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Studio Ghibliis one of the biggest names in the anime industry, and their critical reviews speak for themselves. Nearly every Studio Ghibli film has been met with unanimous praise from critics over the years, and it’s to the point that Studio Ghibli films are some of the only anime films to have 100% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.
Anime with perfect scores on Rotten Tomatoesare incredibly rare, and with how beloved Studio Ghibli is, it makes sense that they would be among the only anime films to receive that honor. That being said, Studio Ghibli films are, surprisingly, not the only anime films to have that honor, asthere is exactly one anime film not from Studio Ghibli that has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That might be hard to believe, but considering the film in question, it’s easy to see how it happened.
One Of The Best Anime Films On Rotten Tomatoes Is The Grand Finale To An Anime Classic
The First Slam Dunk Was Produced By Toei Animation; Based On The Manga By Takehiko Inoue
The only non-Studio Ghibli anime film to have a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes isToei Animation’sThe First Slam Dunk. As the name would imply,The First Slam Dunkis an adaptation of Takehiko Inoue’sSlam Dunk; specifically, it adapts the final game between Shohoku and Sannoh, which was never covered in the original anime. Rather than being a straightforward adaptation, though,The First Slam Dunkframes the story from the perspective of Ryota Miyagi while also delving into an original backstory for him, making it a story even fans of the manga can get something new out of.
The First Slam Dunk Has Some Of The Best Animation And Direction In Modern Anime
Why The First Slam Dunk Looks So Good
There are many reasons whyThe First Slam Dunkhas received so much praise, and chief among them is its amazing animation and direction.The First Slam Dunkuses a mixture of 2D and stylized 3D animation, and not only do the mediums blend incredibly well, but they’re always used in a way that maximizes their creativity, with the final few seconds of the game being especially great to watch.The First Slam Dunkhas some of the best art and animation of any recent anime film, and that’s a big part of why it’s been received so well.
Tying it all together is the film’s direction. The direction allows the art and animation to have as much impact as it does, and when combined with the shot composition, the unique transitions, and a perfect understanding of when the soundtrack needs to be playing or when it needs to be silent,The First Slam Dunk’s overall direction is some of the strongest of any anime film and always gets the most out of the story. It’s rare for an animated film to have as strong direction asThe First Slam Dunk, and it’s nothing but great because of it.
What makes these elements even more impressive is how the film wasdirected by Takehiko Inoue himself. BetweenSlam DunkandVagabond, Inoue has long since earned a reputation as one of the greatest living mangaka, and asThe First Slam Dunkshows,everything that’s made Takehiko Inoue one of the biggest names in manga was effortlessly translated into animation through the incredible quality ofThe First Slam Dunk. The fact that this was Inoue’s first time working in animation makes that even more impressive, and it’s probably the biggest testament to his talents a person can find.
The First Slam Dunk’s Emotional Writing Is The Core Of Its Story
What Makes The Writing In The First Slam Dunk So Good
Above all else, what makesThe First Slam Dunksuch a great film is its emotional writing. Not only is the match between Shohoku and Sannoh as dramatic as in the manga, but the original story with Ryota does a perfect job of fleshing out his character by exploring his past with his deceased brother and how that drives his actions up to the Sannoh game. Add in the amazing direction used to convey every emotional beat, andThe First Slam Dunk’s writing manages to be just as hard-hitting as the manga, if not more so.
Between the incredible animation and direction and how much that works to emphasize the story’s emotional beats,The First Slam Dunkis virtually perfect both visually and narratively, and there was no better way to finally close out the anime after so many years. It might not be accessible to anyone who isn’t already aSlam Dunkfan, butThe First Slam Dunkstill succeeds in every regard, and it’s easy to see why it would be held in the same regard asStudio Ghibli’s best works.
