"The First Slam Dunk," a Japanese animated sports film, is set to provide a significant boost to the Chinese film market and emerge as a cultural phenomenon of the year. 日本动画体育电影《灌篮高手》将为中国电影市场提供巨大推动力，并成为今年的一种文化现象。
Evoking nostalgia in fans spanning generations, the film is poised to captivate audiences with its charm and distinctive 1990s flair.
唤起几代影迷的怀旧之情，这部电影将以其魅力和独特的90年代风格吸引观众。
nostalgia / nɒˈstældʒə / 怀旧，念旧 be poised to 做好准备随时做某事 ; 做好准备的
A massive China premiere for "The First Slam Dunk" takes place at the Khoo Teck Puat Gymnasium of Peking University in Beijing, April 15, 2023. [Photo/VCG]
"The First Slam Dunk" is a film adaptation of the "Slam Dunk" manga series, written and directed by its original creator, Takehiko Inoue. The story follows Ryota Miyagi, the point guard of Shohoku High School's basketball team, whose passion for basketball was ignited by his older brother Sota. Along with his teammates Hanamichi Sakuragi, Takenori Akagi, Hisashi Mitsui, and Kaede Rukawa, Ryota takes on the formidable inter-high basketball champions, the Sannoh school.
Since the original TV anime concluded in 1996, fans have eagerly awaited a continuation of the story.自1996年第一部电视动画结束以来，粉丝们一直热切地期待着这个故事的续集。
In 2014, producer Toshiyuki Matsui from Toei Animation persuaded Inoue to greenlight the film.
greenlight 许可，批准，为……开绿灯
Before that, Matsui had assembled a team led by Naoki Miyahara and Toshio Ohashi, who spent nearly five years developing prototype videos to explore the visual look that could be created using 3DCG. Inoue began writing the script in January 2015 and agreed to direct the film. Following years of development, the film finally entered production in 2021.
Inoue explained that he was motivated to participate in the film by the passion of the team working on the prototypes. Upon seeing a high-quality image of Sakuragi's face, he felt that his involvement would enhance the project even further.
As for his narrative goals, Inoue aimed to present a fresh perspective on "Slam Dunk" by shifting the focus away from a protagonist with boundless potential and instead exploring the theme of living with pain and overcoming it. 在叙事目标上，井上将焦点从具有无限潜力的主人公身上转移到探索与痛苦一起生活并克服痛苦的主题上，以一种全新的视角呈现《灌篮大爆炸》。
In China, "The First Slam Dunk" is more than just a film. 在中国，它不仅仅是一部电影。
Following the successful promotion of the Japanese animated fantasy adventure film "Suzume," which had already grossed more than 750 million yuan ($109 million) by Sunday, local film marketing company Road Pictures hosted another grand premiere for "The First Slam Dunk" at the prestigious Peking University on April 15. This time, the organizers went all out, opting for a sports arena at the university instead of a smaller auditorium, transforming it into a spectacular venue. They invited over 4,000 attendees, including filmmakers, guests, fans and students.
The atmosphere at the venue was electrifying, as many attendees were moved to tears at the sight of their childhood heroes on a giant 27-meter-wide temporary high-definition screen installed by Cinity, China's leading advanced film projection system maker. In addition to the advanced screening, Road Pictures organized slam dunk performances from some of China's top basketball players, cheerleading dances, special video clips, a full-house sing-along to the popular theme song, and opportunities for attendees to engage with Chinese filmmakers like Da Peng and Yi Xiaoxing, who expressed their nostalgia for the film. The constant cheers and applause brought the venue to life, providing an immersive experience akin to being at an intense basketball game rather than a film screening.
The moment the Chinese voice cast members 配音人员 for "The First Slam Dunk," including Gu Jiangshan, Guan Zhihong, Sun Zhongtai, and Yu Zhengsheng, appeared on stage, the arena erupted with excitement again 舞台上再次爆发出激动的气氛. Some of these talented individuals were the original voice actors for the Chinese version of the imported Japanese anime.
Their familiar voices stirred nostalgia in the audience. 他们熟悉的声音激起了听众的怀旧之情。
Many attendees were deeply moved as they listened to the voice actors share how the animation profoundly impacted their lives.
