Legendary sports series Captain Tsubasa is coming to an end — at least in its known form.
The final whistle has been blown on Captain Tsubasa, the legendary soccer series that is beloved around the world. Creator Yoichi Takahashi announced, that the latest installment of the manga series was the last one.
Captain Tsubasa started serialization in 1981 and has been going since then, even spawning its own magazine. With Captain Tsubasa Magazine #20, the final chapter of the iconic soccer star we came to know and love has been released.
However, Takahashi is not quite done with the story yet. While Tsubasa will not be distributed in the classic way anymore, the series is set to continue online.
Captain Tsubasa Ends Manga Serialization, Continues Online
On April 4, a platform called Captain Tsubasa World will launch. This platform will include new stories and chapters of Captain Tsubasa, but on an irregular basis and in much rougher quality, as the new drawings will not have inking or toning.
According to a statement, Takahashi considers the end of the official manga as his retirement, but wants to continue having an outlet for his creativity, which is what World will be for. It is unclear whether the new chapters will be translated from the original Japanese.
Captain Tsubasa counts among the most successful manga of all-time with over 90 million sold copies worldwide. The original series spawned several sequels and spin-offs, as well as anime adaptations, video games and more. The series is credited with massively boosting the popularity of soccer in Japan and has been cited by countless Japanese and international soccer players as an influence, including the likes of Hidetoshi Nakata, Lionel Messi or Andrés Iniesta.