Zatch Bell![a] is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Makoto Raiku. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday between January 2001 and December 2006, concluding with 323 chapters compiled into 33 volumes. The story follows the title character Zatch Bell, a mystical being called a Mamodo, who is partnered with Kiyo Takamine, a 14-year-old schoolboy, in a once-a-millennium tournament on Earth that determines the right to rule the Mamodo world as king. During their adventure, Zatch and Kiyo encounter and battle various Mamodo and their human counterparts, as well as meet allies who aid Zatch in his quest to become a "kind king." Zatch Bell! was later adapted into a 150-episode anime television series[b] produced by Toei Animation. It was written by Akatsuki Yamatoya and Hiroshi Hashimoto, and directed by Tetsuji Nakamura and Yukio Kaizawa. The series ran on Fuji TV April 2003 through March 2006, and spanned three seasons, each containing 50 episodes. In addition to an array of licensed merchandise, the franchise also spawned a series of video games and two animated theatrical films. Viz Media licensed the manga for the English translation in North America on August 2005, but ended the release on June 2009. The television series, also licensed by Viz Media, aired on Cartoon Network's Toonami block and YTV from March 2005 to December 2008, after which the English release was also discontinued. Starz added the anime to its on-demand catalogue in 2017. The manga has over 22 million copies in circulation.[needs update?] In 2003, it won the 48th Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen category.