What is the Slam Dunk anime?

The Slam Dunk anime was produced by Toei Animation and aired on TV Asahi from October 16, 1993 to March 23, 1996, for 101 episodes, directed by Nobutaka Nishizawa. It adapted Inoue's manga with a celebrated voice cast and peak ratings above 21 percent in Japan.

The series covers Shohoku's formation, the Kanagawa tournament and qualification for the Inter High. Its final episodes are anime-original: a joint practice game against a combined Shoyo and Ryonan team, won 76 to 74 by Shohoku, and then the team boarding the train for the national tournament, which the show never depicts.

Four theatrical films were also made by Toei in the 1990s from original stories. Home video history is patchy outside Japan: North America received only part of the series on DVD in 2005, long out of print, and full legal access came only with later streaming. The Japanese DVD boxes of 2004, 2005 and 2008 are the stable physical editions.