I'm a self-proclaimed sports anime freak and I have actually watched tons of anime from that genre. Of course, there are still some series that I haven't watched, but there are also series that I have watched and re-watched multiple times.
I love sports anime because they're super exciting to watch and I get to learn about the sport the characters are playing. I believe it all started with Slam Dunk.
Slam Dunk anime was released on Philippine TV around late 90's, so I was still in elementary school during those times. Living in the Philippines, I was already exposed to the world of basketball since people here enjoy not only watching, but also playing the sport. We have our own national and local leagues and I somehow grew up watching them. I remember I even anticipate seeing my favorite basketball player back then instead of famous celebrities.
Anyway, when the new basketball anime that time was released, my cousins and I were so excited. We watched it together every day at our grandma's house. That was also the time when I started playing the sport myself.
Playing basketball with my papa and cousins. It was a 2v2 that time. haha This was in the makeshift basketball court near our house. It's just a half court, though.
It's me and my cousin watching our late uncle and his friends playing basketball. We were in charge of the scoring.
My late uncle and his friends taught me how to play and when I learned the basics, I played with my cousins for fun. I was the only female who joined them in those days. It was the same at school. Our school that time was relatively new and there were only very few students, so during sports events, we were often mixed not only by gender, but also by grade. Meaning, students from the fourth grade can be teammates with high school students.
It was so exciting to play basketball with my teammates. I believe I was also the only female in my grade (I was in the 6th grade then) who played it. I was the point guard that time. I was on the same team as my best friend who was really good at playing basketball. He got the most points and I got the most assists.
Ohh my.. I've been walking through the memory lane too much, so let's go back to Slam Dunk.
My sketch of Ryota Miyagi
When I was young, I really idolized Ryota Miyagi because he was an awesome point guard and I was also playing the same role. I wanted to be like him. Aside from Miyagi, I really love Mitsui and Sendoh. I remember how fascinated I was with Mitsui's form when shooting 3-pointer shots. I even practiced by mimicking his form before. *haha*
IMAGE SOURCE
From then until now, I still find Mitsui's shooting form the most beautiful among all the other players. He looks so good. <3
A lot of my female friends liked Rukawa because of how cool he is. I can't blame them because I like him, too. However, I really thought that Sendoh was a much better player. Sendoh was just an awesome player overall and I like his goof yet mysterious personality.
After re-watching the anime last week, my mind still hasn't changed. These three are still my favorite players, but this time I realized how awesome Sakuragi is. In the past, I just saw him as the goofy and hot-headed main character, but watching it as an adult, I was amazed by his growth not only as a player, but also as a person. I also was able to appreciate his four friends more. Despite being a crazy bunch, they really are the epitome of genuine friends.
Sakuragi is indeed very lucky to have these four as his besties. They got each others' back even though they sometimes make fun of him. I believe it's pretty normal among friends to do so. <3
Re-watching this series gave me the same excitement I had when I was a kid and in addition, I was able to appreciate the story more. So, thanks Netflix for showing all seasons of Slam Dunk in your platform.
I also re-read the manga recently and I just can't get enough of it! I hope I could watch the latest movie soon. I've seen spoilers online and I've read that scene in the manga, but the new art style is so cool!
Anyway, thanks for checking this out. See you around!!!
