Basketball Movie Evokes Nostalgia In Chinese Viewers
The film's night screening at Shanghai's Wanda Cinema drew fans who cheered on the Shohoku High School basketball players in the film.
Shanghai's midnight screenings drew moviegoers dressed in basketball jerseys and jerseys worn by the main characters.
Directed by Takehiko Inoue, the creator of the anime series, the film presents the story of basketball from a new angle.
Chinese viewers are building up their enthusiasm for the Japanese sports cartoon First Slam Dunk. The film, which opened in China today, has grossed more than 100 million yuan ($14.5 million) in ticket sales in China.
The film's special screening at 12:00 in China earned 21.5 million yuan at the box office.
The film evokes generations of nostalgia and a strong sense of animation in relation to the 1990s Japanese manga Slam Dunk created by Takehiko Inoue in the late 1980s and 1990s.
The midnight screening of IX was packed in Shanghai cinemas. The screenings attracted both movie fans in uniform, basketball jerseys like the movie's characters, as well as single moviegoers who had waited more than 20 years for the sequel to the original, which ended in 1996.
Li Ying, regional marketing manager of Wanda Cinema Line, said the company has prepared themed events, movie posters and banners in several cinemas in response to the enthusiasm of local audiences.
Many viewers say that for them cinema is not just cinema. Indeed, it was a great tribute to their youth, their memories and their love of basketball decades ago.
Local audience member Lillian Feng bought tickets for her family to see the film this weekend.
"I hope this movie will strengthen the relationship between my teenage son and myself, because different generations can touch on the themes of dreams, friendship and hard work," Feng said. "For today's children, it is very important to develop values such as brave and strong characters in the film from problems and difficulties."
Midnight IMAX screenings are nearly full in local theaters.
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Anime creator Inoue wrote and directed the film to present the story from Ryota Miyagi's new perspective as a point guard on the Shohoku High School basketball team. Although his love for basketball is sparked by his older brother Sota, Ryota and his teammates work together to defeat a powerful rival team.
On social media, director Inoue expressed his appreciation for the continued love and support of the Chinese audience, saying that the new work will bring both difficulty and joy.
The film received a score of 9.2 out of 10 on Chinese film and television review site Duban. Many netizens said that the character's experience reminded them of their childhood faith, dreams and brotherhood and brought them to tears. But time waits for no one.
Film enthusiast Zhou Ryufeng said he was impressed by the director's deep portrayal of the main characters' relentless struggle for their dreams. Over the years, stories and anime roles have encouraged him not to give up on his dreams.
Film industry experts expected the basketball movie to gross more than 1 billion yuan in China and become a cultural phenomenon. It is expected to inspire more young people to engage in sports.
Conducting themed events in local theaters.
