▁sports ▁game ", ▁and ▁with ▁this ▁prem ise ▁in ▁mind ▁he ▁decided ▁that ▁American ▁football ▁would ▁be ▁" a ▁very ▁suitable ▁material ." ▁When ▁originally ▁creating ▁E yes h ield ▁ 2 1 , ▁In ag aki ▁said ▁he ▁was ▁w ary ▁because ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁his ▁m anga ▁becoming ▁" a ▁sim ulator ▁of ▁football ". ▁The ▁fact ▁that ▁football ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁popular ▁sport ▁in ▁Japan ▁also ▁wor ried ▁In ag aki . ▁As ▁last ▁resort , ▁he ▁thought ▁to ▁turn ▁the ▁series ▁into ▁a ▁" K amen ▁R ider - style ▁mask ed ▁hero ▁story " ▁if ▁it ▁could ▁not ▁met ▁the ▁popular ity ▁required ▁for ▁the ▁magazine . ▁However , ▁it ▁was ▁such ▁a ▁popular ▁series ▁that ▁online ▁comment ators ▁said ▁that , ▁considering ▁the ▁series ' ▁final ▁length , ▁the ▁edit ors ▁may ▁have ▁ins isted ▁that ▁E yes h ield ▁be ▁kept ▁going ▁due ▁to ▁business ▁reasons . ▁However , ▁In ag aki ▁declared ▁that ▁the ▁m anga ▁was ▁" ex actly ▁how ▁[ he ] ▁wanted ▁to ▁tell ▁the ▁story " ▁and ▁that ▁Mur ata ▁also ▁second ed ▁it . ▁ ▁Media ▁ ▁M anga ▁ ▁The ▁E yes h ield ▁ 2 1 ▁m anga ▁series ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁Ri ich iro ▁In ag aki , ▁illustrated ▁by ▁Y us u ke ▁Mur ata , ▁and ▁originally ▁serial ized ▁by ▁Sh ue ish a ▁in ▁the ▁Japanese ▁magazine ▁Week ly ▁Sh ō nen ▁J ump ▁from ▁July ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 2 0