Manga creator Yoichi Takahashi is bringing the iconic soccer franchise back to digital pages, as Captain Tsubasa Rising Sun resumes serialization in October after a scheduled hiatus. The long-running sports story paused in May after releasing its milestone 100th chapter, leaving international readers eagerly awaiting the next decisive phase of the Madrid Olympics tournament. Takahashi will publish new installments directly through the official Captain Tsubasa World website in storyboard form, confirming that the international competition continues this autumn [1].
Captain Tsubasa Rising Sun Resumes After May Hiatus
The series entered a scheduled hiatus after its 100th chapter arrived in May, giving the creator time to organize the ongoing Madrid Olympics narrative. While editorial pauses like the Gachiakuta manga research break allow creative teams to conduct field studies during standard serialization, Takahashi’s hiatus reflects his planned transition to independent digital storyboards following his retirement from print magazines. Takahashi utilized the summer break to prepare upcoming storyboard releases for digital distribution [1].
The hiatus began in May [1]. Readers now prepare for the October 6 continuation on Captain Tsubasa World [2].
Publishing updates confirmed that the upcoming chapters will arrive on Tuesday, October 6, without shifting away from the digital storyboard format. Takahashi stepped back from standard commercial manga serialization in 2024 to protect his health while maintaining full creative control over the match scripts. His transition to rough storyboard drafts enables the soccer epic to advance at a sustainable pace. Fans across multiple territories will access the work through the web portal as the Japanese team faces Spain in the Madrid Olympics [1, 2].
Storyboard Serialization on the Captain Tsubasa World Platform
The official Captain Tsubasa World website launched in July 2024 as the dedicated digital home for Takahashi’s draft storyboards. Launched following the conclusion of physical releases, the web portal provides an accessible venue where rough penciled compositions reach readers immediately. The platform eliminates traditional printing deadlines while preserving Takahashi’s signature match choreography and dynamic tactical sequences. Each digital chapter presents the creator’s raw creative vision directly to the public without intermediary inking [1].
Takahashi announced his formal retirement from serializing his long-running manga franchise in 2024, bringing an end to the demanding schedule of weekly and monthly commercial magazine deadlines across Japanese publishing. The decision directly reshaped the publishing infrastructure surrounding the entire sports franchise after 43 years of magazine serialization. The dedicated print publication Captain Tsubasa Magazine released its 20th and final issue in April 2024, officially terminating physical magazine serialization. Inside that final issue, Takahashi published the concluding print chapters of both Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun The Final and the companion project Captain Tsubasa Memories 4: Saikyō! Meiwa FC Densetsu. Takahashi explained his creative rationale for switching to storyboards: “if I just focus on leaving a story behind, I might be able to leave a vision in my head all the way to the final episode” [3].
Physical book production accompanied this monumental editorial transition. In June 2024, Shueisha shipped the 20th and final compiled book volume of Captain Tsubasa Rising Sun. The publisher also released the third and final volume of Captain Tsubasa Memories 4: Saikyō! Meiwa FC Densetsu. The 20th volume finalized Rising Sun. These coordinated releases marked the definitive conclusion of the franchise’s traditional bound book catalog while establishing the new digital foundation [1].
Captain Tsubasa Rising Sun Manga Reaches Olympic Ambitions
The storyline of the Captain Tsubasa Rising Sun manga centers on Tsubasa Ōzora as he leads Japan through the Madrid Olympics against the world’s most formidable national squads [1]. The narrative specifically chronicles the fierce second half of the semifinal match between Japan and Spain [2]. Every match requires intricate tactical maneuvering and relentless physical endurance from the Japanese squad. Takahashi constructed each Madrid Olympics showdown to reflect realistic soccer strategies heightened by signature dramatic maneuvers [1].
Takahashi originally launched the Captain Tsubasa Rising Sun manga in Shueisha’s Grand Jump magazine in December 2013. The series anchored the seinen publication for years, delivering extensive match coverage and deep character development as the national roster assembled. Captain Tsubasa Magazine launched in April 2020. The manga promptly transferred to the specialized spinoff publication when it debuted, giving the Madrid Olympics narrative dedicated focus and expanded page counts [1].
