THE FIRST SLAM DUNK: Movie FULL LENGTH Reaction! PATREON EXCLUSIVE!
Added 2025-12-26 18:00:10 +0000 UTC*NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HEADPHONE WARNINGS*
Shimoyama was such a real patron for commissioning this film! I have been waiting a LONG time to watch this, as Slam Dunk is one of the first series I reacted to on the channel -- and even with THINKING I knew what was in store, this film surprised me so much with its journey!
There's a lot to talk about, so let's get out the popcorn and round out our commissions for the year! Welcome to the anime Space Jam! ;)
LINK TO PIP REACTION: https://share.vidyard.com/watch/ceGnuPjfsGByye328fnqDy
Thank you for watching with me and for all the support!
Comments
Ah, thank you so much for the kindness and I’m glad you appreciate the energy! That compliment about me as a teacher is the highest honor I could get, so thank you! I really was hesitant at first to watch the movie because when it came out, I was reading the manga. Having spent time watching the 90’s anime leading up to this…I think that helped? Haha, I love the 90’s anime for what it is and its camp, but the animation style here was really nice. But I totally understand as a Sakuragi stan too – having Ryota as the MC was such a jarring way to start. However, I really did like how Inoue wrote his story in this! The hype at the climax was there! I really love the Sannoh match in the manga - it felt like a CLIMACTIC match, indeed! I do appreciate the way the animation captured the intensity of the game – I can definitely see the fan divide on this. On the one hand, I really love the added parts with Ryota - Inoue is so good at writing character backstories, and Ryota getting such a complete one is a real treat! And while Sakuragi is such an iconic character – I like this kind of takes the “Trigun” approach, by giving fans a new medium and alternate story – if you really like Sakuragi, the manga is the way to go, Ryota fans get something with this movie, too. Yeahhhh, the Ryota in the U.S. part is…the only part I’m kind of “meh” with – not about Ryota playing pro and going to the U.S. but just him being Sawakita’s rival…when Rukawa is over here like, “What am I? Chopped liver?” Haha, the joke about him and Rukawa never talking was HILARIOUS. I definitely love that this is getting a new audience into Slam Dunk; the series definitely deserves it! And it got me watching the OG anime again, which has been a source of entertainment this holiday season; that anime is so joyous. And thank you for the notes on Rukawa; that makes sense! Because yes, that match with Sannoh where he passes to Sakuragi is such an iconic moment. I love it so much! Thank you so much for the comment and honestly, I would have never known this was translated if you hadn’t told me! 😀Thank you for the support and kind words!
Romaniablack
2026-01-02 00:10:11 +0000 UTCThank you so much! The nostalgia was a great way to round out the year, I agree!! Oohhh, Yes, I think this works as a stand alone great, especially for Ryota’s character – I think I suffered from having known Sakuragi was the MC and here, he’s off to the side, haha!! If it serves as a manga bait or anime bait for a new generation of fans, though? I’ll take it! OH JONAH SCOTT IS MITSUI?! HOLD THE PHONE - Instantly going to rewatch – I love his voice so much - it’s vocal caramel! Thank you for this information! Sakuragi is SUCH a bean! I love it! He’s so supportive! I love Ryota struggling to stand and be his own person and out of his brother’s shadow - the movie did such a good job with that! The mom and her grief was really well done throughout this as well! Hahaha, the Shrine Lore and monkey’s paw of it all is real with anime, though! Shimoyama rounded us out with some amazing commissions! I am in love with all of the Januyaoi pieces for this month (having read ⅘ of them now) but I already know the commission for February are going to be INCREDIBLE! Thank you for the comment – we’re off to a great start to 2026!
