The 1981 Captain Tsubasa (キャプテン翼) manga is the first instalment of the Captain Tsubasa series created by Yoichi Takahashi. After the success of the 1980 oneshot Captain Tsubasa, Takahashi was given the green light to serialize the story. The series was originally serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump comic book magazine between 1981 and 1988, from issue #18 of 1981 to issue #22 of 1988, spanning a total of 356 chapters in magazine serialization. In its publication in tankobon format, the series was compiled in 37 volumes in its first edition. In aizoban and bunko format, the series was compiled in 21 volumes. The series has also been reprinted in Shueisha Jump Remix bunko several times and is also available in digital format.