Eyeshield 21

Eyeshield 21

Company type	Manga series
Industry	Publishing, Animation
Founded	July 23, 2002 (2002-07-23)
Founder	Riichiro Inagaki (writer), Yusuke Murata (artist)
Headquarters	Tokyo , Japan
Products	Manga, anime, OVAs, video games, merchandise
Parent	Shueisha (publisher)

Eyeshield 21 is a Japanese manga series created by writer Riichiro Inagaki and artist Yusuke Murata. The story centers on Sena Kobayakawa, a reserved teenager who initially joins an American football team as a secretary but soon becomes the team's running back under quarterback Yoichi Hiruma. Sena wears jersey number 21 and conceals his identity with an eyeshield. Inagaki chose American football as the main theme to align with his creative vision for the narrative.

The manga was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine from July 2002 until June 2009, encompassing 333 chapters compiled into 37 volumes. The franchise expanded to include a 145-episode anime series co-produced by TV Tokyo, NAS, and Gallop, which aired on TV Tokyo between April 2005 and March 2008. Additional content includes two original video animations (OVAs), soundtrack albums, video games, and various merchandise items.

In North America, Viz Media released the manga from April 2005 through October 2011. The anime was licensed for streaming by Toonami Jetstream in collaboration with Viz Media starting December 2007 until the platform ceased operations. Subsequently, the entire series became available in English via Crunchyroll, while Sentai Filmworks secured DVD distribution rights through Section23 Films.

By July 2025, Eyeshield 21 had achieved circulation exceeding 27 million copies. Both the manga and anime consistently ranked among the weekly top ten in sales within their respective categories. The anime notably contributed to raising awareness of American football in Japan. Critics lauded the series for its artwork and character development, although some noted criticism concerning certain non-football-related story arcs.

Plot

In Tokyo, Sena Kobayakawa, a shy adolescent, enrolls at Deimon Private Senior High School. Despite his modest demeanor, Sena's remarkable speed draws the attention of the school's American football captain, Yoichi Hiruma. Hiruma recruits him as the running back for the Deimon Devil Bats. To keep his identity hidden from rival teams, Sena assumes the alias "Eyeshield 21", playing while wearing a helmet equipped with an eyeshield and officially serving as the team's secretary. The Devil Bats participate in the spring tournament but are eliminated early by the dominant Ojo White Knights.

The team's primary objective shifts to the fall tournament, a knockout competition among Tokyo's elite teams offering advancement to the Christmas Bowl—the championship game between Kantō and Kansai region victors. Hiruma, Sena, and lineman Ryokan Kurita assemble a varied lineup that includes former baseball player Tarō "Monta" Raimon as their star wide receiver and three delinquents known as the Ha-Ha Brothers anchoring the offensive line. United by their ambition, the team steadily improves. For second-year players Hiruma and Kurita, this represents their final opportunity to compete due to regulations barring third-year students.

During several exhibition games, notably against the visiting NASA Aliens from the United States, Sena befriends their running back Patrick "Panther" Spencer. Following a defeat to NASA, Deimon undergoes rigorous training in Houston under former coach Doburoku Sakaki, enduring a grueling "Death March" across the Mojave Desert. This experience solidifies team unity and prompts Sena to disclose his true identity.

Upon returning to Japan, the Devil Bats secure victories in their first three matches of the fall tournament. In the quarterfinals versus Kyoshin Poseidon, Sena discovers that "Eyeshield 21" was originally a title held by a Japanese-American player from Notre Dame High School. Although they fall short in the semifinals against Seibu Wild Gunmen, they qualify for the Kantō tournament after winning a consolation match against Bando Spiders. Prior to this game, Sena publicly reveals who he is after learning that Bando's captain Hayato Akaba is rumored to be the authentic Eyeshield 21. Deimon triumphs, and Akaba confirms that "Eyeshield 21" is an honorary title passed down to Notre Dame’s premier runner—now officially bestowed upon Sena.

In the Kantō tournament, Deimon defeats formidable teams including Shinryuji Naga’s fierce Agon Kongo and faces off once more against Ojo White Knights. Despite Hiruma sustaining an injury during the final against Hakushu Dinosaurs, they emerge victorious and advance to compete in the Christmas Bowl. There they confront undefeated Teikoku Alexanders from Osaka, led by original Eyeshield 21 Takeru Yamato. Deimon wins thanks to a record-setting 65-yard field goal by kicker Gen "Musashi" Takekura, becoming the first Kantō team to claim this championship. Yamato recognizes Sena as his legitimate successor.

Subsequently, Japan assembles a national squad for the American Football Youth World Championship held in New York City, where MVP recipients earn NFL contracts. Team Japan reaches the finals against Team America—which includes Panther—with the match ending in a draw after unofficial overtime; Panther is awarded MVP honors.

After Hiruma, Kurita, and Musashi graduate, Sena assumes captaincy of the Devil Bats. In his senior year, he attends Notre Dame High School in America before enrolling at Enma University in Japan. There he reunites with former teammates and rivals who now compete at university level or for Musashi’s corporate team as they pursue victory at the Rice Bowl—the national football championship of Japan.

