When Takehiko Inoue announced that he would not only be returning to the classic that ignited his career but trading out his drafting table for the director’s chair, the critically acclaimed storyteller found himself toe to toe with a fascinating challenge: how would he introduce new audiences to Slam Dunk while adapting and building upon the white-knuckled final game of the manga? This would be an insurmountable task in most people’s eyes, but I’m pleased to report that the first-time director expertly threads that needle. The First Slam Dunk is not only a film that makes longtime fans smile from ear to ear but one that works incredibly well as a stand-alone drama in its own right.
The film’s opening minutes perfectly exemplify this synthesis of new and old. The picture opens on the breathtaking beaches of Okinawa, quickly introducing the audience to Ryota, his big brother Sota, and the heartbreaking tragedy that befalls their family. From there, the viewer is transported to an open canvas, where each of the Shohoku boys is painstakingly sketched onto the court. Set to “LOVE ROCKETS” by The Birthday, this sketchy opening sequence feels as if Inoue himself is putting his illustrations into motion. For those who have long followed Inoue’s work, this introduction is quite reminiscent of the storyteller’s gorgeous Aleph commercials from the late ’90s.
These opening minutes strongly establish the narrative format employed throughout the film—using strong hooks and dynamic visuals to draw in new viewers and utilizing the characters’ inherent charm to make old fans hoot and holler. Speaking for myself, I couldn’t help but cheer as each member of the Shohoku lineup was rendered out. It was, in some way, like seeing an old friend again. I imagine it was much the same for fans who saw this sequence on the big screen.
Dribbling back around to “LOVE ROCKETS” for a moment, the song’s use is a superb display of how music is utilized throughout The First Slam Dunk. Whether it’s the original score or various versions of “Dai Zero Kan” by 10-FEET, the film’s soundtrack often functions as perfect punctuation to every intense moment accompanied by it.
As the film pushes past its introduction, the game’s most passionate moments are often used to transition into emotionally resonant flashbacks that provide insights into each player. This device even sheds a little light on Sawakita, the Sannoh player who matched up against Ryota for most of the game. This constant outpouring of emotion and personal breakthroughs creates a relentless pace that may be exhausting for a good handful of viewers. However, I think this string of epiphanies ultimately pays off in the end—especially in the case of Ryota’s story.
I find every moment spent with Ryota and his family as they navigate tragedy to only strengthen the film’s final emotional payoff. I appreciate how deft the film is in depicting grief and how processing it is often a nonlinear and incredibly messy experience. A powerful scene comes to mind in which a young Ryota is trying to process the loss of a loved one, but his mother storms into the room, trying to make it all simply go away. This scene creates a heartbreaking sense of tension that only just starts to resolve by the film’s conclusion.
But even with all the focus placed on Ryota, each of the Shohoku boys gets their moments to shine and grow as characters. I quite enjoy the random outbursts from original Slam Dunk protagonist Hanamichi Sakuragi. Even if he’s not exactly the focus here, his “look at me, I’m the main character of basketball” moments build on his bullheaded charm. Sakuragi’s outbursts also demonstrate Inoue’s masterful navigation of his previous material—working within a framework he established nearly 30 years ago but crafting a story that doesn’t require that material to be enjoyed.
Shifting over to the technical side of things, The First Slam Dunk is a groundbreaking achievement in the realm of 3DCG animation, right up there with the works of Studio Orange (BEASTARS, Trigun Stampede). The talented artists of Toei Animation and Dandelion Animation Studio beautifully merge motion capture, 3D animation technology, and traditional animation techniques (a la Pixar’s Paperman) to breathe life and soul onto the screen. The spectacular fabric rendering used on the players’ uniforms is of particular note. It’s so good that it may trick some viewers into thinking they’re watching a real game at times. The hand-drawn elements of the film stand out as well, especially its gorgeous backgrounds. From the awe-inspiring scenery of Okinawa to the cold concrete that surrounds Ryota’s apartment, these backgrounds are on another level. If I were to nitpick the visuals, some shots of the game’s CG-rendered crowd aren’t the most flattering. However, they’re often not the focus of those moments, so I don’t think it’s that much of an issue.
