The Japanese publisher Shogakukan has confirmed in its preview for this year's 31st issue of Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine that Takuya Mitsuda's Major baseball manga is nearing its end after 15 years. The story follows Gorō, the son of a major league batter who dreams of making it big himself. The manga has been running in the magazine since late 1994, and the 76th compiled book volume shipped in Japan last month.

The manga inspired its first television anime series in 2004, and the sixth television anime series just launched this past April. The manga also inspired an anime film titled Major: Yūjō no Winning Shot in 2008.

The 31st issue of Weekly Shonen Sunday, which does not actually contain the final chapter of Major, will ship in Japan on June 30.

This year's 32nd issue of Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine has announced on Wednesday that the 78th and final limited-edition volume of the Major baseball manga will ship in the middle of December with a special original video anime (OVA). Takuya Mitsuda ended this manga in the same issue of Weekly Shonen Sunday after a 16-year run that began in 1994.