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The best-selling series from Eisner-nominated Takehiko Inoue, one of Japan’s greatest manga creators.

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?

The Kings from Kainan hold firm to their four-point lead over the boys from Shohoku, and there are only 30 seconds left on the game clock! Mitsui puts up a desperate prayer of a three-pointer, but it's the always-unpredictable Sakuragi who succeeds in shrinking the point deficit and drawing a crucial foul. But if Sakuragi wants to keep his team's hope alive, he needs to nail his next free throw...and he's absolutely terrible at free throws!

185 pages, Paperback

First published October 4, 1993

6 people are currently reading
229 people want to read

About the author

Takehiko Inoue

316 books1,554 followers
Takehiko Inoue (井上雄彦) is a Japanese manga artist, best known for Slam Dunk and Vagabond.

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5 stars
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4 stars
293 (21%)
3 stars
71 (5%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
Profile Image for Keiko, the manga enthusiast ♒︎.
1,267 reviews187 followers
July 14, 2022
Finally!! Bald Sakuragi is here!! I was upset about this when I was a kid lol, but I dunno, I found him hot and cute now!! Anyway, Sakuragi decided to cut his hair as his daily reminder of the result of their game against Kainan. They were short of 3 more points to win, with the final score of 88-90. Depressed Sakuragi thought it was his fault that they lost the game, even though Rukawa was claiming that it was rather his own. I love Rukawa's lowkey support on Sakuragi in this volume. I was literally screaming when he suddenly awoke and threw his towel to cheer Sakuragi on the last 12 seconds lol. Gosh, I love these two idiots!
Profile Image for Jedi JC Daquis.
926 reviews46 followers
September 24, 2018
Ooh did you notice the volume's cover? A short-haired Sakuragi. There's a reason for that (both story-driven and practical). Read this volume if you want to know the answer.

This is another emotional thrill ride. Exhilarating for most part, but the end of the basketball match was just beautifully sad and abrupt. Inoue really knows what the readers will feel when reading his story, and he gives the readers exactly that. His writing tone and direction is so predictably good and on-point.
Profile Image for May.
336 reviews32 followers
April 19, 2023
That really hurt.
I don't think my nerves can take this anymore...
.
.
.
On to the next volume xD
Profile Image for Honeypie.
787 reviews61 followers
March 7, 2023
Langya, ang ganda ng laban!

Also, buti na lang talaga basketball player/enthusiast din yung artist. So ang galing din ng pagkasulat!

Galing din nung mga drawing. Feel mo ung emotions at kaba nung characters, kahit wala silang linya.

One key takeaway: basketball is not a talent, but a skill. No one gets to their level without practice and hard work.

Of course, di mawawala ang onting comedy.

I'm really loving this series!
137 reviews1 follower
September 13, 2024
What an intense last 1 minute!
5,870 reviews146 followers
April 25, 2019
Slam Dunk, Vol. 15 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next nine chapters (126–134) of the on-going manga series.

This tankōbon continues the Kanagawa Interhigh Tournament Semifinal match with Shohoku High School and Kainan University Affiliated High School. When Shinichi Maki once again expands Kainan's advantage over Shohoku, Hanamichi Sakuragi and a tired Kaede Rukawa reduce the difference to four.

Rukawa is then replaced by Kiminobu Kogure, and Shohoku has problems surpassing Kainan's defense. With help from Ryota Miyagi and Hisashi Mitsui, Sakuragi makes a slam dunk, and is also allowed to make a foul shot. As Sakuragi fails the foul shot, every member from Shohoku tries to score, but the time runs out. Kainan defeats Shohoku with a final score of 90–88.

The next day, although all the players from Shohoku are determined to win the remaining matches, Sakuragi thinks he was responsible for their loss even after Haruko tries to cheer him up. While resting in the gym, Rukawa tells Sakuragi that no matter what he did, Shohoku would have lost. This remark incites a fight, and Sakuragi shows up next with his hair cut to show that they will never lose again. Mitsuyoshi Anzai arranges a practice match between all the students from Shohoku, except Takenori Akagi, who is still wounded.

This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue. For the most part, I really liked the direction of the narrative. The Kanagawa Interhigh Tournament finally ends for Shohoku High as they were defeated by Kainan University Affiliated High School, but it was a rather close game. Hanamichi Sakuragi felt rather responsible for their loss and comes to a realization that he doesn't want to lose anymore.

All in all, Slam Dunk, Vol. 15 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems intriguing and I cannot wait to read more.
Profile Image for Vanessa Kay.
916 reviews21 followers
November 11, 2018
*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.

