City Hunter Manga Volumes: Full Guide to All 35 Books

All 35 City Hunter Manga Volumes — The Complete Breakdown

The City Hunter manga is fully complete. It ran in Weekly Shonen Jump — one of Japan’s biggest weekly manga magazines — from 1985 to 1991, spanning 336 chapters collected into 35 Japanese volumes. The entire story is finished, beginning to end, and has been for over three decades.

Created by Hojo Tsukasa (北条司), City Hunter follows Ryo Saeba, a “sweeper” — essentially a private bodyguard and underground problem-solver who takes on dangerous jobs nobody else will touch — operating in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo. He’s phenomenally talented at his work and an absolute disaster when it comes to women, a shameless flirt whose antics are kept in check by his partner Kaori Makimura, usually via a comically oversized hammer. The series blends sharp action sequences with slapstick comedy and genuine emotional moments in a way that few manga have matched before or since.

For English-speaking readers, Abrams ComicArts — through their manga publishing label Kana — launched a 3-in-1 omnibus edition in 2025. An omnibus means multiple original volumes collected into one thicker book. As of now, three omnibus books are available, covering the equivalent of Japanese volumes 1 through 9. The English release is still ongoing — there is no complete English set yet. If you want the full story in English print, you’ll need to be patient as future omnibus volumes roll out.

A quick note on content: despite running in a magazine aimed at teen boys, City Hunter features adult humor throughout, including frequent sexual comedy and innuendo. It’s not graphic, but it’s persistent. Parents checking this series for younger readers should be aware of that tone.

The complete Japanese edition has been available for over three decades, and the full story is there for anyone willing to read it in the original language or wait for the English releases to catch up. Either way, City Hunter is a finished classic — one of the defining action-comedy manga of the 1980s and a great candidate for reading the whole thing in one go.

Japanese Volume List at a Glance

All 35 volumes were published under the Jump Comics label by Shueisha (the publisher behind Weekly Shonen Jump) between 1986 and 1992. Rather than listing every single volume, here are the key milestone volumes across the series:

Volume 1 (January 1986) — Where It All Begins

The series kicks off with Ryo Saeba establishing himself as a “City Hunter” — available for dangerous, off-the-books jobs, but only reachable through a cryptic message board at Shinjuku Station. You meet Kaori Makimura here too, and the dynamic that defines the entire series — his impossible flirting, her hammer-based corrections, their reluctant but deepening partnership — locks into place almost immediately. Volume 1 sets the tone: cool gunfights, ridiculous comedy, and a surprising amount of heart underneath both.

Volume 10 (1987) — The Formula Clicks

By the tenth volume, City Hunter had settled into the structure that made it a hit. Each story arc — a self-contained storyline, usually spanning a few chapters — follows Ryo taking on a new client with a new problem, often a woman in danger. The formula sounds repetitive on paper, but Hojo uses each client’s story to reveal different sides of Ryo and Kaori. By this point the character relationships, especially the tension between Ryo and Kaori, are deepening in ways that keep you turning pages even when you know the action will work out.

Volume 18 (1989) — The Midpoint

Roughly halfway through the series, volume 18 represents City Hunter at peak confidence. The stories tackle more complex threats — organized crime, international intrigue, personal vendettas — and Hojo Tsukasa’s artwork has evolved noticeably from the earlier volumes, with more detailed action sequences and stronger emotional close-ups. If the first few volumes hooked you, the middle stretch rewards your commitment.

Volume 25 (1990) — The Stakes Rise

The later storylines bring higher stakes and more emotional weight. By volume 25, the series is clearly building toward something, and recurring characters carry more baggage — both literal and emotional. The comedy is still there (including the running “mokkori” gag — Ryo’s catchphrase for his, let’s say, enthusiastic physical reactions to attractive women), but it sits alongside moments that hit much harder than you might expect from a manga built on slapstick.

Volume 30 (1991) — Approaching the Finish Line

Five volumes from the end, the series begins tying together threads that have been running for years. The action escalates, and Ryo’s character — who can seem almost impenetrably cool in early volumes — shows more vulnerability here.

Volume 35 (April 1992) — The Final Volume

This is where it all wraps up. The complete story of Ryo Saeba and Kaori Makimura concludes in volume 35. Without spoiling anything, the ending is satisfying and fits the tone of the series — it gives the characters (and the reader) what they’ve earned over 35 volumes. This is the one you’re building toward.

English Omnibus Editions — What’s Available So Far

For English-speaking readers, the current way to read City Hunter in print is through the Abrams ComicArts omnibus line, published under their Kana label.

Format Details

Each omnibus collects three Japanese volumes into a single physical book. This 3-in-1 format means fewer books on your shelf and more story per purchase.

Current Coverage

As of now, three omnibus volumes have been released, covering the equivalent of Japanese volumes 1 through 9. The omnibus line launched in September 2025, so it’s still relatively early days.

How Many Omnibus Volumes Will There Be?

