From Jeff Nelson

The First Slam Dunk is an anime movie with roots reaching back to Takehiko Inoue’s Slam Dunk manga series that ran from 1990 until 1996. The latest film in its legacy doesn’t necessarily require previous exposure to its story or its characters, allowing audiences to jump in to experience the high-adrenaline basketball drama and enjoy it to the highest degree.

Ryota Miyagi (voiced by Shugo Nakamura) bonded with his brother, Sota, over basketball. They have three years between them, but they share a passion for the sport and a dream to be noticed until Sota’s tragic death. Ryota joins Shohoku’s high school basketball team as the point guard, determined to achieve his brother’s goal of becoming a star against the toughest players out there.

Most sports stories build up to a final game, where the protagonist must utilize all of their training and knowledge to compete against their biggest adversary. Meanwhile, The First Slam Dunk wastes no time getting there, dropping the audience right into a single intense match that persistently racks up the tension.

Concurrently, Inoue threads flashbacks throughout the game, providing varyingly meaningful stakes for major players on Shohoku’s team. Ryota’s family troubles as a result of Sota’s death hold a strong presence throughout the film, whether we’re taken into the past or in the present on the court. The supporting characters on the team don’t all have the same emotional weight to their narratives, but we do come to care for each of them, particularly when the film gives them the chance to shine.

The First Slam Dunk still plays right into sports movie tropes, keeping it on a predictable path of plot beats. Nevertheless, it continues to rise above expectations with surprises in the emotional department and its ability to generate nail-biting tension through basketball sequences that surpass those from the majority of its genre’s offerings.

The art style is a blend of hand-drawn 2D and computer-generated 3D animation, which has mixed results. Inoue has an outstanding visual eye, deftly executing the basketball sequences. The characters’ movement pops off the screen, although the 3D animation occasionally misses the mark in more subtle, stationary scenes. Even so, Inoue emphasizes character reactions, maintaining a clean momentum to the action without sacrificing the severity of significant plays and revelations.

The First Slam Dunk is a rare sports gem that will leave you with sweaty palms and the realization that you’ve been unintentionally holding your breath. It’s packed with stunning basketball action and meaningful characters in a package that proves accessible to both long-time franchise fans and newcomers. It’s a slam dunk.

Rating: 4/5

The First Slam Dunk played at Fantasia 2023 on July 22nd, 2023. It hits theaters on July 28th, 2023.

Follow Jeff at @SirJeffNelson