Netflix announced on the 21st that the movie "THE FIRST SLAM DUNK," which has been streaming since the 10th, has remained the top movie on Netflix's "Today's Top Movies" (Japan) for 12 consecutive days, from its release until today.

In response to this overwhelming reaction, it was announced that the voice actors for Shohoku and Sannoh, including Shugo Nakamura, who plays Ryota Miyagi, will appear on the radio for the "Second Watch Party" on the 23rd.

Following its "initial release" on Netflix in preparation for its re-screening this summer, the film has also gained significant traction on social media. Comments such as "I finally watched it for the first time. It was amazing. I cried my eyes out," and "No matter how many times I watch it, it always moves and excites me... I'll definitely go to the re-screening too," highlight the excitement surrounding the film.

The upcoming second watch party, which is being held again due to this enthusiasm, will be even more enhanced. The voice actors for Shohoku and Sannoh will watch the film together, share their thoughts and behind-the-scenes stories, and answer questions from viewers in a live radio broadcast. During the watch party, questions sent via X (formerly Twitter) will be answered live by the voice actors. Additionally, an after-talk session will be held from 10:00 PM to 10:25 PM following the viewing.

Similar to the first watch party, real-time updates of the elapsed time and game scores will be synced with the match in the movie, creating an immersive experience as if viewers were at the actual game. This initiative aims to foster a sense of unity among the voice cast and viewers nationwide, making them feel like a team.

The movie is based on the basketball manga "SLAM DUNK," which was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" from issue 42 in 1990 to issue 27 in 1996. It follows the story of Hanamichi Sakuragi, a basketball novice who joins Shohoku High School's basketball team and quickly blossoms into a talented player through clashes with teammates like Kaede Rukawa and matches against powerful schools.

The manga's depiction of gripping basketball matches and characters dedicating their youth to the sport resonated with readers, earning it overwhelming support and leading to a cumulative domestic circulation of 120 million copies. The TV anime adaptation aired 101 episodes from 1993 to 1996.

In the new movie, Takehiko Inoue, the original creator, served as director and writer, with animation by Toei Animation and Dandelion Animation Studio. The voice cast for the five Shohoku members was entirely renewed from the TV anime version. Shugo Nakamura voiced Ryota Miyagi, Jun Kasama voiced Hisashi Mitsui, Shinichiro Kamio voiced Kaede Rukawa, Subaru Kimura voiced Hanamichi Sakuragi, and Kenta Miyake voiced Takenori Akagi. The film has recorded a box office revenue of 15.8 billion yen with 10,959,356 tickets sold.

Source : ORICON NEWS