The hit sports manga frequently calledHaikyu!!‘ssuccessor,Ao Ashi, is set to come to an end, despite its relative youth.Ao Ashi’s anime has been celebrated asone of the best sports anime ever. Its manga has also performed exceptionally well, with over twenty million copies in circulation as of 2024. Underneath the shell of a sports anime,Ao Ashihas proven a hit with fans through its flawless combination of comedy and drama elements since its 2015 debut in Shogakukan’s Weekly Big Comic Spirits.
July 22, 2025 marks the tenth anniversary of the soccer manga. The year will also bring its shockingly sudden end. Sitting comfortably in the company of sports manga superstars likeBlue Lock,Ao Ashihas proven to be one of the most able successors toHaikyu!!—yet it will apparently end with fewer volumes, asHaikyuu!!had accumulated 45 volumes by its end in 2020 compared toAo Ashi’s40. Despite often being overlooked by anime fans everywhere,Ao Ashi’s conclusion provides a better time than ever to pick up the manga.
Ao AshiTo End With Climactic Final Match-Up
After 40 Volumes, The Beloved Soccer Manga Will Close the Curtains
In a post from the officialAo Ashiaccount on X, mangaka Yugo Kobayashi shared unfortunate news. Following the Tokyo City Esperion FC’s big match against Barcelona, concluding its 40th volume. Apparently, this conclusion has been in the works ever since protagonist Ashito Aoi joined the Esperion A-Team in volume 11. Kobayashi’s message reads:
To all supporters of AO ASHI
I am the author of AO ASHI, Yugo Kobayashi. Thank you for always supporting me. AO ASHI will reach its final episode with the conclusion of the ongoing Barcelona match.
When Ahito joined the A-team in volume 11, the following opponents were Kashiwa, Tokyo V, Funabashi, Aomori, and Barcelona, all of which were already decided at that time (I was just wondering whether to include the Ganon-Osaka match or not), and I think I will be able to finish this story, which has progressed along with the growth of Ashito, with everything fully depicted.
The total number of volumes is 40, which is also a nice round number. I will do my best to put all my enthusiasm into the next two volumes, so please stick with me until the end. It is thanks to you, the readers, that AO ASHI has grown so much.
July 02, 2025
- Yugo Kobayashi, via aoashiofficial on X
The 38th volume released on December 26th, 2024, leaving off with the Esperion A-Team facing off against Barcelona’s Youth A-Team for a rematch after a devastating loss when Barcelona brought on their top player, Demian. The face-off with Barcelona has continued since. Although it could go in any direction, there are still several chapters left before the series reaches its fated conclusion to round off its 40th volume. With chapter 393 also just releasing, fans of the franchise are hotly anticipating each goal to come as the match plays out and the series gears up for its big conclusion.
Ao Ashi And Blue Lock Vie For The Spot Of Haikyu!!’s True Successor
Ao Ashi Is One Of The Best Sports Anime Not Enough People Noticed
Anime fans thinking of tryingAo Ashishouldn’t see this as a spoiler. Sports manga and anime are generally fairly predictable in terms of their “end-game”, with the protagonist rising to world-class status in one way or another. The joy is in the journey.
Haikyu!!is one of the most pivotal series in recent years; it’s not that sports manga were ever unpopular and that it breathed fresh life into the genre, butit’s impossible to denyHaikyu!!’s inspiring magnitude. Building on giants likeCaptain TsubasaandKuroko’s Basketball,Haikyu!!rocketed to the top. Countless series have tried to capture the same magic ever since, and withAo AshiandBlue Lockhaving a duopoly on soccer manga’s representation, the two have been in subtle rivalry.
Haikyu!! Is Awesome, But an Underrated Release From 2014 Still Stands As My Top Sports Anime of All Time
Haikyu is one of the most beloved sports anime of all time, but another series released the same year nabs the top spot for me.
WhileBlue Locksubverts sports anime expertly, when it comes to which series can truly claim the mantle ofHaikyu!!’s successor, the only option isAo Ashi. AlthoughAo Ashi’s protagonist, Ashito Aoi, starts off brasher thanHaikyu!!’s Shoyo Hinata, watching them discover the power of cooperation in the face of personal struggles (and occasional hubris) is an invigorating experience that cuts to the core of why sports manga have been beloved for so long.
ForHaikyu!!fans curious aboutAo Ashi, its anime has been incredibly well-received,boasting an 8.17 on MyAnimeListas of the time of writing. For those who are already following Ai’s journeys more closely, they can look forward toAo Ashi’s stunning closer just around the corner.
Aoashi
Cast
Aoashi (2022) follows Ashito Aoi, a young and talented soccer player whose dreams of becoming a professional are reignited when he is scouted by a youth team coach, Tatsuya Fukuda. Despite his raw talent, Ashito must hone his skills and adapt to the competitive world of Tokyo soccer to achieve his goal of playing on the national stage.
