With the 40th and final volume of Aoashi, a soccer manga by Yugo Kobayashi that was serialized in Weekly Big Comic Spirits (Shogakukan), set to be released on August 29th, it has been announced that 39 volumes of the manga will be made available for free on the manga site Bikkomi and the manga apps Manga One and Sunday Webry. The free release will run for two weeks only, from midnight on August 15th to August 28th.
A program in which celebrities who are fans of "Aoashi" talk about its appeal, "Moriyama Ryuji Kuruma's Aoashi Favorite TV," will be broadcast on Ai TV from 9:00 pm on August 20th. Appearances include Shintaro Moriyama from the comedy duo "Mitorizu," Ryuji Maeda from "Shimoryu," Kuruma Takahira from "Reiwa Roman," and former Japanese national soccer team member Yoichiro Kakitani.
A collaboration event between Aoashi and Ehime FC, a professional soccer club that creator Kobayashi has supported for many years, called the "Aoashi Thanks Match" will be held at Ningineer Stadium (Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture) on August 31st. Limited edition towel scarves will be given away, and special guests are scheduled to be in attendance.
"Aoashi" is a manga about the youth age group of the J.League. It follows the growth of the protagonist, Asito, who becomes a member of a prestigious youth team after a selection process. The series began serialization in "Big Comic Spirits" in 2015 and reached its final chapter in June 2025, bringing the series to a close after about 10 years of serialization.
The first season of the TV anime aired from April to September 2022. There is also talk that the second season will air in 2026.
