball even more.

The characters are so well constructed, each one with a different personality, especially the main ones, though my fav is mitsui; i just liked his character development, from good to bad to good again and being so strong mentally and physically. With his perfect 3points shooting, miyagi's agillity, the "ace" rukawa, akagi's desperate wish of winning, and our sakuragi who makes the most unexpected moves, manteining the team all together. Sakuragi evolved also as a character so much, he focused on basketball more and more and, i don't know if you guys noticed, but his appearance resembles michael jordan so much, even more after he shaved his hair. And not to forget his best friends who stayed with him when he was letdown and supported him. Best gang ever. Also all those chibi moments in anime and manga were damn funny, haha.

I must say that the art in this manga is just incredible, with a fine lineart, well contured and those shadowy parts just took my attention, made me see all these details every chapter offered me. Bless the artist. Inoue Takehiko's art it's just perfect.
After i finished SD, i started reading Vagabond, and everytime the main character is shown (Musashi), all i see is Sakuragi with long dark hair and his sword in his hand. Both of them have aprox. like, the same face's features and resemble each other so well. The artist leaves easily his signature in all his main characters. Takehiko work's in general just catches your attention instantly.

Overall, if you're into this sport, i say go ahead and give this a chance, cus it really deserves. I reccomend this to all basketball lovers and those who will probably be.

Slam Dunk is a great manga. When I first got into Slam Dunk I thought it was gonna suck mainly because I'm not much of a basketball fun and lost alot of interest in the beginning so I ended up dropping it. When I finished reading Hajime No Ippo I went back to this manga and fell in love with it, the story for Slam Dunk is phenomenal and the characters are impossible not to like especially the tensai xP. Though Slam Dunk is a great manga you will be disappointed, because you will not want this series to end.

I've always heard great things about Slam Dunk, and as a lover of basketball there was no way i wasn't going to read this manga sooner or later, but i've also always procrastinated on that because i was put off by the early chapters where it looks more like a typical bancho school delinquent story more than a sports one.

Thankfully things starts to pick up pretty soon and let me tell you, everything good you've heard about this manga is true. The creator Takehiko Inoue clearly loves basketball and you can feel his love in every page, no superpowers bullshit are needed to show the greatness of the most dynamic, the most heart-wrenching, the most beautiful game ever and the deeds of those who play it.

I never really give a score to a work i haven't yet finished, as i am a firmly believer that the ending of an opera is worth half of it, but i already knew i was going to give this a 9, even a 10 if it kept being as good or even better going forward, so why am i wring this review?

Chapter 247, pages 8 and 9.

This is the moment i could clearly pinpoint this comic jumped from a 9 to a 10 from me. Those pages gave me an incredible emotion and they even pushed me to write a review nobody is going to read, but this is more for me than for anybody else. I have yet to end the story, but i don't think it can fuck itself up at this point.
--Edit: I have completed the story, i was not wrong. Hanamichi is a goddamn hero.

Slam Dunk has given me the same emotions of when i'm watching a real NBA game and the score is tight, it brought me back the memories of the joy of playing basketball, i don't know how much you would like this manga if you don't have a passion for the game but if you do, you have to read this, because it will bring you the same incredible emotions, good and bad, because Slam Dunk IS Basketball.

I'm not a basketball fan or even a sports fan in general, but take my word when I say Slam Dunk is my favourite manga series of all time. The pure joy I get reading as well as just thinking about this series is overwhelming.

Yet you don't need me to sing the praises of this series, anyone who's even touched this series knows of its greatness. It's art, it's characters, it's plot, all areas where this plot excels like no other series. For instance the plot...the amount of times I stood up out of excitement while reading this series feeling the pure, undiluted hype of this series with the most tense moments of the series being unbearable. Not many manga series get an actual reaction out of me but Slam Dunk succeeded many a time.

Next the art. Not often do you see an artist who can capture motion in still images like Inoue does. With details like the sweat steadily increasing as matches go on. The way that every character was unique in their head shapes, hair and body types. The intense eye for detail, for instance how sweat droplets increase steadily as the match goes on.

