Meltwater

Did You Know?

Sendoh, Rukawa & almost every major SD player was greatly inspired by the NBA. Takehiko Inoue is not only a manga artist & a major basketball fan, but he also works as a sports columnist like Yayoi Aida.

“Magic Johnson” greatly influenced Takehiko Inoue’s creation of Akira Sendoh. Magic Johnson’s real name is Earvin Johnson Jr. and he first played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers. He then weighed 220 lbs, stood 6’7” (and then later grew to 6’9”) and wore jersey number 32 (the opposite of Michael Jordan’s!). Magic Johnson is best known for breaking the notion that “size dictated position on the court” by defying the point guard post despite his towering height! He is also celebrated for his superb team-play, uncanny court vision, exceptional passing skills and his “ebullient smile”! A teammate once said that only Magic Johnson had the confidence to smile at his opponent while defeating them (starting to sound familiar?). The Lakers have different versions of their uniform but at some point, the theme colors of their official jersey and team jacket were blue, white and yellow, with designs that look unmistakably like Ryonan’s. Magic Johnson only wears one brand of basketball shoes—yup, you guessed right: Converse.

Who else but Michael Jordan helped Takehiko Inoue create Kaede Rukawa. Though Rukawa does not look at all like Jordan or smile as often, it is still easy to see that Rukawa was made to idolize the guy. Michael Jordan stands 6’6” (also just an inch smaller than Magic Johnson…) and first played professionally for the Chicago Bulls (which was obviously where Shohoku’s uniform was fashioned after). I’m sure you already know he wears number 23. After a very successful career, Jordan decided to retire, but eventually he wanted to play again so he bought his own team. He is now 40 yrs. old and ended his career after playing his last season for the Washington Wizards which he also manages and coaches. Michael Jordan is most distinguished for his formidable dunk from the free-throw line, which explains the moniker: “Your Air-ness” and “The High Flying Jordan”. He is the most popular NBA player of all-time, with commercial endorsements, a whole line of basketball shoes named after him and his very own full length movie with Bugs Bunny!!!

Similar to Rukawa’s first jersey experience, Michael Jordan wanted another jersey number, but was forced to pick 23 instead, because his brother already used the number he liked. I wonder if MJ chose 23 because it was the inverse of Magic Johnson’s number?

Slam Dunk is Takehiko Inoue’s first manga, but before that he won a Takezato Award (whatever that is) for his work (an essay I believe) entitled “Kaede Purple”. Despite endless searching, I haven’t had any luck in learning more about the literary piece, so I don’t know if it’s about the same Kaede we all adore. I have a gut feeling it is though… More info anyone?

Takehiko Inoue has an artwork where Sendoh & Rukawa finally team up. It’s a teaser poster of the SD All Stars, a momentous centerfold pin-up in SD manga volume 19. There are bigger and full-colored versions of it in select SD art books. It's a killer!

Based on internet info, majority of SenRu fans are Chinese. They don’t only have lots of websites and fan-stuffs, but they also have their own original Chinese SenRu doujinshi-novels! Wah! I wish I could read Chinese!

In P-Rhythm’s phenomenal doujinshi “Deep Purple”, Sakuragi’s changes his nickname for Rukawa (“Kitsune”) to “Homo-Kitsune” (or “homo-fox”), because of the rumors evolving around his intimate friendship with Sendoh. It still sounds cute doesn’t it? *grin*

In Southern Cross Tokyo’s doujinshi, Sendoh’s excellent command of English was attributed to the fact that he was raised in New York! Haha! Utter cuteness!

SenRu doujinshika “Southern Cross Tokyo” often renders Sendoh with a knee-band on his left and Rukawa with an additional wrist band on his right. The knee band was a trademark of Magic Johnson, while during some games, Michael Jordan also sported a wristband on his right. To affirm their NBA predecessors, she has lots of illustrations of Sendoh and Rukawa in corresponding Lakers and Bulls uniforms.

In Misanthrope’s “Anamorphosis”, Sendoh wears CK -Calvin Klein jeans. *drool* Kakkoi~!!! And if you want to see them in more daring (outrageous & gorgeous) outfits… Get your hands on doujinshi by Southern Cross Tokyo. It’s SenRu fresh from the pages of a bad-boy fashion magazine!

