Slam Dunk is
one of my top five favorite anime, and it was my favorite childhood anime.
Also, I can proudly say it had some sort of a direct impact on my life. It made
me play basketball. It was only during summer and fall and only for three
years, but at least I had the experience of playing a sport as enjoyable as
basketball. In spite of the fact that I was too short, I was not half bad.
Anyway, my
story with Slam Dunk is a long one. I've watched it about four times, but I can
remember only three significant times: the very first time I watch it and that
was 11 years ago, the third time I watch it and that was 4 years ago, and the
fourth time I watch it and that was a week ago.
One way to
know how much you've changed is by re-watching a specific anime multiple times
over long intervals. You'll see how much your views on things widely vary as
you grow older. They don't necessarily become more mature, though. XD
In this post
I'll be talking about my experience with Slam Dunk the three times I've watched
it. Many things have changed. They had their differences, but one thing they
all had in common was the ultimate enjoyment. Naturally, the most details will
be with my fourth time, since it's the most recent and so the one I remember
clearly.
11 years
ago….
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I was about
11 years old back then, for the record and I absolutely loved Rukawa! That's my
experience in a nutshell! XD I remember clearly how I thought he was so cool,
and I hated the complete idiot Sakuragi. My brother, who's three years younger
than I am, liked Sakuragi more and sympathized with him, whole heartedly. You
know how siblings usually adopt different opinions and keep arguing, it makes
things interesting. That's what we did.
Akagi was a
gorilla. That was all he ever meant to me. He was not an important part of that
enjoyable experience.
Naturally, I
looked up to short Ryota who was kicking asses, and proving that you can be
short and cool all the same!
I don't
remember much about Mitsui from that time. I know I've always admired his
3-point shots, but that's all there was to it.
I liked
Kogure, he was a nice person and I thought he was good looking! XD yes, I did!
Other
impressions…I can't remember, that was very long ago. However the highlights for
this time were:
- L.O.V.E
Rukawa!! XD
- That's
when I decided to play basketball.
I remember back then, before I go to my first basketball training, I had
this Slam Dunk wallpaper for the PC. When I was ready to go, I went and looked
everyone in the eyes and said "One day I'll be like you!" and that's
extremely embarrassing to say out loud! XD I wouldn't have said, except that I
want a constant reminder of how silly the 11 years-old me was! Back then,
everyone came with their own basketball, so we had to write something on it,
like our names, to avoiding mixing up the balls. I wrote the number (11),
Rukawa's, on the ball. XD Yes! I was that obsessed. I can't stop laughing at
myself now.
One more thing that makes this time different is that back then I watched
the Arabic dubbed version on Spacetoon. The players had Arabic names instead of
the Japanese. Rukawa was Fady and Sakuragi was Hassaan.
4 years
ago….
Can people
change significantly in 6 years? Yes, they can, and I can prove it, for this
time I absolutely hated Rukawa!
I was
seventeen years old, back then. I decided all of a sudden to watch Slam Dunk
because I was feeling nostalgic, and I was missing the good old days. I watched
the first episode dubbed in Arabic on youtube, and then I glimpsed on the side
of the page "Slam Dunk Episode 1 Japanese with Eng Sub", Japanese?
This is interesting why not try. Surprisingly it didn't sound weird at all. The
voices were not hugely different from the Arabic version. I didn't plan back
then to complete the anime I was just following my whim for one day, however I
was trapped. I kept watching one episode after the other, my brother joined me
in that epic trap. We'd have a daily Slam Dunk Marathon until it was over.
So, what was
different about this time?
- I
watched it in Japanese. It was my first anime in Japanese, and it opened my
eyes to the magnificent world of anime. It was the first on a list of 60+ anime
so far.
- Like
I said, I hated Rukawa. I couldn't stand his arrogant, self-centered attitude.
I fully sympathized with Sakuragi on the other hand. I couldn't believe that I
had actually like Rukawa before and disliked Sakuragi.
- One
of the most memorable moments from this time, is Mitsui's fight with the
basketball team that lead to him re-joining it. I remember clearly the time I
was watching it, also that was when my brother decided to join. :D
- As
for the other Shohoku players, things didn't change. I liked Ryota, I think he
was my favorite character. I like Mitsui, and Akagi was of no significance.
