Fun fact: When Slam Dunk started Rodman played for the Pistons, while Jordan was at the Bulls. Then as the manga was ending, Rodman joined Jordan and the Bulls, just like Sakuragi and Rukawa. Life imitates art.

I still get goosebump at the double spread hand slap between Hanamichi and Rukawa in their last match together.. That scene and art from Inoue such a masterpiece..

In the Philippines, Slam Dunk shaped an entire generation of teenagers, made us cry and laugh. It was so popular that it even became a house hold name. The name "Sakuragi" even made it to our major basketball league. And i think it remains very popular even to this day. I still think it is the best sports anime ever created.

I interpret the ending differently, for me the ending makes total sense because the story is about a teenage boy who's just lost in life so he tries to chase after every girl he sees, fight every boy he meets because he's focused on what others see of him. The Story of Slam Dunk is how this boy, while chasing a girl, will find the true love of his life, Basketball. To me the most important scene of the last match is when an injured Sakuragi stands up, looks Haruko in the eyes and says "I really love Basket-Ball, and that is not a lie" because from this point on Sakuragi doesn't care about what others and Haruko think of him, his only drive is basketball.

My most fave panel being Rukawa and Sakuragi highfive-ing after beating Sannoh. I'm forever in love w/ Slam Dunk and have no regrets having the logo tattooed in my arm!

As a girl that has 0 interest in sports - Slam Dunk is by far the best manga I've ever read, and I agree literally everyone should read it. Slam Dunk made me love and respect athletes, team sports, sports itself, and the hunger and drive to be better, struggle overcome shortcomings, passion and desire. Man, and honestly it's one of the funniest manga's ever as well somehow. Also one of the most well drawn. Nice video. Lets pray that movie will be good and that the anime gets a remake~

Slam Dunk is to sports manga, what Dragon Ball is to shonen. The influences can easily be seen in Kuroko and Haikyu. Thank you for bringing attention to this masterpiece that's extremely underrated in the west.

This anime/manga literally taught me how to read Chinese. As an American born Chinese, I normally didn't speak Chinese except at home or whenever I visited Taiwan to see my grandparents. It was in Taiwan that I was introduced to Slam Dunk (dubbed in Chinese), and became obsessed. In order to continue watching it even after I left, my grandfather would record the anime whenever it ran on TV (VHS) and ship them to me when it ended. I watched and rewatched them so much I was eventually able to match the Chinese subtitles to the Chinese dub. Then my grandfather bought the whole manga series for me and I would literally read them with a Chinese dictionary next to me in order to learn what happened next. Slam Dunk managed to capture the imagination of an 8 year old girl and was the sole reason why I was able to maintain my language and culture. It's not just a story, but a gift.

Slam Dunk is HUGE in many parts of Asia. It's too bad it wasn't introduced during the Bulls dynasty in the U.S.A Even if it had made the U.S.A. by the late 90's at least the anime wouldn't have been too dated. The manga on the other hand, is TIMELESS. What an incredible piece of work. It balances gut busting comedy, intense games, and completely unexpected developments. It's the best Shonen series ever made. I feel that confident in it. It's the fact that it's about basketball that holds it back with most anime and manga fans in the west.

While Sakuragi is by no means OP, his raw physical talent is so noticeable that the most skilled players like Maki or Sendoh are shocked that Sakuragi can learn and reach to this level of basketball in so short amount of time. Remember, the whole manga covers just about 6 months but by the end, Sakuragi can physically go toe to toe against people who have played the game for years. It's a running joke that Sakuragi is the self-proclaimed "Tensai" but it really went full circle that infact, he really is a "Tensai" when even Rukawa finally acknowledged him.

