Japanese animated sports film, based on Inoue’s Slam Dunk manga series
Inoue’s Slam Dunk Manga Series:
The First Slam Dunk is a manga adaptation with a 100 % perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s a movie about basketball, friendship, and love. If you enjoy sports, animation, and drama, you will enjoy this film.
The First Slam Dunk is an animated sports film based on Takehiko Inoue’s manga book Slam Dunk.
Cast of The First Slam Dunk
Several great performers provide their voices to the film, which is subtitled in both Japanese and English. Here are some details regarding The First Slam Dunk’s cast:
Ryota Miyagi: He is the Shohoku High School basketball team’s point guard. Shugo Nakamura voices him in Japanese, and Paul Castro Jr. voices him in English. Nakamura is a singer and voice actress who has appeared in Blue Lock, IDOLiSH, and Given. Castro is a voice actor who worked in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Jujutsu Kaisen, and The Promised Neverland.
Hisashi Mitsui: He is a junior high school national MVP and a shooting guard. Jun Kasama in Japanese and Jonah Scott in English play him. Kasama is a voice actor who has appeared in Haikyuu!!, Tokyo Revengers, and Moriarty the Patriot. Scott is a voice actor who has previously appeared in Beastars and Attack on Titan.
Kaede Rukawa: He is a rookie sensation and a small forward. Shinichiro Kamio in Japanese and Aleks Le in English play him. Kamio is a voice actor who has worked on projects such as Hypnosis Mic, SK the Infinity, and Horimiya. Le is a voice actor who has worked on Dr. Stone, Fire Force, and My Hero Academia.
Hanamichi Sakuragi: He is a delinquent power forward who falls in love with basketball. Subaru Kimura in Japanese and Ben Balmaceda in English play him. Kimura is a rapper and voice actor who has previously appeared in Jujutsu Kaisen, Doraemon, and Gintama. Balmaceda is a voice actor who has worked on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Hunter x Hunter, and One Punch Man.
Takenori Akagi: He is the center and the captain of Shohoku High School’s basketball team. He is voiced by Kenta Miyake in Japanese and Aaron Goodson in English. Miyake is a voice actor who has also voiced characters in My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, and Naruto. Goodson is a voice actor who has also voiced characters in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, The Rising of the Shield Hero, and Mob Psycho 100.
The First Slam Dunk is a film about Ryota Miyagi, a basketball player who strives to respect his brother’s legacy. Here is a synopsis of the film’s plot:
The movie starts with a flashback of Ryota Miyagi and his older brother Sota playing basketball in Okinawa. Sota was a gifted player who aspired to be a professional. He taught Ryota everything he knew about the sport and pushed him to follow his dreams. However, Sota perished in a vehicle accident one day, leaving Ryota distraught and bereft.
Ryota came to Tokyo three years later and enrolled in Shohoku High School. He joined the basketball team with the hopes of finding a new direction in life. Hanamichi Sakuragi, a delinquent who fell in love with basketball; Takenori Akagi, the team’s captain and center; Hisashi Mitsui, a former MVP who returned to the sport after leaving; and Kaede Rukawa, a rookie sensation and small forward, were among his teammates. They established a strong squad with the goal of winning the inter-high basketball championships.
The video focuses on the tournament’s final game, in which Shohoku met Sannoh Kogyo High School, the defending champions and Japan’s strongest team. Sannoh had a famous player named Eiji Sawakita, who was widely regarded as the finest in the country. He was also Ryota’s opponent, having previously played against and defeated Sota.
The game was fierce and exhilarating, with both sides demonstrating their abilities and commitment. Ryota played with zeal, recalling his brother’s words and passion. He overcame Sannoh’s defense with his speed, intellect, and collaboration. He also confronted Sawakita, who was amazed by his bravery and determination.
The film concludes with a dramatic conclusion in which Ryota makes a crucial play that alters the fate of the game. He did a slam dunk, his brother’s hallmark move and something he’d never done before. He dedicated the dunk to his brother, whom he felt was keeping an eye on him. The dunk gave Shohoku the lead and the win, establishing them as Japan’s new champions.
Ryota celebrates with his comrades and friends at the end of the video. He praised them for their friendship and support. He also expressed gratitude to his brother for motivating him and providing him strength. He understood he had found his life’s purpose: to play basketball with all of his heart and soul.
Director of The First Slam Dunk
Takehiko Inoue is the director of The First Slam Dunk, as well as the writer and character designer. He created the original manga series Slam Dunk, which is one of the best-selling manga ever. He is also well-known for his other manga works, including Vagabond and Real.
His directorial debut, The First Slam Dunk, has won critical praise and honors for his work on the film. He enjoys basketball and has participated in it. On January 12, 1967, he was born in Okuchi, Kagoshima, Japan.
Takehiko Inoue, the director of The First Slam Dunk, is a well-known manga artist. He has also written and directed several manga series that have been converted into films. Among them are:
Vagabond: A historical epic based on the life of famed samurai and swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Several accolades have been bestowed on the manga, including the Kodansha Manga Award and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. Takeru Satoh played Musashi in the film adaptation, which was released in 2019.
Real: A realistic story about wheelchair basketball and three young guys who are linked by the sport. The manga has received accolades for its realistic depiction of handicap, rehabilitation, and friendship. Ryo Yoshizawa, Taishi Nakagawa, and Tatsuya Fujiwara appeared in the film adaption, which was released in 2020.
Buzzer Beater: A science fiction comedy about an Earth basketball team competing in an interplanetary competition. The manga was first published online and has since been translated into a number of languages. The film adaption, which included a combination of live-action and animation, was released in 2021.
Rating & Reviews of The First Slam Dunk
The First Slam Dunk is a manga adaptation with a 100 % score on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s a movie about basketball, friendship, and love. It has garnered favorable feedback from both reviewers and audiences. Here are some of the reviews’ highlights:
Rich Cline from Shadows on the Wall rated it five stars and stated, “Mixing hand-drawn art with digital trickery, the characters have real weight and presence on-screen, and the story is structured like a beefy biopic.”
Esther Rosenfield from Little White Lies awarded it four out of five stars and commented, “Like the title says: a total slam dunk.”
James Croot from Stuff.co.nz scored the film 4.5 out of 5 stars and commented: “A rare sports movie that captures the tensions and chaos of sometimes conflicting characters and a group of individuals who work well together in a serious (and not just funny) way.
Lael Loewenstein from FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles) commended the film’s sound design, saying, “It really feels like you’re at a basketball game.”
These are some of The First Slam Dunk’s reviews. The majority of individuals appear to have appreciated the film, finding it thrilling and poignant.
I hope this gives you a clear idea of what The First Slam Dunk is about. It is a film that celebrates basketball, friendship, and passion. If you are interested in watching it, you can find it online or on streaming platforms.
