The BEST episodes of Slam Dunk season 1
Every episode of Slam Dunk season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Slam Dunk season 1!
Hanamichi Sakuragi, an entering Shohoku high school freshman, holds a record for being rejected by 50 girls during middle school. His nearly 2 meters height and bright red hair causes most students to write him off as a delinquent. One day, a girl named Haruko Akagi approaches Hanamichi without any fear. When she asks Hanamichi "do you like basketball?" Hanamichi falls head over heels for the girl of his dreams. Without missing a beat, Hanamichi tells her he loves basketball, and the two head to the gymnasium where Hanamichi learns about the slam dunk. He also learns of Rukawa, one of the country's top basketball prospects, also a freshman at Shohoku.
#1 - The Fool with the Worst Record, A Combination Is Born
Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/16/1994
It seemed like a disaster for two trouble makers in Miyagi and Sakuragi to collide with each other, but it seems things hae turned out much better than expected.
#2 - Mitsui's Peak, Trouble at 15
Season 1 - Episode 26 - Aired 5/14/1994
It seems that Mitsui was once a great basketball player himself before High School. Though something happened during practice that changed his life forever.
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#3 - The Guy Who Wanted to Conquer the World
Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired 5/7/1994
Mitsui and Tetsuo were defeated, but Mitsui still continued to fight. Though when Akagi enters, the atmosphere becomes dense. Akagi slaps Mitsui around. Kogure then informs everyone that Mitsui use to be an excellent basketball player, and was even on the team. Kogure then proceeds to tell the rise and downfall of Mitsui's basketball career.
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#4 - The Allies of Justice, Sakuragi Squad Arrives!
Season 1 - Episode 24 - Aired 4/30/1994
After Ayako was slapped by one of the invading students, Miyagi joined in the fight, as well as Rukawa. However, Tetsuo easily took both of them down. Sakuragi steps up to the plate, outnumbered. Things change when Sakuragi's friends appear in an unlikely fashion.
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#5 - Time's Up! The Decisive Battle with Ryonan
Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/12/1994
Although Shohoku has lost the game, Sakuragi played very well for his first game. Sakuragi and Rukawa vowed that in their next game with Ryonan, they will beat Sendoh.
#6 - Super Basketball Match With Ryonan
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/5/1994
Sakuragi keeps begging Anzai to let him join the game. At 14 mins, Ryonan has a 0-15 lead, with everyone cheering for Sendoh. Sendoh and Uozumi, both play briliantly. The first half ends with a score of 42-50.
#7 - Gorilla vs. Hanamichi! Big Showdown!!
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/6/1993
When Hanamichi calls basketball a 'dumb game', the captain of the basketball team challenges him because Hanamichi had made fun of his favorite game of all!
#8 - Hanamichi's Nerve-Wracking Step Into the Spotlight
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/12/1994
Finally, Sakuragi got a chance to play when Akagi was hurt while playing. Now, there is only about 9 minutes left on the clock.
#9 - Last 2 Minutes! I'll Be the One to Defeat Sendo
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/5/1994
Sendoh is amazed at how good Shohoku has become, thus begins to take the game seriously. Anzai then, calls both Rukawa and Sakuragi to approach, to tell them of his plan.
#10 - The Rebound King Sakuragi Hanamichi's Distress
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/26/1994
Ryonan is leading with 3 points ahead of Shohoku, Taoka said that the game will depends on how Sakuragi plays. Meanwhile, Sakuragi begins to realize how important rebounds are.
#11 - Shohoku Basketball Team's Last Day
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 4/23/1994
A former member of the Shohoku team returns with a major axe to grind, which spells doom for the team.
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#12 - Shohoku vs Ryonan. The Secret Weapon
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/29/1994
Sakuragi is eager to play too, thinking of what Akagi has told him the previuos night. At Ryonan High, Anzai is greeted by Ryonan coach, Moichi Taoka. In the locker room, Anzai finally announces the starting five players who are Akagi, Yasuda, Shiozaki, Kogure and Rukawa.
#13 - What's With This Guy?! Taoka's Miscalculation
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/19/1994
With just 8 minutes left in the second half, Ryonan is still leading. Taoka tells the Ryonan to continue to attack. Sakuragi plays whole-heartily and this impressed Sendoh.
#14 - Basketball Shoes
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/19/1994
The next day, Haruko has to accompany Sakuragi to the sports shop to buy a new pair of shoes because his old shoes are in a bad shape after the practice game with Ryonan.
#15 - Super Trouble Makers Hanamichi vs Miyagi
Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/26/1994
Ryota Miyagi returns to basketball after beening injured in a fight. Ayako heard rumors that Miyagi was back in school, so she decided to investigate. She brings along Sakuragi and see that Miyagi is into another fight realizing that Ayako and Sakuragi are together sparking jealously into his eyes which causes a problem. Will Miyagi and Sakuragi be able to coexist...
#16 - Hanamichi Debut!! Dunk Explosion!
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/11/1993
After successfully persuading Anzai to let him join the game, Sakuragi shows how much he has improved in basic skills such as dribbling. But in the game, he refuses to pass the ball to Rukawa out of jealousy.
#17 - Our Love's Special Secret Training
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/15/1994
Having mastered dribbling and passing, Sakuragi moves on to shooting, which is a lot harder than he had anticipated. Frustrated by his lack of skil, Sakuragi gets some extra help from an unlikely source: Haruko.
#18 - Beat Ryonan! Tough Rules the Night before the Game
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/22/1994
The night before their game with Ryounan, Akagi decides to try and teach Sakuragi basic defense, starting with rebounding. Learning quickly, Sakuragi impresses Akagi. After the practice session, Sakuragi encounters a scout from Ryounan, and fills him in on who the REAL star is.....
#19 - The Commoner's Shoot Is Difficult
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/8/1994
After getting the permission to allow Sakuragi to learn the basics of shooting, Akagi asked Rukawa to demonstrate how to do lay-up shot. But Sakuragi got into a fight with Rukawa instead.
#20 - I'm Going to Play Basketball
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/25/1993
Sakuragi declines Aota's offer of joining the Judo club. Kogure and Ayako were overjoyed at Sakuragi's refusal and Akagi was very much impressed by Sakuragi's words.
#21 - Basket Man Hanamichi Joins the Team
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/13/1993
Sakuragi mananges to dunk over/through Akagi. Akagi is intrigued by Sakuragi's raw power, but doesn't think he's got the drive to make it on the team. Still, he ponders what the team would be like if he was to join.
#22 - Rukawa vs. Akagi. The Real Showdown
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/4/1993
Akagi decides to test Rukawa's skills against his own to see if Rukawa really has the talent everyone says he does.
#23 - Hanamichi's Crisis! The Judo-man's Trap
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/18/1993
Impressed by Sakuragi's raw power and general brute force, the captain of the judo club tries to recruit him away from the Basketball team.
#24 - A Gutless Afternoon
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/20/1993
Sakuragi Hanamichi has been training in the basics for two weeks under Ayako and he wants to play with the other. Akagi refused to let him play. Out of frustration, he quits the team. But after seeing Haruko's face, he changes his mind again.
#25 - Die Basketball! Hanamichi vs. Rukawa
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/30/1993
After Rukawa beats up those thugs, Hanamichi is shocked and asks him for his name. When he discovers that he is the one that Haruko has a crush on, he becaomes angry. Then, Haruko comes and helps Rukawa with his wounds, but he dismisses her and this makes Hanamichi very angry. Haruko mistakes Hanamichi for injuring Rukawa and she says that she hates Hanamichi. Hanamichi's world comes tumbling down again.