Japanese Anime 'The First Slam Dunk' Wows Korean Audiences

Japanese animated film "The First Slam Dunk" had pulled record crowds of 3.82 million in Korea as of Sunday, two months after its release here.

The previous record for an animated film here was romantic fantasy "Your Name" released in 2017, which drew 3.8 million viewers.

"The First Slam Dunk" is an adaptation of Takehiko Inoue's popular basketball comic from the 1990s.

Critics speculate that the film's success in Korea is due to nostalgia for the peak of the sports' popularity among many male viewers now in their 30s and 40s.