Kirk here. “The First Slam Dunk” (animated movie) is a big deal in China. The author of the the manga, Takehiko Inoue, is originally from Kagoshima but used to be a student at Kumadai:
“Inoue took a summer course at an art preparatory school with the plan of enrolling into an art university, but such schools were too expensive so he ended up going to Kumamoto University near his hometown. His submission to Weekly Shōnen Jump caught the attention of editor Taizo Nakamura and, at the age of 20, Inoue dropped out of college to move to Tokyo and pursue a career as a manga artist.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takehiko_Inoue
https://variety.com/2023/film/news/china-box-office-japan-animation-the-first-slam-dunk-1235590638/