Here in the Philippines, there’s an urban legend that the reason it ended abruptly was because the author died. Back then internet was not as common as today so many believed it to be true

I’m from India and Slam Dunk is THE reason why I started playing basketball in middle school. I’d get my ball to school everyday and even convinced my friends to play as well. We played together for 4 years throughout middle school. It was one of the most memorable times of my life in school

Takehiko Inoue's drawings became so perfect towards the end of the slam dunk manga too, if you compared the drawings from the first few books with the last few, you'd think that they were drawn by 2 different guys.

the thing about slam dunk is how it slowly turns from a street brawl manga to a sports one, it transitions so well

Even though Kuroko no Basket is more known now, Slam Dunk will always be my favorite, the anime and Manga itself is just so touching and you can really feel the passion through watching/reading .. even brought tears to my eyes when sakuragi and rukawa dapped each other up

About 3 weeks ago I decided to read Slam Dunk. Never been much of a sports anime fan, due to many of them being unrealistic as a former athlete myself. I blitzed through all 276 chapters and all I can say is it really is worth all the praise. I will admit I am a sucker for the delinquent-turned-disciplined-coming-of-age type stories but Slam Dunk blew me away. The hype, comedy, visuals, and development of these characters was so great especially for its time. All i can say is that Slam Dunk is classic shonen at its purest and best.

It's the most accurate depiction of a role player's life in basketball that I've ever seen. A highly competitive and ambitious individual (as sports often attracts these people) stuck learning the basics in pedantic fashion while his peers have all the time to show off. When he does finally spreads his wings and finds a place in the court, he realizes that even with all the talent at their disposal, and all the things he's learned, they're still not as strong as a team. He then gives his respect to his much more experienced teammates, as he earns their respect in kind. And together, they manage to reach new heights. Name any 6th Man or bench warmer and they'll probably have the same exact experience. Sports and Shonen have that unique common ground of the Hero's Journey, which is why anime and sports fans have a lot of overlap on the internet.

Only Inoue can get cut short by his publisher and still end the series beautifully What a master. Also, you need to know more on Slam Dunk's global influence, the Jordan Brand collaborated with Slam Dunk to release a special edition of Air Jordan 6. Now THAT is respect.

just wanted to say that this manga inspired me to start playing basketball at late age and even tho i was at so much disadvantage the motivation and love for basketball it gave me kept me going until i was able to finally join my town's intial team

Man Slam Dunk was one of my favourite childhoodAnime, coming home from school rushing my homework so I could get in at least 3 episodes before my mom would call me for dinner, when ever I see Naruto or Slam dunk it reminds of those simpler times 😄

Dude Slam Dunk and Vagabond are masterpieces made by the same person. Incredible. Great video by the way, haha this is an awesome gem here. Shoutout to the Nujabes track too. oh and subscribed :)

The high-five between sakuragi and rukawa made me cry uncontrollably i will never forget how that that last shot made feel im so grateful 🙏 thank you takehiko inoue

i think sakuragi was portrayed as an athletic freak, probably the most athletic character in the manga, not as an individual with slightly above average athletic ability. that athletic ability and his dedication is what allowed a novice like him to learn so quickly

The main character being based on Dennis Rodman is so perfect. Rodman was lacking in offense. Not having many points, assists, or many stats that many players focus a lot on. What he lacked in offensive capability, he makes up with energy on defense and hustle for the ball. Just great writing

I've been reading comics, graphic novels, mangas, manhuas, manhwhas and webtoons for good amount of time. And being watching anime & cartoons even longer. And I gotta say. Non-other is more special than Slam Dunk for me. It's not just basketball. Dont get me wrong basketball part is really educating and infornmative I start to basketball cuz of Slam Dunk and Michael Jordan xD But its not just the sport. How real and sincere the characters are. . . It'a real friendship / romance / slice of life series. And in terms of technical acheivements of the series. Slam Dunk is the best weekly published manga in terms of drawing quality. It has drawing quality, composition quality of a monthly series. Inoue is a genius at his peak. And you can sense his passion to basketball I mean even the sneakers the player's wearing is giving cues about their personalities and styles. Everything is accurate, nothing is made up. Just a super detailed work about a simplistic story and premise but it's working. Read the manga for sure but also touch on Anime too I mean soundtracks and some episodes just amazing to experience. Btw Slam Dunk is the shortest manga among top 10 most sold mangas . And the only sports genre manga among top 10 too. It's a big deal, please read and watch it.