- Also,
I thought Haruko was very noisy. It was my first anime in Japanese so that was
kind of noisy compared to the Arabic dubbing.
- I
liked Sakuragi's friends, Yohei and the gang! :D They're so cool and hilarious.
- I
came to a closure!
Well, see.. when I used to watch it before on Spacetoon , the anime
would end before the Nationals and I always thought that Spacetoon is not
showing the rest of the anime. However, when I watched it that time, I realized
that it wasn't Spacetoon's fault that the anime was never completed. It was a
letdown, until I discovered that I can complete it from the manga. That was my
first time reading a manga, and it was very enjoyable. The best thing about it
was that I finally got to see Shohoku playing in the national, and the manga
came to some sort of closure.
This year…..
You know
when you say re-watching something is not as fun as watching it for the first
time. I wonder if that's true about Slam dunk, it seems to me that I enjoy it
even more, every time I watch it. Even though I know the outcome of every game
they play, I'd still be on the edge of my seat! How many anime or manga can do
that to you?!!
What makes
this time distinctive is that I liked everyone! Also, now that I have watched
loads of anime my view on many things has changed so let's see!
- Sakuragi vs
Rukawa
The
never-ending rivalry between Sakuragi and Rukawa made it seem like I have to
choose between them, and honestly when things got serious I'd side with
Sakuragi; however I don’t hate Rukawa. I mean it wouldn't make sense hating one
and like one when the two of them are so much alike! Yes! That's my new
discovery! :D Those two are like two sides of the same coin. Sakuragi wouldn't
have gone so far, if not for Rukawa. Rukawa is one of the earliest characters
who see something in Sakuragi, even if he doesn't show it. He's, also, the only
one capable of getting Sakuragi in the right mood for the game, though not in
the most friendly manner. :D This was the first time I notice that Rukawa
actually talked, and when it happened it was mostly to Sakuragi. He's also made
along the anime some few gestures that showed he might be capable of normal
human interaction, which pretty much surprised me. His "Dou ahou!"
never gets old. He's easily provoked and he responds in the most childish
manner, he also has violent tendencies, and gets involved in fights, which is
just like Sakuragi. I remember very well when Anazai sensei had everyone promise
they wouldn't fight again, they all assured him and he was the only one to say
"Probably.." XD. I still can't stand his over confidence, and selfish
playing, but he gets over that much later, so better than never.
 |
| Rukawa bringing Sakuragi to his' sensesin his first game. |
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| Rukawa saluting Akagi after the first half in Kainan's game. |
As for
Sakuragi, well, he's the main character and he so pathetic. XD I can't just not
root for him. Sometimes, I'd want to slap him on the face, but for his own
good, not because I hate him. He seems disrespectful, but he's an idiot. His faults,
rather than making you irritated, they make you sympathize with him. He's
clueless. He's a caring person, and he shows his care in the most simple-minded
way. I like how he makes nick names for everyone. He's a hard worker and I like
that in him. I like mostly how he continues to surprise everyone with his speedy
progress; the satisfaction I get from that is indescribable. I like him better
when he cuts his hair. I like long hair better, but the shaved head makes him look
more like a sportsman. Also, his chibi face looks better when he's shaved. XD
As much of an idiot as he is, but as we progress I start to have a bit of a
crush on him. (Having a crush on anime characters is perfectly normal by the
way! I think..). Well, I can say he's by all means one of my favorite anime
main characters.
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| Idiot! XD Laughing at Anazi-sensei |
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| My favorite Dunk! :D |
Asking of Sakuragi and Rukawa to be best friends is like asking for the impossible. A moment of peace is all we can seek for; but to think that Rukawa would be the first one to attempt it kind of surprised me. XD The moment of peace came anyway, and that's all that matters, a defining moment in the history of Manga, indeed!
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| First Failed Attempt! :D |
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| It happened! T_T |
- Akagi aka Gori!
This one big
difference between this time and all the times before. I finally took notice of
Akagi! He's become one of my favorite characters too. I came to admire him so
much. He's very dependable and a hard worker. He sometimes acts childishly
which makes him not perfect, and that's a good thing. Also, his gorilla like
expressions sometimes, are really funny! XD I liked mostly how he things were between him and Sakuragi. He hits him on the head constantly, and I give him every excuse for it. However, he trusts him. He would pull an all-nighter teaching him how to shoot or how to get a rebound; and when everyone fails to notice an accomplishment, a nice pass or a rebound by Sakuragi, he's the one who notices it, and praises him. Also, Sakuragi trusts him immensely and respects him but in his own way. :D
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| I wanted to cry back then T_T |
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| Disciplining Sakuragi in the game! :D |
- Miyagi Ryota!
