

Nishi, now dead, wakes up and meets a constantly shapeshifting god, who mocks him for dying. Nishi agrees to meet Myon’s fiancé at her family’s Yakitori restaurant, but members of the Yakuza storm the joint and murder Nishi when he tries to stop them from raping Myon. Nishi is still very much in love with Myon, but is shocked to learn that she is engaged to another man. Īfter seeing her jump onto a subway at the last second and getting her ankle crushed between the doors, Nishi reconnects with his high school sweetheart, Myon.

When Haruko informs the basketball team’s captain of Hanamichi’s near-inhuman physical capabilities, he slowly finds himself drawn into the camaraderie and competition of the sport he had previously held resentment for. In an attempt to impress Haruko, he makes the leap, but overshoots, instead slamming his head straight into the blackboard. She then leads him to the gymnasium, where she asks him if he can do a slam dunk. Hanamichi immediately falls head over heels in love with her, blurting out a fervent affirmative. Soon, after certain events, Hanamichi is left with two unwavering thoughts: “I hate basketball,” and “I desperately need a girlfriend.” One day, a girl named Haruko Akagi approaches him without any knowledge of his troublemaking ways and asks him if he likes basketball. His notoriety precedes him, however, leading to him being avoided by most students. Hanamichi Sakuragi, infamous for his temper, massive height, and fire-red hair, enrolls in Shohoku High, hoping to finally get a girlfriend and break his record of being rejected 50 consecutive times in middle school.