The characters are a weaker area with some characters not getting quite as fleshed out as I would've liked. Yet I still enjoyed every character and how each one bounced off the others creating a beautifully chaotic group dynamic that was a joy to watch. One of my favourite examples being the bond between Sakuragi and Miyagi, with their shared goals and likeness making for wholesome little idiot duo.

I could absolutely gush about every inch of this series all day. When I read this first, I absolutely devoured and savoured every scratch of pen marking as I tore through this series. I hope that someday I will enjoy a manga series as much as this one.

If there was one problem for me, it would be that I liked the series too much and that I didn't want it to end.

Slam Dunk is one of the best selling manga in the history of Japan and one of the best rated manga on MAL (actually in the sports manga department it occupies the 1st place). Going into it I had absolutely no idea that the series I expected to be just a nice, enjoyable read would become one of my all-time favourite series of all time.

Story 10

First and foremost, we are introduced to the world of Slam Dunk through the character of Sakuragi Hanamichi (more on him later) in a very surprising way. Instead of our main character having a long-term goal/dream to achieve, we are introduced to a red-haired delinquent with no passions or career prospects whatsoever. He quickly gets noticed by a girl from another class and is encouraged to join the basketball club, which he does in order to impress the girl. Personally I found it quite original compared to other shounen anime/manga even after so many years as in most of them It's all about those young people who have big dreams/passions since they can remember and following them on the way of achieving their goals, but that's not really the case in Slam Dunk. Here, it's all about the main character finding his passion. It is a slightly different take on the topic. Many people in this time and age have difficulty in finding any interests and the topic that this manga covers stays relevant even after over 15 years.

Now, let's get to the meat and potatoes and talk about the pacing of Slam Dunk which is by far superb. This is one of the few manga series where you actually can't really predict what will occure in the future, because you basicaly never know if a certain match will last 10, 20 or 50 chapters, which makes the whole story a lot more engageing to watch. Moreover, you can get through chapters pretty quickly and there never really was a part of the story that felt overwhelming or boring to me.

Lastly, let's just mention the final match and the ending to the entire series and it was... Wow. Last couple chapters made me feel more hyped than I've ever been reading a series and the emotional value that comes with it is honestly brilliant. The best part is that until the very last chapter you have no clue who will win the match.

All in all, story-telling in Slam Dunk is as perfect as it can get with a sports manga.

Characters 9

It's time to talk about my boy - Sakuragi Hanamichi who is most likely the best choice for the protagonist of this story. During the very first chapter he is presented to us as an extremely unlucky man who got rejected by 50 girls during middle school and has no other interests besides girls and fighting. However, during his junior year of high school he turns over a new leaf and joins the basketball club; at first, it is just to impress a girl he likes however, as time goes on he starts getting more invested in the sport and slowly falls in love with it. Personally I find it extremely appealing as I was able to fall in love with basketball and get much more engaged in main character's dream and development than any other shounen protagonist before that. What is more, he is a type of a funny-dummy boy which really helps in dialogue-heavy scenes as it results in a better flow of the series and more enjoynment from it.

Having that covered, let's focus on the rest of the main team. The basic squad is all around extremely solid with every character having some kind of a barrier to overcome and a unique quirk to combine with that. Now the substitute players mostly weren't explored that much (aside from a bit from Kogure aka Megane-kun), but personally it didn't bother me that much.

Now in regards of the players from other teams I strongly believe that the author did a good job however, not a perfect one. As different matches go on, we get a further look at different character's ambitions and pasts which makes all the matches even more exciting. But at the same time I don't feel like I grew personally attached to any of the players. For example, there was this short match between 2 enemy teams and it is by far by least favourite part of the series (even though it is still solid) as I just wasn't as invested as when watching Sakuragi and Co. play.

Nevertheless, the main character's development is brilliant and the rest of the characters is very solid as well. (Also Anzai-sensei is an absolute legend both in the story and in everybody's heart)

Art 9

Inoue-sensei is well-known for his extremely realistic art-style, majorly due to Vagabond and Slam Dunk. Now I have to say that I am not a person who values the art of a certain story as much as story-writing and character progression yet, it still matters nonetheless. A magnificent job was done to deliver the story in a way that is nice to look at, interesting to follow and easy to understand. With extremely good paneling and a fine proportion between text and drawings Inoue-sensei is able to pull you into this world from the get go. It definietly shines the brightest during matches as the author is able to go all-out with variety of fast-paced action sequences.

