Animation courts a global audience

Three decades after Slam Dunk inspired generations of basketball fans worldwide, a new animated series has emerged to rally its own diverse following — this time from China.

Left-hand Layup!, an original Chinese campus-basketball-themed animation, recently premiered on the international anime streaming platform Crunchyroll, reaching over 180 countries and regions, and marking a new milestone for Chinese sports animation.

The series, which debuted on Tencent's video-sharing platform two years ago, follows basketball playing Shanghai teenager Xu Xingze, who transfers to Beijing hoping to play alongside his mentor Cheng Feng at a basketball powerhouse high school.

Through a mistake by his careless older sister, Xu is accidentally enrolled in the school next to Cheng's, an academically-focused institution, where the struggling basketball team can't even field five starting players.

Forced to adapt, Xu rallies the underdog team, as it embarks on an against-all-odds journey through high school basketball tournaments.

Its first season has been widely praised for its tight storytelling, high-quality sports scene storyboarding that depicts the intense offensive-defensive dynamics in basketball, creating an electrifying sporting atmosphere and authentically portraying the campus life of Chinese high school students. It has earned a 7.9 out of 10 rating on the review site Douban.

The series has been particularly well-received by basketball purists for its technical accuracy in animating authentic court maneuvers, from mid-air switches and step-back three-pointers, to fake-shot crossovers.

Former NBA player Yao Ming expressed hopes in a video message that the series "would spark youth interest in basketball while spotlighting China's real high school basketball scene".

Jay Li Jintian, producer of the series, said that, as a member of the generation that grew up watching Japanese sports anime, he believes popular culture like animation plays a crucial role in shaping young people's interests.

"A lot of people from my generation actually fell in love with basketball because of Slam Dunk," he noted, "so, we're really excited about how Left-hand Layup! could help a global audience — especially the younger generation — to start falling in love with basketball through watching a Chinese animated series."

As a former basketball varsity team member at The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, some of the characters in the show were subtly influenced by his basketball experiences. For instance, one of the protagonists, Sima Chenkuan — a 95kg player who moves with surprising agility on court — was inspired by one of Li's former basketball peers.

"It's a classic underdog story about fighting to prove oneself," Li said, adding that, since sports are a universal language, he believes the story can appeal to a diverse audience.

"What makes it truly unique is that both the setting and all the characters are authentically Chinese. Hopefully, the show will give global audiences a glimpse into the day-today life of Chinese youth in a major city setting," Li said.

He added that China is now among the popular global travel destinations, thanks to its unique culture, modern infrastructure and stunning cityscapes.

"I hope the series can further promote this by highlighting the sports-loving lifestyle of the Chinese people," he said.

Zhang Wei, executive vice-president of the China Film Critics Association, praised Left-hand Layup! for its dynamic movement choreography, vibrant color contrasts, and rapid mid-to-close-up cuts that showcase high school players performing dazzling real-life basketball maneuvers.

"These scenes vividly capture the speed, power and unique aesthetics of basketball, thrilling viewers," Zhang said.

He also highlighted the potential of animated works to promote school sports across disciplines as a key strategy for advancing China's development as a sporting power.

The series, Zhang noted, has the potential to transcend both the sports and anime communities, creating broader societal impact.