The First Slam Dunk

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The First Slam Dunk

PG-13,

2023,

2h 4m,

Comedy/

Drama/

Anime/

Sports

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Watchlist

100%

47 Reviews

Tomatometer

98%

100+ Verified Ratings

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

47 Reviews

98%

Popcornmeter

100+ Verified Ratings

Shohoku's "speedster" and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. Born and raised in Okinawa, Ryota had a brother who was three years older. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a famous local player from a young age, Ryota also became addicted to basketball. In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team along with Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui as they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship. And now, they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.

Critics Consensus

A heart-pumping, breathtaking, wonderfully crafted manga adaptation, The First Slam Dunk shoots and scores.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Sep 3, 2023

3/5

While it leans a little heavily on baffling basketball strategy and court-based machinations, it's a dynamic and unexpectedly affecting animation.

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Esther Rosenfield

Little White Lies

Aug 30, 2023

4/5

Like the title says: a total slam dunk.

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Phil Hoad

Guardian

Aug 22, 2023

3/5

The CGI-led courtside portions (as opposed to traditional 2D for the real-life stuff) are miraculously kinetic, with beautifully shaded character models. Inoue orchestrates it all into a rousing, garage rock-powered finale.

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Anya Couture

Geek Vibes Nation

Aug 9, 2025

9/10

The First Slam Dunk strikes a perfect balance in showing what can make the sport so exciting. At the same time it delivers a gripping story that will charm you with its emotional trajectory, whether or not you’re even a sports or anime fan.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Feb 21, 2025

8/10

The two-hour basketball game, rendered with solid animation that redefines the standard in the sports genre, moves at a fast-paced pace that never loses its pulse or excitement. [Full review in Spanish]

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Tom Spoors

Loud and Clear Reviews

Jan 7, 2025

4.5/5

Takehiko Inoue’s The First Slam Dunk is a sports movie done right, with one of the best climaxes of the year that’s guaranteed to leave you fist-pumping the air.

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Takehiko Inoue

Director

Shugo Nakamura

Ryota Miyagi

Jun Kasama

Hisashi Mitsui

Shinichiro Kamio

Kaede Rukawa

Subaru Kimura

Hanamichi Sakuragi

Kenta Miyaki

Takenori Akagi

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Synopsis

Shohoku's "speedster" and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. Born and raised in Okinawa, Ryota had a brother who was three years older. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a famous local player from a young age, Ryota also became addicted to basketball. In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team along with Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui as they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship. And now, they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.

Director: Takehiko Inoue
Producer: Toshiyuki Matsui
Screenwriter: Takehiko Inoue
Distributor: GKIDS
Production Co: Dandelion Animation Studio
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Anime, Sports
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 28, 2023, Wide
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.2M
Runtime: 2h 4m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos

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