Captain Tsubasa Manga Ends Serialization

It is hard to believe, but after years in print, Captain Tsubasa just welcomed the end of an era. Today, creator Yoichi Takahashi released the final installment of their manga serialization. This moment comes decades after Captain Tsubasa began serialization under Weekly Shonen Jump in 1981. But before you despair, the end of Captain Tsubasa is not here just yet.

Earlier today, Takahashi confirmed the manga format of Captain Tsubasa is now down. The final outing went live in Captain Tsubasa Magazine #20, but the latest chapter isn’t a finale. After all, Takahashi plans on continue Captain Tsubasa in a new way online.

According to the artist, the sports series will carry on as a ‘draft serialization’ online. The series will be posted on the website Captain Tsubasa World which will go live on April 4th. At this time, we have no idea how this new publication will change Captain Tsubasa if at all.

If you are not familiar with Captain Tsubasa, you should know the sports series is one of manga’s classics. It began humbly in 1981 and ran for seven years. Since then, a number of sequels have tackled Captain Tsubasa, but now the series is ready to leave manga serials behind. So for those wanting to know more about Captain Tsubasa, you can check out its official synopsis below:

“Tsubasa is a 11-year-old boy who lives only for football. When he has just moved to a new town, he surprised two rival schools who are fighting over a soccer field. Wakabayashi, a man who claims to be Japan’s best goalie, is impressed and challenges him to a duel. It is then Tsubasa notices Roberto in the crowd, a former member of Brazil’s soccer team, who eventually becomes his personal trainer that turns Tsubasa into Japan’s best soccer player!”

What do you think about this latest Captain Tsubasa update? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!