My Review of "The First Slam Dunk"

The First Slam Dunk is a Japanese animation movie that came out in 2022. It's based on a popular manga that I'm not familiar with. I was a little worried that you'd have to be familiar with that manga in order to understand what's going on with this movie. Fortunately, I can confirm that you don't need to know the manga but you'd probably appreciate it most if you did.

It all starts off with the introduction of two brothers. Their family is going through a really rough patch in their lives. The patriarchy of their family has passed away leaving their mother all alone taking care of them and their little sister.

They both play basketball to block away their problems. There seems to be an age discrepancy. One of them is way bigger than the other. The main character is the younger brother Ryota Miyagi. He idolizes his older brother and tries to beat him but simply can't.

One fateful day, his older brother goes on a fishing trip with his friends to the dismay of Ryota. That would be the last time Ryota ever sees his older brother.

Years later we see that Ryota has become a proficient basketball player. He's part of a high school team that is going play against a really good team in Japan. They're hoping to win the championship but the team they're up against is the best in the country.

This movie is basically about this one game told in a peculiar way. The film uses disjointed time traveling sequences to tell the story. With each flashback we learn more about each of the characters and how they are connected to each other.

Usually when I see Japanese animation movies they're over the top and absurd but there's a lot of realism to this movie. There are no flashy Space Jam like sequences in this movie. All of the strategies and personal struggles are very much reality based. I felt that I could relate to this animation a lot better than the stereotypical Japanese animation movie.

Each of the characters have a very fleshed out backstory. They're all flawed characters that technically don't even like each other. Basketball is the one element that has brought them together and in a way have built some sort of bond. This team element really makes this a great sport movie.

I also like the realistic strategic approaches that they add to this movie. I think the makers of this movie are actually fans of basketball. There is an enormous amount of detail added to this movie. You can see it everywhere, especially the animation.

This movie is so beautiful. They have a nice blend of old and new methods of art in this where they seamless blend 2d art with 3d CGI. Some of the rotations in the scenes really bring this show to life. Also, they put so much detail into each of the drawings. You can see every element of the characters especially their shoes. There is so much attention to details to the shoes. I could even recognize what shoes they were wearing in this movie. They're pretty distinct, I was impressed.

Even though this is this movie is about basketball, I think some people that aren't into basketball can appreciate it. The fanbase could be niche. I don't know what the fanbase of the manga is but I know I'm missing out on a lot because I don't know the manga. I was still able to understand what was going on and who the characters were though. As a casual observer I was still able to enjoy this. I think others can enjoy it too, then again I'm kind of a sports fan as well so I have some unfair enjoyment out of that.

Overall, this was a really good time. It's kind of a slow burn but somehow it still captivated my attention. I appreciated the fact that I didn't have to know the manga to keep up and I was wowed by the artistic direction with this movie. I have to give this movie a 7 out of 10. It is niche but if you're into this sort of stuff I highly recommend it.