Are you a basketball fan? Well, you don’t have to be one to enjoy Slam Dunk. Created by Takehiko Inoue, Slam Dunk was originally released as a manga series, the story centering around the Cinderella story of the Shohoku High School basketball team.

Redheaded Sakuragi Hanamichi is a problem child, a gang member and a loser in the arena of love, rejected by 50 girls when he was in junior high school. This time he falls in love with Haruko Takenori, a die-hard basketball fan and sister to Shohoku basketball team captain Akagi Takenori. In order to gain Haruko’s attention, Sakuragi decided to join the team, and with hard work and a stubborn determination, he finally gained the respect of Akagi and was accepted to become a member of the team. Sakuragi eventually excelled in his skills and became a starter for Shohoku along with Rukawa Kaeda, a fellow freshmen and talented basketball player who has a huge following of female admirers, also being Haruko’s object of affection. Akagi Takenori, a veteran with lots of experiences, plays center and is both an excellent defender and rebounder. Senior Mitsui Hisashi was a former MVP during his junior high years, and while not having played basketball for the past two years due to some personal problems, his 3 pointers make him a threat to opponents. Lastly, Miyagi Ryota is a small but agile player, his speed allowing him to excel in the area of steals and assists, while his love interests lie in the manager of the team.

The on court action is accompanied by great animation, helping to create an exciting and realistic visual treat.	Timely shifts to wacky, exaggerated animation add a welcome element of humor often lacking in sports shows.

Team Shohoku never had a strong presence in its basketball conference, but this time, with the addition of new players and returning old ones, they have a good chance of making it to the national championship. However, that won’t be an easy task, because in the same conference is Team Kainan, last year's runner-up in the Japanese national. Through many trials and struggles, Shohoku finally emerges from its problems to become a competitive team filled with talents.

Even though the story might not be original, what made Slam Dunk successful was its characters, Takehiko having taken great care to make them genuine - people you can identify with and those you find around you. You’ll find yourself laughing at Sakuragi’s antics, as he attempts to outdo Rukawa in everything. He’ll even surprise you at times you least expect it. The basketball action sequences have really good visuals, with realistic movements and emotions, creating an atmosphere no less exciting than attending a real game. At times the animation becomes wacky and exaggerated, adding an element of humor often absent from sports series.

Music in Slam Dunk is above average, the opening theme song, "Kimi ga Suki da to Sakebitai," by BAAD being both upbeat and catchy. Along with various basketball sound effects, excellent background music, and great voice acting, you’ve certainly got yourself a treat here.

At the moment, Slam Dunk is only available in the form of fansubs, the video quality being a fairly good transfer from LD or SVHS. Watching this anime probably won’t make you a better basketball player, but if you are a fan of comedy with plenty of exciting hoop action, then this is the series for you, one which the old and young can enjoy. Rumor has it that Takehiko had plans for doing a second series of Slam Dunk, and I for one can’t wait to see Sakuragi and Rukawa in action again. Go watch it, and you’ll understand what I mean.

Distributor: Toei
Creator: Takehiko Inoue, Toei Animation
Released: 1993

Plot: A-
Character Design: A-
Animation Quality: B+
Music: B+
Overall: A-