Chapter 1157

Entering March, spring in Tokyo has officially arrived.

The grass is growing and the orioles are flying, green trees and red flowers are everywhere, and the insect chirps that had been silent all winter have also become active...

The number of people heading to parks for spring outings in their spare time is countless. Some are lovers with bright smiles, some are parents with energetic children, and others are walking their pets~

Take Naoki Nagayama for example...

"Yingtailang, slow down!!"

Naoki Nagayama gripped the dog leash in his hand tightly, feeling the strong force coming from the other end of the rope, avoiding being pulled down by a moment of carelessness.

Yingtailang had been cooped up in the courtyard for a long time; he was so excited today at the park that his thick tail was about to wag off!

Raising a medium-to-large dog still requires a strong adult; even for a gentle Labrador, children and the elderly definitely can't hold them when they are frolicking, and women can barely manage.

Akina followed behind, but she was wearing a mask and pushing a stroller. You could tell from her eyes that she was currently laughing at her husband. Little Xia Hua in the stroller was peeking around, also looking at her father in front.

Naoki Nagayama pulled the dog to his side with force and patted its head:

"There are other people here with us!"

"Woof woof!"

Yingtailang was too excited; he didn't care about being patted on the head, and instead, after circling around his master, he started frolicking again.

When he encountered dogs coming from the opposite direction, he would go up to sniff and smell them, shaking his head and interacting with the other owners... a dog with social attributes maxed out.

When passing a newsstand at an intersection, Naoki Nagayama actually stopped and looked at the *Weekly Shonen Sunday* magazine on the stand.

"What's wrong?" Akina also walked to the side and asked, her eyes looking in the direction her husband was watching.

I saw that the cover of the latest issue of *Weekly Shonen Sunday* was entirely dedicated to *Slam Dunk*, and it specifically highlighted a sentence: "Saturday night at 18:00... *Slam Dunk* anime version! Officially airing on TV Tokyo!"

Naoki Nagayama only then realized that *Slam Dunk* was starting to air today!

"The anime version of *Slam Dunk* is airing tonight!" Naoki Nagayama explained to Akina. "I haven't been paying much attention lately... I didn't expect it to be today!"

"Oh?!"

Akina bent down curiously to take a look.

Although *Slam Dunk*, this sports anime, wasn't her type, since it was the first manga from her husband's company, she had bought it and read it before.

She was also very happy when she heard the news of the anime adaptation; she didn't expect to see it on TV so soon!

"Then let's watch the anime premiere together tonight!" Akina suggested.

"Hahaha, sure!"

Memories of chasing dramas during his youth surfaced in Naoki Nagayama's mind, but this time, he had already started a family and had a daughter~

Watching it as a family should feel very different!

Just as Naoki Nagayama was in a trance, a pull came from the dog leash in his hand. Yingtailang was already impatiently moving forward, and when he turned his head to look at his master, he barked a few times as if urging him...

"....."

Naoki Nagayama shook his head, crouched down, and advised:

"Yingtailang, I know there's a dog park over there... but are you sure you can find a girlfriend just by going now?"

"You can't be impatient when chasing a girl! You have to know..."

Before he finished speaking, his arm was suddenly pinched by Akina...

"Naoki-san!"

Looking up, the people who had just passed by were all scanning this family with surprised eyes... Teaching a dog how to court in the middle of the street, what kind of master is this!

"....."

Even a thick-skinned person like Naoki Nagayama blushed slightly~

Then he silently pulled Akina and hurried forward!

Too embarrassing~

School had naturally already started, and as a high school student, Kota Ueda had already started having to attend cram school on Saturdays...

After finally returning home, he had no energy left to find friends to go out and play, so he could only flip through manga in his bedroom, using the brainless humorous plot to slightly relax his spirit after a tiring day.

Suddenly, he saw the *Weekly Shonen Sunday* he had bought on the way back and saw the advertisement on the cover.

"Oh? 18:00 tonight?"

Kota Ueda turned his head to look at the clock in his mind; it was exactly 5:45.

"Fifteen minutes left... forget it, I'll just read the manga~"

After all, at his age, watching anime seemed a bit unfashionable, and he would have to fight his younger brother for the remote control!

The latest chapter of the manga was about the basketball team Sakuragi Hanamichi was on having a basketball game against Toyotama High School. The unique defensive counterattack tactic gave Kota Ueda a better understanding of the sport of basketball.

"Omoshiroi..."

After finishing the *Slam Dunk* section, Kota Ueda flipped through other new manga at random and then closed the magazine.

"Sakuragi Hanamichi is already a mature basketball player!"

After closing the manga, he originally wanted to read other leisure books, but he always felt a bit itchy in his heart. The premiere of the anime version was like a foxtail grass constantly tickling his heart...

Until the hour and minute hands of the wall clock formed a vertical line~

"I've already read the manga, what's so good about the anime..."

