TOKYO: The smash-hit Japanese football manga series “Captain Tsubasa” came to an end Thursday after a 43-year run with its creator Yoichi Takahashi saying he would retire as a manga artist but continue “creative activities”, Kyodo news agency reported.

Takahashi, 63, said he will still produce stories on Tsubasa, the football prodigy who is the main character of the series, but switch to a rough storyboard format that he expects to be able to produce more quickly, delivering it to fans on a dedicated website.