Romaniablack
2026-01-01 23:55:53 +0000 UTCLoved the reaction and discussion! What a nostalgic way to finish off an amazing year of commissions! 🥰 So, for me this was a very interesting experience… 😅 I never finished the anime (only think I saw maybe 1 or 2 seasons many, many years ago) or read the manga, but was advised this was okay as a standalone. Watching this I realised I really only remembered vibes and no characters or details at all. 😆 Ultimately, to me this worked as a standalone focusing on specifically Ryota and his grief only. From your commentary throughout I got more of the emotional context for the other characters, but there was little of it otherwise. Ultimately though – this made me really want to start the anime from scratch, so I will now endeavour to find whatever reactions you had to it before and definitely look forward to digging into Slam Dunk in 2026. 🥰 The art was a real treat! And I really enjoyed the English language dub – especially with Jonah Scott as Mitsui. Sakuragi became a bean immediately! 🥰 Honestly, most of the motivation to "revisit" the anime came from wanting to know more about his character. And also the team’s little cheer/supporter squad, who seem like a really cute bunch. Now themes of resistance? 😆 Always there. I especially loved the exploration of Ryota’s struggle with his own identity within his brother’s shadow, and his resistance against having his own identity supplanted for the benefit of easing the grief of others. Also, really loved the construction of the scene of the mother reading the letter and the way that 'travel through time' was done. Though the whole thing did give the impression that Ryota was gone for years. “You gotta be real specific when you go to them shrines” sent me. 🤣 Thank you to Shimoyama for another amazing commission! 🥰 Cannot wait for Januyaoi, of course, but also all the commissions we’ll see in 2026! Onwards and upwards.🥳
Sunspots
2025-12-29 10:05:54 +0000 UTCHi, your reactions always come with so much genuine emotion and really complete, thoughtful analysis. I honestly admire your energy so much — I really wish I had a teacher like you back when I was a student. Before The First Slam Dunk came out, I had very mixed feelings about whether I should watch it. I wasn’t used to the 3D style replacing the classic 2D look, and as a huge Sakuragi Hanamichi fan, I also had complicated emotions about Ryota becoming the main protagonist. In the end though… I went to the theater three times 😭 And it totally exceeded my expectations. I was surprised, emotional, and genuinely hyped. I completely get what you said about manga fans feeling regret or frustration over some iconic moments being cut or changed — same here!! I also personally feel that the Sannoh match is portrayed more vividly in the manga, and that it captures the characters’ growth, personalities, and charm in a more expressive (and honestly cuter and funnier) way. That said, I still really loved how the movie made the games feel more realistic and intense, like the characters were truly alive and moving on the court. The mix of memories and the match itself was definitely controversial among some fans. A lot of old-school TV anime and manga fans didn’t really accept it, and some people even went as far as saying things like “does Inoue even understand Slam Dunk anymore,” accusing him of using the movie for personal artistic expression and losing his original spirit (not all fans, of course). Personally, I don’t think the film is that bad at all. I think what many of them really wanted was simply a nostalgic, TV-style tribute movie — which is understandable. That said, I really respect Inoue for having the courage to bring something new into his work and explore a different angle. To me, it feels like his age and life experience influenced him to write Ryota as the lead, focusing on the mindset of an “ordinary person” fighting through limitations — but that doesn’t mean he stopped loving Sakuragi. I don’t see it that way at all. It feels more like growth. I personally like to see the movie and the manga as two parallel timelines. It’s okay not to accept every new setting — for example, I’m still a bit confused about Ryota going to the U.S. and becoming Sawakita’s rival, haha. Interestingly though, new fans love this idea and have created so many fun stories and fan art about Sawakita, Ryota, Sakuragi, and Rukawa all going to the U.S. together (probably because in the manga hints that Sakuragi and Rukawa might go as well). It’s actually pretty fun to see. What I’m most grateful for, though, is how successful this movie was across East Asia. I’m from China, and I know TFSD was also insanely popular in Korea. Almost everyone already knows Slam Dunk — people know the names Sakuragi, Rukawa, Haruko, Akagi — but many younger viewers, especially girls, never really got into it before because of the older art style or because the characters didn’t fit modern “pretty” standards. This movie truly brought in a new generation of fans, including people who love newer sports anime, and helped them fall in love with the story. For those two years, the Slam Dunk fandom felt alive again. New fans discovered the characters through the movie, then went back to read the manga and watch the TV series. It honestly felt like the characters came back to life. There were so many new interpretations, so much fan art — especially from female fans (some people even went to the theater 10 to 20 times!). Seeing the series regain its vitality instead of quietly fading away really made me incredibly happy and moved 😭 And just a small BTW — Rukawa actually did pass the ball in earlier manga matches. It wasn’t that he never passed; it’s just that those passes were mostly passive ones, when he couldn’t easily score himself or wasn’t in a pure one-on-one situation, just passing to the nearest teammate, mainly Akagi. What he learns in the Sannoh match — after Sendoh’s reminder — is to actively become a playmaking threat, using passing as a weapon, instead of switching between only two modes: crazy solo one-on-one play, or kind of disappearing while teammates take over.😂 Really fun reaction and review! Everything above was translated, I’m not a native English speaker, so sorry if anything sounds a bit off or messy. I just had too many wanna say, so it kind of turned into a long comment.😅😆
Qingy21 w
2025-12-28 00:15:17 +0000 UTC
