Ace of the Diamond

Ace of Diamond (Japanese: ダイヤのA, Hepburn: Daiya no Ēsu), also known as Diamond no Ace, is a Japanese shōnen baseball manga series written and illustrated by Yuji Terajima. The first part of the series was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 2006 to 2015, with 47 tankōbon volumes, and titled Ace of Diamond. A sequel, Ace of Diamond Act II, ran from 2015 to 2022, totaling 34 tankōbon volumes. The story follows Eijun Sawamura, a passionate baseball pitcher who leaves his rural junior high to join Seido High, a prestigious baseball school. Along with his teammates, including the talented catcher Kazuya Miyuki, they strive for victory in the national Koshien tournament. The manga is known for its realistic portrayal of baseball and the characters' development, not using magical pitches or abilities, instead focusing on hard work and team dynamics. It has received awards such as the Shogakukan Manga Award and the Kodansha Manga Award and has been adapted into anime, stage plays, and musicals. Ace of Diamond has garnered a large fanbase due to its blend of sports action and character-driven narratives.