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Is the Anime Finished?
Is the Anime Finished?
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Is Slam Dunk Finished? Watch Order & Manga Guide for New Fans

Finished Sports Comedy Drama Basketball School
Table of Contents

Everything You Need to Know About Slam Dunk
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Slam Dunk is a classic sports series that blends comedy and drama with the high stakes of tournament basketball. The story follows Hanamichi Sakuragi, a notorious high school punk known more for his fighting than his academics. After being rejected by countless girls, Sakuragi meets Haruko Akagi and decides to take up basketball—not out of a love for the sport, but simply to win her heart.

What begins as a ploy soon evolves into a journey of personal growth. Between a fierce, strict captain and a naturally gifted freshman rival, Sakuragi experiences the grueling hardships and rewarding friendships that come with competitive sports. It is a highly inspirational series, making it perfect for basketball enthusiasts and anyone looking for a story about commitment and passion.

If you’re ready to jump in, you can watch the anime on Prime Video to see Sakuragi’s journey begin.

Is the Anime Really Finished?
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Whether the anime is “finished” depends on what you are looking for. The original anime series ran from 1993 to 1996, adapting the manga that was published between 1990 and 1996. While the anime provides a significant amount of content, those who want the complete, definitive conclusion to the story will likely need to dive into the source material.

For the full experience and a satisfying end to the narrative, we highly recommend picking up the Slam Dunk manga, including the recently announced Deluxe Editions from Viz Media.

Recommended Watch and Read Orders#

Because Slam Dunk has a variety of sequels, compilations, and a modern feature film, the order in which you consume the media matters. Please refer to the relationship tree below the article for a visual guide to these connections.

The Release Order
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If you want to experience the series as fans did originally, follow the release dates:

  1. Slam Dunk (Main Anime Series) (1993–1996)
  2. Sequels/Specials (Released between 1994 and 1995, including Zenkoku Seiha da!, Shōhoku Saidai no Kiki!, and Hoero Basketman Tamashii!)
  3. The First Slam Dunk (2022 Film)

The Completionist Order
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For those who want every single piece of animated content:

  1. Slam Dunk (Main Anime Series)
  2. Slam Dunk: Ketsui no Shōhoku Basuke-bu (Compilation)
  3. The Sequels/Specials (Follow the 1994–1995 chronological release)
  4. The First Slam Dunk (2022 Film)

The “Source Material” Path
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For viewers who don’t mind switching mediums to get the full story:

  1. Start with the Slam Dunk anime to get a feel for the characters and the world.
  2. Transition to the Slam Dunk manga to ensure you see the entire plot through to its conclusion.
  3. Watch The First Slam Dunk movie as a modern cinematic celebration of the series.

If you find this guide helpful and want to support our research into anime conclusions, feel free to support us on Ko-fi!

Useful Extras and Recent News
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Slam Dunk remains incredibly relevant decades after its debut. Recently, The First Slam Dunk film has seen massive success, passing Avatar to become the #12 highest-grossing film ever in Japan following revival screenings. It is also available for streaming on Netflix in the U.S. and has been released on Blu-ray and DVD in various regions, including the U.K. and North America.

Additionally, the franchise is seeing a resurgence in print and digital media, with Naver Webtoon bringing a new edition of the manga to digital readers in Korea and Viz Media releasing Deluxe Editions in English.

While you’re celebrating the series, why not grab some Slam Dunk merchandise to show your support for the Shōhoku team!

Slam Dunk • manga • 1990 to 1996 (Shonen Jump Japan 1990 No.42 to 1996 No.27)
  └─(adaptation)→  Slam Dunk • anime • 1993-10-16 to 1996-03-23
   └─(sequel)→   Slam Dunk • anime • 1994-03-12
    └─(sequel)→    Slam Dunk: Zenkoku Seiha da! Sakuragi Hanamichi • anime • 1994-07-09
     └─(sequel)→     Slam Dunk: Shōhoku Saidai no Kiki! Moero Sakuragi Hanamichi • anime • 1995-03-04
      └─(sequel)→      Slam Dunk: Hoero Basketman Tamashii! Hanamichi to Rukawa no Atsuki Natsu • anime • 1995-07-15
   └─(related)→   First Slam Dunk • anime • 2022-12-03
   └─(compilation)→   Slam Dunk: Ketsui no Shōhoku Basuke-bu • anime • 1994-04-09

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