In Deep Purple, Sendoh is often portrayed as a cat-loving person like Rukawa! That one black cat that Rukawa adopted has multiplied into a whole family of black kitties, owned by the two of them… Aww…

Famed mangaka Minami Ozaki (author of “Bronze” & “Zetsuai”) drew a SenRu doujinshi entitled “Black Drug”. Needless to say, it rocks! (Thanks to Anduril for the info. *huggles okami-kun*)

P-Rhythm’s Deep Purple is the most ground-breaking Slam Dunk yaoi doujinshi ever! Many non-yaoi fans who stumble upon Deep Purple often mistake it for Takehiko Inoue’s original work (Prin-sensei is naturally flustered by that notion). Deep Purple was originally released in Japanese but now it also has Chinese & Korean versions. Rumor has it that a special 45-minute animated underground movie based on Deep Purple has already been made. Tragically, Prin-herself knows nothing of this, and may never even get the pleasure of seeing it for herself, because although many die-hard SenRu Deep Purple fans would pay everything they’ve got just to see it, the video cannot be released publicly until licensed by Takehiko Inoue & Toei. *sigh* I’ll be waiting for that day…

A school called Shohoku actually exists in Kanagawa, Japan! But the real Shohoku is a College. (See for yourself! Click here.) Also, the building that Inoue-sensei used for the Ryonan Gym is actually part of a school located near the “real” Shohoku in Japan. (Thanks again to Anduril for sharing this trivia!)

In Japan, you spend 6 years in high school and 6 years in elementary, which isn’t compulsory. You have 3 years for junior high or middle school (normally ages 13-15) and then 3 years in Senior High School (for ages 16-18) before taking the standard 4 years in College. That's a lot of studying!

Even though Rukawa can also duplicate opponents’ moves, he still hasn’t mastered one (or some) of Sendoh’s neat maneuvers. It was one of rare moments in the series when Rukawa was shown getting really frustrated. Hehe, kawaii~!!!

If you want to find out what Rukawa listens to in his Discman (or at least some of it), pick up early issues of the SD manga. Fans say Dr.T’s scribblings are lyrics from Prince’s “Diamonds and Pearls”. I’ve never heard the song, so if anyone can sing it to me, or better yet— lend me a cd of Prince, that would be nice…

The Chinese are such big fans of Slam Dunk (and SenRu) that they even have their own real-life television adaptation of Slam Dunk! If you have cable, check out the Chinese channel and you may catch a series called “MVP”. It stars two high school boys who are rivals in basketball. The live basketball stunts are really worth watching (even if I don’t understand the dialogues), and the story seems quite intriguing! The plot varies greatly from Slam Dunk though, since these two “aces” are vying for a girl. They’re not “exactly” like Sendoh & Rukawa but you can’t help but be reminded of them, cos is it just coincidence that their jersey numbers are 7 and 11 too? Plus check out the end song, it’s very yaoi!

If you love Slam Dunk, then you'll most probably love "Dear Boys". It's an animanga that centers around cute bishies and basketball! Slam Dunk with an interesting twist: Instead of an annoying red-head as the lead character, imagine a guy who's got Rukawa's looks when he was probably 13 or so, Sendoh's smile and attitude, plus their combined skills in basketball; mood is still comedy, but a tad heavier on the drama; and dash of cg for the playing sequences. The animation leaves much to be desired, but the story is an unforgettable one, and the characters are truly lovable!

If you think in terms of it’s original Japanese context, the term “kitsune” is used generally for beautiful women with “bewitching powers” supposedly evil in nature. But generally, the kitsune is really a revered creature. Would you really call someone you despise a “kitsune”?

If you try to figure where they grew up from their behavior and Japanese accents, both Sendoh & Rukawa have their own discernible peculiarities. Notice the way Sendoh speaks. I don’t know if his unique Japanese accent is provincial or native to Tokyo, but it sure sounds sexy! Also, notice he doesn’t only speak a lot of English phrases with exceptionally good articulation, but he also acts more “Western-influenced” than Rukawa. While, even though Rukawa has made it clear at one point in the series that he wished to continue studying in America, judging by the way he dreams about it, it’s quite evident that he’s never ever actually been there. He speaks English too, but is much more conservative than Sendoh, and is somewhat “traditional”. Some aspects of his lifestyle are influenced by America, but his habits and attitudes are those of a very traditionally conservative Japanese boy. He’s not only very quiet but also very respectful towards his elders.

Though most cagers lose all their composure when in a game, Sendoh & Rukawa never do. They make basketball look “elegant”. They can manage to pull off those awe-inspiring super-hero-like basketball stunts while not losing any of their photogenic appeal. Compare the way they rebound: Sakuragi himself said that he hated rebounding because it doesn’t make him look “cool” when he does it.

I think Haruko would look cute with Yohei. And isn’t it curious that Haruko calls Yohei by his first name but calls Sakuragi by his last name?

When off the court, Rukawa likes wearing blue, while Sendoh likes wearing red. That’s opposite the colors of their jersey uniforms!

________________________________

Questions? Violent reactions?
E-mail us at meltwater[at]senrusen[dot]net.

