3rd Dec 2004
at Misaki high school in Kanagawa province Dear Everyone... When i heard that Slam Dunk comic reached at 100 million sales this summer... I have considered how to express my "appreciation" to you all Many people contacted to me to let me know seeing my advertisement on newspaper... Some emailed me at early morning, some letting me know to bought all of 6 newspapers, someone knows about it after 1 month later, some messaged with long text, some with just only 1 word.... The memorial
site for 100million-sales is filled with many fans, and received messages as i can not read all of it... And i read your message 1 by 1, what i showing up in my heart is ..... "Thank you" The more i read it, the more showing up the word "Thank you" in my mind I realized that there are many fans who remember that story as important memory in their hear... If i can share something between fans then connect the present and the past.
If that story has power like that..
I am really happy to create t
his animation I want to make physical place i can connect with fans. This is the intention for this last event. many staffs supported me long time even at night time for preparation.. And support from Misakai-city make this event real I am happy If you can enjoy afterglow of that story.....
Again. Thank you so much everyone December 2004,
Takehiko Inoeu I was thinking i can draw animation alone And it should be the best way without hearing options from others, best artwork should be created alon
e by own hands I was thinking like this way... I though everything is completed inside me Actually there is negative parts in that attitude but also there were many positive parts as well Slam-dunk is the piece at that period Takehiko Inoue, recently created 2 titles "Vagabond", "REAL" and got many followers He is also joining TV commercial and other projects outside animation 2004 Dec
He had art event that exhibit animation drawn by chalk on blackboard in abandon high-school in Misaki city Kana
gwa province just 3days from Dec 3rd to 5th The is the scene he is preparing The animation he draw is Slam-Dunk The story already ended 8 years ago.. And this is the sequel 10days after the last episode.... 10days after that..... Slam Dunk made Inoue as famous creator and got many followers Comics total volume 32 Main character is the guy who touch basketball first time in his life and keep practicing dribble and shooting And his teammate and companions who loves basketball Inoue expressed their
delight and excitement to play basketball in the court carefully and strongly And he took 6 years to draw 4 month story from spring Hanamichi enrolled high school to summer Inoue broke the common sense that basketball anime would not be succeeded Slam Dunk was massive hit and got many fans Not depend on if playing basket ball or not They reflect themselves to characters in Slam Dunk And become audience in stadium Slam Dunk is the animation like that SHOHOKU never lose I started basketball readi
ng Slam-Dunk Slam Dunk made such kind of fans at many places in the world 8 years after last episode of Slam Dunk Slam Dunk reached 100 million sales in japanese market And Inoue started to consider to express his appreciation to his fans The animation on blackboard is the last piece of event He started event from his personal advertisement on newspaper 2004 August 10th,
He placed a full‐page advertisement on major 6 newspapers He draw 6 members of SHOHOKU Basket ball team for each newspaper wit
h the word "Appreciate" They also made web-site with the staffs Anyone can send message and become audience someone pass ball to someone as message, and the one who caught ball to pass it to another The massages are flooding to SHOHOKU team members suddenly appeared on newspaper after 8 years long Stadium on web site is filled with 80,000 audience Is there any bakery? My work is everything. Because all of me is there So i was passive to show something except my work and though it would be unnece
ssary But the animation already ended 8 years reached 100 millions sales and he noticed the fans still keep reading his animation And he felt appreciation to his fans again The 80,000 reactions from fans to the news paper advertisements make him feel new emotion As he close website, he think of the ideas to have event in physical basketball court gather with fans First time he was thinking to exhibit messages on basketball court and play basketball together When he was looking for place, he foun
d the abandon school can be used whole buildings in kanagawa province First time i was just thinking here is good playing basketball it would be nice to exhibit messages but i had no detailed idea at that time And as i saw the school, i thought this is interesting the power of place.... I felt the power as i saw the photos of school. I thought I can do something great There are blackboards inside class rooms I can draw so make story The imagination of event is getting detailed inside Inoue and h
is staffs And inside abandon school located same province as SHOHOKU High School, Inoue start to drawing story 10 days after last episode of Slum Dunk Nostalgic Off course, it's first time for Inoue to draw animation by chalk on blackboard Without any assistant, he draw alone The story is only inside his brain No one knows how is the story is going The blackboard animation is getting something no one ever seen in many meaning 23 class rooms and 23 black boards Most of story is improvisation. He
write down idea on paper then go to blackboard Draw outlines and speech balloons And he draw directly without any draft Sometimes he use easer but it seems not be lost Just digging something hidden on blackboard drawing is appearing It's around 50mins per 1 blackboard First day it's getting dark when he finished 7 boards He came back early morning at 2nd day to continue I want to draw the scene inside classroom Like the scene of Ryota is lay down and reading book at rooftop.... I found idea bec
ause i was in classroom And imagine the dairy life would be like this.... I was thinking i could not draw second grader enough in Slum Dunk like Royota is second grader... I wanted to draw more but could not... About Maki is dark skin... It's a power of sunshine, that's a idea i already had But i had no chance to write that episode in comics because it's not balanced.... So i couldn't use it During Inoue is drawing blackboard manga, other staffs are cleaning up classroom and gym And had shooting
