Slam Dunk, Vol. 19

Slam Dunk [スラムダンク] #19

by Takehiko Inoue

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 year left to make their captain's dream of reaching the finals come true—will they do it? Takehiko Inoue's legendary basketball manga is finally here and the tale of a lifetime is in your hands.

Thanks to consecutive three-pointers by Mitsui late in the first half of the game against Ryonan High, Shohoku High ends the half down by only six points. Rukawa's still got plenty of strength left and he's going to need it to face Ryonan's ace, Sendoh. The pressure on Ryonan continues to draw fouls from them—can Shohoku exploit this and pull ahead? Or is Ryonan's coach Taoka just waiting for Shohoku to trip themselves up?

Genres: Manga, Sports, Comics, Shonen, Graphic Novels, Comics Manga, Fiction

184 pages, Paperback

First published July 4, 1994

About the author

Takehiko Inoue (井上雄彦) is a Japanese manga artist, best known for Slam Dunk and Vagabond.

Reviews

[Jedi JC Daquis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shohoku finally (but partially) unleashes the beast within as they prove to be a tough team even for the experienced Ryonan. Sendo and Uozumi takes the spotlight for many of the pages but as usual, Sakuragi is still the heart and the funny bone of the manga. There are a few emotional flashbacks in this volume, and depending on how invested you are with the game, you'll either feel that it is a necessary break for emotional investment or an almost annoying break in the narrative intensity.

[Kesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only 8 minutes left until we have determined who's going against the final match against Kainan for the nationals. One of the best volumes. Intense. Very intense. But I can sense the outcome.

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's great to see the perseverance of the characters, not only that of the protagonists, but also the characters in the opposing team.

[Honeypie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's still an intense and very enjoyable volume for me.

Badtrip lang, di pa rin concluded yung game. Mananalo naman siguro yung Shohoku diba? Sila yung bida e. Hahaha! I don't normally like spoilers, but this time, hindi ko siya feel i-search kung anong mangyayari. I'm still hoping that Shohoku will win. But I feel like ang galing magsulat ni Inoue Takehiko na tipong hindi ko alam kung papanalunin niya yung mga bida ba. Galing!!

I'm so glad I started reading this series.

---

Rukawa is evil.

Sobrang laugh trip!!

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is forcing me to workout my legs so I can dunk once in my life.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slam Dunk, Vol. 19 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next nine chapters (153–161) of the on-going manga series.

The tankōbon continues the game of Shohoku High School and Ryonan High School. As the second half starts, Kaede Rukawa decides that he will defeat Akira Sendoh and expand his score. Meanwhile, Ryonan plans to block all of Hisashi Mitsui's shots as he is very skilled at three-pointers. Rukawa succeeds in making Shohoku take the lead, but Sendoh easily makes a comeback.

Both teams continue taking advantage over each other, but Jun Uozumi once again commits four fouls, causing him to be subbed. With Uozumi subbed, Shohoku makes a comeback with shots from most of its starters. However, Hanamichi Sakuragi once again makes his typical mistakes, including allowing two points for Ryonana as a result of his poor defense.

Takenori Akagi manages to expand Shohoku's advantage and Sakuragi successfully rebounds most of Kicchou Fukuda's attacks. The tankōbon ends with eight minutes left in the game with Shohoku High with a significant lead.

This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue. For the most part, the game between Shohoku High School and Ryonan High School was narrated and depicted rather well. This deciding game whether Shohoku High or Ryonan High would join Kainan University Affiliated High School in the Nationals is taking a tad too long, as the game has expanded over three tankōbon.

All in all, Slam Dunk, Vol. 19 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.

[Vanessa Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This review is for the series as a whole with 4.5 out of 5 stars*

I’ve posted 2 articles about Slam Dunk early this year so I’m sure you guys already have an idea how I adore this series. The anime series was incredible but its manga counterpart is beyond incredible, it was AHA-mazing!

I’m not a sporty kind of girl and I don’t think I’ll be anytime soon, but I think what’s great about reading books and watching shows is that you learn and (kind of) experience a lot of things you don’t normally do in real life. And because of Slam Dunk, I learn to appreciate sports stories and eventually love them.

When I started reading this manga, it felt so nostalgic. It’s not so different in the anime so while reading it, I keep on picturing out all those episodes which I think made my reading experience even more enjoyable.

Slam Dunk showcases a great team work. What I learn to appreciate about sports stories/shows is that it’ll give you a lot of lessons about what it means to be a great sportsman. And Slam Dunk absolutely slammed dunk that part!

I usually watch the anime series first before reading its manga counterpart and as for Slam Dunk, I’ve watched it quite a number of times already and I don’t think I’ll ever stop watching it, *wink. Even after watching the anime, I can still feel the tension, the suspense, and the excitement while reading this manga.