Even though it is not necessarly my favourite art-style of all time it is definietly one of the best and even compared to most of the modern manga it still stands out greatly.

Enjoynment 10

The last thing I wanted to touch upon in my review as we are coming to a close is whether you need to like/be interested in basketball (or any sport) in order to enjoy Slam Dunk properly and the answer is a big fat no. Every now and then we are informed about different techniques and strategies that make games much easier to understand and enjoyable to the utmost.

As you could possibly see I enjoyed Slam Dunk immensely and there is no way I am not giving it a 10 out of 10.

Overall 9,5≈10

Slam Dunk is a series I consider to be an absolute classic and also the best sports manga I've read up to date. It is a truly beautiful story about a boy who finds something that he loves. It may be a true inspiration for every teenager and I would gladly recommend it whether you are a fan of sports or not.

Slam Dunk is probably the best manga ever published and the anime version is one of the best I have ever seen. Even though the series has ended more than a decade ago, many people wiill wholeheartedly agree that this franchise has stood the test of time.

The story is simple but the execution is incredible, each chapter is filled with humor, action, drama, comedy and a whole lot more. The anime series was good and worthy of being considered a landmark anime, but if you have yet to see the anime then you don't know what you're missing. However there are things that are not shown in the anime series which is why it is crucial for you to read this manga. The interhigh games are a blast!

Takehiko Inoue certainly knew how to end the series with a bang! The last game is so good, every character is at their best and certainly no other title can rile up the readers emotions like this, it really feels like your watching the NBA finals.

The artwork is simply great even though there are a lot of better looking manga out there, the decade old graphics still manages to go toe to toe with other more recent titles out there.

The characters of this title are by far the most fully developed in any title out in the market and I'm not just talking about the main characters, I'm also talking about the supporting cast even those belonging to rival teams. The character development is so good that it is difficult to choose one character as a favorite. Each character has a well told background even those who appear in just a few chapters have a very detailed and well executed background story. You'll probably remember the names of not only the Shohoku players but also the names of their rivals, most notably "Sendoh".

Overall Slam Dunk is one of the best Manga ever made and I'm sure that once you read it, you will agree with me. I guarantee that you won't be able to resist finishing the manga in a few days if not a few hours because it is that damn good. If you think the anime was great, try reading the manga and I'm sure you'll feel that the anime series could have been better, the interhigh games are one hell of a joyride!

Slam Dunk was Takehiko Inoue's second serialised manga which ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1990-1996. Inoue would later go onto write Vagabond and Real but his fame as a mangaka started with this series. It is an all time classic and one of the most important manga of all time which helped popularised the game of basketball in Japan.

Story: The story is simple about a freshman in High school called Sakuragi wanting to impress a girl who he has a crush on. However, the story is executed superbly. Every game against opposing teams are all done realistically and feels real without anything too over the top and this makes the reader feel a lot more tension and excitement(injuries, losing games, game winning shots etc) as the stakes were incredibly high. Many times when I was reading the games I was often on the edge of my seat especially during crunch time as anything can happen that can affect the games outcome.

The comedy in the series is so well done, from the character's facial expressions such as Sakuragi's antics to the slapstick comedy. The story is also filled with drama, action, emotional moments and heartwarming moments. The manga introduces you to the game of basketball with all the rules or regulations so you do not need any prior knowledge before reading. Overall, the story is great and very accessible and it is easy for someone to get invested in.

Characters: One of the strongest points in the series or arguably the strongest are the characters. The character interactions are great and done really well. Each character has their own distinct unique personality and their own goals and setbacks. The main character Sakuragi is one of my favourite Shonen protagonists of all time. His progression was great though I can't go into detail about it because spoilers. I did care for many of the side characters and the other players in the basketball teams as well as some players from the opposing teams, making me to want to root for them as well. Also a good touch by Inoue was basing his characters on real-life NBA players. For example, Sakuragi was based on Dennis Rodman and Rukawa based on Michael Jordan as their play styles were similar to theirs.

