[Digital] Slam Dunk Episodes #86-90

[Chris Beveridge]

Review by Chris Beveridge

Mania Grade: B
* Age Rating: 13 and Up
* Released By: FUNimation Entertainment, Ltd.
* Running time: 125
* Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
* Disc Resolution: 480i/p
* Disc Encoding: MPEG-2
* Series: Slam Dunk

In Summary:

Slam Dunk has itself in that weird place where there’s a good bit of time before the Nationals and it almost feels like they’re on autopilot. There are lots of good little moments throughout this batch of episodes, but it’s lacking something rally cohesive. There’s a good bit of basketball played throughout here, but all of it lacks the real intensity that we had just experienced from the games against Kainan and Ryonan. When it’s done in abstract, without the connection to the players, it feels less real and more like passing the time until we get back to “our guys” out on the court and playing with all their hearts. This is a good growth period for the characters as they move forward and prepare, but it also has the feeling of a lull, particularly with only so many episodes left before the series itself draws to a close.