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REVIEW: The First Slam Dunk Anime Blu-ray Review

I really love the Sannoh match, but I can't love THE FIRST.

Slam Dunk was a story about the passion and love for basketball, this was represented by every main player of the team on their own arc and in Sakurai's case it was in Sannoh. So I was extremely disappointed when THE FIRST decides to instead ignore all that and put the spotlight on Ryota, which I admit was underserved on the manga, this wasn't the place to do it.

VS Sannoh is Sakuragi's peak, the place where every single match prior has been leading us to. The rebounds, the shoots, the DUNK every single thing that Sakuragi worked to learn in the story he executed it perfectly VS Sannoh, he evolves, he blossoms, he brings the team together when individually they fall short against the superior Sannoh team. Sakuragi is the beating heart of Shohoku, the beating heart of Slam Dunk when he admits in the middle of the match that he isn't risking his body for Haruko's love anymore, not even for the coach or the team, he's doing it because he loves basketball, I cry every damn time I read it, it's perfect, it's beautiful.

I think the FIRST is an excellent product on its own, but personally I will always skip Ryota's flashbacks and just watch the game. Don't know what was Inoue thinking by missing the mark so much.