The Art started out solid but got better and better. It could get confusing at the start for some people but the art for the final game was just sublime. Inoue's facial expressions were top notch. The final game was like watching a championship deciding game going right down to the last minute. It was absolutely breathtaking and one of the best reading experiences I had ever had. It was just full of intensity and emotional moments that made me shed a tear.

Overall, I would recommend this series to anyone and is something you should read and give a chance. A must read for basketball fans as well.

1st half- 8/10
2nd half- 10/10
Overall- 9/10

Slam Dunk is the highest-rated sports manga on MAL, topping other manga like Haikyuu, Ashita no Joe, and Hajime no Ippo. It has sold 126 million copies, making it 9th best selling manga of all time. Does it hold up today? Does it deserve a top 10 spot on MAL?

The series' story overall is pretty a basic “we’re going to the Nationals and we’re going to win” kind of story. The main difference is its story other than it’s unique hook and good/surprising ending is that the win at the nationals is for everyone, not just their “senpai” that are going to graduate. The series' characters and basketball shine the most here. Something about the story that I do have to say though, is that it's realistic. You're not always going to get the match-ups that you want. A hyped team in a different bracket could end up losing. It's just the reality of the sport.

The main character, Hanamichi Sakuragi, is someone who has grown a significant amount. At the start of the series, you see him as a delinquent, someone who gets very physical and aggressive and doesn’t even know the rules. You see him evolve from this person who plays basketball to woo a girl, to someone who loves basketball. You see Sakuragi desperately fight for victory and grow/mature with each match. The manga is good at getting you attached to his growth and emotions. He starts with the basics (dribbling, passing, lay-ups, and rebounds), and Inoue (the author of Slam Dunk) builds up and develops his character with amazing pacing and gradually growing love for basketball. Sakuragi is an overconfident character that experiences growth and matures throughout the four months that is the story.

Sakuragi’s rival is someone who’s been playing basketball for a long time. He’s a top scorer in Japan and another person with a ridiculous amount of potential. Rukawa is someone that everyone in the game pays attention to, because of his ability to score about 30 points (10-15 baskets) in a game. Rukawa always shows up to practice and is hardworking.

Rukawa and Sakuragi don’t get along at all. They refuse to pass to each other and they hate working together, but they have to close this gap to win games and play together.

The rest of Shohoku is also well written. The captain, Takenori Akagi, is the pillar of Shohoku. He can raise the spirits of the rest of the team with his strong spirit. He keeps the morale of his team high, with beautifully written bond/friendship with Sakuragi, that grew constantly throughout the story, as Akagi relies more and more on Sakuragi.

The other two key members, Mitsui and Miyagi, are also delinquents. Miyagi is a point guard with a playful personality. Since he’s the point guard, he’s the shortest player on the court at most times. You see him overcome each obstacle alongside everyone else with his ability to jump high and outspeed everyone else on the court. He also can pass extremely well, and makes the right calls.

Mitsui is someone who quit basketball after suffering a leg injury. This caused him to hate basketball and join a gang. When he comes back to the team, you see him grow and surpass himself from junior high, into someone strong and able to consistently shoot threes.

Mitsui and Miyagi had a bit of a rough relationship in the past. A year before the show, Mitsui’s gang ganged up on Miyagi. Miyagi knew that he couldn’t take them all, so he only focused on beating up Mitsui.

These five characters come together and become one of the strongest basketball teams in Japan. They all grow and bond together, and they attempt to conquer Japan. They all grow through Sakuragi and become stronger together. They are well written and build a strong connection with each other throughout the story.

The basketball in Slam Dunk is somewhat realistic. Everything that they pull off in Slam Dunk is possible in real life, but wouldn’t be possible for a high school player to do. It’s not impossible, but you wouldn’t see high schoolers able to pull off the stunts they do in Slam Dunk. The way the players respond to fouling is well written, as they slow down and play safer when they get three or four fouls. The rules are accurate though, as Inoue is a big fan of basketball.

In Slam Dunk, everyone works together. The entire team plays basketball, and are strongest as the full team. It focuses on the bond everyone builds, rather than (using Kuroko no Basket as an example) just Kagami and Kuroko.