Speaking of standout elements, the English dub produced by NYAV Post and directed by Michael Sinterniklass is incredible. While the original Japanese language dub is fantastic in its own right, Sinterniklass, co-producer Stephaine Sheh, and company do an amazing job of drawing viewers into a compelling aural world. As Sinterniklass mentions in a fantastic behind-the-scenes Blu-ray featurette, NYAV Post gives their cast the space to “just do and not overthink” their performances—something I greatly appreciated as a former acting student. This modus operandi goes a long way to alleviate some of the artifices that viewers may sense in the occasional anime dub.
The English dub‘s MVP has to be Paul Castro Jr. as Ryota. Castro pours his entire soul into the character and eventually causes it to explode in a tear-jerking moment that even had Sinterniklass choking up in the recording booth. Other standouts include Ben Balmaceda as the hotheaded Hanamichi and Mike Pollock in a rather strong but subdued turn as Shohoku’s Coach, Mr. Anzai. I was also pleasantly pleased to hear some similarities to the performances of Kaleidoscope Entertainment’s short-lived dub of the original anime series, but the new cast didn’t appear to be tied down to those choices either.
Adapted from the original Japanese screenplay, the English script does a superb job of faithfully translating The First Slam Dunk‘s moving story and larger-than-life characters into a new language. In the process, a few of the series’ problematic elements have also been reworked in clever ways that serve the film very well. Specifically, the shift of Shohoku Team Captain Akagi’s nickname from “Gori” to “Goliath.” Even in the manga, this nickname could often leave readers with a bad taste in their mouths. Especially so when one considers that Akagi could easily be read as Afro-Japanese (even if that’s never been said or established) and that his appearance is seemingly modeled after Basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing. The “Goliath” moniker displays the same power and stature Akagi is known for without venturing out into an unfortunate caricature.
Another smart choice was the adjustment of a vocal tic belonging to one of Sannoh’s players, Fukatsu. In the manga, Fukatsu would end each of his sentences with “mon.” In the film, this has been shifted to “yo,” which, again, gets across the spirit of the character without the extra baggage attached. Akagi’s nickname and Fukatsu’s tic remain unchanged in the original subtitled version of the film. While Inoue and his team had to work with choices he made back in the early ’90s, I believe NYAV Post smartly used this opportunity to make a few tweaks that kept the same spirit but avoided any potential baggage.
Needless to say, I’ve developed a preference for the English dub through my multiple viewings of the film. This is bolstered by what I find to be a stronger 5.1 surround sound audio mix. Compared to the original Japanese 5.1 mix, the English mix makes it a little easier to make out what the characters are saying within the dramatic action surrounding them. However, I still find it necessary to turn on the amazingly implemented closed captions to fully understand the dialogue. This all falls into my single biggest issue with the Blu-ray release: the lack of a 2.0 stereo mix in either language. While surround sound setups aren’t exactly too hard to set up, many people don’t have the space to even set up a soundbar…nor have they thought of getting a setup around in the first place. A 5.1 surround mix does wonders when it comes to immersing a viewer in a film but can have the opposite effect when another viewer is having trouble understanding dialogue.
Another flaw also comes to mind, and this relates to the included interview with Takehiko Inoue. Unlike the behind-the-scenes featurette with NYAV Post, Inoue’s interview is incredibly overexposed (or “blown out”). At times, it seems as if the director’s skin tone is blending into the background he’s propped up against. Not to mention that harsh shadows are often obscuring his face. I find this to be a shame, especially when one notices Inoue becoming more and more animated as he continues. I would have loved to see his passion, expressions, and the smile he had on his face while speaking.
But despite my handful of quibbles here and there, I still firmly believe that The First Slam Dunk serves as a fantastic introduction to Takehiko Inoue‘s classic while simultaneously functioning as its own self-contained experience. And if viewers find themselves hungry for more Dunk after this, Inoue’s spectacular storytelling will have them teed up for the thrilling games featured in the manga.
After my exhaustive deep dive into Slam Dunk‘s history in North America, I was excited to hear friends and acquaintances talk about picking up the Blu-ray on their next Target or Walmart run. But I was even more excited when I heard that anyone with a Netflix subscription will be able to see it for themselves soon. With GKIDS Films, Toei Animation, and their partners making it so easy to discover this spectacular film, I’m just over the moon to know that it and the classic that spawned it have another chance to catch on with a new audience.
