Is Ace of the Diamond Manga Finished? Status Guide

If you’ve been eyeing Ace of the Diamond (ダイヤのA) and wondering whether it’s finished — whether you can start reading without getting stuck on an eternal cliffhanger — you’re in the right place. The answer is yes, the manga is finished. Let’s break down exactly what that means.

Yes — Ace of the Diamond Is Finished

The short version: Ace of the Diamond is complete. No new chapters are coming out. The story is done.

For anyone new to how manga works: manga are Japanese comics, typically read right to left. Most manga series are published one chapter at a time in anthology magazines — this is called serialization. Over time, those individual chapters get collected into volumes (paperback books containing several chapters each). When we say a manga is “finished,” it means the author has written the final chapter and no more will be published.

Act I ran for 47 volumes in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine and has fully concluded. The sequel series, Ace of the Diamond Act II, is also complete. Both parts of the story have wrapped up, which means new readers can jump in right now and read the entire saga from beginning to end without waiting for new chapters.

The series was created by Yuji Terajima (寺嶋裕二), and it stands as one of the most beloved baseball manga of its generation. Whether you’re coming from the anime or discovering it fresh, there’s something genuinely satisfying about knowing the whole journey is there waiting for you.

The Full Picture — Two Series, One Complete Story

Here’s what trips some people up: Ace of the Diamond isn’t just one series. It’s two — and both are essential.

Ace of the Diamond (Act I) — 47 Volumes

The original series follows Eijun Sawamura, a loud, passionate, and wildly unpolished pitcher from a small-town middle school team. After catching the eye of a scout, he enrolls at Seidou High School, a baseball powerhouse packed with talented players all competing for spots on the team’s official player roster.

The heart of Act I is Sawamura’s uphill fight to earn the ace number — in Japanese high school baseball, the number 1 jersey is given to the team’s top pitcher, and wearing it means you’re the one the team trusts most on the mound. He’s not the most naturally gifted player on the roster (that distinction arguably belongs to fellow pitcher Furuya), but what Sawamura lacks in raw talent he makes up for with guts, an unorthodox pitching style, and a refusal to quit that borders on stubbornness.

Act I covers Sawamura’s first year at Seidou, including tournament storylines, training camps, battles for starting positions in the lineup, and the kind of intense team dynamics that make sports manga so compelling. There are heartbreaking losses and hard-won victories, and by the end of Act I, you’ll have a deep attachment to this team.

All 47 volumes were published in Japan by Kodansha and are available in English digitally.

Ace of the Diamond Act II — 34 Volumes

Act II is a direct sequel — not a side story set in the same universe, not a retelling, not a “next generation” story with new characters. It picks up right where Act I ended, following the same characters at the same school as they move into the next phase of their high school baseball careers.

Sawamura is now a second-year student, the team dynamics have shifted with graduating seniors gone and new first-years arriving, and the competition for Koshien — Japan’s famous national high school baseball tournament, the ultimate goal for every team in the series — continues. Act II ran for 34 volumes and is also complete, so the full story reaches its conclusion.

Together, Act I and Act II form the complete Ace of the Diamond saga. You need both to get the full experience — that’s 81 total volumes across the two series.

Detail	Act I	Act II
Volumes	47	34
Magazine	Weekly Shonen Magazine	Weekly Shonen Magazine
Publisher (JP)	Kodansha	Kodansha
Status	Complete	Complete

Weekly Shonen Magazine is a Japanese weekly comics anthology — “shonen” means it targets a teenage male audience, though readers of all ages and backgrounds enjoy these series.

Does the Story Get a Proper Ending?

This is a fair question — plenty of long-running manga get cancelled or fizzle out without a satisfying conclusion. Good news here.

Ace of the Diamond reaches a definitive ending. The story isn’t cancelled, isn’t left on a cliffhanger, and doesn’t just stop in the middle of a storyline. The central narrative thread — Sawamura’s growth from raw, undisciplined pitcher to someone who can truly compete for and hold the ace position — gets followed through to its conclusion.

Without getting into spoiler territory, the ending addresses the major character journeys that the series has been building across both Act I and Act II. You’ll see where Sawamura, Miyuki, Furuya, and the rest of the Seidou squad end up.

Most readers feel the ending is satisfying. Some fans wished for more content beyond where the story wraps up (that’s the sign of a series people love — they never want it to end), but the consensus is that Terajima delivered a conclusion that feels earned. The emotional payoffs land, the baseball feels authentic, and the character growth that’s been simmering across dozens of volumes gets its moment.

If you’re the kind of reader who needs to know a story actually goes somewhere before investing in 81 volumes — it does. Commit to both Act I and Act II and you’ll get full closure on the storylines that matter.

Baseball Manga to Read After Ace of the Diamond

Finished Ace of the Diamond and hungry for more baseball manga? Here are some strong picks that scratch similar itches — each with its own flavor.