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| Teaching Sakuragi how to fake! :D |
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| He did it!! XD |
Ryota might have been unlucky when it came to opponents. Mostly the other teams' ace would also be the point guard. However, he was more than competent, that's in spite of being shorter than the other players. Also, from how I saw it Ryota was the most dependable player on the team. He never tires, he's always running with his super speed. His passes are perfect. All the players and moody and have their ups and downs during the game. However, Ryota is always doing his absolute best.
His crush on
Ayako is so sweet. Sakuragi's "Haruko san!!" is funny but Ryota's
"Aya-chan!" is kawaii! And his chibi face when he says it is even
more kawaiiii!! <3
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| Ryota Kawaii!! <3 XD |
- Mit-chi!
Now, that I
am familiar with Japanese I noticed that Sakuragi calls Ryota and Mitsui,
Ryo-chin and Mit-chi. Unlike Ryota, Mitsui complained, when Sakuragi said that
he'd use his surname, but then it's Hisashi; that silenced Mitsui and I wish I
knew why. XD However, Mit-chi is easier to say than Mitsui so I use it instead.
I always
admired Mitsui's three pointers, and his form while shooting them.
I didn't
like younger Mitsui at all, he was too arrogant. The older one is, but going on
the wrong path for 2 years, made him regretful and that made him a teeny bit
less arrogant.
The thing I
noticed about Mitsui this time that I didn't before, is his leadership
capabilities and strong character. I, also, noticed that Mitsui is not all
about three pointers. He's a very skilled player. Too bad, he's a third year,
he would have made a good captain.
I liked that
time when Anazai sensei had the freshmen play against the older players, apart
from Akagi and Mitsui, a game, after their match with Kainan. Then, he had
Mitsui play to show Sakuragi his weakness. Mitsui disabled Sakuragi very
skillfully. He could point clearly to Sakuragi where his weakness lies.
I, also,
liked when Rukawa challenged him and he was too childish about it. He even
settled for Sakuragi's judgement! He's a sore loser XD. But, honestly I rooted
for him.
I loved him
and Ryo-chin, when they had all the players leave the court, when Sakuragi
challenged Rukawa later on the same day. They didn't want him to get
embarrassed in front of everyone, when he's so full of himself. They kept
consoling him when he lost. I can see Ryota doing that but Mitsui surprised me.
He went as far as telling Sakuragi, he's not sure he'd win against Rukawa, the
arrogant, proud Mitsui said that! :D
In terms of
looks (let's say some stupid girly notes), I can say Mitsui is my favorite! I
didn't like how he looked when he was a freshman and I didn't like his
delinquent look, of course. However, I'm thankful that when he cut his hair he
didn't go back to the older hair style, but settled for this absolutely cool
look instead!
One more
thing, I don't know why, but Mitsui reminds me strongly of One Piece's Zoro.
When I told my brother he said that he felt the same. I don't really know why,
may be his voice or his pride, gives me the same vibes.
-Sakuragi's squad!
Well, see I had this little crush on Yohei. It was at its peak during the fight with Mitsui's gang in the basketball court. Anyone who watched Slam Dunk would completely understand! Anyway generally, those guys make me laugh the most. They're some of the best supporting characters in anime.Also, I couldn't help but notice that Yohei's voice is so familiar, and after checking it turns out it's been the voice of so many other characters, not just in other anime, but in Slam Dunk itself and I never noticed. Yes! He has the same voice actor as Kiyoto Nobunaga from Kainan. The funny thing is Kiyota's voice didn't feel so familiar like Yohei's. Also, the chracters from other anime, I don't but I don't remember that sounded like Yohei ... Weird! Voice actors are something!
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| Mito Yohei, Kiyota Nobunaga, Tykki Mikk, Kurosaki Isshin, Sasaki Isaburo, Hacchan |
Haruko ... Last time I though she was noisy, but after waching load of anime, well, she's not that bad. Besides she's one of the few who flatter Sakuragi so I can't dislike her. If not for her crush on rukawa, she would have been one of my favorite anime female characters.
