Love and Lies Manga Volumes: Complete Guide (2026)

Love and Lies (恋と嘘, the Japanese title) by Musawo (ムサヲ) is one of those series where the love and lies manga volumes count trips people up — and for good reason. Manga, for anyone new to the term, refers to Japanese comics, typically published as a series of paperback-sized books called volumes. This series is complete at 12 numbered volumes, but a truly complete collection actually requires 13 books. That’s not a typo, and the explanation is one of the most interesting things about this manga.

Whether you’re starting fresh or checking that your shelf isn’t missing a book, here’s everything laid out clearly.

How Many Love and Lies Manga Volumes Are There?

The short answer: 12 numbered volumes, published in English by Kodansha USA (the North American publishing arm of Japanese publisher Kodansha) in both print and digital formats. The series is finished — no more volumes are coming.

The longer answer: Volume 12 was released as two separate books — The Lilina Ending and The Misaki Ending. Each is its own distinct product with its own unique identifier, sold separately. So while the series runs from Volume 1 through Volume 12, a complete collection on your shelf is actually 13 physical (or digital) items: Volumes 1–11, plus both editions of Volume 12.

This isn’t a special edition or a reprint situation. These are two different books with different stories inside. If you only own one Volume 12, you’re missing half the ending. More on that in a moment.

The Japanese edition, also published by Kodansha, ran for 12 volumes as well, with the final volume released on January 7, 2022. The manga was originally serialized on the Manga Box digital platform before being collected into volumes. The English release mirrors the Japanese volume structure exactly.

The Two Volume 12s, Explained

This is the part that makes Love and Lies stand out from almost every other completed manga on the market.

A Single Story Through Volume 11

Volumes 1 through 11 follow a single story told in order. There are no branching paths, no alternate versions — just one continuous narrative. You read them in order, 1 through 11, exactly as you’d expect with any book series.

The premise is a near-future Japan where the government assigns marriage partners to citizens through a compatibility calculation. The protagonist, caught between his own feelings and his government-assigned match, navigates a love triangle that drives the drama, romance, and sci-fi elements of the series.

The Branch Point

At Volume 12, the story splits into two different paths. Rather than choosing one definitive ending, the series offers two parallel conclusions:

• Volume 12: The Lilina Ending — resolves the story following one romantic path
• Volume 12: The Misaki Ending — resolves the story following the other

Both are labeled as Volume 12. Neither is numbered as Volume 13. They are two separate books sold individually. This is why the series has 13 distinct English-language books despite only having 12 numbered volumes.

Neither Ending Overrides the Other

This is important: both endings are equally official. There is no single “true” ending that takes priority. The author wrote both as legitimate conclusions to the story. You’re not getting a “what-if” side story or a bonus chapter — you’re getting two full, proper endings.

Reading Order

The reading order is straightforward:

1. Volumes 1–11 — read in numerical order
2. Volume 12 — read either or both endings, in whichever order you prefer

You don’t need to read one ending before the other. They branch from the same point in the story, so the order you tackle them doesn’t matter. That said, most readers end up reading both, because once you’ve finished one ending, curiosity about the road not taken is hard to resist.

Building a Complete Manga Volumes Set

All 13 books (Volumes 1–11 plus both Volume 12 editions) are available from Kodansha USA. Here’s what to keep in mind when putting your collection together.

Buying Tips for New Readers

The most important thing to know before you buy: when purchasing Volume 12, you need to add both editions to your cart separately. They are sold as two individual items. Since they share the same volume number, it’s easy to accidentally order only one and assume you have the complete series.

If you already own some volumes, check your shelf carefully — look at the subtitle on the spine or cover (the narrow edge of the book where the title is printed) to confirm whether you have The Lilina Ending, The Misaki Ending, or both.

The volumes are available at major book retailers. Volume 12 is the final piece of the whole series and the book most likely to cause confusion during purchasing, so take an extra moment to make sure you’re picking up the right edition — or both.

Print vs. Digital

Both print and digital editions are available. Digital is worth considering seriously here, especially if availability or shelf space is a concern — digital copies don’t go out of print, and you’ll always be able to access them. Print editions give you the satisfaction of a physical shelf display, but availability can vary over time.

The Anime Covers Only Part of the Story

Love and Lies received a 12-episode anime TV series (anime being the Japanese term for animation, often adapted from manga) that began broadcasting in July 2017. However, the anime covers only a portion of the manga’s story and does not reach either of the manga’s endings. If you watched the anime and want to know how the story actually concludes, the manga is the only way to get there. The manga volumes pick up well beyond where the anime leaves off, so the full reading experience is significantly more complete.

Content Rating

The series carries a 16+ rating from Kodansha USA. The romance and drama deal with mature emotional themes — government control over personal relationships, conflicting feelings of love and obligation, and the tension between personal desire and societal expectations. Keep the rating in mind if you’re buying for a younger reader.

Who Love and Lies Is For

Love and Lies occupies a sweet spot that’s surprisingly hard to find in manga: a completed romance with a sci-fi hook that doesn’t overstay its welcome.

The Premise Hooks You Immediately

Government-assigned marriage partners is such a compelling concept for a romance series. It takes the standard love-triangle setup and adds real stakes — not just emotional stakes, but institutional and societal ones. The question isn’t just “who does he end up with?” but “can personal feelings override a system designed to control your life?”

The Dual Ending Is a Real Draw

The two-ending structure isn’t a gimmick. It’s a thoughtful response to a story built around an impossible choice. For readers who like to own physical copies, it gives you a real reason to have both versions — they’re not redundant, they’re complementary. Reading both endings gives you a fuller picture of the characters and what the story was exploring.

This kind of structure, where a story splits into two different paths at the end, is unusual in manga. If you’ve ever finished a romance series and wished the author had explored the other pairing, Love and Lies literally does that for you.

A Manageable Commitment

At 12 volumes (13 books), this is a mid-length series. It’s long enough to develop its characters and premise properly, but short enough that you’re not staring down a 30+ volume mountain. You can comfortably read the whole thing in a week or two of casual reading. For readers looking to try a completed manga without committing to a massive series, Love and Lies is a solid entry point.

Who Will Enjoy It Most

• Romance manga fans looking for a finished series with no cliffhanger ending
• Sci-fi readers who enjoy “what if” social premises — in this case, a government that controls who you marry based on compatibility calculations
• Readers who collect manga and appreciate the unusual dual-ending format as a distinctive addition to their shelves
• Anime viewers who watched the 2017 series and want the complete story that the anime never finished
• Readers comfortable with a 16+ rating who want emotional complexity in their romance

Getting Started

Love and Lies doesn’t require any prior manga experience to enjoy. If you’ve never read manga before, the books read from right to left (the opposite of Western comics), but you’ll adjust within a few pages. It’s a self-contained story with a clear beginning, middle, and end — well, two ends. Pick up Volume 1, and if the premise grabs you, you’ve got a satisfying complete series waiting. With only 13 books total, you can have the full love and lies manga volumes collection on your shelf without a massive investment of time or money.