It's the greatest basketball manga, anime of all time. It ties perfectly with the notion that the Jordan era is the best time to be a basketball fan. That is why most basketball fans agree that MJ Bulls was the goat of in terms of the story arc, revolving around the protagonist MJ, with other characters that helped him achieve victory, "Consistently". That is how emotionally hyped NBA fans back in the 90s were.

Still get teary at the sakuragi’s famous “mine is now” moment.

I respectfully disagree when you say Sakuragi is just a regular dude. He is not good at basketball, but he is unmatched in street fighting. No one can take him. Or Judo.

Slam Dunk is a legend! I can feel Sakuragi desperation in each game. I cried when he was injured but still wanted to play. At times it's his desire to win and his fearlessness (and shamelessness 🤣) that carries the team. I really enjoy it when his skills improve and when he shines. Sad that the team doesn't go far on the National Tournament. But it's not the best ending but not bad either. The end makes sense as the ultimate flaw of Shohoku is the weak bench lines...

Personally, I absolutely love the ending. It is so fitting for the characters and really touched me.

Slam Dunk is the greatest sports manga of all time and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Wtf the production quality led me to believe this was a bigger channel until I saw the subs,keep up the great work !!!!!

5:33 "slightly above average athletic ability" His only saving grace as far as basketball is concerned is his incredible athletic ability, which includes a practically high stamina, speed, agility, and jumping power. The thing that he lacks, however, has everything to do with the basics of basketball, which is why he sucks as all his athletic ability means nothing without the basic skills necessary for basketball. Yes, Sakuragi isn't an OP protagonist, but he is also no ordinary dude.

This helped boom the sport in other countries where slam dunk was popular too. Latin countries and other Asian countries. Even during the 90s you would see replica shirts and posters of slam dunk in Europe

I'm honestly so glad that slam dunk is slowly getting more attention. I read it for the first time last year and honestly it is now one of if not my favorite manga that I have ever read. But this manga gives me a ton of motivation to get back into basketball and just keep trying. But honestly I'm really hoping that the movie brings alot of attention to the series plus I just wanna see the bad boys in action one more time.

Inoue, Miura, Togashi has damn flawless story it's beautiful. I wish all of their concealed art will touch the finish line someday because it's actually too glorious to be left out.

I've literally waited half my life for the national tournament to be animated. It's still one of the greatest things I have ever read and it gives me goose bumps thinking about how good the movie will be. THE BAD BOYS HAVE ARRIVED!!!!!

Still the best basketball manga/anime. Can't wait for the Movie!

@6:14 that moment Sakuragi did the 'RODMAN' move to save the ball laterally chills !

My late father really loves Slam Dunk. He's the type of father who's strict and won't stand if we slack one bit. Watching cartoons for him is a waste of time. But when Slam Dunk wave hits the Philippines, he was an avid fan. We bonded quickly and will even theorized what will happen next. I agree, this manga is approachable and feels authentic. When Kuroko was released, it doesn't feel the same.

Man the last arc is so intense. Just Incredibly intense.

Only Filipino fans remember Kogure's week long shot.

A teacher recommended this to me, one of the best reads in my life. Thanks Mr. Kim

I know this is just a series of books, Slam Dunk gave me inspiration when I needed it best. I learned alot of things from it.

Amazing video. Slam Dunk is one of the best Manga that I ever read. In general I love manga sports. Haikyuu, Hajime no Ippo and others, but Slam Dunk is fabulous. Thanks for that video.

Slam Dunk is peak of sports anime. With the Genius, The Rebound King Sakuragi Hanamichi as the Protagonist. Slam Dunk is the G.O.A.T.

If you a hooper and love reading manga, you gotta read Slam Dunk. It’s crazy how bad the art work was at the beginning and seeing it improve as the story went on. One of my favs of all time. IMO a classic.

