On the 30th, Takehiko Inoue, the creator of the manga "SLAM DUNK," updated his X account and posted an illustration of Ryota Miyagi.

In his X post, Inoue expressed his gratitude to fans in Portuguese: "Hello, Portugal! Thank you very much to everyone who has supported Slam Dunk."

"I am very excited about today's cinema premiere of 'THE FIRST SLAM DUNK' in Portugal! Creating something new, like this movie, is both a challenge and a great joy. I hope you all enjoy this 'new' Slam Dunk!" he added.

The posted illustration features Ryota Miyagi making a peace sign, which has garnered reactions online such as "Wow!", "Incredibly cool", "Amazing illustration", and "It's been a while, Ryota!"

The original manga "SLAM DUNK" was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from issue 42 in 1990 to issue 27 in 1996. The story follows the protagonist, Hanamichi Sakuragi, a basketball novice who joins the Shohoku High School basketball team. It depicts his rapid development of talent through clashes with teammates like Kaede Rukawa and matches against formidable opponents.

The series' depiction of thrilling basketball matches and characters dedicating their youth to the sport resonated with readers, earning overwhelming support. The series has sold over 120 million copies in Japan. The TV anime adaptation aired 101 episodes from 1993 to 1996.

In the new movie, original creator Takehiko Inoue served as director and writer, with animation production by Toei Animation and Dandelion Animation Studio. The voice cast for the five main members of Shohoku High's team was completely renewed: Ryota Miyagi was voiced by Shugo Nakamura, Hisashi Mitsui by Jun Kasama, Kaede Rukawa by Shinichiro Kamio, Hanamichi Sakuragi by Subaru Kimura, and Takenori Akagi by Kenta Miyake.

The film has attracted 10,959,356 viewers and earned a box office revenue of 15,868,734,020 yen in Japan.

Source : ORICON NEWS