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Ao Ashi Manga Reaches the Finish Line After a Decade
The final chapter of Ao Ashi, the popular football manga created by Yuugo Kobayashi, has officially been published. The series, also known as Aoashi, concluded its ten-year-long serialization run in the 30th issue of Big Comic Spirits on Monday. This marked the end of a remarkable journey for the series, with its 410th chapter bringing the story to a close.
A Look Back at Publication
Yuugo Kobayashi first launched Ao Ashi in Big Comic Spirits back in January 2015, basing it on an original draft by Naohiko Ueno. Over the years, the manga has captivated readers, leading to significant success. The latest volume published by Shogakukan, volume 39, hit shelves on April 30. The series has achieved an impressive cumulative print run of 23 million copies across all its volumes, showcasing its widespread popularity.
Anime Takes the Pitch
Fans of the manga have also been treated to animated adaptations. Production I.G animated the first television anime series, which aired for 24 episodes in Spring 2022. This initial season covered material roughly up to the 12th volume of the manga. Good news for anime viewers came with the announcement of a second season, which is scheduled to premiere in 2026 and will be produced by TMS Entertainment. For international fans, Crunchyroll streamed the first season with various subtitles and dubs and also released it on two Blu-ray volumes in April and June 2023.
Acclaimed On and Off the Field
Ao Ashi‘s impact extends beyond just sales and viewership. The manga has received critical recognition, winning the 65th Shogakukan Manga Awards in the General category in January 2020. It was also recognized earlier in its run, receiving a nomination for the 10th Manga Taisho awards in 2017.
Synopsis
In a quiet rural town, the spotlight of a local junior high school football team rests on one player: Ashito Aoi. Known for his unpredictable moves and self-centered playing style, Ashito is the sole powerhouse pushing his team through an important high school preliminary tournament. However, their win streak is short-lived—an opponent causes Ashito to lose his temper and act violently, resulting in his removal from the rest of the game.
Without their star player, the team is quickly eliminated from the tournament. Just as he believes all hope is lost, Ashito is approached by a youth team coach named Tatsuya Fukuda who senses potential in him, and Fukuda invites him for tryouts in Tokyo. In an unfamiliar setting surrounded by talent, Ashito must bring out the best of his ability to prove himself and secure what could be a life-changing career.
Source: Oricon News
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