From a basketball crazy country like the philippines, in which every streets and corners, and even way top of the mountains, you can see basketball courts; this anime/manga is very popular, to the point that kids in earlier 2000's(including me), go home early or even cut class just to watch it. Many of whom i knew started playing basketball bcoz of slam dunk, based on how realistic it is, unlike some other sports manga that activates power-ups, lol. Imo this is the best sports manga of all time, and none come even close

Just finished reading slam dunk early this morning...like 3am. And I must say, i was also cheering for them and jumping out of my seat at the end because you really couldnt tell weather shohoku would win or not and the suprisingly few chapters left made me partly believe that they'd lose. I couldnt fly through the manga at the pace intended because when I read manga I have to take in every detail and speech. Was sad and disappointed it ended so abruptly and we wont get a possible continuation but your explanation helped. Though it's been 26 years I do hope that the release of the movie means we MIGHT just get a continuation

Serious comment now. I love this series and I genuinely wish more people were familiar with it. I'm a middle school math teacher and whenever I find out that my students like Haikyuu or Kuroko I recommend they go read this. I used to be averse to sports anime and manga until my girlfriend (now my wife) convinced me to watch Slam Dunk while I was living in Japan a decade ago. Fast forward to today and Slam Dunk has consistently been in my top 10 Shonen manga ever since I finally finished it, and the Sannoh Arc is one of the best final arcs to a manga series (regardless of demographic) I've ever read.

Slam dunk used to be my childhood and was a big introduction for me to anime, i was kinda sad to realize that not a lot of people talk about and seeing this video made my day, thanks man

i didnt know anything about slam dunk until i saw the movie and now I'm speeding through the manga, completely obsessed with it. it's cool how well the movie lives up to the legacy of the manga itself - introducing people to basketball even all these years later. it's one of my favourite movies of all time now.

honestly i wanted a little more from the ending, its too abrupt, some manga/series go on for too much but Slam Dunk will always feel like it had much more too give

I'm from Mexico and grew up watching slam dunk. I never understood why this manga/anime was never famous in the US, since basketball is more famous in the US. I didn't know there was an english dub until not long ago

The anime was a masterpiece in its time. even my father who's from the middle east used to watch it in his time. He wasn't even aware that the story hadn't ended after the anime until I told him what manga was

blue lock is not a sports manga by any means. it's a battle manga. if you look at it from that perspective, it's a genuinely good manga. it's not a competition to see which of the ones are considered the winners, it's a battle to be declared as the best striker in that facility.

I've never heard about this manga or anime before and I'm very glad to found it because it gave me back the inspiration and passion about basketball that I forgot a long time ago, this manga made me feel like the 10 year old kid I was when i first started playing basketball, and I really need it to feel some happines these days

i find the ending extremely realistic and makes the whole story and the desperation they play with make sense, there's only 5 +1 players in shohoku that can reach that level as a team bc their bench might as well be empty hence they are pushing themselves extra hard bc they know only them can make it happen, they were such an incredible team but they're just kids and luck fucked them over by making them face sannoh so soon, the exaustion plus hanamichi's injury made it imposible for the team to continue. kogure and akagi know it's their last chance as third years kogure talks about how finally they could gather a dream team to achieve akagi's dream but they knew it was now or never, they are great sudents but they knew they would have to dedicate their last year to prepare for their university entrance exams there's a ray of hope for akagi when he gets the scolarship offer but it gets taken away forcing him to leave the club so he can enter university on his own. this leaves us with hanamichi rukawa ryota and mitsui (who stays bc he has no confidence of getting into college through entry exams so he's betting everyhing on getting a scholarship offer) they could find someone to fill in but with hanamichi still in rehab till who knows when i doubt shohoku can reach the finals again for the winter championshio or next year unless some genius new kid joins their school... so maybe not as shohoku but as individuals there's hope for all of them to make it big in the future so no one looks bitter and everyone is still cheerful and proud of how far they took the team

Slam Dunk help my brother cope his trauma of bullying. After move out to new School and start to read and watch Slam Dunk, he learn basketball and make a Basketball Club in his new Junior High school (previously they don't have Basketball club). He transform from a shy, low self esteem boy to a sociable, confident, (sometimes over confident. lol) boy. Anyway, Slam Dunk has a big role in his transformation. Thank you Inoue Sensei.

Thank you for talking about this timeless classic! It's so good and was super influential in the sports manga scene. I really hope they do a re-print so more people can read it.

