Slam Dunk vol. 20

It was inevitable that the rematch between arch-rivals Shohoku and Ryonan would be a big deal, but to have it stretch out this long has tested even my patience.  After kicking off back in vol. 17, I was fully expecting it to wrap up here, BUT THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN!  So by the time this match is over, it will have encompassed three full volumes (and change).  That’s over 600 pages of comics, and longer than a good deal of the American and Japanese series I own.  I shudder to imagine how it would’ve been like to read this in Shonen Jump while it was originally serialized, because as a weekly serial it means that this match would have lasted for almost a full year!

Despite this overriding feeling of frustration, I have to admit that this volume isn’t a bad read.  Where lesser authors would’ve had Ryonan’s comeback in the second half be a foregone conclusion, Takehiko Inoue has them fight for every point they gain on their rivals.  Shohoku doesn’t give up without a fight and they display some real ingenuity in the face of this counter-attack, so that when the gap in scores is closed the ensuing drama feels earned and believable.  I’m sure that their inevitable victory in the next volume will be worth the wait, but getting to that point has felt more like a test of endurance than anything else.