Ace of the Diamond Manga Reading Order (2026)

Ace of the Diamond Manga Reading Order: Start with Act I, Then Act II

Here’s the short version:

Read Act I (47 volumes) → Read Act II (34 volumes in Japanese)

That’s the whole reading order.

Both series are written by Yuji Terajima and were published chapter by chapter in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine — a long-running Japanese manga magazine aimed at a teen audience. “Act I” and “Act II” are the official names for two distinct publication runs that together form one continuous story. Act II is a direct continuation of Act I — same characters, same school, same story. The main character, Eijun Sawamura, is simply further along in his high school baseball career. There’s no time skip that lets you jump ahead, no recap chapter that catches you up, and no standalone entry point into Act II.

If someone tells you to skip Act I and start with Act II: don’t. You’d be walking into a team dynamic with dozens of characters, established rivalries, and emotional stakes that only land if you’ve read the buildup. Act I isn’t backstory you can skim — it’s half the story.

The core Ace of the Diamond manga reading path is these two main series — nothing required beyond them. No mandatory spin-offs, no light novels that fill in gaps, no one-shot prequels you need to hunt down. Two series, read in order. Done. (One optional English-language side story exists on K Manga for readers who want more after Act II, but it is not required.)

Available Editions — Digital vs. Physical

This is where things get a little more limited compared to other popular manga series, so let’s set expectations.

Act I English Editions

Act I has 47 English-language volumes available digitally through Kodansha. Digital singles — individual volumes you buy and read on a screen — are the primary and most complete way English-speaking readers access this series. You can find these on major digital manga storefronts.

An English omnibus edition also exists — Ace of the Diamond Omnibus Vol. 1 collects the first three volumes in a single physical book. However, there are no deluxe editions (premium oversized reprints) and no box sets for the series. For the full 47-volume run, digital singles remain the most accessible format in English.

The Japanese editions also run 47 volumes for Act I, published by Kodansha as standard paperback volumes, if you read Japanese and prefer physical copies.

Act II English Editions

Act II is officially available in English through Kodansha’s K Manga digital service, which began releasing the series in English in May 2023. K Manga is Kodansha’s dedicated manga reading platform, and it’s the primary English-language home for Act II.

One thing to note: K Manga’s availability may vary by region, and the reading experience differs from purchasing individual volumes on platforms like Amazon Kindle. If you’re used to buying digital volumes outright on major storefronts, K Manga operates on its own model — check the platform directly for current access details. Act I remains more broadly available across multiple digital storefronts, so the transition from Act I to Act II may involve using a different platform than you started on.

Format Comparison

Feature	Act I (English)	Act I (Japanese)	Act II
Format	Digital singles	Physical paperback volumes	Digital (English on K Manga)
Volumes	47	47	34 (Japanese)
Publisher	Kodansha	Kodansha	Kodansha
Collected Editions	Omnibus Vol. 1 (physical)	—	None

The Complete Manga Reading Order

Let’s break this down with a bit more detail so you know what you’re getting into at each stage.

Act I — Volumes 1 Through 47

The story begins with Eijun Sawamura, a loud, stubborn, incredibly fun pitcher from the countryside who gets scouted by the prestigious Seidou High School baseball team. He’s raw, unpolished, and completely outclassed by the talent around him — especially the team’s star pitcher and his future rival.

Without spoiling specific story arcs (self-contained stretches of the story focused on a particular event or conflict), here’s a rough sense of the pacing:

• Early volumes (roughly 1–15): Team introductions, character building, Sawamura learning where he fits on a roster full of talented players. These volumes are heavy on character dynamics and establishing what makes Seidou tick. If you’re coming from the anime and found the early episodes a bit slow, the manga moves at a similar pace here — but the payoff is worth it.

• Mid-series (roughly 16–35): Tournament baseball. This is where Ace of the Diamond manga really starts swinging. Terajima’s game sequences are detailed, strategic, and genuinely tense. You don’t need to know baseball to follow what’s happening — the manga explains strategy, pitch types, and game situations naturally through the characters. These volumes are why people fall in love with this series.

• Later volumes (roughly 36–47): The story drives toward Act I’s climax. Stakes are at their highest, character arcs converge, and the emotional weight of everything you’ve read comes to a head. Without saying more — these volumes hit hard.

At a typical reading pace, each manga volume takes roughly 20–30 minutes to read. The full 47-volume run is a significant commitment — think of it like binge-watching a long-running TV series — but the volumes are quick individually, and the story is designed to keep you turning pages.

Act II — Continuing Directly from Act I

Act II picks up exactly where Act I ends. Sawamura is now a second-year student and upperclassman on the team, the team dynamic has shifted as graduating seniors leave and new first-years arrive, and the cycle of high school baseball continues.

There are no gap chapters, bridge stories, or supplementary readings between the two series. When you finish Act I Volume 47, you go directly to Act II Volume 1. The transition is seamless — it’s essentially one long manga series that was split into two publication runs.

Act II runs 34 volumes in Japanese. The series explores Sawamura’s growth as he takes on more responsibility within the team and faces new challenges both on and off the mound.

