Slam Dunk Creator Takehiko Inoue Thanks Fans for THE FIRST SLAM DUNK in Celebratory Illustration
June 3 marked six months since THE FIRST SLAM DUNK opened in Japanese theaters and has since then taken the world by storm, becoming the fifth highest-grossing anime film of all time around the world (and that’s before opening in the West!).
To thank fans for their support even six months along, series creator and director of THE FIRST SLAM DUNK, Takehiko Inoue draw a celebratory illustration of Mr. Anzai, the coach of the Shohoku High School basketball team going for a slight jog.
公開半年がたちました。
沢山の方に足を運んでいただいたおかげで上映が続き、今までタイミングが合わず見ることができなかった人たちにも見てもらう機会ができました。ありがとうございます????#thefirstslamdunk #slamdunkmovie@wacchi1013 pic.twitter.com/34tzGOWTHx— 井上雄彦 Inoue Takehiko (@inouetake) June 3, 2023
RELATED: THE FIRST SLAM DUNK Becomes 15th Highest-Grossing Film of All Time in Japan
The original Slam Dunk TV anime aired from 1993 to 1996, with four anime films being spun off from the original anime. You can catch an on-demand replay of the TV anime right here on Crunchyroll.
THE FIRST SLAM DUNK opened in Japan on December 3, 2022, in regular and IMAX theaters and expanded to Dolby Cinema screens on December 10. The film is headed to the UK, Ireland and Malta from Anime Limited and Toei Animation Europe this Summer with GKIDS hosting the North American movie premiere at Anime Expo. GKIDS describes the movie:
Shohoku’s “speedster” and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. Born and raised in Okinawa, Ryota had a brother who was three years older. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a famous local player from a young age, Ryota also became addicted to basketball.
In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team along with Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui as they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship. And now, they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.
Source: Oricon
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Daryl Harding is a Senior Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza, and posts photos of his travels on Instagram.
