The Complete Slam Dunk Watch Order

Slam Dunk is a game-changer in the sports anime genre. It is one of the classics, beloved by its solid fanbase to date. And with the release of The First Slam Dunk movie, you might be wondering about the complete Slam Dunk watch order to get the best experience out of the basketball anime.

First released in 1993, the Slam Dunk anime revolves around the redhead delinquent Hanamichi Sakuragi, who decides to join the Shohoku Basketball Team to impress his high school crush, Akagi Haruko.

What started out as an impulsive club activity became a serious hustle for Hanamichi Sakuragi!

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Where Does The First Slam Dunk Fit in the Timeline?

Contrary to popular belief, The First Slam Dunk movie is not a prequel to the original Slam Dunk TV anime, which was released back in the Fall of 1993. Instead, The First Slam Dunk movie takes place where the series left off.

Trailing the victory of Shohoku against Ryonan, The First Slam Dunk movie follows the basketball team in the National High School Tournament, also known as the Inter-High in the anime, where they were pitted against the three-time defending champions, Sannoh High.

This means that viewers will be able to see Sannoh High’s talented players, such as Eiji Sawakita and Masashi Kawata.

The First Slam Dunk movie also takes the spotlight away from the main protagonist, Sakuragi Hanamichi, and gives it to the wearer of the Shohoku basketball team’s jersey number seven, Ryota Miyagi.

Basically, we get to know Miyagi better as well as his family in Okinawa, not to mention the reason behind his jersey number.

We also get some fluff between Miyagi and Shohoku’s beautiful manager, Ayako.

The story may be told through the eyes of Miyagi, but this doesn’t mean that the movie fails to make the other characters shine, such as Akagi, Rukawa, Mitsui, Sakuragi, and even Kogure, who was first assumed not to appear in the movie due to his absence in promotional materials.

Credit: Toei Animation / Dandelion Animation Studio

In fact, Sakuragi’s funny antics in between the games will still be present in the movie.

In the manga, The First Slam Dunk movie adapts volumes 25 through 31, as well as the one-shot entitled Piercing. Thus, it is advisable for viewers to read Volume 24 to prepare for the movie.

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The Complete Slam Dunk Watch Order

There are two ways to watch Slam Dunk: by release date and by chronological order of events. It’s up to you to pick your poison, but it is advisable to watch the entirety of Slam Dunk in chronological order to get the best experience possible.

At some point, where the movies fit in between the episodes of the 1993 TV anime may confuse you, so it’s recommended to watch the events unfold in chronological order.

Regardless, here’s the complete Slam Dunk watch order by release date and by chronological order.

Slam Dunk Watch Order by Release Date

Credit: Toei Animation

The world first knew of the basketball genius, Hanamichi Sakuragi, when he debuted in the 1993 TV anime.

The rest is history, as Hanamichi helped put the Shohoku Basketball Team on a pedestal, second only to Kainan High School.

Here’s Slam Dunk’s watch order by release date:

ALSO READ: The First Slam Dunk Movie Ending Explained

Slam Dunk Watch Order by Chronological Order

Credit: Toei Animation

The best watch order for Slam Dunk is to follow the series chronologically. The anime begins with the first 20 episodes of the TV anime and ends with The First Slam Dunk movie.

Here’s Slam Dunk’s watch order in chronological order of events:

• Slam Dunk Episodes 1-20
• Slam Dunk Movie
• Slam Dunk Episodes 21-36
• Slam Dunk: Zenkoku Seiha Da!-Sakuragi Hanamichi Movie
• Slam Dunk Episodes 37-60
• Slam Dunk: Shohoku Saidai no Kiki!Moero Sakuragi Hanamichi
• Slam Dunk: Hoero Basketman-damashii! Hanamichi to Rukawa no Atsuki Natsu Movie
• Slam Dunk Episodes 61-101
• The First Slam Dunk Movie

At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide which Slam Dunk watch order you will follow.

We’re hoping that you’ll be able to enjoy the series as much as we do, and we can’t help but look forward to more Slam Dunk content in the future, if possible!

By then, this watch order will be updated, but for now, enjoy the entirety of Slam Dunk on your screens!

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