Ace of Diamond

Ace of Diamond (Japanese: ダイヤのA, Hepburn: Daiya no Ēsu) is a Japanese baseball-themed manga series written and illustrated by Yuji Terajima. It was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from May 2006 to January 2015, with its chapters collected in 47 tankōbon volumes. A sequel titled Ace of Diamond Act II was serialized from August 2015 to October 2022, with its chapters collected in 34 tankōbon volumes.

This article is about the Japanese manga. For the playing card of the same name, see Ace of Diamonds.

Ace of Diamond
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Eijun Sawamura
ダイヤのA
(Daiya no Ēsu)
GenreSports[1]
Manga
Written byYuji Terajima
Published byKodansha
English publisher
ImprintShōnen Magazine Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Magazine
DemographicShōnen
Original run17 May 2006 – 14 January 2015
Volumes47
Anime television series
Directed byMitsuyuki Masuhara
Written byKenji Konuta
Music byFrying-Pan
Studio
Licensed byCrunchyroll
Original networkTXN (TV Tokyo)
English network
Original run 3 October 2013 – 28 March 2016
Episodes126 + 5 OVA
Manga
Ace of Diamond Act II
Written byYuji Terajima
Published byKodansha
English publisher
  • US: Kodansha
ImprintShōnen Magazine Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Magazine
DemographicShōnen
Original run19 August 2015 – 26 October 2022
Volumes34
Anime television series
Ace of Diamond Act II
Directed byMitsuyuki Masuhara
Written byKenji Konuta
Music byHajime Hyakkoku
StudioMadhouse
Licensed byCrunchyroll
Original networkTXN (TV Tokyo)
Original run 2 April 2019 – 31 March 2020
Episodes52
Manga
Cat of Diamond
Written byYuki Okada
Published byKodansha
MagazineMagazine Pocket
DemographicShōnen
Original run12 January 2022 – 30 November 2022
Volumes3

An anime television series adaptation ran from October 2013 to March 2016. An anime adaptation of Ace of Diamond Act II aired from April 2019 to March 2020.

By August 2021, the manga had over 40 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series. In 2008, Ace of Diamond received the 53rd Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen category. In 2010, it won the 34th Kodansha Manga Award for best shōnen manga.

Plot
See also: List of Ace of Diamond characters

The series follows Eijun Sawamura, a baseball pitcher with an unusual pitching style that naturally causes the ball to move unpredictably at the plate. Sawamura plans to go with his friends to a local high school and play baseball to the best of their abilities. However, one scout from the prestigious Seido High School approaches him and offers him a scholarship and a chance to make it to the nationals. Sawamura decides to pay a visit to the school, and it changes his entire outlook on the future. Seido and their main rivals attempt to help the upperclassmen make it to nationals during the summer tournament. Once the summer tournament ends, the upperclassmen will be forced to retire, but Sawamura will help them to success, despite his lack of control. Some time later, Sawamura and his teammates, Furuya Satoru, Kominato Haruichi and Miyuki Kazuya, lead a new team, along with a few returning faces, through the fall tournament. Their overly ambitious goal is to go to nationals during the fall tournament and convince Coach Kataoka that he does not have to resign.

Ace of Diamond Act II continues to follow Sawamura and the team as they prepare to compete for the summer tournament. With a new year, new faces appear and join the Seido baseball club. Sawamura and Furuya compete with national level teams, being able to identify their own strengths and weaknesses and further mature their pitching style, all the while they are competing with each other to earn the coveted ace title. Simultaneously, the Seido batters are improving themselves to become as fearsome as the batting talent of their previous year's first-string team. With all of these preparations, Seido is aiming to win the summer tournament before the upperclassman have to graduate.

Media

Manga
Main article: List of Ace of Diamond chapters

Written and illustrated by Yuji Terajima, Ace of Diamond was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 17 May 2006[lower-alpha 1] to 14 January 2015.[4] Kodansha collected the chapters into 47 tankōbon volumes, published from 15 September 2006 to 17 August 2015.[5][6]

A sequel manga, titled Ace of Diamond Act II was serialized in the same magazine from 19 August 2015[7] to 26 October 2022.[8][9] Kodansha collected its chapters in 34 tankōbon volumes, released from 17 November 2015[10] to 17 May 2023.[11]

Kodansha USA has licensed the series for a digital release in English, with the first volume published on 7 March 2017.[12] Kodansha started publishing the manga on their K Manga service in May 2023.[13]

The series is licensed in Indonesia by Elex Media Komputindo.[14]

Spin-offs

A comedic spin-off, titled Daiya no B!, about the same characters, at the same school, but in a brass high school band, was published on Kodansha's Magazine Pocket web platform from 2015 to 2016. It was collected in three volumes, released from 17 November 2015 to 17 August 2016.[15][16]

Another spin-off manga, titled Cat of Diamond, by Terajima's wife Yuki Okada, was serialized on Magazine Pocket app and website from 12 January to 30 November, 2022.[17][18] Its chapters were collected in three volume, released from 17 June 2022 to 17 February 2023.[19][20]

