The First Slam Dunk Trailer and Release Date Revealed

‘The First Slam Dunk’ is one of the highly anticipated anime movies to come by the end of 2022. This is a big surprise for the real fans, who read the manga back in the 90s. Just a couple of days ago, Toei Animation released a new promotional video for the upcoming anime. They also revealed the plot, the actors, and the release date for the movie. 

‘The First Slam Dunk’ details

In the span of 15 years, we have binged many anime series and movies revolving around sports, such as Eyeshield 21, Haikyu!!, and many other great animations. This time around, sports fans will be able to watch a movie adaptation of Takehiko Inoue’s manga ‘Slam Dunk’. 

‘The First Slam Dunk’ will open with a song by ‘The Birthday’, while the closing theme will be composed and performed by ‘10-FEET’. On a more delicate note, the writer of the script and the director of ‘The First Slam Dunk’ is the one and only Takehiko Inoue!

When it comes to the official cast, some of the movie stars include Shugo Nakamura, Jun Kasama, Subaru Kimura, and Kenta Miyake. Fun fact: Voice actor Jun Kasama already has experience in sports anime acting, as he appeared in ‘Haikyu!!’. 

Story

The manga ‘Weekly Shonen Jump’, as well as the upcoming anime movie ‘The First Slam Dunk’, will revolve around a unique love story. To begin with, the anime will show us the story of Hanamichi, a troublesome high school student who hates everything and everyone. Until he meets Haruko! She is the only girl who believes he can make it in sports, so she gives him enough motivation to take on basketball. Will he manage to become a basketball star and make Haruko Akagi proud?

‘The First Slam Dunk’, photo by Toei Animation

‘The First Slam Dunk’ Release Date

The anime will hit the small screens and streaming services across Japan on December 3, 2022. ‘The First Slam Dunk’ will premiere worldwide in 34 Dolby Atmos cinemas on December 10, 2022.

‘Weekly Shonen Jump’ Manga by Takehiko Inoue

Let’s flashback to the year 1990. You’re a kid waiting for the latest volume of ‘Weekly Shonen Jump’ to finally appear in English! Then and only then, you can find out who won! The manga creator published a total of 31 volumes in the period from 1990 to 1996. 

When it comes to the adaptations of this manga, ‘Weekly Shonen Jump’ inspired an anime series titled ‘Slam Dunk’, which aired in 1993. In the next 20 years, the manga was animated four more times. It also inspired a mobile app, which gave the readers access to exclusive content and merch released by the creator. The app accumulated millions of downloads from 2014 to 2022. 

About ‘Slam Dunk’

‘Slam Dunk’, which aired from 1993 to 1996, was one of the first anime series to find inspiration in sports. The anime is the first screen adaptation of Takehiko Inoue’s manga ‘Weekly Shonen Jump’. The anime, which tells the love story between Haruko and Hanamichi, has a total of 101 episodes across 17 DVDs. While a part of the anime still remains only available with subtitles, the entire anime is now available on Crunchyroll. 

‘The First Slam Dunk’, photo by Toei Animation

Obsessed with anime, all-things magical, collecting rare editions and funko pops, Natalija is a young writer who strives to read every comic and manga out there!