Introduction
Hanamichi Sakuragi, infamous for his temper, massive height, and fire-red hair, enrolls in Shohoku High, hoping to finally get a girlfriend and break his record of being rejected 50 consecutive times in middle school. His notoriety precedes him, however, leading to him being avoided by most students. Soon, after certain events, Hanamichi is left with two unwavering thoughts: "I hate basketball," and "I desperately need a girlfriend."
One day, a girl named Haruko Akagi approaches him without any knowledge of his troublemaking ways and asks him if he likes basketball. Hanamichi immediately falls head over heels in love with her, blurting out a fervent affirmative. She then leads him to the gymnasium, where she asks him if he can do a slam dunk. In an attempt to impress Haruko, he makes the leap, but overshoots, instead slamming his head straight into the blackboard. When Haruko informs the basketball team's captain of Hanamichi's near-inhuman physical capabilities, he slowly finds himself drawn into the camaraderie and competition of the sport he had previously held resentment for.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
SaitamaOp_
The story is not particularly unique. It follows a fairly standard sports anime formula where an inexperienced underdog joins a team and gradually improves. and then there is a boy who girls go mad for with greate background for the sport,
The characters are well-rounded and have both strengths and flaws. However, my main issue is that despite Hanamichi Sakuragi being the protagonist, he never ends up better than THE GIRLS BOY. at some point it litterally start frustating you for example, for 7-9 whole episodes no shot by protagonist only GIRLS BOY play, he gets a point then crowd goes wild , same for every episode then for one episode protagonist gets some screen time , makes a move get some attention from crowd (less than GIRLS BOY) then again for next 10-15 episode its story of GIRLS…
Read at the sourcenurBeL_xelA
I debated on making a review for Slam Dunk a little before I finished the series because even though I personally enjoyed it, I felt like I wouldn’t have that much to say about it. I also felt like I could only really recommend it to a specific type of audience: people who like anime and people who like sports aka normal people. Personally though, this felt like a series that was made for me because even though I like me some weeb shit, I also have a huge soft spot for basketball.
I remember when I was a kid I picked up the sport on a whim and basically started teaching myself how to play. It wasn’t long until I became absolutely obsessed and started practicing at the local basketball hoop almost every day. My routine during this phase of my life was basically this: shoot some hoops for a…
Read at the sourceSDK1903
Slam Dunk is easily in my top 10 anime list and definitely top 5 in sports genre. for me this is like the father of all basketball anime and it show the way for every other show after it. i finally understand why the manga is one of the best selling in history after watching this. its so realistic and power ful.the story about sakuragi is amazing. at first he thinks he can do everything alone and he is just a genius but then he learn what it means to be part of a team. i love how he works so hard, especially his jumping and the way he dunks the ball is just incredible. yes i know the animation and drawings are old because its an old show and sometimes it feels very slow. and sakuragi's behavior can make people really angry sometimes lol. even i got annoyed with him sometimes but when u tr…
Read at the sourceKeiYukio
I'll start at the beginning: the manga for Slam Dunk is one of my all time favs. Every single page of Slam Dunk manga hits me with emotion, the art is breathtaking, the story hits my little heart back then and my lil ol' heart now. So when I discovered the anime adaptation, I was equal parts excited and scared. Could it live up to what the manga that I read multiple times as a kid?
Unfortunately, the anime falls short ;( and so I gave it a 4. Because yes: it has its moments. But as a standalone anime experience, I don’t feel it delivered.
What I like is the characters from the manga shine through in many scenes and you feel the potential. Knowing the source material gives you context and emotional moments, you know where things are going, and when certain big moments hit you can feel the…
Read at the sourceKimyumi
Slam Dunk – My All-Time Favorite Sports Anime 🏀
Slam Dunk isn't just an anime to me it's a masterpiece that holds a special place in my heart. As a basketball lover, I felt completely immersed from the very first episode. Every second of this show is pure perfection: the intense games, the powerful emotions, the unforgettable characters everything hits just right.
Hanamichi Sakuragi's journey from a goofy delinquent to a passionate player is inspiring and hilarious at the same time. Every character, from Rukawa to Akagi, Mitsui, and Ryota, has depth and brings something unique to the team. Their chemistry is simply legendary.
And let’s talk about the OST wow. The music gave me chills, perfectly enhancing the tension and hype of every match. I still listen to the tracks because they bri…
Read at the sourcesilver_drakkk
This anime is one of the best I've seen, it's amazing how in some episodes you are laughing out loud with the nonsense and jokes of the protagonist and other characters; sad for the backstories of Mitsui or Professor Anzai and very immersive with the basketball games which are very dynamic and with a great animation at least for the time.
