Slam Dunk (2023 Film)

The First Slam Dunk is the 2022 theatrical film from Toei Animation that director Takehiko Inoue — the manga's creator — shepherded with total creative control after decades of refusing adaptations, and it represents one of the finest sports films in any animated tradition. Rather than the expected origin story retelling, Inoue chose to adapt the Shohoku vs. Sannoh match — the climactic game of the manga — through the perspective of Ryota Miyagi, the team's point guard whose backstory is only hinted at in the original manga. The result is simultaneously a new story and a perfect capstone: the basketball is rendered with a technical and physical authenticity that CGI allows, while the emotional stakes draw from everything Inoue built across thirty volumes. For fans who grew up with the manga, the film is overwhelming; for newcomers, it works as a complete emotional experience on its own terms.