Animation courts a global audience

Left-hand Layup! hopes to inspire a new generation of hoops fans

Three decades after Slam Dunk inspired generations of basketball fans worldwide, a new animated series has emerged to rally its own diverse following — this time from China.

Left-hand Layup!, an original Chinese campus-basketball-themed animation, recently premiered on the international anime streaming platform Crunchyroll, reaching over 180 countries and regions, and marking a new milestone for Chinese sports animation.

The series, which debuted on Tencent's video-sharing platform two years ago, follows basketball playing Shanghai teenager Xu Xingze, who transfers to Beijing hoping to play alongside his mentor Cheng Feng at a basketball powerhouse high school.