The First Slam Dunk wins best animated film award in Japan

The First Slam Dunk

When it comes to spokon anime, there are many options available and although it is not the most popular genre, every once in a while a work comes along that captivates viewers regardless of their tastes and the perfect example of this is found with Slam Dunk, which immerses us in a plot related to basketball, achieving an unparalleled combination between the competitiveness of the sport and the desire for self-improvement, so it is not surprising that it finally had its own film, one that has left the name of the franchise high, standing as the best film in Japan.

The Firts Slam Dunk wins Academy Award in Japan for Best Animated Film

The past March 10 of the current year, the first 46th Japan Academy FIlm Prize, event that congratulates the best of Japanese cinema. The event took place at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa, located in the capital city, Tokyo.

As expected, there were dozens of categories, but for the purposes of this article, we will focus on the most important and coveted award of the night, "best animated film", where exponents not only of great quality, but with unparalleled fame, participated.

Below we will share with you which films were nominated in this category:

• INU-OH 
• Lonely Castle in the Mirror
• Suzume no Tojimari
• One Piece Film Red
• The First Slam Dunk

 The films that competed for the top award, and to the surprise of many, the film from Slam Dunk won the award. The director in charge of directing the film was present to receive the well-deserved award, Toshiyuki Matsui, who shared the following words:

"Everyone at the academy and the public was very supportive." I think it's a complete job because the staff never gave up on the challenge and fought to the end. I think this award will be an encouragement to everyone."

When was The Firts Slam Dunk released?

The film by Slam Dunk was released by the author of the manga himself, Takehiko Inoue, who posted on his Twitter account last January 7, 2021, that his work would be brought to theaters with an animated adaptation.

The first preview of the film was released for the July 7, 2022, where they announced the official premiere date, which is scheduled for December 3 of the same year. During its debut, it grossed the extraordinary figure of ¥ 1,296 billion, the equivalent of USD $9.5MDD, and is considered a box-office success.

The animation of this film was in charge of 2 studios, Toei Animation and Dandelion Animation Studio, even achieving a score of 8.6/10 on international sites such as IMDB.

What is the future of Slam Dunk?

Finally, it should be noted that the success of this film could bring back this work either in manga or anime format, and although no project related to it has been announced yet, it is only a matter of time before they are announced.