“I really like it. I’m not lying this time”

The shot clock in ‘The First Slam Dunk’ is 30 seconds. There is also a term (intentional foul) that is not used now. But that didn’t matter. My heart was pounding just looking at the Buksan High School Best 5 Signboard at the entrance of the theater. 

To confess, I am also a member of the ‘3040’ generation who was crazy about slam dunk in school. There is nothing to say even if Slam Dunk is denigrated as a cult work that only responds to a specific generation in an extremely narrow range. However, I genuinely enjoyed the two hours I was in the theater. It also reminded me of secretly reading the new issue of Boy Champ while avoiding the teacher’s eyes during class. 

The first slam dunk’s greatest strengths are its movement and sound. There is an impression of the comic book that I enjoyed so much being unfolded in perfect visuals right in front of my eyes. And that lively sound. The sound of basketball shoes dragging on the floor or the rhythmic sound of a basketball bouncing was overwhelming for no reason. 

The reason why everyday scenes like cumulus clouds in the summer sky or dust floating in the sun look exceptionally beautiful in famous Japanese animations is that even though they are already familiar landscapes, they have become works of art as they are expressed in pictures in animations. The feeling that the familiar scenery looks more beautiful again. 

As an analogy, slam dunk was similar. It was heartwarming to see the scene of a basketball game, which I have seen hundreds of times, unfold into a dynamic picture, with the feel of Takehiko Inoue’s drawing intact. The scene where young Song Tae-seop struggles to push his older brother one-on-one under the goal, or the scene where Kang Baek-ho’s winning goal shakes the net after a beautiful jump and wrist snap. That common basketball scene was saying something while making his heart thump. “Do you like basketball?”  바카라사이트

Regarding the box office sensation of the Slam Dunk movie version, some say, ‘It was possible in the 1990s, but now it is considered unconventional and cannot be made, because it awakened a forgotten passionate story’. 

That is also true, but my feeling was a little different. These were the words of this work, which was so enthusiastic that it memorized almost all of its lines. Do you remember what you really like? 

Seeing Kang Baek-ho, the main character of Slam Dunk, felt different from 30 years ago. What I saw again while working as a sports reporter is the fact that Kang Baek-ho is a player with the perfect mentality that sports talk about. 

Even though Kang Baek-ho has a natural physique and athletic ability, once he gets hooked, he has a great concentration that he rushes towards the target without caring about anything else. He learns and cooperates with Seo Tae-woong, who is at a loss because he doesn’t want to look bad, when he needs it. Even though he was dragged by more than 20 points to Sanwang Technical High School, coach Ahn slapped his chin and said, “Hey, old man. Am I the only one who thinks we can win here?” 

Even with an injury that could threaten the player’s life, Kang Baek-ho running out saying “My best moment is right now” is a bit different from the hungry spirit of running with a bandage on his head and clenched teeth. Rather, I am full of positive energy that I enjoy the present moment, that I am the best no matter what anyone says, and that I believe in me and the team 100%.

Although it is a work from the 1990s, the reason why slam dunk doesn’t feel tacky at all is probably because of the perfect yet delightful main character. Yes, you are truly a genius. 

I didn’t want to go on a memory trip to meet me as a teenager. I was so happy to see Kang Baek-ho’s energy again. And I was thrilled to confirm that basketball is such a fun game. The secret to Seo Tae-woong defeating the perfect Jung Woo-sung under Hansoo is the ability to pass to his teammates, and when Song Tae-seop is suffocatingly isolated from the all-out pressure defense, it is the colleague who believes in me and runs out, this beautiful I was touched by the new realization that I really love games. 

This animation was asking me the whole time. “Do you like basketball?” And author Inoue seemed to be jokingly saying, ‘You already know the answer, don’t you?’ It doesn’t appear in the movie version, but if you’re a slam dunk fan, everyone knows that line.

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