The best thing about this anime without a doubt is its "vibe" and "tranquility" that it gives you for its animation style of the 90s anime, maybe it's more of a personal and subjective opinion, but the visuals of this anime are simply beautiful.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this anime, even if you don't even like basketball (as in my case I have no idea about basket and yet I watched the series). I hope you give it a chance as you will enjoy it a lot…
Read at the sourceSekizoYagai
peak. Originally I'd give it an 8 but considered the times + I don't know if what I'm asking can be accomplished a 9 is more suitable. A must watch shonen, relax, have fun, laugh a lot and you will definitely cry here and there. Also, I fast forwarded regurarly in many scenes since the old animation had some terrible pacing during an episode.
The story might seem simplistic and the main character, Sakuragi, too predictable but it is narrated in such a natural way and quite realistic compared to other sports anime. As a basketball fan, the show being old helps me recognize many differences in the sport as 3 decades have passed. Nevertheless, the usual style of a "show for kids" is present making the story coincidental as if the planets have aligned or the dialogues are pretty expectable. H…
Read at the sourcemszroms
It is a certified classic, sports anime from the 90s and is enjoyable to watch all throughout, even to this day and age in my opinion. My only complaint is that after Season 1 it didn't had any continuation. Which is a shame because, it had an underlying potential for a longer run.
Animation (6/10) - Honestly speaking, its animation was alright for its time. But on this day and age with anime series like as Demon Slayer, One Punch Man and Jujutsu Kaisen; It's more than seemingly that it doesn't stand the tests of time. A lot of recycled frames and still image used. But still, we have to remember — It came out in 1993 with also a limited budget. Cut some slack.
Storyline (8/10) - For a sports-based anime, it has a very enjoyable story to follow through. Since it is only 101 episodes long,…
Read at the sourcesaintsinn
Rating 7-8/10
I had it on the back of my list for a long while until the movie came out. Yes, I watched 101 episodes just to watch the movie...
The anime took me by suprise as it made me laugh so much throughout.
Animation: It looks very outdated and is the primary reason why I left it out for so long. That said, It really brought out some of the scenes and drama with the pauses...
Speaking of pauses, the reason I would rate it 7/8 is because they would stretch out an episode unnecessarily. There were 2 times that happened, the second time was even worst as they took probably about 10 or MORE episodes for 1 game. The anime would also decrease the anime for longer intros and outros going from 4 min (regular intro/ outro) to 6+ min (extended intro/outro). Plus the excessive flashbacks whi…
Read at the sourceMizarauki
If you like basketball, then you should give this anime a shot.
Of course, I'll start it on a positive note. Considering its year, this anime has great visuals, audio design and characters. It starts off pretty slow, but allows you to see intentions of each person, slowly picking up the pace. While progressing the story, it eventually shows you more and more basketball "action", not only allowing you to witness some truly amazing scenes, but also developing each character as a basketball player. At some point I just started re-watching particular plays several times, just to see how beautiful and realistic they are. And even though the overall plot can be easily guessed (like which team is going to win), the key moments, that will decide this general direction are well-written and often s…
Read at the sourceMalifalittiko
This anime is about someone who doesn't know anything about basketball becoming a basketball player.
The drawing quality was at a good level and fluent.
Drawings: 10/10 Scenes: 10/10 Characters: 10/10 🔥🔥🔥
Sakugari is a funny and clumsy person. Funny scenes occur during his attempt to achieve something. The side characters are also well written.
Rukawa is good basketball player and cool person.
I never liked basketball, but after watching this anime, I started to like basketball.
The finale is not bad, but after that it was the most curious part. It is one of the rare anime that I wish the sequel would be made.
Read at the sourceSouls21
Slam Dunk is a pretty good basketball anime it holds up pretty well that I even watched it for a third time that's how good it is, and I still love some of those rememberable scenes, it reminds me of when I was a part of the basketball team when I was in high school truly fun memories and the characters are very lively and the animation is spot on back then but has more detail than now, where they legit just cover a guys eyes even most anime I still like the ones coming out, but I recommend this basketball type of anime.
Read at the sourcesekithoe
Slam Dunk is a classic sports anime that very clearly had a major impact on the genre, paving the way for the many shows that came after it. But in my opinion, there are few sports anime that can match up with this one in terms of narrative structure, characters, realism and entertainment value.
