The author of the Japanese animated football series “Captain Tsubasa”, known in Arab countries as “Captain Majid”, blew the final whistle on Friday, 43 years after the launch of this work, which achieved great success around the world.
The manga story, which was published by Yuichi Takahashi, was first published in 1981 in the Japanese weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and its hero, the young football talent Tsubasa Ozora, was an inspiration for players who became football stars, such as Zinedine Zidane. , Kylian Mbappé, and Lionel Messi.
Over the past decades, the series has seen a number of adaptations, in anime and video games, and even inspired statues in the neighborhood where Takahashi was born in Tokyo.
However, the 63-year-old artist announced in the latest issue of “Captain Tsubasa” magazine that the series will end at the beginning of next April, attributing the decision to the deterioration of his health and the development of the manga industry.
“It was not easy to make this decision that may disappoint and sadden those who enjoy reading Captain Tsubasa, but I hope you understand my decision,” he wrote in a letter to readers.
Takahashi said his characters will continue to exist differently.
The animation series was shown in more than 100 countries, and these manga stories were sold by about 90 million copies around the world, according to the specialized “Mangazenkan” website.
Yuichi Takahashi, who became addicted to football while watching on television the 1978 World Cup, which was organized and won by Argentina, announced to Agence France-Presse in February 2023 that he wanted, through his work, to spread this sport in Japan, as the Japanese league had not yet seen the light. 1993.
He is also the president and owner of Nankatsu SC Football Club.
The manga author explained to AFP: “In Europe, it is completely normal to support your local club, but we did not have this culture in Japan,” adding: “I did not have a local club, so I wanted to create a club myself.”