An additional bonus chapter depicts Japan’s NFL International Player Pathway Program offering one Japanese athlete a chance with San Antonio Armadillos. Sena and Hiruma—currently playing for Enma Fires and Saikyodai Wizards respectively—compete in the Koshien Bowl to determine who will be selected. Although Enma appears likely to win, final decisions remain undisclosed.

Production

Prior to its full serialization, Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke Murata introduced two one-shot chapters named and in Weekly Shōnen Jump on March 5 and 12, 2002. When the series received approval for serialization, Inagaki was initially offered the dual role of writer and illustrator but, feeling uncertain about his artistic skills, he requested Murata to take on the illustration duties. Murata accepted the offer, motivated by Inagaki's innovative ideas concerning uniforms and gear.

During the manga’s original publication period, Inagaki traveled to the United States to watch college football and NFL matches firsthand to ensure accurate representation. Although he had no prior familiarity with American football, Inagaki selected it as the central theme to portray a protagonist who begins with limited abilities yet gradually masters the sport—a narrative well-suited to football. He deliberately avoided creating a purely technical football simulation, aware of the sport’s relatively low popularity in Japan. As a contingency plan, he considered pivoting to a story about a masked hero if the series did not succeed commercially.

Ultimately, Eyeshield 21 achieved significant acclaim. While some industry insiders suggested that its prolonged serialization was influenced by commercial considerations, Inagaki maintained that the storyline progressed according to his original vision, fully supported by Murata’s contributions.

Manga

The Eyeshield 21 manga, authored by Riichiro Inagaki with illustrations by Yusuke Murata, was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen publication Weekly Shōnen Jump from July 23, 2002, through June 15, 2009. The narrative spans 333 chapters compiled into 37 tankōbon volumes, which were released between December 20, 2002, and October 2, 2010. Additionally, the series was republished in Shueisha Jump Remix magazine-style editions consisting of fourteen volumes issued from June 28, 2010, until February 14, 2011. To celebrate its 21st anniversary, a special one-shot chapter of fifty-five pages was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on January 29, 2024.

In North America, Viz Media handled an English-language release under their Shonen Jump Advanced imprint from April 5, 2005, to October 4, 2011. The manga has also been licensed internationally by various publishers including Glénat (France), Culturecom (Hong Kong), Elex Media Komputindo (Indonesia), Panini Comics (Italy), Daewon Media (South Korea), and Tong Li Publishing (Taiwan).

Original video animations

Two original video animations (OVAs) inspired by the Eyeshield 21 manga were produced. The first OVA titled The Phantom Golden Bowl (幻のゴールデンボウル) was created by Production I.G and premiered at Jump Festa events in both 2003 and 2004. The second OVA, named Eyeshield 21: Christmas Bowl e no Michi – Minami no Shima de Tokkun da! YA-HA!! –, debuted at Jump Festa in 2005. Both were subsequently released on DVD; the initial OVA appeared on the Jump Festa 2004 Super DVD alongside a Naruto OVA, while the latter was included as a bonus feature on the sixth DVD volume of the Eyeshield 21 anime series.

Television series

The anime adaptation of Eyeshield 21 was a collaborative production involving TV Tokyo, NAS, and Gallop studios. It was directed by Masayoshi Nishida for episodes one through one hundred three and later by Shin Katagai from episode one hundred four through one hundred forty-five. This total of one hundred forty-five episodes aired on TV Tokyo between April 6, 2005, and March 19, 2008. Bandai Visual managed DVD distribution in Japan with thirty-six volumes released from July 2006 until June 2007. Compared to its manga counterpart, certain elements such as explicit language and references to firearms or gambling were moderated.

Viz Media and Cartoon Network initially planned to broadcast an English-dubbed version via Toonami Jetstream and NFL Rush as part of a partnership with the National Football League (NFL). However, only a condensed version of the first episode was made available on Toonami Jetstream in December 2007 before the service ceased operations. Subsequently, Crunchyroll started streaming subtitled episodes from December 2008 onward and completed availability by March 2010. On February 26, 2010, Sentai Filmworks secured licensing rights for North America and released the first fifty-two episodes across four subtitled DVD collections between May 2010 and February 2011.

Audio

The soundtrack for the Eyeshield 21 anime was created by Kō Ōtani. The series includes a total of twelve theme tracks, comprising five opening and seven closing themes. The opening songs feature "Breakthrough" and "Innocence" performed by V6, "Dang Dang" by ZZ, "Blaze Line" by Back-On, and a track by Short Leg Summer. Ending themes consist of "Be Free" by Ricken's, "Blaze Away" by The Trax, "Goal" by Beni Arashiro, "Run to Win" by Aya Hirano alongside others, as well as multiple pieces from Back-On and Short Leg Summer.