Thinking this in his heart, his footsteps unknowingly walked outside the door of the Japanese-style room. Through the sliding door, he could hear the sound of the TV. Sure enough, his younger brother, Kota Ueda, had already occupied the TV.

"Well... if I grab the remote, Kota will definitely make a scene... forget it~"

Brothers with a small age gap just bicker and compete with each other. If the gap is large, like his four-year difference, he could only let his younger brother, who was still in elementary school, have his way.

Just as he was thinking about returning to his bedroom, a burst of applause, cheers, and the sound of basketball dribbling suddenly rang in his ears, followed by a vibrant musical melody, and the clear and moving singing voice of Izumi Sakai, who was singing the theme song again...

"

Kimi ni muchuu na koto ni riyuu nante nai noni

(I don't know when I started being obsessed with you for no reason)

Hanasanai yuruganai Crazy for you

(I can't leave you, I'm already hopelessly crazy for you)

"

Kota Ueda subconsciously pulled open the sliding door and walked into the Japanese-style room. The TV was playing the opening theme of *Slam Dunk*... The static characters from the manga in the past were now "moving" on the TV!

Sakuragi Hanamichi's energetic face under his short red hair, Haruko Akagi's slender figure with long black hair, Takenori Akagi's serious expression, Kaede Rukawa's dashing movements...

The characters of *Slam Dunk* had come to life on the TV screen!

Kota Ueda walked to the middle of the room and sat down next to his younger brother.

"Nii-chan?" his younger brother, Kota Ueda, said in surprise. "Dinner isn't ready yet... why did you come down?"

"Came down early to see what you're watching~" Kota Ueda replied.

"Ah... this is the premiere of *Slam Dunk*!"

It had been a long time since he watched TV with his older brother, and his younger brother shared happily,

"It's the basketball anime that's very popular right now... Originally, this time was for *Captain Tsubasa*, but it has already finished... I didn't expect it to be followed by this *Slam Dunk*..."

"Nii-chan, let me tell you... the one inside..."

"Alright! Quiet!"

Kota Ueda listened to his brother's endless nonsense and felt his head getting bigger... This was why he didn't play with children; they talked too much!

And at this time, the opening theme had ended, and he could watch the main feature properly~

"Don't talk while watching TV!"

"......"

His younger brother, Kota Ueda, felt a bit aggrieved, feeling like he was being bullied by his older brother, but *Slam Dunk* quickly diverted his attention.

The first episode was exactly about Sakuragi Hanamichi after entering high school. Starting from 99 failed confessions, Sakuragi Hanamichi's life was about to undergo a transformation!

Sakuragi Hanamichi, originally a delinquent, accidentally met the energetic Haruko Akagi, and then walked into the basketball gym by chance... and in an accidental confrontation, he suddenly pulled down the shorts of Takenori Akagi, the captain of the basketball team!

"Hahaha~" X2

This scene made the two brothers in the room laugh out loud together.

Mrs. Ueda in the kitchen walked over curiously to take a look. She didn't expect her eldest son, who was already in high school, to be watching a cartoon with her second son, who was in elementary school!

And they were laughing out loud!

"How strange..." Mrs. Ueda was amazed. "Kota-chan is actually watching anime with Kota-chan!"

"Well... this can be considered a good thing! The brothers' relationship is getting better and better!"

"......"

At the same time, children in many Japanese families were guarding the TV Tokyo channel, watching the airing of *Slam Dunk*.

Continuing the habit from *Captain Tsubasa*, young viewers all wanted to see if the subsequent *Slam Dunk* could hold up the banner of the national sports anime...

And judging by the effect, whether it was the opening animation or the anime's theme song "I Want to Shout I Love You," everything was chosen just right, full of vibrant rhythm.

"Haha, Sakuragi Hanamichi moving is really interesting!"

"Basketball! It looks very cool! Okay, I've decided! From now on, I'm going to start playing basketball too!"

"*Slam Dunk*... the first episode looks pretty good!"

"I want to read the manga; it's already quite far along... I'll go buy the old magazines to catch up!"

"....."

Due to the difference in media, the audience for anime is far greater than that of magazines. Many viewers actually see the anime *Slam Dunk* first, and then think about going to read the manga...

Undoubtedly, the anime version of *Slam Dunk* attracted a large number of viewers in the first episode!

This also made the people at TV Tokyo breathe a sigh of relief...

Even on the weekend, the director of the production bureau of TV Tokyo, Kotaro Sakai, did not go home and was at Shiba Park. He was watching the broadcast situation in the broadcast control center to ensure that the premiere of *Slam Dunk* went without a hitch.

Shortly after the broadcast, his subordinate, Naohisa Nakagawa, came to the broadcast control center:

"Director Sakai, I just came back from the hotline... After *Slam Dunk* aired just now, sure enough, many hotline calls came in..."

"How is it? What is the feedback from the audience?"