Are There Any Spin-Offs to Read?

Nothing required — but one optional side story exists in English: Ace of Diamond Act II Side Story: Teito vs Ugumori, a 10-chapter series serialized December 2024–March 2025 and simultaneously published in English on K Manga. Its collected volume was released May 2025. It is not required for understanding or enjoying the main story, but it is available on the same K Manga platform used for Act II if you want more after finishing the series.

For reading order purposes, the two main series — Act I and Act II — are the complete path. This is genuinely one of the simplest reading orders in sports manga. You read Act I, then Act II. That’s the whole thing.

Manga Reading Order vs. Anime Watch Order

The Ace of the Diamond anime franchise includes adaptations of both Act I and Act II. If you’ve already watched some or all of the anime, here’s what you need to know about transitioning to the manga.

What the Anime Covers

The anime adapts a significant chunk of Act I’s story across its seasons. However, it does not cover the entire manga. This is the key thing to understand — if you’ve only watched the anime, you have not finished the story. Not even close, actually, since Act II extends well beyond where the anime reaches.

Picking Up the Manga After the Anime

If you watched the anime and want to continue in the manga, your starting point depends on which anime you watched.

If you watched only the Act I anime: You can either start the Act I manga from Volume 1 (recommended — the manga has inner narration, strategic detail, and character moments the anime condenses) or find which manga chapter corresponds to the final episode you watched. Fan communities, wikis, and manga-focused subreddits maintain episode-to-chapter mappings for this purpose, since the anime occasionally reorders or compresses material.

If you watched the Act II anime (first season or second season): The same principle applies — you can start the Act II manga from Volume 1 for the full experience, or look up the chapter-to-episode mapping to pick up where the anime has reached. Since the Act II anime is airing in two split cours — the first concluded in June 2026, with the second premiering in October 2026 — the manga extends beyond what has been animated so far.

The strongest recommendation regardless: Start from Act I, Volume 1. The manga adds depth at every stage, and reading the full run gives you the most complete version of the story.

The Manga Goes Much Further

The manga remains the only way to experience the complete Ace of the Diamond story. While the Act II anime’s second season is still ongoing — its first cours concluded in June 2026, with a second cours premiering in October 2026 — the Act II manga is a finished work at 34 volumes — meaning the manga’s conclusion is already available to read even as the anime continues to catch up. If you want to know how Sawamura, Furuya, Miyuki, and the rest of the Seidou squad’s story ends, the manga reading order laid out above is where that full story lives.

Tips for First-Time Manga Readers

You Don’t Need to Know Baseball

This comes up a lot, so let’s address it directly: no baseball knowledge is needed to enjoy Ace of the Diamond. Terajima weaves explanations of strategy, pitch types, batting approaches, and defensive positioning into the story naturally. Characters discuss tactics, coaches explain decisions, and the manga’s visual storytelling makes the action on the field easy to follow even if you’ve never watched a baseball game.

That said, if you do know baseball, you’ll appreciate how seriously and accurately Terajima treats the sport. The strategic depth is one of the things that sets this manga apart from more stylized sports series.

The Early Volumes Are Setup — Stick With It

Ace of the Diamond is a slow-burn series — it takes its time building characters and relationships before ramping up the intensity. The early volumes focus heavily on character introductions, team dynamics, and Sawamura finding his place at Seidou. If you’re expecting nonstop tournament action from Volume 1, adjust your expectations. The character work in those early volumes is what makes the tournament stretches so emotionally charged later on.

Think of it like a real baseball season — spring training matters even if it’s not as flashy as the playoffs.

Digital Is Your Best Bet for Starting

Since English-language digital singles are the most readily available format for Act I, that’s the easiest way to start reading the manga. The 47 volumes are available from Kodansha on major digital platforms.

Natural Stopping Points

At 47 volumes for Act I alone, this is a long manga series. If you want to pace yourself, the natural stopping points fall between major tournament stretches. You’ll feel those breaks in the story — there’s usually a shift in tone as the team regroups, new training begins, or the player lineup changes. These are good places to take a breather before continuing.

That said, once the tournament action gets rolling, good luck putting it down.

Where to Start Today

The path is clear:

1. Start with Ace of the Diamond Act I, Volume 1 — available digitally from Kodansha in English. The card below shows Vol. 47, the final Kindle volume of Act I — from its product page, the series listing (including Volume 1) is one click away:

1. Read all 47 volumes of Act I. No skipping, no shortcuts. The story builds cumulatively and every stretch of the manga adds something.

1. Move directly into Act II, Volume 1. No bridge material needed — just keep reading.

1. Read all 34 volumes of Act II — available in English on Kodansha’s K Manga platform.

There are no branching paths, no alternate routes, no complicated reordering debates. The Ace of the Diamond manga reading order is a single linear story told across two series. Start at the beginning, read to the end.

For the best starting experience, grab the digital edition of Act I Volume 1. It’s the most accessible way into one of the longest-running and most beloved baseball manga out there. Eijun Sawamura’s journey from loudmouth country kid to Seidou’s ace is one of the most rewarding character journeys in sports manga — and it all starts with that first volume.