Ace of Diamond

Ace of Diamond (ダイヤのA) is a Japanese baseball-themed manga series written and illustrated by Yuji Terajima. It was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from May 2006 to January 2015, with its chapters collected in 47 volumes. A sequel titled Ace of Diamond Act II was serialized from August 2015 to October 2022, with its chapters collected in 34 volumes.

A 126-episode anime television series adaptation, animated by Madhouse and Production I.G, aired from October 2013 to March 2016. A 52-episode anime television series adaptation of Ace of Diamond Act II, animated by Madhouse, aired from April 2019 to March 2020; a second season, animated by OLM, premiered in April 2026.

By July 2025 the manga had over 45 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 category. In 2010, it won the 34th Kodansha Manga Award for best manga.

Plot

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

Reception

Ace of Diamond received the 53rd Shogakukan Manga Award for the category in 2008.[40] It also won the 34th Kodansha Manga Award for the category in 2010.[41]

By March 2015, the first 45 volumes of the series have sold over 22 million copies.[42] By November 2015, the manga had over 25 million copies in print.[43] By August 2021, the manga had over 40 million copies in print.[44] By July 2025, it had over 45 million copies in circulation.[45]

Ace of Diamond was the 25th best selling manga in 2011, with 1,711,607 copies sold.[46] 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.[47] It was the 27th best selling manga in 2012, with 1,685,194 copies sold.[48] In 2013 Ace of Diamond became the 23rd best selling manga, with 2,010,045 copies sold.[49]

External links