The highly anticipated film adaptation of Takehiko Inoue’s Slam Dunk manga, “The First Slam Dunk,” is making its way to the Edinburgh International Film Festival this August. The Edinburgh screening will be held at the Vue Cinema Omni Centre on Tuesday, August 22, and Wednesday, August 23. Having opened in Japan on December 3, 2022, this film broke records left and right and became a must-watch anime film of 2023.
First launched in the 90s, Slam Dunk quickly started a basketball sensation. Created by the genius Takehiko Inoue, this exhilarating manga series follows the journey of the talented yet troubled high school delinquent Hanamichi Sakuragi and his love for basketball that changed his life forever.
But The First Slam Dunk follows a different storyline, maintaining the jaw-dropping dunks, mind-blowing dribbling techniques, and adrenaline-filled buzzer shots that the series is known and loved for. With a standalone plot and exciting and compelling characters, The First Slam Dunk became the ninth-highest-grossing film in Japan.
The First Slam Dunk- Plot
Meet Ryota Miyagi, one of Shohoku high school’s basketball team’s fastest “point guard” and strategic genius. He is the epitome of speed, wit, and composure on the basketball court. Inspired by his older brother’s career as a local basketball star, Miyagi developed a strong love for the sport from his childhood.
Now, in his second year of high school, he joins the famous Shohoku High School basketball team, and with his teammates, Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui, he trains for the thrilling and highly anticipated Inter-High School National Championship.
His goal? To dethrone the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School. Ryota, staying calm as a Sunday morning, outplays his opponents, making him a precious asset to the Shohoku team as they train for the biggest challenge they’ve ever faced.
The cast of the anime film includes Ryota Miyagi, voiced by Shugo Nakamura, Hisashi Mitsui, voiced by Jun Kasama, Kaede Rukawa, voiced by Shin’ichiro Kamio, Hanamichi Sakuragi, voiced by Subaru Kimura, and Takenori Akagi voiced by Kenta Miyake.
Other cast members include Haruko Akagi, voiced by Maaya Sakamoto, Kiminobu Kogure, voiced by Ryota Iwasaki, Yohei Mito, voiced by Chikahiro Kobayashi; and finally, Nozomi Takamiya, voiced by Masafumi Kobatake.
Box Office Impact
In the first two days of its release, the movie grossed 1.296 billion Yen in Japan, taking the top spot at the Japan Box Office. As of today, The First Slam Dunk earned 260 million dollars worldwide, including 14.33 billion Yen in Japan itself.
It beat Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering with You theatrical earnings and became the ninth highest-grossing anime film in Japan and the 15th highest-grossing anime film of all time, with Shinkai’s Suzume at 14th place.
The First Slam Dunk impacted box offices worldwide. It became the highest-grossing anime film in South Korean history, with earnings of 30.38 million dollars and 3,818,000 tickets sold. To add to its success, it also became the second highest-grossing film of 2023 with 35 million dollars.
In China, it broke the record for the highest pre-sales for an animated movie and the highest IMAX opening weekend for an international animated film, making a total of 75.8 million dollars. Saying the film was successful is an understatement!
The movie also took home the honorable Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year at the 46th Japan Academy Film Prize in 2023. Additionally, it won the Okawa-Fukiya Award at the Niigata International Animation Film Festival 2023. The film’s producer received some praise as well, winning the Grand Prize of the 42nd annual Fujimoto Awards for his contributions to the creation of this cinematic experience.
