To commemorate the third anniversary of the anime film The First Slam Dunk, released on December 3, 2022, original creator Takehiko Inoue updated his X account with a newly drawn illustration of Ryota Miyagi.

Inoue, who regularly shares illustrations from Slam Dunk, wrote that the date “12.3 reminded me that today marks exactly three years since the film’s release. I would like to express my gratitude once again to everyone who watched it. Thank you.” The newly posted artwork depicts Ryota holding a basketball.

Slam Dunk is based on the basketball manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from issue 42 of 1990 through issue 27 of 1996. The story follows Hanamichi Sakuragi, a basketball novice who joins the Shohoku High School basketball team and rapidly develops his talent while clashing with teammate Kaede Rukawa and facing powerhouse rivals. Its intense match portrayals and characters who devote their youth to basketball resonated widely, leading the series to surpass 120 million copies in circulation in Japan. A total of 101 episodes of the television anime aired from 1993 to 1996.

The new film released in December 2022 was written and directed by Inoue himself, with animation by Toei Animation and Dandelion Animation Studio. The five Shohoku members were recast, featuring Shugo Nakamura as Ryota Miyagi, Jun Kasama as Hisashi Mitsui, Shinichiro Kamio as Kaede Rukawa, Subaru Kimura as Hanamichi Sakuragi, and Kenta Miyake as Takenori Akagi. The film became a major hit, surpassing 16 billion yen at the box office.

Source : ORICON NEWS