Numerous audio CDs linked to the anime were made available in Japan. The original soundtrack, titled Eyeshield 21 Complete Best Album, was released across two discs by Avex Mode on March 5, 2008. Compilation albums such as Eyeshield 21 Original Soundtrack Sound Field 1, Sound Field Especial, and Song Best—which include opening and ending themes along with character songs—were distributed between August 2005 and March 2006. Six maxi singles featuring character songs were issued: the initial three spotlighting Sena Kobayakawa, Mamori Anezaki, and Monta in October 2005; the latter three highlighting Haruto Sakuraba, Seijurou Shin, and Suzuna Taki in January 2006. Furthermore, an audio drama CD titled Eyeshield 21 Drama Field 1 was launched by Avex on September 21, 2005.

Video games

Konami produced several Eyeshield 21 video games for Sony consoles, including Eyeshield 21: Let's Play American Football! Ya! Ha!! released for the PlayStation 2 on December 22, 2005, and Eyeshield 21: Portable Edition for the PlayStation Portable on March 2, 2006. In December 2004, Nintendo secured the license for their platforms, subsequently launching Eyeshield 21: Max Devil Power for the Nintendo DS on February 2, 2006, and Eyeshield 21: Devilbats Devildays for the Game Boy Advance on April 6, 2006. A proposed GameCube version was ultimately canceled. Nintendo also introduced Eyeshield 21: The Field's Greatest Warriors for the Wii exclusively in Japan on March 8, 2007. Additionally, characters from the franchise appeared within Nintendo DS titles Jump Super Stars and Jump Ultimate Stars, broadening exposure through cross-promotional efforts.

Print media

Two art books inspired by Eyeshield 21 were published: Eyeshield 21 Illustration Collection: Field of Colors on November 2, 2006, and Paint Jump: Art of Eyeshield 21 on December 19, 2008. The official databook titled Eyeshield 21 Official Databook: Chou Senshu Retsuden Ballers High came out on October 4, 2005.

Moreover, two light novels were released: the first authored by Katsumi Hasegawa adapting the initial OVA episode, published March 24, 2004; the second novel, Eyeshield 21: Netto no Hundred Game!, written by Eijima Jun and issued May 26, 2006. Both novels featured illustrations contributed by original creator Murata.

Other

In Japan, a variety of merchandise related to the series was available including jigsaw puzzles, action figures, plush toys, calendars, keychains, and a medal game machine. Konami also introduced a collectible card game series connected to the franchise.

Reception

Best-selling manga rankings

No.	Peak rank	Notes	Refs
2	7	1 week
3	6	2 weeks
4	5	1 week
5	6	2 weeks
7	8	2 weeks
8	5	1 week
9	4	1 week
10	4	2 weeks
11	6	2 weeks
12	7	1 week

Popularity

By mid-2025, the manga had surpassed 27 million copies distributed worldwide, encompassing both print and digital formats. Individual volumes regularly secured positions within the top ten best-selling manga charts. In North America, it appeared multiple times among the top 300 best-selling graphic novels according to Diamond Comic Distributors. The anime adaptation consistently achieved strong television ratings in Japan, with the premiere episode reaching a 7.5 percent audience share. In a 2006 TV Asahi survey ranking the top 100 anime series, Eyeshield 21 was placed 47th. The series played a significant role in boosting interest and participation in American football among Japanese youth. Despite this success domestically, it struggled to gain substantial traction in the United States market.

Reviews

The Eyeshield 21 manga has been met with broadly favorable critiques. Deb Aoki of About.com placed it alongside Bleach as the premier ongoing manga of 2007, highlighting its well-crafted characters, dynamic illustrations, and a compelling blend of humor, action, and drama. She reiterated this praise in 2008, once again selecting it as the best continuing series for its distinctive qualities compared to contemporaries. That same year, Sam Kusek from Pop Culture Shock also named it the top ongoing manga. Chris Zimmerman from Comic Book Bin commended volumes 30 through 33 as exemplary shonen works, emphasizing character growth, intense battles, and comedic elements. Scott Campbell at Active Anime described the series as packed with action and noted continuous improvements in its artistic style and humor.

Mania.com's Jarred Pine lauded the series' energetic depiction of football alongside its comedic tone. June Shimonishi of the School Library Journal praised its innovative approach to sports genre conventions and meticulous artwork. Zac Bertschy from Anime News Network admired how the story transformed an unlikely premise into an engaging narrative. Carlo Santos, also from ANN, characterized it as a "standard sports tale" elevated by compelling characters and strong visuals; he suggested it could positively influence perceptions of American football through its exciting sequences. Although Santos later pointed out some clichés and occasional plot inconsistencies, he recognized its solid art style, action scenes, and pacing as exemplary of "pure sports storytelling at its finest."

The anime adaptation garnered mixed to generally positive feedback. Bobby Cooper of DVD Talk praised its clear explanations of American football rules tailored for viewers unfamiliar with the sport, likening these segments to instructional parts found in Hikaru No Go. He identified the on-field action as a highlight but criticized slower pacing and less engaging off-field scenes. Erin Finnegan from Anime News Network valued the anime’s brisk tempo and effective rule exposition that preserved dramatic tension but noted inconsistent animation quality outside gameplay sequences. Chris Beveridge at Mania Entertainment acknowledged a strong central narrative about personal development through sports but felt it was sometimes overshadowed by less captivating scenarios.

Notes

Japanese