Naver Webtoon announced on August 28 that it has launched the digital version of Takehiko Inoue’s legendary basketball manga, Slam Dunk: New Size Edition, for the first time in Korea. The highly anticipated digital release became available starting midnight on August 29 across both Naver Webtoon and Naver Series platforms.
The Slam Dunk: New Size Edition, which debuted digitally in Japan in June, features a restructured 20-volume series personally overseen by creator Takehiko Inoue, complete with all-new, full-color illustrated covers.
A Long-Awaited Digital Debut for Korean Fans
Fans in Korea have eagerly awaited a digital release of Slam Dunk, a series that has maintained immense popularity since its original serialization from 1990 to 1996. The manga is widely credited with igniting a basketball boom in Japan and has sold over 170 million copies worldwide. Until recently, digital editions of Slam Dunk were not available due to author Takehiko Inoue holding the digital rights. His other work, REAL, was released digitally in 2019, paving the way for Slam Dunk‘s eventual digital debut.
Lee Jeong-geun, the leader of Naver Webtoon Korea, expressed enthusiasm for the launch, stating, “We are pleased to present one of the most iconic and substantial titles among Japanese works that have not been digitized, which fans have been eagerly awaiting, for the first time on Naver Webtoon and Naver Series.”
New Size Edition Details and Availability
The Slam Dunk: New Size Edition compresses the original 31-volume narrative into 20 volumes, maintaining the beloved content while optimizing the flow of the story. The most notable visual update is the inclusion of completely new, full-color illustrations on each cover, personally drawn by Inoue.
The digital series will be available on Naver Webtoon as a limited two-month service, concluding on October 28. However, readers can continue to access the full set of digital volumes on Naver Series. To celebrate the launch, Naver Series is offering a promotion from August 29 until October 28, where customers purchasing the Slam Dunk: New Size Edition set will receive a 10% “cookie” (digital currency) rebate.
The Enduring Legacy of Slam Dunk
Beyond the manga, the Slam Dunk franchise has enjoyed significant success across various media. It inspired a television anime adaptation in 1993, which ran for 101 episodes, and four subsequent anime films. More recently, the franchise saw a resurgence with the critically acclaimed anime film The First Slam Dunk, personally directed and written by Inoue. The film premiered in Japan in December 2022 and was later streamed on Netflix in the United States in August 2024, further solidifying the series’ global appeal. The digital release in Korea marks another significant milestone in the continued legacy of this iconic sports manga.
