Slam Dunk (2022) and How to be Brave

When were your glory days, old man? The nationals? Mine's right now!

I'll preface this by saying that I have been struggling to write a review for this movie for a couple of weeks now. Slam Dunk is one of my all-time favourite manga series yet I don't think I can put into words how much it means to me.

I first read Slam Dunk when I was 18 and in a period of stagnation in my life. I was underperforming in school, and I had been becoming increasingly more reclusive as a result of that. Everything seemed grey and hollow and nothing excited me anymore, it was like performing a set of actions on repeat. 

Slam Dunk is electric, passionate and whole. Everything off the court builds up to just 48 minutes on it. Hours and hours of practice amid all the external issues and pressures pushing inwards... There are so many things that a crowd at a game never see, and all the time spent learning and honing your craft means everything yet nothing at the same time in those four quarters.

In the decision to focus on Miyagi's perspective in the events of the Sannoh match, Inoue seeks to say one thing: every story means something for somebody else, and every action is the culmination of another man's experience.

Slam Dunk is a series about the moment. To this day, whenever I want to feel something, I go back to those last few chapters of the Sannoh match. And every single time I do, I get hit by that wave of emotion like it's the first time.

Some fans of the series don't like how it ends, and some keep wondering about what comes next for the characters. 

But that's the beauty of it all. All of it: the conviction, the will to succeed, the brotherhood, the love, the passion... all of it exists in the moment. No matter how things came to be or how they end up turning out, in that very moment they converge and exist in full force.

Live bravely, loudly and honestly! Be unflappable, be resolute! I will forever love this series and cherish the lessons I have learnt from it.

Originally posted on Letterboxd on 8th February, 2024