The narrative stakes peaked when the Madrid Olympics arc transitioned into its climactic phase. In April 2023, Takahashi launched Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun The Final within the 16th issue of Captain Tsubasa Magazine. The 16th issue introduced that final saga [1]. This rebranding established the overarching conclusion for the iconic midfielder, charting his relentless quest to secure international soccer glory at the Olympics before his playing career advances further [2].
From Weekly Shonen Jump to Shueisha Grand Jump
The broader franchise traces its historic roots back to Shueisha’s flagship publication, where Takahashi first laid the groundwork for modern international sports manga. A one-off story appeared in 1980 before the original 37-volume Captain Tsubasa manga ran in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1981 to 1988, inspiring generations of professional athletes and captivating millions of readers worldwide [1, 3]. The classic storyline revolves around 11-year-old Tsubasa Ōzora, a prodigiously gifted boy whose boundless passion for soccer catches the attention of his mentor, the Brazilian coach Roberto. Roberto recognized the boy immediately. Under Roberto’s dedicated guidance, Tsubasa travels directly with his coach to Brazil in order to train rigorously for the World Cup [1].
Shueisha published the original manga [1]. That foundational 37-volume run sparked an entertainment phenomenon spanning diverse media formats. The franchise produced sequels including Captain Tsubasa: World Youth Edition in Weekly Shonen Jump, alongside ROAD TO 2002 and GOLDEN-23 in Weekly Young Jump. Television anime followed in 1983, 1994, and 2001, accompanied by four films, several original video animations, and a modern anime reboot that broadcast from 2018 to 2019 before concluding its Junior Youth Arc in 2023. Today, the manga has sold over 90 million copies worldwide and is available in about 20 countries, proving that Takahashi’s dynamic depiction of teamwork transcends national boundaries [1, 3].
The series spans twenty countries [1]. Generations of readers followed Tsubasa from elementary school fields all the way to overseas professional stadiums. The Madrid Olympics matches depicted in Captain Tsubasa Rising Sun represent the natural evolution of that lifelong athletic journey as the international stakes reach their absolute summit [2].
Captain Tsubasa Rising Sun The Final Concludes the Saga
The ongoing serialization represents the definitive climax of Takahashi’s creative career, as Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun The Final functions as both a new arc and a formal renaming of the core Rising Sun storyline. When Takahashi initiated this saga in the 16th issue of Captain Tsubasa Magazine in April 2023, he designated it as the ultimate saga for the entire franchise. Digital volumes of Captain Tsubasa Rising Sun FINALS shipped in consecutive months during early 2025, with Volume 1 debuting on January 4 and Volume 2 arriving on February 4 with an exclusive cover drawn by Takahashi. In addition, Takahashi’s work was celebrated through the traveling exhibition titled Captain Tsubasa Original Art Exhibition ~FINAL And Towards the Future!~, which opened at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi in Tokyo before traveling to the Daimaru Museum Umeda in Osaka [3].
By utilizing rough storyboards on the Captain Tsubasa World portal, Takahashi bypasses the demanding physical strain of full manuscript production while delivering the story at full narrative fidelity. The digital serialization ensures that Tsubasa’s quest for Olympic glory will reach an uncompromised conclusion. Readers can follow the match action panel by panel as Takahashi sketches every pass, shot, and tactical counterattack with raw, expressive energy [2].
With the October resumption officially confirmed, supporters worldwide can now return to the digital portal to witness how Takahashi navigates the critical, decisive stages of the Madrid Olympics soccer tournament. The return of the serialized storyboards after May’s 100th chapter milestone promises to resolve the intense international semifinal matchups that have kept audiences waiting. Readers seeking the newest storyboards can access the official Captain Tsubasa World website when new chapters resume serialization on Tuesday, October 6 [1, 2].
- ONLINE NEWS Anime News Network. (2026, September 28). Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun Finals Manga Resumes Serialization in October. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Anime News Network Newsroom. (2026, September 28). Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun Finals Manga Resumes Serialization in October. Anime News Network. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS MANTANWEB. (2025, January 4). Captain Tsubasa: Name serialization Rising Sun FINALS digital comics will be released for two consecutive months with new cover by Yoichi Takahashi. [Article Link]
