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1 million copies sold. [87] Critical reception[edit] Carlo Santos of Anime News Network wrote that "With solid characters, eye-popping action, and a classic underdog story, Slam Dunk is what all manga series (and basketball players) should aspire to be: the complete package. "[88] Based on the first volume however, his colleague Carl Kimlinger said it came off as more of a romantic comedy than sports manga as it focused on establishing the cast. [89] Santos opined that its the stuff that happens off the court that really makes up the manga's heart and soul as each character has a story to tell and a goal to reach, with the court simply providing a stage for them to "act out these universal struggles. "[88] Kimlinger called Sakuragi an "inspired choice" for a lead character as he is a thug with a hair-trigger temper and all the wrong motivations, but said he does the "seemingly impossible" and balances likeability and extreme hubris thanks to humorous scenes. [89] Santos wrote that while Sakuragi may not have the "mind-blowing superhuman skills" we normally associate with shōnen protagonists, watching him grow into a sportsman and decent human being is just as exciting. [88] Despite having some "school-punk" character designs that are generally considered comedic nowadays, Santos called the art solid for its visual flow and sense of motion. [88] Anime[edit] The anime adaptation has also been very popular in Japan. In TV Asahi's 2005 Top 100 Anime survey of multiple age groups, Slam Dunk ranked as the eighth most popular anime. [90] In another poll from TV Asahi but developed by a website, the series ranked tenth. [91] The home video release of the anime also had good sales, having appeared on Oricon's Japanese Animation DVD and Blu-ray rankings.