How "Slam Dunk" Stole the Hearts of a Generation

The energy in Takehiko Inoue's artwork adds to his storytelling magic.

In my third year in high school, a Korean American transfer student came to our school for about a semester. We were in the same art class. She was REALLY good at drawing, and we bonded over our passion in art.

One day, while we were both drawing, she asked me, “Have you read Slam Dunk?”

It was the infant age of the internet. We had limited access to the world wide web through AOL – over that squeaky dial-up modem. The Age of Information had not truly arrived. My knowledge in world popular culture wasn’t great.

I shook my head.

My friend’s eyes widened with excitement, “Maple, you HAVE to read Slam Dunk! The artwork is insanely good!”

And that was my first encounter to the 7th best-selling manga series in history, the series that is often described as “the one that changes a person’s life.”

Before Slam Dunk, I don’t recall reading any manga related to basketball. Yoichi Takahashi’s Captain Tsubasa was a mega-hit, but it was on soccer. For baseball aficionados, there were Adachi Mitsuru’s H2 and Takuya Mitsuda’s Major.

When Slam Dunk hit the market, not only did it shook up the world of manga due to its popularity, it shifted the focus of sports culture in Japan.

Talk about the impact of a good story!

Slam Dunk revolves around a high school troublemaker with no interest or ambition – until he found basketball. It’s a story where reader sees the transformation of a young man from indifference to dedication and passion. The character’s growth speaks to the heart of a generation with a thirst to look for a purpose in life.

Friendships. Camaraderie. Teammates. Nemesis. Humor. Laughter. Jealousy. Tears. Trust. Falling down. Giving Up. Getting back up. Coming back stronger.

It’s the whole package.

Takehiko Inoue has been a basketball aficionado since high school. His love in the sport spilled over into his artwork. As a reader, one of the most exciting part of Slam Dunk is the way Inoue conveyed actions. You can almost hear the characters’ hearts pumping.

When Inoue finished working on Slam Dunk, he made another bestselling series Vagabond, a fictional story of a swordsman’s journey in the 1600s. Admittedly, I only glanced through a few books. It was very graphic, and that wasn’t my cup of tea, personally. But the artwork is top of the line, as always.

If you are looking for an exciting sports series, Slam Dunk is definitely a good choice. Keep in mind that the series was made in the early 90s. It was a different time, and some jokes are no longer appropriate today.

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Readers who are into sports-related graphic novels should also check out Gene Luen Yang’s Dragon Hoops.

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Do you like Inoue’s artwork? Do you have any sports comics or graphic novels that you love? I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments section below!