Highlights
- Toei Animation has uploaded the first 10 episodes of the 1993 Slam Dunk anime on their YouTube channel, with weekly uploads until the entire series is available.
- The original Slam Dunk anime, one of the most famous sports anime of all time, is back in the spotlight thanks to a new film that broke box office records.
- Toei Animation's decision to stream Slam Dunk on YouTube benefits both existing fans and new fans, generating more interest and providing a legal and free option for viewers.
The first 10 episodes of 1993's Slam Dunk anime have been uploaded to Toei Animation's official YouTube channel, with more to come. Each week, more episodes will be uploaded onto YouTube until the entire series is available to watch. The announcement came on Tuesday via the studio's official Twitter account.
Slam Dunk originally aired from 1993 to 1996, and has 101 episodes. it is one of the most famous sports anime of all time. The story follows a first year high school student named Sakuragi Hanamichi, who originally joins the school basketball team because of the girl he has a crush on. He has a long history of being dumped by girls, but it does not keep him from being interested in Haruko, who loves basketball. However, he is far from an ordinary basketball player, and despite his initial motivation for playing, he goes on to become an extraordinary athlete.
While the original Slam Dunk anime is old - more than thirty years at this point! - the series itself is back in the spotlight at the moment thanks to a new film. The First Slam Dunk released in theaters in Japan in December 2022, going on to smash the box office and win the Animation of the Year Award at the Japan Academy Film Prizes. It became the 15th highest grossing film in Japanese history.
The First Slam Dunk is coming to the English-speaking world soon, too. It will release in the USA and Canada July 28th in theaters, with both an English dub version and a subtitled version with the original Japanese cast. That makes the anime's timing on YouTube perfect, because it can let international fans get hyped for the movie - and have something to keep watching as they ride that high after they come back home.
Toei Animation's decision to stream Slam Dunk is going timing all around. Not only does it benefit from the hype fans already will have after seeing a record-breaking film, but it will also generate more interest in the film by giving new fans to the series an easy way to get interested in it. While the movie may be younger fans first experience with the Slam Dunk series, they can pick up the anime easily and for free on YouTube now.
In a world slowly being taken over by subscription streaming services, it is becoming harder and harder for average people to afford them all to see all of their favorite shows. While many will likely turn to piracy to see everything they want to see, it is great to see Toei Animation giving fans something better - and more legal. Slam Dunk may be old, but that doesn't make it any less beloved or relevant, and it's a great addition to the internet for otaku that can't stomach paying for another subscription each month.
You can watch Slam Dunk now on Toei Animation's official YouTube.
Source: AnimeNewsNetwork