This video is wavy as hell. Love your take on this. feel like we don't get enough on sports manga

I love this video sm. My favorite character might be sakuragi or mitsui, they had one of the best development through the series.

I started watching Slam Dunk because of a (now) ex-girlfriend lmao. I was already a fan of basketball, but I was never really a fan of anime until I watched this show. This manga holds a special place in my heart, it brought me back to when the only thing that mattered was highschool sports. The ending is also bittersweet, as an adult who clearly couldn't follow through with all those years spent training. The only thing I have to show for it is the memories gained in pursuit, but still I don't regret a second because I spent doing what I loved - which is something we all took for granted.

the amount of people who don't know this but praise Kuroko is too damn high! also it has great 90s sneakers aesthetics

In Latin America, Slam Dunk is as popular as Saint Seiya or Doraemon. Great show.

We need SLAM DUNK some more popularity. I have been in love with this anime since I first heard about it. There’s also a cool little 3v3 mobile game of it. I play it a lot, you should try it. All in all, I hope the movie will gain tremendous hype and bring some newfound fans of the anime!

Hey, Akagi is a perfect student. His grades are fantastic, he's very disciplined, and is genuinely a stand up guy. He respects everyone, and even apologizes to other people when the douhahous do something embarrassing. 😅 He doesn't even get into college on a basketball scholarship even though he probably could have, he gets in based on his academic prowess! 😊 The douahous, however, are a different story. 😂

Those Lucky people that haven't read it yet. I envy them

OH MY GOD WE NEEDED THIS SO MUCH! I think there isn't much people talking about the slamdunk manga in the west. Thank you for making this video and I look forward the movie!

Great video, I’m planning on reading the manga soon but as soon as I started watching the anime it instantly resonated with me. As someone who was never anything special as a basketball player and slowly getting better and better while still making mistakes along the way, this was one of the most realistic pieces of media I’ve ever consumed. Slam dunk forever!

Slam dunk is a masterpiece. A OG of sports anime genre

Even I'm of same view that reading the manga felt like watching video. It was amazing experience!

This is the manga I will leave to my grandchildren so they could be motivated by its dedication of the characters. We need more good manga like Slamdunk

When shohuko lost on kainan i cried like i feel like i was on the team on shohuko

slam dunk is very popular in the philippines when it was aired on tv in the 2000's. Everybody knows team shohoku, sendo, maki, and fukuda. Filipinos love slamdunk. Such a classic anime

Although the ending of slam dunk may be controversial to some, I personally think its really well crafted. As much as I wanted to see Shohoku go on to win the tournament, it was something extremely difficult for them to do. Everyone on the team was out of energy, especially Mitsui with his stamina issues, not to mention the fact that Sakuragi's back was injured. While I agree that the ending should have given us more closure instead of telling us the ending in a few panels, its really interesting that Inoue sensei left it sort of open ended for us to imagine what happened in the future. Akagi got his scholarship revoked but he still managed to get into the university and pursue basketball at a higher level along with Kogure. Ryota went on to become the team's captain and eventually went to play basketball in America (the first slam dunk movie). I'd assume Mitsui eventually improved his stamina and went on to play basketball at a semi-professional level. Lastly, Sakuragi and Rukawa both continued to improve and hone their skills through their rivalry, and they both became great players in the future. Just like how life isn't rainbow and sunshine, Shohoku didn't get their perfect ending of being National champions in the manga. But one way or another, each of the player's dream got fufilled somehow, and I believe that's the beauty of the ending. Besides, what's youth without a little regret?

Huge respect to the manga artist for being able to draw so much sweat on the characters

Slam Dunk is something else. Loved the anime, loved the manga. Sakuragi is top tier protagonist because he's very relatable. It also has a lot of touching moments like the incident with his dad, Mitsui's story and Sakuragi's injury.

Slam dunk has one of the best characterizations in mangas ever

Another aspect I’d like to point is the heavy influence Foundational Black American culture had on Slam Dunk and just Basketball in general. We mainly help to popularize the sport in America and around the world. Whether it be the Black American athletes themselves or the style/swag we brought to the sport. So it always kills me when people try to downplay our influence or just flat out say we have no culture. Because we do have one and it’s very beautiful, expansive and diverse. And we are the dominant culture of America. So American culture is Black culture to a certain degree.

