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  5. The First Slam Dunk

OtapediaThe First Slam Dunk

Synopsis

Hanamichi Sakuragi is a delinquent and the leader of a gang who is terrible with girls and has been rejected 50 times. After entering high school at Shohoku High, he falls for a girl named Haruko Akagi who loves basketball. Haruko recognizes his athleticism and convinces him to join the school’s basketball team. Despite his hot temper and being a complete noob to the sport, he proves an invaluable asset to the team and begins to cultivate a fondness for the sport. Now, what started as a scheme to get the girl has turned into a passion as he gives his all to help the team win the nationals.

Background

Slam Dunk started as a sports manga written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue that was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from October 1990 to June 1996. It has been published in 31 collected tankobon volumes under the Jump Comics imprint. The manga was later serialized in the North American edition of Shonen Jump beginning in the May 2008 issue, and all 31 volumes have been published by Viz Media. The manga has been widely acclaimed since its release, having won the 40th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shonen category in 1994, and becoming the seventh best-selling manga series in history with more than 170 million copies in print as of August 2017.

The First Slam Dunk is the series’ fifth theatrical animated movie. It was first announced in January 2021 through Takehiko Inoue’s official Twitter account and is being produced by Toei Animation and Dandelion Animation Studio. Inoue is directing as well as writing the screenplay and designing the characters. Other staff members include Fumihiko Suganuma, Katsuhiko Kitada, Naoki Miyahara, Toshio Ohashi, Yasuhiro Motoda, and Yu Kamatani as unit directors, Yasuyuki Ebara as character designer and chief animation director, Yukiko Ban as sub-character designer, Ryuta Koike as music producer, Kazuhiro Nishikawa as animation producer, and Toshiyuki Matsui as producer. The film will open in Japan on Dec. 2, 2022.

Characters

Takenori Akagi (Voiced by: Kiyoyuki Yanada)
Takenori is a third-year high school student and the team captain and center of the Shohoku basketball team who is aiming for “countrywide conquest.” He is called “Gori” by Hanamichi and “Danna” by Ryota. He wears the #4 jersey.

Ryota Miyagi (Voiced by: Yoku Shioya)
Ryota is a second-year high school student and a point guard who is Shohoku’s “shock corps captain” who has innate speed despite his small stature. He has a thing for the team’s manager, Ayako. He wears the #7 jersey.

Hanamichi Sakuragi (Voiced by: Takeshi Kusao)
Hanamichi is a first-year high school student and a power forward. He is a newbie to the sport and picked it up when he entered high school. His red hair is his defining feature. He has a one-sided rivalry with Kaede. He wears the #10 jersey.

Kaede Rukawa (Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa)
Kaede is a first-year high school student and a small forward. He is known as the starting team’s “Super Rookie.” He is quiet and exudes a cool air. He wears the #11 jersey.

Hisashi Mitsui (Voiced by: Ryotaro Okiayu)
Hisashi is a third-year high school student and a shooting guard. He was the MVP of his team during junior high. An injury caused him to take a short hiatus from the sport, but he’s now back on the court as Shohoku’s three-point shooter. He wears the #14 jersey.

Official Links

Staff

  • Original Creator/Director/Screenplay/Character Design: Takehiko Inoue
  • Unit Director: Fumihiko Suganuma, Katsuhiko Kitada, Naoki Miyahara, Toshio Ohashi, Yasuhiro Motoda, Yu Kamatani
  • CG Director: Daiki Nakazawa
  • Character Design/Chief Animation Director: Yasuyuki Ebara
  • Sub-Character Design: Yukiko Ban
  • Modeling Supervisor: Kei Yoshikuni
  • BG Supervisor/Prop Supervisor: Yuki Sato
  • R&D Supervisor/Rigging Supervisor: Hiroto Nishitani
  • Animation Supervisor: Kazuki Matsui
  • Effect Supervisor: Taro Matsuura
  • Shot Supervisor: Toshiaki Kimata
  • Art Director: Kazuo Ogura
  • Art Setting: Nobuhito Sue
  • Color Design: Shiori Furusho
  • Director of Photography: Shunsuke Nakamura
  • Editing: Ryuichi Takita
  • Sound Director: Koji Kasamatsu
  • Casting Producer: Yoshimi Sugiyama
  • Music Producer: Ryuta Koike
  • 2D Producer: Kentaro Mori
  • CG Producer: Yuta Ogura
  • Animation Producer: Kazuhiro Nishikawa
  • Producer: Toshiyuki Matsui
  • Animation Production: Toei Animation, Dandelion Animation Studio

Autumn 2022 Anime