The art in Slam Dunk is pretty good. It is one of Inoue’s first drawn works, so it isn’t too “exceptional.” The moments that were supposed to be impactful were incredibly drawn and you can tell that Inoue put extra time drawing those moments.

Overall, Slam Dunk is a well-written piece of art, with amazing characters, good art, and well-crafted matches. It gets better and better with each match, and it could’ve been drawn out, but the author knew when to put an end to it, causing it to be a legendary manga about basketball and the characters that grew to love it.

First of all, I'm gonna make a comparison, this is not Kuroko no Basket at all, it's a whole different concept. Slam Dunk is probably the best manga (in the sports category, although I can say it's one of the best in general) ever published and the anime version is one of the best I have ever seen.

The story is somewhat considered as simple, I mean, it's a sports manga, you don't need to make it complicated it, nevertherless, the execution is incredible, each chapter is filled with humor, action, drama, and comedy. The anime series was good and worthy of being considered a landmark anime. However there are things that are not shown in the anime series which is why it is crucial for you to read this manga. The interhigh games are a blast! One thing I can reproach to Takehiko Inoue (but that's a selfish thought) is that he could have make more chapters, its ending is quite, well, a full stop. You'll understand if you read it, I really recommend it.
You guys have to know that back then, in the 90's in Japan, Basket was considered as "taboo" in anything related to manga/anime, for the sole reason that basket wasn't developped at all in Japan's highschools and middleschools. The manga and animes which came later, every single one of them were inspired by Slam Dunk. This manga is so well known across Japan because it was the first to achieve so much success.

The artwork is simply fantastic, if we take in consideration that it was done from 1990 to 1994. I doubt you can find a lot more "realistic" manga out there, coming from those years. The characters have something, out-of-manga concept. They still have the general lines which defines a manga, but if you compare it to other ones, you'll understand, you have the impression you can see human faces under these tired and happy "basketmans" faces.

The characters of this title are by far the most fully developed in any title out in the market and I'm not just talking about the main characters, I'm also talking about the supporting cast, even those belonging to rival teams. The character development is so good that it is difficult to choose one character as a favorite. Each character has a well told background even those who appear in just a few chapters have a very detailed and well executed background story. You'll probably remember the names of not only the Shohoku players but also the names of their rivals, most notably "Sendoh".

Overall Slam Dunk is one of the best Manga ever made and I'm sure that once you read it, you will agree with me. I guarantee that you won't be able to resist finishing the manga in a few days if not a few hours because it is that damn good. If you think the anime was great, try reading the manga and I'm sure you'll feel that the anime series could have been better, the interhigh games are one hell of a joyride!

SLAM DUNK REVIEW [English no first language]
Slam Dunk was serialized from 1990 to 1996 in the children's magazine Shonen Jump. It all starts with Hanamichi Sakuragi, the main character of the manga, presented as a shameless and violent thug with red hair without any discipline, constantly rejected by the girls and therefore willing to do anything for a bit of female attention. In fact, he decides to join the Shohoku to impress the sister (Haruko) of the captain of the aforementioned basketball team. However, the manga ends up following Sakuragi's efforts to become, from an inept and impatient beginner, a great champion, thanks to a great talent and superhuman willpower, a path that goes hand in hand with the games played against other high schools, first at the local level and then at the national level.

Takehiko Inoue, the iconic author of Slam Dunk, came into conflict with the first editor of the manga, wanting to choose basketball as a source of development and inspiration for the work, a dangerous choice for the time given that a spokon had never been associated with that sport until then, which by the way would hardly have involved the Japanese public. So then the author met his editor's requests, adopting simple and fun gags with young thugs for the opening of his manga. This, however, happens only apparently since the work will have a very different continuation from what can be expected in a first naive approach, going forward and turning towards that road that was exactly the one that Inoue wanted to take to his manga and that will lead the latter to become one of the most powerful and ingenious products for its commercial and communicative implications. In fact, Slam Dunk led to the discovery of basketball in Japan, to the unstoppable proliferation of love for this sport and to the union of Western and Eastern sports culture.