To read more of my reviews, book news and updates:
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Profile Image for Brandon.
2,822 reviews40 followers
July 30, 2020
Another incredible volume as the match against Kainan comes to a close! The minutes and seconds are ticking by and Shohoku is tired. They've been playing as hard as they can and now it's catching up to them. They're getting sloppy, and making mistakes, so they turn to the only person they can count on... GENIUS REBOUND KING BASKETBALLMAN SAKURAGI! He's got the stamina, he's got the stubborn attitude, he's leading the team with game-saving play after game-saving play. But Sakuragi is still a novice and it takes more than one man to win a game. Only a few points separate a win from a loss and Shohoku needs to find their footing quickly.
Profile Image for N.E.C.C..
473 reviews7 followers
June 6, 2020
HOLY SHIT!!!!!!

Amazing, emotional, exhilarating and so on. I could keep going with synonyms til i run out of them, the end of the match was breathtaking, i teared up a little. Also, there was a lot of character development, beautifully done.

Nothing bad to say about this volumes, this was flawless. I can't believe the quality of this series never decreases (i don't want that obviously), i'm amazed by it. The story, the character, the art, everything is perfect and this is only half of the series.
1,042 reviews9 followers
July 14, 2021
At the time of this review, I have read volumes 1-17 back-to-back. As always, I will try to only focus on the current review.

What a game! Pages 122-124 were very well done and I love the artwork and lines here. This was a great moment between Captain Akagi and wild child Sakuragi. One of things I do not get about this series is all the fighting. Was this a thing in sports manga in the 90s? Sure, Haikyu has some scuffles, but it is some slaps and shirt pulling. I think the same happens in Kuroko's Basketball. Slam Dunk is a full on brawl in some cases. Page 184 is a nice moment between Akagi and Coach Anzai as they discuss Sakuragi. As a side note, I think my favorite is Mitsui.

Verdict: What an exciting end to the Kainan vs. Shohoku match!
Profile Image for Brianna.
93 reviews
March 7, 2024
This is definitely starting to become one of my favorite mangas. This series just keeps getting better and better.
Sakuragi cut his hair as a reminder for the game that they played against Kainan. And his new haircut actually suits him.
I love how Sakuragi and Rukawa are slowly starting to root for each other a little bit. And yet again the slam dunk is just amazing.
Sakuragi is improving fast and i love it.
Profile Image for Cait.
200 reviews
October 28, 2025
I'll be honest that Sakuragi's hair cut reveal was a bit disappointing since I fully expected his contribution to the team's loss to be more definitive that the self pity was greater to warrant such a big change. I also think they didn't take his anger and disappointment seriously enough for what I expected. That said, the conclusion of the game was realistic and tense to the bitter end and I'm excited about the practice arc we're going into.
575 reviews1 follower
January 13, 2022
Volume 15 continues the regional tournament game against the Kainan Kings, who have 16 straight national appearances. In this volume, the star of the series, Sakuragi needs to prove that his skills go beyond rebounding, dunking, and layups. Like many big men, he needs to prove that he can also make a layup. Can Shohoku take down the Kings?
Profile Image for James Rodrigues.
957 reviews9 followers
July 16, 2025
With only 2 minutes left, the match between Shohoku and Kainan comes to a close. It's tense, emotional, and delivers character work so phenomenally. The story then follows into the aftermath, as Shohoku get ready for their next match and Sakuragi has an entirely new drive along with a brand-new hairstyle. This is addictive stuff, and I am disappointed that I cannot buy more volumes every month.
Profile Image for Kurtis Burkhardt.
6,000 reviews51 followers
January 8, 2018
This sere is is basically a masterpiece, Especially in the sports genre. Really love the relationships between the characters like in this volume where Sakuragi and Rukawa were fighting like grade schoolers over whose fault it was for loosing 😂
Profile Image for David.
881 reviews52 followers
January 21, 2019
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.
Profile Image for Kawthar.
90 reviews7 followers
February 17, 2019
Avec la défaite contre kainan avec un point
La fin du match lorsque hanamichi mistaken gorille ... La fin du match était juste Sensuelle touchante l'effondrement de sakuragi m'a fait pleuré (en regardant l'anime) c'était juste émue
Profile Image for Luthfi Ferizqi.
451 reviews13 followers
August 4, 2023
If we compared to sports manga like Captain Tsubasa, the storyline will undoubtedly lead to victory for the main character's team. However, it's different with Slam Dunk, where defeat is a part of the game.

Yup, that's what makes this manga interesting.
Profile Image for Belén Carton.
178 reviews1 follower
September 14, 2023
Lloré mucho, por un momento sentí que veía un partido real y que mis amigos más cercanos estaban jugando, cuando terminó él partido incluso sentí escuchar el silbato y rompí en llanto.
La conexión que tienes con los personajes es lo mejor.
Profile Image for Yani Daniele.
555 reviews40 followers
December 31, 2017
el partido más largo de la historia y corte de pelo para Hanamichi (Inoue muy vago para dibujar jajaja me gusta más Hanamichi con pelo largo)
29 reviews9 followers
May 29, 2018
The match in this volume was really intense. Shohoku did lost in this game but they played amazing nevertheless.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews

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