	Sendoh, Rukawa & almost every major SD player was greatly inspired by the NBA. Takehiko Inoue is not only a manga artist & a major basketball fan, but he also works as a sports columnist like Yayoi Aida.
	“Magic Johnson” greatly influenced Takehiko Inoue’s creation of Akira Sendoh. Magic Johnson’s real name is Earvin Johnson Jr. and he first played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers. He then weighed 220 lbs, stood 6’7” (and then later grew to 6’9”) and wore jersey number 32 (the opposite of Michael Jordan’s!). Magic Johnson is best known for breaking the notion that “size dictated position on the court” by defying the point guard post despite his towering height! He is also celebrated for his superb team-play, uncanny court vision, exceptional passing skills and his “ebullient smile”! A teammate once said that only Magic Johnson had the confidence to smile at his opponent while defeating them (starting to sound familiar?). The Lakers have different versions of their uniform but at some point, the theme colors of their official jersey and team jacket were blue, white and yellow, with designs that look unmistakably like Ryonan’s. Magic Johnson only wears one brand of basketball shoes—yup, you guessed right: Converse.
	Who else but Michael Jordan helped Takehiko Inoue create Kaede Rukawa. Though Rukawa does not look at all like Jordan or smile as often, it is still easy to see that Rukawa was made to idolize the guy. Michael Jordan stands 6’6” (also just an inch smaller than Magic Johnson…) and first played professionally for the Chicago Bulls (which was obviously where Shohoku’s uniform was fashioned after). I’m sure you already know he wears number 23. After a very successful career, Jordan decided to retire, but eventually he wanted to play again so he bought his own team. He is now 40 yrs. old and ended his career after playing his last season for the Washington Wizards which he also manages and coaches. Michael Jordan is most distinguished for his formidable dunk from the free-throw line, which explains the moniker: “Your Air-ness” and “The High Flying Jordan”. He is the most popular NBA player of all-time, with commercial endorsements, a whole line of basketball shoes named after him and his very own full length movie with Bugs Bunny!!!
	Similar to Rukawa’s first jersey experience, Michael Jordan wanted another jersey number, but was forced to pick 23 instead, because his brother already used the number he liked. I wonder if MJ chose 23 because it was the inverse of Magic Johnson’s number?
	Slam Dunk is Takehiko Inoue’s first manga, but before that he won a Takezato Award (whatever that is) for his work (an essay I believe) entitled “Kaede Purple”. Despite endless searching, I haven’t had any luck in learning more about the literary piece, so I don’t know if it’s about the same Kaede we all adore. I have a gut feeling it is though… More info anyone?
	Takehiko Inoue has an artwork where Sendoh & Rukawa finally team up. It’s a teaser poster of the SD All Stars, a momentous centerfold pin-up in SD manga volume 19. There are bigger and full-colored versions of it in select SD art books. It's a killer!

	Based on internet info, majority of SenRu fans are Chinese. They don’t only have lots of websites and fan-stuffs, but they also have their own original Chinese SenRu doujinshi-novels! Wah! I wish I could read Chinese!
	In P-Rhythm’s phenomenal doujinshi “Deep Purple”, Sakuragi’s changes his nickname for Rukawa (“Kitsune”) to “Homo-Kitsune” (or “homo-fox”), because of the rumors evolving around his intimate friendship with Sendoh. It still sounds cute doesn’t it? grin
	In Southern Cross Tokyo’s doujinshi, Sendoh’s excellent command of English was attributed to the fact that he was raised in New York! Haha! Utter cuteness!
	SenRu doujinshika “Southern Cross Tokyo” often renders Sendoh with a knee-band on his left and Rukawa with an additional wrist band on his right. The knee band was a trademark of Magic Johnson, while during some games, Michael Jordan also sported a wristband on his right. To affirm their NBA predecessors, she has lots of illustrations of Sendoh and Rukawa in corresponding Lakers and Bulls uniforms.
	In Misanthrope’s “Anamorphosis”, Sendoh wears CK -Calvin Klein jeans. drool Kakkoi~!!! And if you want to see them in more daring (outrageous & gorgeous) outfits… Get your hands on doujinshi by Southern Cross Tokyo. It’s SenRu fresh from the pages of a bad-boy fashion magazine!
	In Deep Purple, Sendoh is often portrayed as a cat-loving person like Rukawa! That one black cat that Rukawa adopted has multiplied into a whole family of black kitties, owned by the two of them… Aww…
	Famed mangaka Minami Ozaki (author of “Bronze” & “Zetsuai”) drew a SenRu doujinshi entitled “Black Drug”. Needless to say, it rocks! (Thanks to Anduril for the info. huggles okami-kun)
	P-Rhythm’s Deep Purple is the most ground-breaking Slam Dunk yaoi doujinshi ever! Many non-yaoi fans who stumble upon Deep Purple often mistake it for Takehiko Inoue’s original work (Prin-sensei is naturally flustered by that notion). Deep Purple was originally released in Japanese but now it also has Chinese & Korean versions. Rumor has it that a special 45-minute animated underground movie based on Deep Purple has already been made. Tragically, Prin-herself knows nothing of this, and may never even get the pleasure of seeing it for herself, because although many die-hard SenRu Deep Purple fans would pay everything they’ve got just to see it, the video cannot be released publicly until licensed by Takehiko Inoue & Toei. sigh I’ll be waiting for that day…