As you can read on its title, this manga centered around the sports basketball and through it weaved a really good story everyone of us will enjoy and appreciate whether you’re into sports or not. Another thing I love about reading manga is that it will never ceased to make you laugh with its funny scenes and Slam Dunk had it big time! I lost count how many times I laughed my heart out reading this masterpiece.

The drawings were really so good too plus those facial expressions were epic, especially Sakuragi’s, haha.

This story has a main character but I love that it didn’t just center around him but the author also gave its other characters a chance to share their own story. I love the character development as well especially Sakuragi’s.

And speaking of Sakuragi, I didn’t eventually like him at first. He’s definitely trouble and I didn’t quite appreciate his annoying antics and his excessive bragging. But all throughout the story, you can’t definitely help it but like his character. As I’ve said above, Sakuragi’s character development is definitely one you should see. From being this good for nothing delinquent, he became a true sportsman. I just absolutely love his improvement not just in basketball but eventually as a person. It’s definitely hard for me to explain but I just LOVE Sakuragi. Ofcourse he can still be an airhead sometimes but I can see now that it’s one of the things that makes him quite likeable, haha.

Slam Dunk has some pretty amazing group of characters and as I’ve said in this article, they come in varieties so I’m sure a lot of readers can find some characters they can relate and love.

The anime series left off the national championship and let me tell you guys, it was already good as it is. It was full of intense scenes with a right blend of humor but the national championship parts were sooooooo good I can still feel its intensity even after finishing this manga. Actually, I cried pretty hard when they won! You should definitely read it!!!

Although the ending felt short which ofcourse makes you want to ask for more, I guess it was still a pretty good and hopeful ending, not just for team Shohoku but for the other teams as well. Besides, after that intense match with Sannoh, I don’t think Slam Dunk failed me.

So if you’re looking for an intense sports shonen manga to read, Slam Dunk should be on top of your list.

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[Aritra Dasgupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some great moments here, from Rukawa firing up, to him hitting that shocking 3 pointer to Sakuragi getting the Ryonan center fouled 4 times. Sakuragi fires up here too and Shohoku gets a comfortable lead. But it doesn't feel as exhilarating as the last time. It feels a bit empty, the odds suddenly don't seem that insurmountable anymore. Indeed the last few chapters carry an ominous undertone of a future fall of Shohoku. I think Inoue has this planned out, for this to not feel too good. I trust his writing. But because of it, this comeback volume doesn't feel nearly as impactful, because we are still waiting for a bigger twist.

Also I have noticed more than Sakuragi only calls the thick-lipped players Gorilla, and its not just him calling them it, Inoue purposefully caricatures them as monkeys and gorillas. Even if he doesn't know the context, the impact is racism. It's just plain racist. I'm not gonna cut off any points for it, because the writing is beautifully raw and funny otherwise, but this needs to spelled out more.

CALLING AKAGI GORILLA IS NOT OKAY.

[Ryosei · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work has many life-influenced wise sayings that can be used in addition to basketball, and is widely accepted by people other than basketball fans. In particular, Anzai's quote, "If you give up, the game ends there," is so well-known that even generations who do not read manga do not know it.

The captain, Akagi Takenori, thinks that Hanamichi has something special.

Akagi Takenori's dream is to get the national title for basketball, and he trains Hanamichi strictly to make him stronger.



But again, Sakuragi gets into a fight with the captain, Takenori Akagi, who challenges him to a basketball game, in which Sakuragi has to make one basket before Akagi makes ten.

With Sakuragi down nine to zero, he notices Haruko has come to watch along with the rest of the school. He finally manages to get the ball from Akagi.

The best manga ever

[Akito Dixon]

Slam Dunk Deluxe Vol. 20Slam Dunk, Vol. 21
Volumes 19-21. Shohoku battles have increased in tough opponents in critical matches that test their limiys. Hanamichi raw energy and surprising growth continue to shine, even though occasionally he leads to missteps. The teams chemistry becomes more evident, with each player finding their role under mounting pressure. The stales are higher than ever, and every game feels like a fight for honor and pride. These volumes truly capture the thrill and heart of basketball.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the Shohoku/Ryonan game enters the second half, our boys are ready to fight back. Akagi has found his footing and come back mentally prepared to take over the game. Sakuragi's humiliating defeat to Fukuda is giving him the fire he needs to fight back. And Rukawa, suspiciously absent from most of the plays in the first half of the game, is all set to prove he's Sendoh's equal. The most exciting part of this volume is spent with Uozumi as Takehiko Inoue gives us a quick peak into his first year with Ryonan and how integral he is to the Ryonan team. For most of the series he's seen as a mirror to Akagi, or overshadowed by Sendoh's leadership skills, but he's still Ryonan's captain for a reason and Inoue does a great job finally fleshing him out for us.