These were just glimpses of the immense nostalgia and passion Chinese people have for the series. 这些只是中国人对这部剧的巨大怀旧和热情的一瞥。
First introduced in China in 1990, the manga gained further popularity when its anime entered the country in 1995. 该漫画于1990年首次在中国推出，1995年进入中国后，该漫画受到了进一步的欢迎。
The phenomenon has become a collective memory for generations, inspiring a wide range of individuals – including manga enthusiasts, basketball fans, and ordinary people from all walks of life – to strive for their best. 这一现象已经成为几代人的集体记忆，激发了包括漫画爱好者、篮球迷和各行各业的普通人在内的广泛人群，让他们努力做到最好。
As of Wednesday, presales for the film's box office tickets in China had already surpassed 100 million yuan, a remarkable achievement for any film screened in the country over the years. 截至周三，这部电影在中国的预售票房已经超过了1亿元人民币，这对于多年来在中国上映的任何电影来说都是一个了不起的成就。
Fan clubs and casual viewers alike are eagerly waiting for the film, with the most fervent supporters securing midnight preview tickets.
On China's review aggregator website, Douban, over 10,324 moviegoers who saw the film in Japan, other territories, or at the Chinese premiere gave it an exceptionally high score of 9.2 out of 10.
According to Box Office Mojo, "The First Slam Dunk" was theatrically released in Japan in December 2022, grossing over $97.9 million domestically and $138 million worldwide before its release in the Chinese mainland on April 20. Analysts monitoring the Chinese film market predict it will surpass 1 billion yuan in China, potentially making it the first Japanese film to reach this milestone.
Chinese movie buffs' enthusiasm for Japanese animated sports film "The First Slam Dunk" is ever increasing. The film, which began its Chinese release today, has already sold more than 100 million yuan (US$14.5 million) worth of tickets in China.
movie buffs 影迷
Box office takings for the film's 12 am special screenings in China totaled 21.5 million yuan.
The film has evoked nostalgia and strong emotions in movie fans across generations, especially the post-1980s and post-1990s for the classic 1990s Japanese manga series "Slam Dunk" created by Takehiko Inoue. 这部电影唤起了几代影迷的怀旧之情和强烈的情感，尤其是80后和90后对井上武彦创作的20世纪90年代日本经典漫画系列《灌篮高手》的怀念。
The midnight IMAX screenings at Shanghai cinemas were almost full. The screenings attracted both movie fan clubs clad in basketball uniforms and jerseys like the movie's characters and individual viewers who had waited over 20 years for a continuation of the original story that concluded in 1996.
Li Ying, a regional marketing manager for Wanda Cinema Line, said the company had prepared theme events, film posters and banners in many of their theaters in response to the passion of local audiences.
Many movie buffs said the movie was more than just a film for them. It was actually a tribute to their youth, memories and their passion for basketball decades ago. 许多电影迷说，这部电影对他们来说不仅仅是一部电影。这实际上是对他们几十年前的青春、回忆和对篮球的热情的致敬。
tribute 敬献，敬意
Local movie fan Lilian Feng said she had already bought tickets for her family to watch the film this weekend.
"I hope that the film will strengthen the connection between my teenage son and I because varied generations can be touched by its theme of dreams, friendship and hard work我希望这部电影能加强我和十几岁的儿子之间的联系，因为它的主题是梦想、友谊和努力," Feng said. "It is very important for today's children to develop values from setbacks and adversity, just like the manly and persistent characters in the movie 对于今天的孩子来说，从挫折和逆境中培养价值观是非常重要的，就像电影中那些有男子气概和坚持不懈的人物一样。."
The anime creator Inoue wrote and directed the film to present a story from the new perspective of Ryota Miyagi, the point guard 控球后卫of Shohoku High School's basketball team. While his passion for basketball is ignited by his elder brother Sota, Ryota and his team mates are united to beat a powerful rival team.
On social media, director Inoue expressed his gratitude for Chinese audiences' long-standing passion and support, adding that the brand-new production had brought him both challenges and joy.
The film received 9.2 points out of 10 on China's leading film and TV review website Douban.
Many netizens said they could not hold back their tears as the growth the characters experience reminded them of the faith, dreams and brotherhood of their own younger days. But time waits for no one. 许多网友表示，他们无法抑制自己的眼泪，因为这些角色的成长经历让他们想起了自己年轻时的信仰、梦想和兄弟情谊。但时间不等人。
Movie buff Xu Ruofeng said he was impressed by the director's in-depth depiction of the main characters' unyielding struggles for their dreams. For many years, the story and roles in the anime had encouraged him to never give up in his own pursuit of dreams.
Film industry insiders expected that the basketball-themed film would reap over 1 billion yuan in China and become a cultural phenomenon. It is also expected to ignite many young people's enthusiasm for sports.