The most powerful element of the manga is undoubtedly its exceptionally captivating protagonist, the aforementioned Hanamichi Sakuragi. Cloaked by the author with boundless charisma and grit, self-centeredness and team spirit paradoxically in perfect balance, a moving strength and emotionality and an irrepressible and enthralling personality, it would be enough alone to be worth reading the manga. In addition, Hanamichi is not the classic hero of the spokon vein looking for redemption (like the iconic boxer of Ashita no Joe) or with physical limitations, but he is a simple boy and not very smart, but with a determination and an out of the ordinary willpower that make him one of the most sensational characters ever.

Slam Dunk depicts the sport of basketball truthful. No Generation of Miracles but their certainly are some very skilled players in the series, that give our favorite team a run for their money. I was actually really sad when it ended. I wanted more out of the series but I was actually quite pleased with how things ended up wrapping up.

Their last game was really intense. It gave a really realistic look at what happens when you fight a really strong opponent. You start to see your weaknesses and that makes the battle difficult but if you can push yourself past your limits in that moment, it’s possible you can surpass those limitation.

I don't want to spoil the ending but the manga had loose ends in the sense that the mangaka didn't tie them into neat bows like you would expect to when ending a story. It made it feel so much more realistic, as if it's only the beginning for these characters.

The story starts off with this delinquent Hanamichi, falling in love with a basketball fanatic who only talks to him because he is tall and looks perfect for the game. I gave up on the anime because I was 14 episodes in and all I heard was Hanamichi complaining about basic training, hating Rukawa, and only playing the sport just to be with a girl. Those fourteen episodes made me want to shoot myself and when I got to their first ever practice match in the anime, Hanamichi was being all high and mighty that I wanted to bash my head against something, I couldn’t take it anymore. Resulting in me dropping the anime, instantly. When Hanamichi doesn’t have a voice he is a lot easier to deal with.

Interestingly enough as the story progressed (in the manga anyway), you really started to see Hanamichi change. Eventually, I started to see him grow into a real basketball player and appreciate even the simple basics of a sport he initial only joined because of a girl. He learned to use his natural talents for his benefit and in 4 short months started to actually look like a basketball player. Also, thank god, for that haircut. His hair was way too flashy even for a delinquent.

One of the things I was a little disappointed about was Rukawa’s and Hanamichi’s relationship. I was expecting a lot more development in that front. I was expecting a Kagami and Kuroko team up. That did not happen but their relationship did get better. Those two are more the rival type. They egg each other on and even if they piss each other off, they trust each other as team mates or at least that’s what I would like to believe. Those two were difficult to deal with. Even I had moments where I was like really? Your being like this now? At such a critical moment, you should be helping each other out.

I did not end up being a Rukawa fan girl. I personally could not see the appeal to Rukawa especially with his shitty personality. As much as Hanamichi pissed me off, I could totally relate to him. His fiery nature and his desire to become better. I definitely wanted to cheer him on and see him beat Rukawa.

I personally got really excited when I was reading the games though I was surprised there weren’t more Slam Dunks considering that’s what the manga is called.

Hanamichi started basketball because of the girl he liked but ended up falling in love with basketball instead and I am so grateful he didn’t end up confessing. The series honestly would have been ruined for me if that’s what had happened as, that was his only real concern in the beginning.

I've played basketball since I was 8, I'm now 21. I LOVE basketball, this manga is pure love for basketball no BS powers just a loveable idiot learning and grinding away at the game

Story:10 semi-complete, i want a sequel, The manga has a complete and well told story simply beautiful

Art:10 Takehito Inoue is on par with Araki and Muira in levels of detail and inking they should be hung up in an art museum

Characters: Every Player Home and Away are great and loveable. My favorite is Sendoh for his non-chalant way to play. they're seriously likeable

Enjoyment:10 I'm an LA clippers fan and I've seen actual posters live, I stuck with them watching them be down by 31 in the 3rd in a playoff game never changed the channel and witnessed the hype of coming back to win.
THERE ARE PANELS THAT SURPASS THAT HYPE its just too damn good

Overall:11...12 is for berserk. You can know nothing of the sport like sakuragi hanamichi and still enjoy this manga. READ IT