Major 2nd

If you loved the team dynamics of Ace of the Diamond, Major 2nd is worth knowing about. This sequel series follows Daigo Shigeno, son of legendary pitcher Goro Shigeno, as he carves out his own path in baseball while living in his father’s enormous shadow. Written by Takuya Mitsuda and serialized in Shogakukan’s Weekly Shōnen Sunday, the emotional stakes are high, and the series explores what it means to step onto the diamond when your family name carries impossible expectations.

However, as of this writing, no confirmed English-language release of the Major 2nd manga volumes has been identified from any publisher — readers interested in this series should verify current English availability on major digital platforms before purchasing. The original Major manga, which follows Goro’s full career, also lacks a confirmed English release. If an English edition does become available in the future, Major 2nd would be a strong next read for fans of Ace of the Diamond’s team-driven storytelling.

Cross Game

Cross Game by Mitsuru Adachi takes a completely different approach. It’s still a baseball manga at its core, but it’s equally a character drama and a romance. The pacing is slower and more contemplative, and Adachi’s storytelling is famous for saying volumes with very few words — sometimes a single illustration frame without dialogue will hit harder than an entire chapter of another manga. If you appreciate strong character writing and don’t mind a story that takes its time, Cross Game is wonderful.

Big Windup! (Ookiku Furikabutte)

Big Windup! zeroes in on the battery — that’s the baseball term for the pitcher-catcher partnership, and this series explores that relationship more deeply than almost any other baseball manga. The main character, Mihashi, is an anxious, self-doubting pitcher who’s the polar opposite of Sawamura’s fiery energy. Watching him slowly build confidence through his partnership with catcher Abe is genuinely heartwarming. This series also has an almost obsessive attention to baseball strategy and mechanics, so if you love the tactical side of the sport, you’ll be right at home. Note: as of 2024, Big Windup! has been on indefinite hiatus and has not concluded — readers should be aware the story is currently unfinished.

Where to Buy Ace of the Diamond in English

All 47 volumes of Act I are available in English as a digital release. The English edition is published by Kodansha, and you can purchase individual volumes through Amazon Kindle and other major digital platforms.

If you’re starting from scratch, volume 1 is the obvious entry point. The digital volumes are individually priced, so you can grab the first one to test the waters before committing to the full run.

For readers who prefer physical copies, availability can be limited. Physical English volumes may be harder to track down because some go out of stock and aren’t reprinted consistently. Digital is the most reliable way to access the complete series in English.

Act II is available as a separate series — remember, you’ll want both Act I and Act II for the complete story. Act II’s English release is available through Kodansha’s K MANGA service, a separate digital platform from the Kindle storefront where Act I is sold.

The card below links to Vol. 47, the final volume of Act I — a convenient landing page for confirming the complete digital lineup. From there you can navigate to Volume 1 and every other volume in the series:

A quick note on reading order: Always start with Act I, volume 1. Act II is a direct continuation and assumes you know everything that happened in the first series. Jumping straight into Act II would be like starting a movie at the halfway point.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many volumes is Ace of the Diamond?

Act I has 47 volumes. Act II has 34 volumes. Together that’s 81 volumes making up the full Ace of the Diamond story. It’s a substantial commitment, but the pacing stays strong throughout — this isn’t a series that drags.

Is Ace of the Diamond Act II also finished?

Yes. Act II has concluded its run in Weekly Shonen Magazine. Both Act I and Act II are fully complete, so you can read the entire story without any gaps or waits.

Do I need to read Act I before Act II?

Absolutely yes. Act II is a direct continuation of Act I — same characters, same school, same ongoing storylines. It picks up right where Act I ends. Starting with Act II would leave you confused about character relationships, past tournament results, and all the emotional context that makes the later developments hit so hard. Start from Act I, volume 1.

Is there an anime adaptation?

Yes. Ace of the Diamond has been adapted into an anime series. If you’ve already watched the anime and are wondering whether the manga goes further — it does. The manga is the original work the anime was based on, and it is complete — covering the full story from beginning to end. Note that the anime adaptation is currently ongoing: Act II Season 2 began airing in 2026 and has not yet finished adapting the series, so the manga extends beyond what the anime has covered so far.

For current streaming availability, check platforms like Crunchyroll directly, as licensing can change over time.

Is the manga available in physical English volumes?

Act I’s English release is primarily digital. Physical English volumes can be harder to find consistently. If you strongly prefer physical manga, you may need to do some searching, but digital is the straightforward option for reading the complete series.

How does Ace of the Diamond compare to other baseball manga?

It sits in great company. Ace of the Diamond is more focused on team dynamics and tournament competition than something like Major (which follows one player’s entire career) or Cross Game (which leans heavily into character drama and romance). If you love the intensity of high school tournament storylines, the drama of earning a starting spot, and watching an underdog pitcher claw his way to the top — Ace of the Diamond is one of the best in the genre for that specific experience.