A Surreal 4 Months

A thread on my favorite manga of all-time, Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue (Spoiler-less)

First if all, let me tackle SD’s biggest strength, its incredible cast. All of them are such well-written characters with a level of depth and personality to them, to their shortcomings and their flaws to even their own motivations to the point where they all feel human.

Even with a cast so large, Inoue’s handling of them is masterclass. Everyone gets proper screen-time, from our Shohoku to their enemies and even to almost everyone in the arena. Inoue gives the cast so much character and a level of depth that everyone can be a potential favorite.

Another universally-praised part of slam dunk is the art, which is obviously a given coming from a Inoue manga. But keep in mind that this is one of Inoue’s first works and that the art may be disappointing at first but the way his technique evolves is just masterclass.

Speaking of the art, the fluidity of the matches is incredible. Not once have I been lost reading. All the plays look visually stunning and realistic. It really shows how great Inoue’s passion and overall knowledge for basketball he has.

Thread of Cover Arts https://twitter.com/skyl4rkk/status/1351710699651678209

Now let us enter into the heart and soul of SD, Sakuragi Hanamichi. Personally one of my favorite protagonists ever, his growth into finally loving basketball is nothing short of extraordinary. It is impossible to not cheer for him. TENSAI

Every time he gets a point or a rebound, I genuinely feel proud because of all the grueling training he has gone through those past 4 months. Started from a person who didn’t know anything about basketball to one of the most iconic fictional players in the world. Inspirational.

Everyone in Shohoku’s starting lineup are equally as great. The storylines are absolutely amazing, from Rukawa’s thirst to be the greatest, Akagi’s hunger for victory, Mitsui’s deppresion and Miyagi’s lack of self-worth (and simping)...

We also have to talk about one of my favorite arcs in all of media PERIOD. Nationals was an amazing arc with absolutely iconic moments which I will never forget. No words, just pure awe

And about the ending, which was pure perfection in my eyes. I won’t really elaborate since it’s gonna be hard to not get spoilery. Feel free to read @/aofijii’s incredible thread about it.

WITH SPOILERS https://twitter.com/aofijii/status/1347051592059641857

A truly underrated aspect of Slam Dunk (even on Inoue as a whole) is it’s comedy, if I was going to be completely honest, it was a 10/10. Not once did a joke miss for me and it really strengthened the slice-of-life aspect of SD.

It’s also a plus if you are an NBA fan (like me) because Inoue has referenced some historical and iconic shots which is just fanservice to die-hard NBA fans.

Slam Dunk changed my life and really reignited my love for basketball, a sport which I had forgotten and lost passion for. I’m truly grateful for the experience i had while reading this manga.

A tiny tip btw if you plan to read it https://twitter.com/skyl4rkk/status/1351804236057567237

I hope you guys enjoyed the thread.

Have a great day and read SLAM DUNK BY TAKEHIKO INOUE