Slam Dunk, the basketball manga that changed Japanese comics

Takehiko Inoue began his career as an amateur artist, but a short basketball story called Purple Kaede would eventually provide the foundation for Slam Dunk, the manga that made his name.

In 1988, Inoue had the opportunity to work with the team of Tsukasa Hojo, creator of City Hunter. A few years later, he began developing his own voice through the basketball project. At first, he pursued it largely out of personal enthusiasm. Some people considered it unlikely to succeed because basketball was not yet a popular sport in Japan.

Slam Dunk proved them wrong. The series has sold more than 170 million copies worldwide and became one of the best-selling manga in history. Its central character, Hanamichi Sakuragi, is a hot-tempered delinquent with an imposing height and a disastrous romantic record. He has been rejected 50 times.

Sakuragi joins Shohoku High School’s basketball team after meeting Haruko Akagi, a girl passionate about the sport. He initially knows almost nothing about basketball and wants mainly to impress her. He has a strong build and extraordinary self-confidence, but no natural mastery or early love for the game.

Training gradually changes him. He begins to enjoy jumping, competing for the ball and defending. He also learns that basketball is not a stage for individual glory. It demands coordination, discipline and teamwork. Shohoku’s progress depends not only on match results but also on the relationships among players, each of whom has a different reason for playing and a weakness to overcome.

Sakuragi’s flaws make his growth convincing. He is arrogant, jealous, impulsive and regularly causes trouble, unlike the perfect protagonists common in many stories. Inoue’s artwork also grew increasingly detailed and realistic, focusing on body movement, tactics, spacing and the physical pressure placed on players. Muscles tense as athletes jump, hands meet the ball, feet change direction and players hit the floor with striking precision.