Never was much of a basketball fan. This manga made me appreciate the sport. :)

I can see the improvement with each video and I hope to see more videos in the future, great job!

This masterpiece, "Slam Dunk" is a life changer for me, not only that made me into liking basketball and do my hair red, but Sakuragi's funny habit is also huge reflection of myself back in high school 😂, and i also found my drawing style because of it.. the only manga i finished and collected, every character and stories are very well written, it's very deep and meaningful, it's a manga about life itself... poetic in its way.. nothing will surpass Slam Dunk these days... very much love for Slam Dunk 🇮🇩

Slam Dunk repeated airing multiple times in my country, Philippines. I have no interest in sports before. I don't even play basketball in a place where almost every boy loves playing it. When I grew up, I revisited Slam Dunk in my first year in college. SD made me love sports in general- sports anime, real life sports, athletes, etc. Nothing compares. It sparked something in me that was never present before. I love it! And I'm sure a lot of people do.

Saw the anime as a kid. I enjoyed and remember the school gym brawl more than the basketball matches sadly. The parts I mostly remember about Slam Dunk were the characters and their interactions with one another. Another anime that really hits all the same delicious notes as Slam Dunk for me is Haikyuu.

Thank you so so so much for making this video, I watched this when it first came out and I just finished reading the last chapter of the manga, I have laughed and I have cried of joy for the very first time while reading, All of this thanks to this incredible video! Thank you again for inspiring me to read this incredible story, you have made my life better ❤️

I love Slam Dunk and this video is great and I completely agree how great it is that the protagonist is not the best but saying Sakuragi only has slightly above average physical abilities is crazy he was almost dunking from the free throw line

I also recommend REAL. It basketball manga made by the same author although the focus is mostly about the characters itself instead of the sports. It's a masterpiece.

Bro how do u not have like 500k + subs I watched like half the video and just noticed. Keep up the good work this is professional grade work right here.

We need to get slam dunk noticed its really undervalued,it is truly amazing

One thing that wasn't mentioned in this video that I think is absolutely important for Slam Dunk is: how brutal sports can be. "Oh it is my dream to win the nationals, and I will dedicate my whole life to this objective. Haha Too bad I'm in my last year of High School and I didn't make it." "I found myself in this sport, I am really good at it and people admire me when I play. Too bad I just spent one year enjoying this feeling, I busted my knee and I can't play anymore." There are all these types of bits scattered throughout the story of Slam Dunk that give weight to what is happening in the games and just breaks you when it happens, at the same time that everyone is concious about those things, and even so decide to put everything in line to win.

The manga ending was an absolute goosebump

The anime is not slow, it is a perfect transposition of the Manga. There are not fillers, except a couple of episodes that there are not in the Manga. And it doesn't cover half of the story. But it ends just before the final tournament. It covers 3\4 of the story. Maybe even a little more. Me too I have enjoyed more the Manga, it is a masterpiece. But the anime is pretty good too and as I said it is a perfect transposition. It just doesn't cover all the story. That's it.

Great job! I like how you add those little details in your clips and pictures it really help improve your video, hope to see more! :)

Slam Dunk is the manga! The storytelling, the characters, the rivals, the team dynamics, the conflicts, the comedy, the instructiveness, the drawing, the details, everything is brilliant. My most preferred sport is basketball bcs of this and I don’t really watch NBA. Amazing work of art really.

Hello, I just came from a screening of the Slam Dunk movie. It was hype. Made me wanna start the series all over again.

90s basketball was the best!

Watched the anime as a kid, after 20 years im still in love with the show as i did back then. Truly timeless masterpiece

Always read that Sannoh Arc atleast once every other year just to refeel the goosebumps of the Sakuragi Rukawa Hi Five.

I see that this video was earlier in blue lock’s manga. I feel that blue lock though based on being the lone best striker. You have to realize that they need each other. The main character only gets better by learning and building off other people l. They form relationships teamwork. Essentially everything a sports manga is but with a twist