Ayako ... Well, that's one of my favorite anime female characters. She kind of reminds me of Nami. She's the only one that Sakuragi treats with some respect, she's completely capable of disciplining him. She's one of the few that Rukawa seem capable of socially interacting with. XD She's also possibly the only girl in the anime who sees Rukawa as he really is. She's cool, and that's something you can rarely describe anime female characters with.
Anazai sensei ... Oyaji! I don't know what's with all the One Piece references, but they reminded me of the White beard pirates. That old man is a genius! His relation with Sakuragi is one of my favorites, indeed. He was significantly patient with him. Someone who could make delinquents like Ryota or Mitsui respect him so much is of course something. I liked the part when he sent everyone on the camp to prepare for the nationals and had Sakuragi stay, to train him on jump shots. One of the most hilarious parts when Sakuragi keeps pulling his chin and tells him he shouldn't act like a child, and have him stay to play with him because he's bored. XD
Ryonan
Uzoumi! ... Nothing
changed about him, I always liked how he supported Akagi, though he was his
rival. I like that kind of relationship between rivals.
Sendoh! ... I always
liked Sendoh. He's one of my favorite characters indeed. His leadership
qualities, his skills, his humbleness and his laidback attitude, the guy is
perfect, and I still think that Sendoh is the best player in Slam Dunk. He has
all it takes to be an ace. He's also one of the earliest individuals to
acknowledge Sakuragi's capabilities, and treat him with Respect. He's also the one who pointed out to Rukawa his weakness, self-centered playing. It saved Shohoku in their games with Sannoh in the Nationals.
Also, I couldn't help but notice how familiar Sendoh's voice sounds, and when I checked , it turned out he has the same voice actor as another favorite character of mine, Abuto from Gintama.
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| One of my favorite Sendoh moments XD |
Also, I couldn't help but notice how familiar Sendoh's voice sounds, and when I checked , it turned out he has the same voice actor as another favorite character of mine, Abuto from Gintama.
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| Abuto and Sendoh .. same voice actor |
Hikoichi ... The
guy is very simple minded, and that's why I like him. He believed Sakuragi when
he told him he was Shohoku's secret weapon and even when he saw how unskilled
he was he still believed in him. He was also the first and the only one beside
Haruko to notice when Sakuragi scored for the first time in the tournament. When
he assumed that Sakuragi didn't get basketball shoes because he was poor, he
cracked me up. XD I also liked when he gave Shohoku a stack of paper filled
with info about Totoyama before their first game in the national, and how he
cheared for them heartly! XD
Taoko ... Ryonan's coach, that one definitely cracks me up. How he loses his patience at Sendoh's
laid-back attitude, and how he minds Sakuragi, he sure makes me laugh. Also, I
liked the part when he was telling his team about the rivalry between him and
Kainan's coach, resembling it to Sendoh's and Rukawa's, claiming he was Sendoh,
and then everyone in the team wouldn’t believe him. XD
Kainan
I always
respected Maki Shinchi, and though he was the definition of a professional. The
joke about his age made me laugh hard. I
also respect Jin, his three pointers and his seemingly refined and calm
attitude. And how can I not like Kiyota. XD He has Sakuragi's idiocy and
arrogance, but he's more experienced and skilled. He regards Maki highly and
looks up to him. That shows he's not arrogant to the bones. I like that he
cheers for Shohoku in hard times, in spite of all the hostility he shows.
I liked that
time, when Kiyota and Maki ran into Sakuragi in the street, and Maki suggested that
Sakuragi would go with them to see the level of playes in the nationals. He and
Kiyota were hilarious. It felt like Maki had picked up to kids, with him.
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| Kiyota shares with Sakuragi some vivid imagination XD |
Shoyo
Okay! I
never liked Shoyo. I, always thought they were too conceited. I still think so.
However, I kind of sympathized with Hanagata this last time, and trust me I
don't know why! I liked that he was speaking well of Sakuragi in their game
with Ryonan, but that' not it. I felt sorry for him after they lost, only him ... weird.
Finally... I'd like to end with my favorite scene in the anime and Manga, it's simply why I love Slam Dunk! You get all kinds of emotions from one scene! And those guys are the best!! (Y) <3
