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Haikyuu has seen a considerable popularity spike over the years. But, is it enough to topple the original legendary sports anime, Slam Dunk?
Which one do you like more? Getting dunked in the face or blocking a spike, also with your face? Jokes aside, these two sports anime have their fair share of Japanese animators’ blood and sweat. Slam Dunk and Haikyuu are arguably two of the most hyped sports anime of all time. The former follows Sakuragi’s delinquent days, but his life took a turn when he picked up basketball. Meanwhile, Haikyuu begins as a story of two people who already have an undying love for the sport.
But, when you put them side by side, which one could jump higher? It’s a quite difficult question, isn’t it? Both series have a huge fan base, both in terms of manga readers and anime viewers. Not to mention, sports isn’t a genre where new anime are always popping off every season. Comparing two masterpieces is hard to pull off, but still, there are some clues and marks that can be used as benchmarks.
The Legacy of Slam Dunk
Compared to Haikyuu, Slam Dunk is a whole generation older. It was first serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1990. Sakuragi was already scoring layups on the rings, while some anime fans were still just babies. It shares the same era with another legendary sports anime, Captain Tsubasa. However, Slam Dunk had its own flavor that keeps fans gleaming every time they reread the manga or watch the anime.
It quickly captivated Japanese and international fans alike. Why is Slam Dunk such a big deal? Well, the answer lies in its author. Takehiko Inoue, who is also the author of Vagabond, is definitely a seasoned and talented mangaka. Slam Dunk isn’t just well-known for its well-paced story, but also for its detailed and gorgeous visuals.
Not only that, Slam Dunk was so impactful that it essentially helped popularize basketball in Japan during the 90s. How he tells Sakuragi’s story shows that Inoue has a real passion for the sport, not just manga. So much so that he settled a collaboration with Shueisha to set up a basketball scholarship for Japanese students, called the Slam Dunk scholarship. Any young and promising Japanese athlete can earn a fully funded scholarship to a university preparatory school in the US.
Haikyuu‘s Effect on Anime and Japanese Volleyball
On the other hand, there is no denying Haikyuu’s popularity nowadays. It did come out years later after Slam Dunk. Haikyuu’s anime debuted in 2014, which means it has more than a decade-long distance between its release and Slam Dunk’s. Although both are sports anime, the two belong to a different generation.
However, like Slam Dunk, the volleyball anime also popularized volleyball among the younger generation. Similar to how Naruto changed every track and field club in high school, Haikyuu made everyone fall head over heels for volleyball at the time. So much so that the Japanese volleyball Olympics team’s court was showered in Haikyuu vibes.
Fans flooded the Olympic team with support. Not to mention, during one of the Japanese matches, the Olympic team played the opening for Haikyuu. That person was a man of culture indeed.
Similarities between Haikyuu and Slam Dunk
While both are critically acclaimed sports series, the anime and manga for Haikyuu and Slam Dunk have other similarities, such as the protagonists of these two series. Haikyuu’s main story revolves around Hinata and Kageyama throughout their high school days and later on in their professional volleyball careers. Since the beginning, these two had a rivalry going on, which later evolved into a camaraderie. While Kageyama was a prodigy from the beginning, Hinata’s struggles were so visible that every time he improved, fans couldn’t help but notice. And, that’s one of the best qualities of Hinata.
On the other hand, Slam Dunk has a touch of delinquency. The main protagonist, Sakuragi, even had a history of beating other students and being a menace about it. He’s rash, reckless, and a tad bit arrogant, even in his basketball moments. Slam Dunk’s Kageyama counterpart would be Rukawa. He’s calculated, calm, and also a prodigy at the sport. These two were always at odds in the series. However, Slam Dunk’s story conveys much more than a healthy rivalry. It touches deeper themes, especially by the end.
Aside from similarities in the characters. These series also have a similar impact on their respective sports, especially among Japanese fans. They are both gateways for anime fans into the two sports and for sports fans into anime and manga. Haikyuu and Slam Dunk specifically don’t include any unrealistic power-ups like seen in other anime. This is why they resonate so much with a lot of people, on top of them being masterpieces of works.
How Haikyuu and Slam Dunk Changed Sports Anime
Haikyuu and Slam Dunk changed sports anime for the better. Both anime didn’t just give a good time in front of the screen. But, they’re inspirations for fans, professionals, and sports enthusiasts alike. As mentioned before, both anime have a huge impact on two fronts: sports and the anime culture itself.
What makes them great is, of course, their story. In an industry where a protagonist could literally get transferred into another world as a vending machine, Haikyuu and Slam Dunk resonate with the fans through real problems. It’s not that fantasy and isekai are less of a genre. But, when done right, a realistic genre like sports anime could reach a lot of people’s hearts. This is what the two anime excel at, and they really set a high bar for the genre.
Did Haikyuu Surpass Slam Dunk?
Both Haikyuu and Slam Dunk had their mark imprinted in popular culture, be it within Japan or internationally. In terms of the anime, Haikyuu’s rising popularity over Slam Dunk might be because it’s just simply more recent. The recent spotlight the volleyball anime has been receiving doesn’t mean that it surpasses Slam Dunk.
When it comes to the core plot and story, it’s a different matter entirely. Slam Dunk has more touch to character growth for the sake of his love for basketball. Sakuragi’s journey from being the typical Japanese delinquent student to genuinely loving the sport is much more compelling.
It adds another layer on top of the rivalry and friendship theme commonly seen in shonen manga. Not to mention, the manga has a more somber ending compared to Haikyuu. Unlike Haikyuu, where almost everyone is seemingly living their dream by the end of the manga, Inoue opted for a more realistic route. However, it does offer a bittersweet sentiment to the story. Overall, Slam Dunk has a more grounded story and has been an anime cult classic.
Conclusion
Overall, Haikyuu and Slam Dunk have impacted sports and anime fans alike. It’s because those titles make the fandoms interact and inspire them to see each other’s world. Sports anime remains one of the popular genres among fans, even though other genres might surpass its hype. But, with giant titles like Slam Dunk and Haikyuu, the standard for this genre is not going down anytime soon.
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