A strangely enjoyable manga, despite the slow story progress, Slam Dunk manages to not only convey the entertainment of an actual basketball game, but also to educate about the rules of basketball and highlight skills and talents of individual players. Despite my lack of familiarity with the series, I can already tell you about the love triangle (which is thankfully so subtle as to completely avoid obscuring or derailing the story), the determination and skills of at least 7 players (covering a majority of both teams), and that I’ve actually come to understand a rule or two about basketball that they don’t cover in middle-school gym class.
The art style is very effective at conveying the natural motion of actual players, with only the occasionalawkward pose to throw the fluidity off. The style also varies a bit, when Sakuragi starts up with the sideline antics (attempting to change the scoreboard, bugging his coach, screaming at players, etc) towards what I’ve come to associate with Onizuka’s wackiness in another manga great, GTO. The extras include a profile of NBA player Greg Oden, as well as a single page color photo/poster (non-removable). Other extras include a brief description of Shot Blocking, as well as pointers to improve your own game.
My only gripe is that this manga, while entertaining, doesn’t convey enough of the actual game to give you an idea of where the end result is heading. Instead, it provides almost a play-by-play of this single exhibition game. Great for basketball fans who want all the details (literally); not-so-great for those of us who’d rather gloss over the game entirely, which probably isn’t the point of this series at all.
