slam dunk

Slam Dunk TV Animation Series Completed Collections
$316.99
I've been trying to find this slam dunk DVD collection,
somebody please start selling it!!!

Slam Dunk, Vol. 6
$9.99
He tried to slam her with love, but she dunked his heart. R to L (Japanese Style). With just a minute remaining on the game clock, Shohoku still trails Ryonan by four points. Hoping to put this match away for good, Ryonan hands the ball to their ace Sendoh, but they make the fatal error of overlooking the incredibly erratic (and at times phenomenally talented) Hanamichi. With a shot block that sets up a clinching basket for superstar Kaede Rukawa, Shohoku still has a chance for the win, but have they already chewed up too much time in the process? Winning isn't everything in the game of basketball, but who wants to come in second? It takes dedication and discipline to be the best, and the Shohoku High hoops team wants to be just that. They have one last year to make their captain's dream of reaching the finals come true--will they do it? Takehiko Inoue's legendary beloved basketball manga is finally here and the tale of a lifetime is in your hands.

Slam Dunk, Vol. 4
$7.99
R to L (Japanese Style). Shohoku's (somewhat) friendly game against Ryonan finally gets underway. Old rivalries reignite with captain Akagi going toe-to-toe with Ryonan's center, Uozumi. Hanamichi has flat-out declared that he will personally shut down Ryonan's ace, Sendoh, but will Kaede Rukawa take care of things before Hanamichi even gets a chance to hit the floor? Either way, this is bound to be a game to remember.

Slam Dunk, Vol. 1
$7.99
We all do stupid things for love, especially in high school. Who hasn't tried out for the football team or cheerleading squad for the sake of popularity? Who hasn't joined a club just to be a little closer to a crush? Takehiko Inoue's Slam Dunk is just one of many endearing stories out there about how people are willing to change themselves to gain the attention of another.

Hanamichi Sakuragi has a reputation: He's a thug who has been rejected by girls 50 times in a row. The latest one has turned him down for love of a guy who plays basketball. Now anyone who mentions anything even remotely related to the sport is a potential target for his fist. Hanamichi wants to turn over a new leaf in his first year of high school by shedding his old reputation as a reject, but how? The girls think he's nothing but a gang leader. How will they ever see his loving soul?

While he's wallowing in his own misery, a girl named Haruko Akagi approaches the tall and muscular Hanamichi and asks if he likes to play basketball. Normally, this would incur his wrath, but Hanamichi is instantly smitten with the fearless girl and decides to play along. The two bond over her love of the sport. Hanamichi is sure that he's finally found the girl of his dreams. If only he could walk her home, then he could die a happy man.

There's just one problem: He doesn't know the first thing about how to play basketball! He manages to fake it for now, and even impresses Haruko with his natural ability to jump high and slam dunk (when his aim is on). When Haruko confesses that she already has a crush on Kaede Rawkawa, a star player whom she's always admired from afar, Hanamichi is crushed. That's not going to stop him, though! In an attempt to impress Haruko with his skills, he challenges the captain of the school's team to a one-on-one match, only to find out that the captain is Haruko's own brother, Takenori!

Hanamichi figures that the best way to convince the captain to let him on the team is through sheer determination. He cleans the floors, shines the balls, and even tries to bribe him with images of his favorite female idol. When Takenori finally agrees to let him on the team, Hanamichi finds it frustrating to be stuck drilling the fundamentals when all he wants to do is slam dunk.

This series is a refreshing read for those who usually turn to manga for fantasy and science fiction. This adorable comedy is simplistic, a comfort read. The action is over-the-top and campy, but that's the point. Slam Dunk is not meant to be taken too seriously, not yet anyway. Readers who are new to manga in general may find the exaggerated art to be a little off-putting at first. The character design and motion drawings are very Japanese in their style with things like speed lines, sweat drops, and changes in proportion. Still, Inoue's art style is actually quite normal in shounen manga, especially when it comes to high-school life.

-- Courtney Kraft