Examining the Unprecedented Success of “The First Slam Dunk”

Excited fans queuing for the debut showing of The First Slam Dunk movie at a Beijing movie theater. (© Kyōdō)

The First Slam Dunk uses 3D CG animation to bring out the reality of the game, while maintaining Inoue’s celebrated hand-drawn art style. (© I. T. Planning, Inc. © 2022 The First Slam Dunk Film Partners)

Slam Dunk fans at an Enoshima Electric Railway crossing, one of the real-life inspirations for settings in the manga and anime to which fans around the world make pilgrimages. Taken on December 2022, Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. (© Kyōdō)

Details about The First Slam Dunk stayed under wraps until just before the film’s debut on December 3, 2022—to the point where the press screening was held after the official opening. (© I. T. Planning, Inc. © 2022 The First Slam Dunk Film Partners)