	A school called Shohoku actually exists in Kanagawa, Japan! But the real Shohoku is a College. (See for yourself! Click here.) Also, the building that Inoue-sensei used for the Ryonan Gym is actually part of a school located near the “real” Shohoku in Japan. (Thanks again to Anduril for sharing this trivia!)
	In Japan, you spend 6 years in high school and 6 years in elementary, which isn’t compulsory. You have 3 years for junior high or middle school (normally ages 13-15) and then 3 years in Senior High School (for ages 16-18) before taking the standard 4 years in College. That's a lot of studying!
	Even though Rukawa can also duplicate opponents’ moves, he still hasn’t mastered one (or some) of Sendoh’s neat maneuvers. It was one of rare moments in the series when Rukawa was shown getting really frustrated. Hehe, kawaii~!!!
	If you want to find out what Rukawa listens to in his Discman (or at least some of it), pick up early issues of the SD manga. Fans say Dr.T’s scribblings are lyrics from Prince’s “Diamonds and Pearls”. I’ve never heard the song, so if anyone can sing it to me, or better yet— lend me a cd of Prince, that would be nice…
	The Chinese are such big fans of Slam Dunk (and SenRu) that they even have their own real-life television adaptation of Slam Dunk! If you have cable, check out the Chinese channel and you may catch a series called “MVP”. It stars two high school boys who are rivals in basketball. The live basketball stunts are really worth watching (even if I don’t understand the dialogues), and the story seems quite intriguing! The plot varies greatly from Slam Dunk though, since these two “aces” are vying for a girl. They’re not “exactly” like Sendoh & Rukawa but you can’t help but be reminded of them, cos is it just coincidence that their jersey numbers are 7 and 11 too? Plus check out the end song, it’s very yaoi!
	If you love Slam Dunk, then you'll most probably love "Dear Boys". It's an animanga that centers around cute bishies and basketball! Slam Dunk with an interesting twist: Instead of an annoying red-head as the lead character, imagine a guy who's got Rukawa's looks when he was probably 13 or so, Sendoh's smile and attitude, plus their combined skills in basketball; mood is still comedy, but a tad heavier on the drama; and dash of cg for the playing sequences. The animation leaves much to be desired, but the story is an unforgettable one, and the characters are truly lovable!

	If you think in terms of it’s original Japanese context, the term “kitsune” is used generally for beautiful women with “bewitching powers” supposedly evil in nature. But generally, the kitsune is really a revered creature. Would you really call someone you despise a “kitsune”?
	If you try to figure where they grew up from their behavior and Japanese accents, both Sendoh & Rukawa have their own discernible peculiarities. Notice the way Sendoh speaks. I don’t know if his unique Japanese accent is provincial or native to Tokyo, but it sure sounds sexy! Also, notice he doesn’t only speak a lot of English phrases with exceptionally good articulation, but he also acts more “Western-influenced” than Rukawa. While, even though Rukawa has made it clear at one point in the series that he wished to continue studying in America, judging by the way he dreams about it, it’s quite evident that he’s never ever actually been there. He speaks English too, but is much more conservative than Sendoh, and is somewhat “traditional”. Some aspects of his lifestyle are influenced by America, but his habits and attitudes are those of a very traditionally conservative Japanese boy. He’s not only very quiet but also very respectful towards his elders.
	Though most cagers lose all their composure when in a game, Sendoh & Rukawa never do. They make basketball look “elegant”. They can manage to pull off those awe-inspiring super-hero-like basketball stunts while not losing any of their photogenic appeal. Compare the way they rebound: Sakuragi himself said that he hated rebounding because it doesn’t make him look “cool” when he does it.
	I think Haruko would look cute with Yohei. And isn’t it curious that Haruko calls Yohei by his first name but calls Sakuragi by his last name?
	When off the court, Rukawa likes wearing blue, while Sendoh likes wearing red. That’s opposite the colors of their jersey uniforms!