Creative Staff
Story: Takehiko Inoue
Art: Takehiko Inoue
Translation/Adaptation: Stan! and Joe Yamazaki
What They Say
For the Shohoku High players, the past echoes in the present as Rukawa learns something about Coach Anzai that leaves him determined to be the best high school player in Japan. With ten days remaining until the start of the national tournament, Coach Anzai sends the Shohoku High team to Shizuoka for a week of practice with another local team. But Sakuragi stays behind for a special practice session that will push him to the limit and improve his individual skills for the crucial games ahead.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The meat of Slam Dunk is, as it should be, in the games. Long, tense sports showdowns that span multiple volumes are the engine that drives the series. But there’s another side to this basketball saga, an important counterpoint to the on-court action. That’s the side that slows down to fill in the details, build the atmosphere, and shape the characters as individuals. In other words, Slam Dunk is great not just in the great things, but in the little things–the things that I’m tempted to call vitally unimportant.
As such, the volume is less a serial of chained chapters and more a quick succession of minor episodes. I don’t mean minor in the sense of lesser, or mediocre. I just mean that the episodes deal with relatively minor things–albeit things that fit into the bigger picture. We don’t see Shohoku fighting for its chance at the Nationals. Instead we get a glimpse into Coach Anzai’s past. We see Rukawa buckle down to training with renewed vigor. We see the starting players cramming to pass their exams so that they’ll be eligible to play. We see Sakuragi practice his jump shot and pick up a new pair of shoes. Nothing major, just essential. Essential to the tone, the character, the fleshing out of the story. It taught me something about long, ongoing stories and gave me a new appreciation for Inoue’s fine work.
Before I read Slam Dunk, I hadn’t fully realized how important these “down” volumes are to the overall rhythm of a long series. You can’t always have your nose to the grindstone. Inoue refreshes his readers with the affectionate touches in this volume, and even an important emotional shift is handled briefly, quietly, and in an unobtrusive way. Haruka’s observation of Rukawa’s intensity, and subsequent realization of the reason behind it, is a modestly devastating moment. It shows you just how controlled Inoue’s art and writing are. Especially when he transitions from that to the strong vein of humour that he keeps running through the series. There are a lot of funny moments in this volume: the overnight cramming, the rash one-on-one challenge, and–best of all–Sakuragi’s first glimpse of his shooting form on videotape. Hilarious, and so true.
In Summary:
I’ve been consistently impressed with Inoue’s work on Slam Dunk, and this volume is no exception. While the events inside it are nothing that sound as exciting as some of the great peaks of the series, this particular slice of an outstanding series is a first-rate read in its own way. It’s a chance to enjoy the finely etched artwork that often becomes invisible when excitement takes over, and a chance to appreciate the small things that, in the long run, make a big difference.
Content Grade: A
Art Grade: A+
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: A+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Viz Media
Release Date: April 3rd, 2012
MSRP: $9.99