[N.E.C.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible!!

What an incredible game, this whole match is full with everything you want from a basketball game. I think i said this before but Takehiko Inoue is amazingly good at storytelling that it's impossible not to care about the other teams, after all this time and i still feel bad for the guys of Shoyo, every time they appear i'm like 'oh man!' xD

People already may know that Rukawa was based on Michael Jordan but if you like basketball and you know one or two things about Jordan, you don't need to know that to figure it out. From the moves on the court to the way he mocks the players of other teams, awesome.

[Yoji Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series. Exciting to see how Sakugari grows to become a better basketball player. To learn from his past, and his mistakes to grow into a team with many good players is amazing. Although he still has the same attitude, he has gotten better over the course of the series. I think from volume 16, Shohoku is playing Ryonan to see who goes to the Nationals. In this game, Sakugari has many bright moments but also, many dark moments. He is able to shoot free throws, and intercept but his character pulls him down from becoming a great basketball player.

Can't wait to read the next volume to see how the book ends

[Jared Pangier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series follows the Rocky formula so well—well, it follows the formula for any good sports story. In this volume, we see Shohoku light it up, with Mitsui turning on his junior high MVP threes and Rukawa taking it to the formidable Sendoh. And yet, the opposing coach Taoka seemed eerily calm. What is he waiting for? What is he banking on to secure the win and achieve his own dream for nationals?

[Keiko, the manga enthusiast ♒︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nerve-wracking. The volume started with the second half of the game Shohoku vs. Ryonan. Tough battle, truth be told. We still have 8 minutes left to determine the winner of Interhigh Competition!! Shohoku got the advantage with Rukawa finally unleashing his power, and even better when Uozumi was benched for fouling for 4th time, but now with the game about to be concluded comes his return on the court. For the score of 53-46, with Shohoku on the lead... who will be hailed as the victor?

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Come on boys!

In this volume, we see Sakuragi recuperating from the events of the previous volume. The team is trying to go up against Ryonan. I like it that we have a commentary from the audience. Not as much as Haikyu, but still a respectable amount.

Verdict: What will happen next? It's race to the end of the clock!

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The basketball action in Volume 19 is top-notch, showcasing the players' skills and the team's strategies. Takehiko Inoue's detailed artwork captures the intensity of the games, making each match a thrilling spectacle. Whether it's a nail-biting showdown or a surprising play, the basketball scenes are sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

[James Rodrigues · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shohoku vs Ryonan continues, and it is an utterly thrilling way to spend a volume. Rukawa shows his stuff as the teams Ace, Sakuragi is eager to prove himself despite his inexperience, and the clock is counting down towards a final result in the most tense ways possible. An utter marvel of a book.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the more iconic of sports manga. It's the first series where I actually both read the manga and watched the anime. It has flawed protagonists, growing up pains, colourful characters, and beautiful meaningful relationships, all neatly wrapped around the context of college basketball.

[Trafalgar Law 🍉 · Rating 5 out of 5]

i waited 3 years to collect this book physically and it was the only one i didnt have due to it not being reprinted at the time. now i have it and its one of the best volumes in the series. i need to reread this fr

[La anti · Rating 5 out of 5]

SLAM DUNK COMO SIEMPRE TRIUNFANDOOOO
Las pelotudeces de Hanamichi contrarrestan muy bien con TODA LA INTENSIDAD DEL CAMPEONATO OKI
Sendo y rukawa como siempre dándolo todo, loco, hacía rato no gritaba tanto por un partido, EXTRAÑABA AL SHOJOKU

[Toshi]

Slam Dunk, Vol. 21
Once again, these few volumes focus on the intensity of their game. This game in particular, Shohoku vs Ryonan was a very important scene in the series, as Shohoku had previously lost to Ryonan. The revealing of the players' pasts, further adds intensity to the games. Down to the very last minute the game was really tense and exciting for the reader, as really the game could have gone both ways. The themes of dream are heavily emphasized in these few volumes as all of them share the same dream of one day making the nationals. These few volumes really kept me on the edge of my seat. I would really recommend this series.

[Casper Paaske · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a fun match, but I find myself less interested because, by now, I know well get the intense stuff at the end. Right here in the middle, anything can happen, and then everything can change at the end. So less intense over all.

[Tobias Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shohoku continue their match against Ryonan. Rukawa decided to save his power for the second half of the game. Surprisingly Shohoku gains the upper hand of the game and take the lead.

[✨Sky✨ ♏ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

[Andrea De Gouveia Dias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Todos estaríamos muertos sin Rukawa. Se tenía que decir y se dijo.

[Andrea Aguas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is easily how plot armor works.

[L · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️✨
¿Es cosa mía o este partido se está eternizando?

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot finished this. I’m half way through volume 20.

[Omar Villafane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perseverance ✨