In this day and age, the feedback system mainly relies on audience hotlines and letters, as well as TV station questionnaires, so Kotaro Sakai was very anxious.

"The audience all think it's very interesting!!"

Naohisa Nakagawa said with a smile,

"There are many voices that sound like teenagers, asking if it will be *Slam Dunk* every Saturday from now on..."

"Some people are starting to ask about the production company of this anime..."

"And older viewers are asking where to buy the full set of discs~"

"...."

"Hahaha~" Kotaro Sakai laughed. "It just started airing, how could there be discs!"

"Yes, our hotline operators said the same thing!"

Kotaro Sakai breathed a sigh of relief. It had been confirmed that *Slam Dunk* had no problems in terms of audience acceptance. However, to be sure, he asked again:

"Are there no negative calls?"

"Ah... speaking of negative ones, there are indeed some!" Naohisa Nakagawa nodded. "There are quite a few, but they are all about one issue."

"What issue?" Kotaro Sakai frowned.

"They called to ask why the song 'I Want to Shout I Love You' wasn't sung by Shizuka Kudo! But was changed to Izumi Sakai..." Naohisa Nakagawa explained. "These people who called should all be fans of Shizuka Kudo..."

The song "I Want to Shout I Love You" had actually been released as a record by Shizuka Kudo a year ago... It could already be considered one of Shizuka Kudo's famous songs.

But after being chosen as the theme song for *Slam Dunk* this time, it was actually changed to Izumi Sakai!

This made many of Shizuka Kudo's fans feel indignant. In their view, this was their idol being bullied!

"Shizuka Kudo?" Kotaro Sakai was a bit surprised. "Aren't she and Izumi Sakai both artists under Shuyou?"

"Yes!" Naohisa Nakagawa nodded. "Shizuka Kudo has quite a lot of fans~"

Shizuka Kudo is currently one of the hottest idols in the idol world besides Akina Nakamori... in fierce competition with Yukiko Okada and Seiko Matsuda...

She has more than ten times as many fans as Izumi Sakai!

"Then why didn't Naoki-san and the others use Shizuka Kudo to sing it?"

"Don't know..."

Kotaro Sakai rubbed his eyes in surprise and then said,

"Forget it, maybe Naoki-san and the others have their own considerations... Anyway, it's not our problem, let's feed it back to Shuyou tomorrow!"

"Hai!"

At this time, inside Shanyingyuan, Naoki Nagayama was sitting on the sofa, holding Miaotaro and watching the premiere of *Slam Dunk*, with Akina holding Little Xia Hua next to him...

As for Yingtailang, he was lying next to the sofa, looking at the fat cat in his master's arms with jealousy.

He didn't dare to be jealous of Little Xia Hua in the other master's arms; a long time ago, Naoki Nagayama and Akina made him understand that the baby was the little master of the house!

And as the anime started, Naoki Nagayama's hand, which had been slowly stroking the cat, also became excited, and he couldn't help but use force, pulling out a handful of cat hair...

"......"

Miaotaro raised his square head and looked at the bipedal beast in confusion, seemingly unable to believe that he had been plucked~

"Uh......" Naoki Nagayama immediately put his hand back on the cat, covering the handful of cat hair. "Miaotaro, it's because the temperature has risen, you are shedding your thick winter coat!"

"Meow~"

"Alright, alright, out with the old, in with the new... I'll make you a piece of clothing with your hair when the time comes!"

After soothing the cat, Naoki Nagayama continued to watch *Slam Dunk*.

Although he had watched it internally, when he saw this anime on TV again, a sense of emotion still rose in Naoki Nagayama's heart... It was the feelings of his past and present lives condensed together...

Watching the delinquent Sakuragi Hanamichi with dyed red hair, from having no feeling for basketball at all to seeing the charm of basketball for the first time... seeing the birth of the bond between Sakuragi Hanamichi and Haruko Akagi...

The *pa-pa* sound of basketball dribbling, the *shu-shu* sound of passing, and the *ji-ji* sound of sneakers rubbing against the floor seemed to bring people into the basketball court, starting to pursue the victory of the basketball game in sweat~

"*Slam Dunk*..." Naoki Nagayama sighed. "It will become the memory of this generation of teenagers!"

"Naoki-san is so confident?"

Akina, who was next to him, asked. She didn't like watching sports anime much and didn't have much feeling for *Slam Dunk*,

"Of course... I have great confidence in Shuyou's anime!"

These few years at the peak of the bubble are the best years in Japan, and everything will be covered with a filter... not to mention that *Slam Dunk* itself is a very excellent anime.

Naoki Nagayama let go of Miaotaro, then took the restless Little Xia Hua into his arms, tapped her little nose, and said,

"When Hua-chan can watch anime in a few years, Daddy will ask Shuyou to produce an excellent anime for you, okay?!"

"Ah ah~~~"

"Mm! Daddy promises!"

"....."

Akina looked at the father and daughter from the side and shook her head helplessly.

(End of chapter)