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Spoiler
I am now considering ending a long journey and heading towards a new...and final journey.
Announcement of the end of “serialized” publication
Thank you for always following and reading "Captain Tsubasa" as well as the "Captain Tsubasa Magazine".
It is with a sudden announcement that I inform you that the latest chapters of "Captain Tsubasa Rising Sun THE FINAL" as well as Captain Tsubasa MEMORIES Strongest!! Meiwa FC Legend” will appear in the next “Captain Tsubasa Magazine”.
"Captain Tsubasa Magazine" will also end with the upcoming volume 20.
And I myself...I intend to retire from the front line of manga creation.
I've been thinking about coming out as a manga artist over the past few years.
When I started the "Captain Tsubasa GOLDEN23" series, I vaguely thought that it might be the time to end my manga career, due to my age, when I finished this "Olympic arc".
However, I have decided to withdraw before completing this "Olympic arc".
But in announcing this, I don't want readers who have loved "Captain Tsubasa" for many years to have unnecessary worries or speculations.
I will honestly explain to you why I came to this conclusion.
Decline in health and change in creative environment
In 1981, I began publishing "Captain Tsubasa" in the Weekly Shonen Jump. During these many years, despite some interruptions for other works,
I was not seriously ill, and I think I am still in good health today.
However, by continuing to write manga, the manifestation of decline of my physical condition, due to my age, has become inevitable.
The speed at which I draw has also slowed down considerably.
While in my youth I could easily manage a weekly series of around 80 pages per month, now I struggle with a bi-weekly series of around 50 pages per month.
Additionally, my eyesight is worse, and it has become difficult to focus, even when drawing lines on the paper.
I also started experiencing dizziness of unknown origin.
The diagnosis is suspected "benign paroxysmal positional vertigo", a condition where dizziness occurs when the position of the head is changed.
So, when I sit at my desk drawing leaning forward, after finishing a writing session, when I stand up, I feel dizzy, I may even lose my balance when standing up .
Obviously, my body has aged considerably compared to my twenties.
Also, the recent digital transformation has had various impacts on my work.
For example, screen tones that I used for decades were abandoned in production and had to be replaced, making screen creation difficult.
In addition, the writing staff (assistants) has been reduced, the number of people mastering analog drawing techniques is decreasing, while the new generation is increasingly specializing in digital creation.
Since my beginnings, I have always drawn using analog methods.
So, it was unthinkable for me, at my age, to switch to digital methods
(I absolutely wanted to keep the analog drawing style).
On the other hand, the manga world is rapidly moving toward digitalization, and in this trend, it is predictable that pens, ink, and even paper will become difficult to obtain.
Additionally, with the gradual aging of the entire writing staff, including myself, we can anticipate an even greater slowdown in the pace of writing.
The epidemic of the new coronavirus
The expansion of the novel coronavirus infection took place and a state of emergency declared in Tokyo where my workplace is located in April 2020, just when "Captain Tsubasa Magazine" started.
Normally, manga drawing involves staff gathering in one room and working intensively on backgrounds etc... However, due to measures such as social distancing, it was no longer possible to work in the usual setting.
I had to give instructions on the drawing sheets once the character inking work was complete, then distribute them among staff to take home and work on.
Once the work was completed, everyone had to deliver them, and the finishing touches were done.
There was no choice, but this way of working caused a considerable delay in the pace of writing.
However, even while juggling the schedule, when I continued to draw manuscripts for "Captain Tsubasa Magazine", I was tasked with a special series for the 10th anniversary of the creation of "Grand Jump" and I had to draw "Boku wa Misaki Taro 2".
The page count was around 40 pages.
I used to draw about 100 pages per issue for Captain Tsubasa Magazine", so a total of 140 pages to complete in about 2 months.
When I published in "Weekly Shonen Jump" or "Weekly Young Jump",
I produced around 80 pages per month, a total of 160 pages in 2 months.
Even though we were in a pandemic, I thought that if I pushed myself a little, I could get through it in time.
However, in reality, this was not possible at all.
Therefore, I had to take a break from publishing "Captain Tsubasa Magazine".
At that time, I again felt the deterioration of my health, and that with age, the time would come when 40 or even 30 pages per month, would become my limit.
During this one-month hiatus from "Captain Tsubasa Magazine"
(I took a little over a month to finish the 40 pages of "Boku wa Misaki Taro 2"), I decided to devote this time to developing the draft of "Captain Tsubasa Rising Sun".
In truth, it was at the end of this period that the idea of making my decision came to me.
Two paths, what choice to make
About two years have passed since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the situation seemed to be starting to stabilize a bit.
It was at this time that the death of Mr. Mizushima Shinji, an author whom I greatly admired and who had been my role model since my adolescence (he had inspired me to want to become a mangaka), occurred at the age of 82 years. Already having a friendship with him through amateur baseball, I thought he would be in good shape,
even at over 90 years old because of his incredible vitality, so I was very shocked.