Anime
See also: List of Ace of Diamond episodes

The TV series was produced by Madhouse and Production I.G and began airing on 6 October 2013, on TX Network stations and later on AT-X.[21] The episodes were simulcast in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Central and South America, Spain, Brazil, and Portugal by Crunchyroll with English and German subtitles.[22] The series was initially planned to be 52 episodes[23] but was extended and ended in March 2015.[24] A second season started airing soon after on 6 April 2015 on TX Network stations and later on AT-X. Like its predecessor the episodes were simulcast in the aforementioned countries by Crunchyroll with English and German subtitles.[25] Two original animation DVDs were bundled with the fourth and fifth volumes of the Ace of Diamond Act II manga; the first was released on 15 July 2016 and the second was released on 16 September 2016.[26]

An anime adaptation of Ace of Diamond Act II was announced in November 2018, and it premiered on 2 April 2019.[27][28] The cast and staff reprised their roles from the previous series, with Madhouse returning for animation production. The series ran for 52 episodes.[29]

Reception

Ace of Diamond received the 53rd Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen category in 2008.[30] It also won the 34th Kodansha Manga Award for the shōnen category in 2010.[31]

By March 2015, the first 45 volumes of the series have sold over 22 million copies.[32] By November 2015, the manga had over 25 million copies in print.[33] By August 2021, the manga had over 40 million copies in print.[34]

Ace of Diamond was the 25th best selling manga in 2011, with 1,711,607 copies sold.[35] Nikkei Entertainment magazine published a list of top 50 manga creators by sales since January 2010, in its September 2011 issue; Yuji Terajima, the author of Ace of Diamond was ranked 20th, with 2,792,000 copies sold.[36] It was the 27th best selling manga in 2012, with 1,685,194 copies sold.[37] In 2013 Ace of Diamond became the 23rd best selling manga, with 2,010,045 copies sold.[38]

Notes
  1. The series started in the magazine's 24th issue of 2006 (cover date 31 May),[2] released on 17 May of the same year.[3]

References
  1. Ressler, Karen (3 March 2017). "ComiXology Lists Ace of the Diamond, All-rounder Meguru Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  2. 週刊少年マガジン2006年24. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  3. 少年マガジン - 進行表 2005年11月2日号～2006年6月14日号. AD Station (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 19 November 2005. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  4. 寺嶋裕二「ダイヤのA」第1部完結！春ごろより第2部がスタート. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. 14 January 2015. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  5. ダイヤのA (1) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  6. ダイヤのＡ（４７）. Kodansha. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  7. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (12 July 2015). "Ace of Diamond Manga's 2nd Part to Debut in August". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  8. Mateo, Alex (11 October 2022). "Ace of Diamond Act II Manga Ends in 2 Chapters". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  9. 寺嶋裕二「ダイヤのA actII」残り2話で完結. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. 12 October 2022. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  10. ダイヤのＡ ａｃｔ２（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  11. ダイヤのＡ ａｃｔ２（３４） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  12. "Ace of the Diamond 1". Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  13. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (27 May 2023). "K MANGA's Launch Lineup Includes 30+ Manga With English Debuts in U.S." Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  14. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (27 October 2015). "Elex Media Licenses Terajima's Ace of Diamond Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  15. ダイヤのＢ！！ 青道高校吹奏楽部（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  16. ダイヤのＢ！！ 青道高校吹奏楽部（３） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
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  18. 【最終話】みんなのかにたま. Magazine Pocket. Kodansha. 30 November 2022. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  19. ダイヤのＣ！！　青道高校野球部猫日誌（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  20. ダイヤのＣ！！　青道高校野球部猫日誌（３） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  21. Loo, Egan (9 May 2013). "Ace of Diamond Baseball Manga Gets TV Anime This Fall". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  22. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (25 September 2013). "Crunchyroll to Stream Ace of Diamond Baseball Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  23. Loveridge, Lynzee (8 April 2014). "Ace of Diamond Anime Listed at 52 Episodes". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  24. Hamilton, Tiara (24 September 2014). "Ace of Diamond Anime Extended Until March 2015". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  25. Loveridge, Lynzee (31 March 2015). "Crunchyroll to Stream Ace of Diamond: 2nd Season Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  26. Loo, Egan (17 February 2016). "Ace of Diamond act 2 Manga to Bundle 2 Original Anime DVDs". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  27. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (25 November 2018). "Ace of Diamond Act II Manga Gets TV Anime in 2019". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 25 November 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  28. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (20 February 2019). "Ace of Diamond Act II Anime Unveils New Visual". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  29. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (24 March 2019). "Daisuke Ono, Junichi Suwabe, Ayane Sakura Join Cast of Ace of Diamond Act II Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  30. Koulikov, Mikhail (30 January 2008). "53rd Shogakukan Manga Award Winners Announced". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 23 January 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2009.
  31. Loo, Egan (11 May 2010). "34th Annual Kodansha Manga Awards Announced". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 14 May 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  32. ダイヤのA ： 高校野球公式アプリとコラボ 沢村ら主要キャラが「高校野球愛」を診断. Mainichi Shimbun Digital (in Japanese). 12 March 2015. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  33. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (8 November 2015). "Ace of Diamond Stage Play Video Previews Performance, Theme Song (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  34. シリーズ累計4000万部突破記念、寺嶋裕二「ダイヤのA」ベストシーン総選挙実施中. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. 5 August 2021. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  35. Loo, Egan (1 December 2011). "Top-Selling Manga in Japan by Series: 2011". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  36. Loo, Egan (6 August 2011). "Top 50 Manga Creators by Sales Since 2010". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  37. Loo, Egan (3 December 2012). "30 Top-Selling Manga in Japan by Series: 2012". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 18 June 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
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