The plot isn't necessarily anything special, but it plays out in a manner that keeps you drawn in and invested in the well being of the characters. The characters themselves are fleshed out (mostly) and feel realistic. Some characters such as Rukawa however have little to no development. As someone with very little prior basketball knowledge, this show was probably the most educational sports anime I have seen. Though, those with stronger knowledge have complained at the information provided. The…
Read at the sourceAnimeslav123
The manga and anime started the basketball trend in Japan during the 90s and i decided to see how good it was. This was my first sports anime and I didn't expect much from it. Knowing that it was from Toei also didn't help much. But after the first three episodes, I was hooked for the ride. The characters were the thing that made me like the anime and also learned some nice basketball terminology along the way. The journey itself was filled with pretty intense matches and twists. It teaches some pretty valuable lessons that you can use in your life. Not to spoil more, but after you finish it you should definitely start the manga because the anime doesn't cover the entire story.
If you like basketball, then this is for you. If not the characters will hook you up for the ride to come. You wo…
Read at the sourceGaspar445
Slam Dunk is a show full of colorful and memorable characters that is, ironically, slowed down by the basketball games they play in.
The main character, the genius himself, Sakuragi Hanamachi rides the fine line between lovable and insufferable. For 95% of the time, he is a loud and obnoxious goofball, always spouting about being a self-proclaimed basketball genius despite being a total beginner at the sport. However, because we see his constant failures and his relentless drive for improvement, Sakuragi manages to avoid being an arrogant and unlikable main character. Sakuragi's development as a basketball player is also impressive. Sakuragi's skillset is slowly built throughout the series and he doesn't magically become a highly skilled and well-rounded character like his rival/teammate…
Read at the sourceWazThatTL
"Light Hearted, Hilarious, and Enjoyable
This anime and Hajime No Ippo I think laid the groundwork for most future sports anime similar in vibes, themes, and music. The sounds and the music was well done it was upbeat and had this happy sort of vibe coming out of it which really matched with the anime. The visuals were nice and not that bad considering that Slam Dunk first came out in 1993 and it got better as the series went on. The story was good it had it's hiccups and bumps here and there but they had pretty good consistency for most of the 101 episodes. It started off slow in the beginning but picked it's pace up later on. I just hated how some matches would be short and span maybe 1 or 2 episodes and then others would be crazy long 6 to 7 episodes. They did a good representation of…
Read at the sourceBTKB
It was the greatest sports anime I have ever seen! It was also funny when it came to Sakuragi! Hopefully what I heard is true about Slam Dunk coming back! I really want to watch Season 2 of this anime! Let's hope it does!
I was honestly surprised this was considered Shonen, but I guess I did not know the definition of it. Either way, I really hope they do make another season of this. Actually, I hope they finish it rather than finishing it at a specific arcs like other anime series does.
I can understand why, but I just want to see it complete since that is how good anime series are!
Read at the sourcePitBoy
I think is important to clarify this in the beginning. The anime isn't finished and it will never be. If still you want to watch it (Something that I recommend) I'll say to watch until episode 84, beyond that, read the manga or just leave it.
The show do well on hook you with the basketball theme and I really wanted to learn and play it. Every match hypes you short of like when you see Rocky fight in the end of his movies and you want to shout "Go Rocky!" and I can tell that I almost didn't notice that they were so many episodes thanks to the good flow of the story.
The characters are interesting and in variety and not only inside the main character team, other teams characters are also interesting and important and it makes it feel really open and appealing (With an exception that I'll…
Read at the sourcezztl9
Even though it was a fact that I would enjoy Slam Dunk because of the nostalgia factor (since I watched some of its episodes on TV when I was little), I kept on putting off the anime for later because I didn't feel ready for watching this many episodes for a single anime--and even took a break at around 80 episodes, I am glad that I finally came around to finish the anime.
When I was a smol kiddo, I initially liked this anime for how relatable and funny Hanamichi (the red-head main character) was, but today, I really liked how he improved personal character-wise as well as his skills in basketball, since he doesn't know anything about the sport at the very beginning.
Lately, when it comes to showing friendship, most animes have simply resorted to the chill, slice-of-life type of plot. B…
Read at the sourceboyoungsi
The best sport shounen anime. The first time i find anime without ECCHI STUFF, OPPAI, YAOI, AND MORE SEX OR DIRTY STORYLINE,. THE BEST ANIME EVER. The comedy is not hard to make us laughing. The story is simple, but we find many twist. Each episode show how a hero born from zero. The art stile is old and mature.
The background song while Sakuragi do rebound will always ringing in your head.
The character have go through great development in every episodes. I do believe this anime will be popularize basketball much more all over asia. The only way to enjoy this anime is believing that "the best thing from falling is there will be only one choice: getting up.
Read at the source