This news made me think about my way of living as a mangaka.
Indeed, Mr. Mizushima had announced his retirement about a year before his death.
I thought about whether I should continue drawing as a manga artist to my physical limits, like Mr. Mizushima, or whether I should consider something else.
I also thought about how far I could go with "Captain Tsubasa".
Currently, I am publishing "Captain Tsubasa Rising Sun" and "Captain Tsubasa MEMORIES".
With "MEMORIES" being a short-lived spin-off, this might be easier to handle.
On the other hand, "Captain Tsubasa Rising Sun", which I have been publishing since the end of 2013, was then at the quarter-final stage against Germany.
To carry out the plans I had in mind (the conclusion of the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and the Olympic arc final) and to make them as exciting as the match against Germany, it would probably take 10 years (the match against Germany took me three years to draw)... no, considering the probably slower pace of my production in the future, maybe 12 years?... And in also thinking about what stories I would like to add as I go along, that would take even more time.
Could the end of the Olympic arc be in 15 years? By then I would be over 70 years old.
Could I really finish it?
In answering my own questions, I didn't have absolute confidence to say that I could do it.
Every time I heard about the passing of manga authors like Mr. Mizushima, I realized that I had no guarantee of being able to stay
in my current situation for many years to come.
If I died without completing the Olympic arc, it would surely leave me with great regret.
On the other hand, currently I have a general idea until the final chapter of "Captain Tsubasa". This includes the series that follows the "Rising Sun" Olympic arc.
If I continued drawing until the conclusion, it would take maybe 15 years, or even 30 more years...I would be well over 100 years old.
This would probably be impractical (which is why, with this thought in
head, I started "NEXT DREAM" after "Rising Sun", which can't be drawn in a manga, but people can enjoy it in KLab's game). However, if I just focused on creating the script, during this month and a half break, I might be able to do it.
The draft of the script currently being created would not be published until a year later if I drew it at my usual pace.
At that point, I asked myself... does this mean that if I dedicate myself completely to creating the storyline for a month and a half, I could create enough material for a year's worth of manga?
In this case, if I dedicated an entire year to creating only scenarios, I could create stories up to 12 years later.
This would allow readers to discover the outcome of the Olympic arc the following year.
At that point I would be 64 years old.
Even the scenario of the "Captain Tsubasa NEXT DREAM" arc, could be imagined.
Plus, I figured I could even potentially create the storyline for the next arc, "Captain Tsubasa World Cup."
Even in the form of a draft, if I left a "story" behind me,
maybe in the future, with the advancement of technology, a "robot" could create a "Captain Tsubasa" manga based on this scenario.
After I die, another manga artist might draw it based on this draft.
Plus, it could even be adapted into an anime. As an author,
Having the entire "Captain Tsubasa" series adapted into anime is also a wish of mine, and if all the stories up until Tsubasa lifts the World Cup are adapted into anime, that would be something amazing.
I have to choose one of these two paths...
Should I, like the respected Mr. Mizushima, continue drawing manga to my physical limits, until the end of the series, or should I stop the "Captain Tsubasa" series now and leave this "Captain Tsubasa" series behind me? story” until the planned final episode? Which path should I take?
Considering the time I have left to live, I felt the need to make this decision now.
In the end, I chose the second path. Choosing between the two was not an easy decision.
Like Keisuke Honda, former player of the Japanese national football team,
I also have another version of myself, Little Yoichi Takahashi, in my mind. During my 43-year career as a manga artist, during moments of doubt, he would appear to encourage me.
“The mangaka Yoichi Takahashi is not going to end like this. You can still draw interesting manga. Prove it to the world with the next manga you draw."
This is how he encouraged me.
When I made this decision this time, I asked myself if I was tired of drawing manga, if I was a little discouraged, and I asked him.
“I'm thinking about stopping being a mangaka. What do you think ?"
-"No, you can still do it. You better fight now. Draw some more for the readers."
Maybe I was expecting a response like this, but his response this time was...
“If that’s the decision you made, that’s fine. You've been drawing for 43 years."
This is how he responded. My doubts then disappeared.
After answering me...convincing me, I made this decision.
Although this may disappoint and sadden those who are still anxiously awaiting the publication of "Captain Tsubasa", I hope they will not hold it against me.
Additionally, I discussed how I could present to you the story of
"Captain Tsubasa" in the future with Shueisha editors, and I hope to announce it after the publication of the latest issue, volume 20 of "Captain Tsubasa Magazine". I will now focus on creating the conclusion of "Captain Tsubasa Rising Sun THE FINAL" and "Captain Tsubasa MEMORIES 4".
Thank you for your patience, the latest issue, "Captain Tsubasa Magazine" vol.20, is scheduled for early April 2024.
Yoichi Takahashi
