The First Slam Dunk movie in my opinion is absolutely perfect and it is definitely catered for fans that have read the manga or at least watched the anime adaptation. I would not recommend this to a newbie because they will miss out on significant character arcs and established plots that the movie assumes the viewer has already consumed. The movie adapts the final arc of the manga which I to this day absolutely love and regard as the best sports manga or even story in general that I have ever read. And astonishingly even though I vividly remember the original story and its final arc. This movie still managed to provide me with an elevated experience of its final arc. Even though I knew what was going to happen in the end I was still on the edge of my seat, cheering for the Shohoku team to win.

The animation is beyond perfection and I think they have achieved what many anime studios were trying to achieve with 3D CGI technology; having the fluid motion of 3D while retaining the flat yet personal hand-drawn style of 2D. I confidently say that this movie has done it, they have solved the problems of using CGI in Anime. It is gorgeous, fluid and has the personal touch that is commonly associated with 2D animation. I am certain that they have set a standard for CGI in anime and many productions will follow this new standard.

Slam Dunk is the greatest sports manga I have read and also hands down one of the greatest manga, in general, I have read. How it encapsulates the passion and love towards sports is really authentic and grounded, choosing to focus more on the characters and their relationship with the sport rather than the action and hype surrounding the sport itself. And honestly, I have no disrespect for sports stories that choose to focus more on the action and flashy plays of sports, Blue Lock for example is totally insane and unrealistic but sure is entertaining as hell. But I feel a more personal character-centric story with a more grounded approach makes Slam Dunk not just a great sports story but a great story in general. It really tries to give its viewer, a more insightful look at not just sports but something that is fundamentally entertainment and how it could mean so much to a person; how a fun and entertaining hobby for a layman could be the life and blood of someone that dedicates their life towards it.

As I mentioned experiencing the final arc of Slam Dunk in this movie is just as good if not better. And this is not because the medium of animation is able to offer more than the static pages of the manga from the movement, colours and music. The Movie is basically 2 stories playing out in parallel: The main story is the Shohoku team playing Sannoh in order to advance to the finals and the perspective of mainly Ryota and his relationship with basketball. In the manga, the main character from beginning to end was undoubtedly Sakuragi. But in this movie, they choose to present this arc mostly through the shoes of Ryota the point guard of the team. Even though I remembered his backstory in the manga, I was almost given a wake-up call on how much I have overlooked this character that arguably has always deserved more and also given more to the game than Sakuragi in the manga. Not to say that the movie did not expand and explore the motivations of the other characters as they did but this focus on Ryota gives another perspective on this final arc and definitely raises the stakes and emotional investment of the match compared to the manga.

Overall I really love this movie, it is animated gorgeously, it is faithful to the source material and it adds more value to its story for recurring fans of the series. Even though it was the second time I experienced the amazing match between Shohoku and Sannoh, it definitely felt as beautiful or even better than the first time simply due to how well-directed it was. The animation, music, voice acting and pacing were perfect to the end. A truly perfect cinematic experience that reminded me why I loved the Slam Dunk manga.