The original series is 35 Japanese volumes. At a rate of 3 Japanese volumes per omnibus, a complete English release would require roughly 12 omnibus books (with the last one potentially containing only 2 Japanese volumes, since 35 doesn’t divide evenly by 3). That means there are approximately 9 more omnibus volumes to go before English readers have the full story in print.

A Note on Pace

The release schedule will determine how long the full English edition takes to complete. At a pace of one omnibus every few months, English readers are looking at a multi-year wait to get the whole series. This is worth knowing upfront — if you start collecting now, you’re committing to a long-term shelf build.

What About Digital?

Official English digital editions of City Hunter are available. Kana (the Abrams ComicArts imprint) publishes Kindle editions of the omnibus volumes on Amazon, with the first digital omnibus released September 23, 2025. If you prefer digital reading, the same content available in print is also accessible on Kindle.

How Much Does a Complete Set Cost

English Omnibus (In Progress)

With only three omnibus volumes currently in print, buying the “complete” English set isn’t possible yet. Each omnibus carries a typical retail price in line with other 3-in-1 manga editions — generally in the range you’d expect for a 600-plus-page collected volume. At a projected 12 omnibus books for the full series, budgeting for the complete English set means planning for 12 purchases over several years. That said, the omnibus format generally offers a lower cost per chapter compared to buying individual volumes, since you’re getting three volumes’ worth of content in each book.

Japanese Complete Set (35 Volumes)

The Japanese edition has been out of print — meaning no longer being manufactured — in its original Jump Comics run for a long time, but it’s readily available through secondhand sellers and Japanese book retailers. Prices vary significantly depending on condition. A clean, complete 35-volume set in good shape will cost considerably more than a well-read set with shelf wear. Japanese used bookstores (both physical and online) tend to be the most reliable source for these.

Budget Approach for Beginners

If you’re not sure City Hunter is for you, start with the first omnibus. It covers Japanese volumes 1–3, which is more than enough to know whether the series clicks with your taste. Three volumes of story gives you a solid feel for the characters, the humor, and the action — and if it’s not for you, you’re only out the price of one book.

No need to plan a full 12-book purchase right now. Just grab the first one and see how it sits.

Which Edition Should You Buy

This depends entirely on your situation, so here’s a quick breakdown:

If You Read Japanese

The 35-volume Jump Comics edition is the definitive complete set. It’s the original format, it’s finished, and it’s been available for over 30 years. You can read the entire story right now without waiting for anything.

If You Read English Only

The Abrams ComicArts (Kana) 3-in-1 omnibus is your current in-print option. It’s a well-produced edition with modern print quality, and the omnibus format is convenient — fewer books to buy and store compared to collecting 35 individual volumes.

The major caveat: the English edition does not yet cover the full series. Only Japanese volumes 1–9 are available in English print right now. If finishing the story quickly is important to you, this is a factor to weigh.

Omnibus Advantages

Factor	35 Single Volumes (Japanese)	3-in-1 Omnibus (English)
Total books to collect	35	~12 (projected)
Shelf space	More	Less
Language	Japanese	English
Complete now?	Yes	No — in progress
Cost per chapter	Varies widely (secondhand market)	Generally lower per chapter

Collector Note

If your goal is to own the complete City Hunter in English print, there is no way to do that today. The omnibus line is the first major English print release, and it’s still in its early volumes. Plan for a multi-year collection timeline.

Where to Buy City Hunter in English

The English omnibus volumes are relatively new and currently in print, which means availability is strong. Here are your main options:

Amazon and Major Online Retailers

The omnibus volumes are available through Amazon and other major online booksellers. The latest omnibus can be found easily by searching for the series title.

Bookstores

Both chain bookstores and independent shops that carry manga should have the Abrams ComicArts omnibus editions in stock or available for order. Since this is a new release from a well-distributed publisher, getting copies through standard book retail channels shouldn’t be difficult.

Online Manga Retailers

Specialty manga and comic retailers — both large ones and smaller independent shops — carry the omnibus line as well. If you prefer supporting dedicated manga retailers, this is a solid option.

Availability Outlook

Because the Abrams omnibus line launched in 2025, current volumes should be readily available at full retail. This is not a situation where you’re hunting for out-of-print rarities — you can walk into most well-stocked bookstores and find it. The challenge isn’t finding the books that exist; it’s waiting for the ones that haven’t been published yet.

For the complete story right now, the Japanese 35-volume edition remains the only option — available primarily through Japanese booksellers and import shops.

—

City Hunter is one of those manga that helped shape what action-comedy manga could be. Its mix of gunfight tension, slapstick humor, and slow-burn romance between Ryo and Kaori set a template that echoes through later series like Angel Heart (Hojo’s own spinoff set in a parallel universe) and countless other buddy-action manga. Whether you grab the new English omnibus or track down the Japanese originals, the full 35-volume story is worth your time. Start with volume 1 — Ryo and Kaori will take it from there.