of blackboard anime After finished event, all animation on blackboards is going to be erased I'm hungry... It's depend on characters, the humidity of character, the humidity of story... ambience... there is difference of pen pressure, better to use soft and sensitive pressure, better to use strong and hard pressure... It's difference For example, i draw the eposide of Taoka, i used strong pen pressure First time i repeat trying In My first work, pen pressure is a bit unstable and there are man
y unnecessary lines keep trying... For example scene of sea on fall, I was trying unstable and weak lines to express ambience of sea Hanamichi was most difficult It's easier except Hanamichi Other character is ok to style now.. But only Hanamichi should be the face of main character.... He has responsibility as main character Like main-character-face... So he was difficult to draw Main character should be something standing-out than other characters for me For example, the smile of last scene, i
t should be feel blue sky at back If not, it's weak as main character meaning not standing up.... So in newspaper advertisement also i was struggling And he is a kind of crazy... It connect to "standing-out" My style is going to changing and Hanamichi doesn't looks crazy... And i really don't like it Hanamichi should be crazy from first time He is a kinda handsome but should be looks crazy inside Finished! Before Dawn, he finished 23rd blackboard After finished blackboard, preparation continue I
noue himself also worked for preparation all days The position of table, chairs posters... He had observed up to uniform of security guards.. He had worked with staffs until midnight Its hard Even these things he is drawing by himself for visitors to come Same as his animation, he took time for everything visitors would see He wrote the greeting message "Dear everyone" like this You realised me that there is someone who can leave that story in your mind as important memories like the real event
in your life. Connect the reader and the another reader with same memories, tie the past and the present of someone If story has power like that, i am really happy to come back here I want to the make place to feel connection with you.
This is the purpose of this event I'm happy if you can feel the afterglow of that story Again,
I appreciate you all December 2004
Takehiko Inoue During i had worked for Slum Dunk, i had received many fan letters I read most of it At that time i was so much busy to
write Slum Dunk every week Sometimes i could reply to that letters though.. I couldn't do more for fans... I was really concentrate to create animation and could not see around, i was still 20's at that time I couldn't think of something to return to my fans except letters I can do more now than at that time, maybe i am getting elder Inoue told many time that I could do this because now Time is passing after Slum Dunk end The emotion of author and emotion of reader gonna meet unexpected shape t
he thought like that and this special place, Inoue wants to make the ambience and atmosphere to face to the art works He decided not to advertise so much They had no idea how many visitors come though... they worked until midnight for opening Next morning, First day Even in mid-day, many people waiting at gate The more people coming day by day.
The more voice of visitors seeing blackboard bigger some come from far by bullet train or aorcraft, some come near by school, some come with their family
and relatives the people was coming from variable places that staffs expected Blackboard mango is just Inoue wrote, no protection on it Inoue thought security guard or warning board seems not good in this ambience and staffs also worried But they decided to exhibit black board manga without any protection and covers Staffs patrolling the classrooms but no one come close to blackboards If there is a court, they want to play basketball Gym is open for anyone and prepared changing room and shower
room Scoring goal Cheers from speaker I come today and will come tomorrow then. come back day after tomorrow I came driving at last night. i didn't sleep I admired and started basketball Really awesome Its the animation to kick my ass I gonna love basketball Really impressive I scraped from magazines... Facing to me I think Inoue would not happy seeing by guy though I could not come since job so i came today.
I thought i would regret if i miss this time I didn't remember how many times i repeate
d to read I remember all pages I can read in my brain I came here with comics Really touching. Really happy to see Can not stop reading and cry many times It's touching. i am valley baller though
Basket is better I am belonging basketball team but injured now so this event encourage me a lot. wanna return to team next year Hoping good health to Inoue Inoue was hidden at day time but he jumped into basketball game at evening with fans The event started as 100 million sales of Slum Dunk Newspaper
advertisement, web event And this 3 days exhibition..
This event leave something in Inoue I had time to be depressed my motivation to do something.... pursuing something... It's just like a austere training during Vagabond And getting down and frustrated... What I realised to do this event..... When i was working for Slum Dunk, i didn't want to connect with someone But i have something i want to tell to someone..... but concentrating to jobs.. I realised there is only aspiration left i realised
it first time as i had event There is someone to share it or just doing to improve myself... I just realised the difference Inoue announced messages after event No one touch the board Awesome I was worried In front of staffs Inoue erased boards no one touched 1 by 1 Thank you When the event is still prepared, Inoue was crying alone reading 80,000 messages projected on screen. It was the unexpected scene as the author who created 100 million sellers comic But each of small massages is a direct pa
ss from each fans to author pass to someone and receive pass from someone then return pass to someone I don't need such communication and thinking i can do alone It's just same as the guy in the animation 8 years ago Finished My first motivation to become animator is that i just love drawing, and i have confidence about it then want to be recognised by others... And it's fulfilled. Then still continuing to draw, i found i have another one reason in mu mind. And it's also fulfilled at this event.
To connect with someone... And feel it. I will go ahead from tomorrow step by step and when i exhausted again, i will read messages again TAKEHIKO INOUE
Comments