After the Rain Manga Volumes: Complete Buying Guide
After the Rain Manga Volumes: The Complete Picture (10 Volumes, 82 Chapters)
After the Rain — originally titled 恋は雨上がりのように in Japanese — is a completed manga spanning 10 volumes and 82 chapters. It was originally published chapter by chapter in a manga magazine (a process called serialization) from June 2014 to March 2018, then collected into book form by the Japanese publisher Shogakukan (小学館). The creator is Jun Mayuzuki (眉月じゅん).
The story follows 17-year-old Akira Tachibana, a former track star sidelined by injury, who develops feelings for her 45-year-old restaurant manager, Masami Kondou. The series handles its central dynamic with remarkable care. This isn’t played for shock value. It’s a quiet, emotionally layered story about longing, regret, ambition, and what it means to start moving forward again after life knocks you sideways.
For English-language readers, the entire series is available as 5 omnibus volumes — meaning each book collects two of the original Japanese volumes into one thicker edition — published by Vertical (the English-language publisher). All 10 volumes of content fit neatly into 5 physical books. That’s it — five books, one complete story, no loose ends.
This makes After the Rain an ideal series for marathon reading. There’s no ongoing wait, no extended publication breaks, and no ambiguous “is it cancelled or just on hold?” limbo. The story has a beginning, a middle, and a very deliberate ending.
Every Volume at a Glance
Here’s a look at the series volume by volume. The Japanese release dates are listed below, along with spoiler-light notes on what each stretch of the story covers.
| Volume | Japanese Release | What to Expect |
|---|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | January 2015 | Introduces Akira, her quiet intensity, and her feelings for the unassuming Kondou. Sets the rain-soaked atmosphere that defines the series. |
| Vol. 2 | April 2015 | Akira’s feelings become harder to hide. We learn more about her track background and what she lost. |
| Vol. 3 | September 2015 | The workplace dynamic between Akira and Kondou grows more complicated. Supporting characters get real depth. |
| Vol. 4 | January 2016 | Kondou’s own past comes into sharper focus — his abandoned literary ambitions and the weight of middle age. |
| Vol. 5 | June 2016 | The emotional center of the series begins to shift. Akira starts reckoning with what she actually wants from life. |
| Vol. 6 | October 2016 | Relationships and friendships are tested. The story’s concerns — about passion, purpose, and moving on — crystallize. |
| Vol. 7 | March 2017 | Akira’s connection to track and field resurfaces in a way that forces her to confront what she’s been avoiding. The tension between her feelings for Kondou and her athletic identity sharpens. |
| Vol. 8 | July 2017 | Kondou’s literary past catches up with him. Old friendships and unfinished ambitions come back into play, and both leads face questions they can no longer put off. |
| Vol. 9 | November 2017 | The story’s two emotional threads — Akira’s running and Kondou’s writing — begin converging. The pacing tightens and the stakes feel personal. |
| Vol. 10 | April 2018 | The final volume. Everything the series has been building toward comes together. The ending arrives with purpose and emotional clarity. All 82 chapters form a single, complete story from start to finish. |
How the English Omnibus Volumes Map to the Japanese Editions
This is the part that confuses a lot of people when shopping, so here’s the simple breakdown:
| English Omnibus | Contains |
|---|---|
| Omnibus 1 | Japanese Volumes 1–2 |
| Omnibus 2 | Japanese Volumes 3–4 |
| Omnibus 3 | Japanese Volumes 5–6 |
| Omnibus 4 | Japanese Volumes 7–8 |
| Omnibus 5 | Japanese Volumes 9–10 |
So when you see listings showing “5 volumes” and other listings showing “10 volumes,” both are technically correct. Five physical English omnibus books contain all the content from 10 Japanese volumes. You’re not missing anything by buying the 5-book set — that IS the complete series in English.
English Omnibus Editions vs. Japanese Singles
Understanding the two formats helps you shop smarter and avoid accidentally double-buying or thinking you’re missing volumes.
The English Omnibus Path
The English omnibus editions from Vertical are two-in-one collections. Each book has a thicker spine and contains roughly twice the page count of a standard single volume. For most English-speaking readers, this is the only format you need to think about. Five books, done.
The omnibus format has some practical advantages. You’re buying fewer individual items, which usually means less shelf space and fewer transactions. The spines look cohesive together. And because each book contains a larger chunk of story, you get satisfying reading sessions — you won’t blow through a single volume in 20 minutes and immediately need the next one.
The Japanese Singles Path
The original Japanese edition consists of 10 individual volumes published by Shogakukan. These are the standard manga volume size (called tankōbon in Japanese) — thinner, lighter, and each one covers roughly 8 chapters.
If you read Japanese or you’re a collector who wants the original cover art at its intended size, the Japanese singles are worth seeking out. The cover illustrations for After the Rain are genuinely lovely — Jun Mayuzuki’s watercolor-influenced style translates beautifully to the smaller format.
Why Listings Can Be Confusing
Here’s the scenario that trips people up: you’re browsing online, and one listing says “After the Rain, 5 volumes” while another says “After the Rain, 10 volumes.” You wonder if the 5-volume set is incomplete, or if there’s a longer edition you didn’t know about.
The answer is simple. 5 English omnibus books = 10 Japanese volumes = 82 chapters = the complete story. Same content, different packaging. If you’re buying in English, look for the 5 omnibus volumes and you’ll have everything.
How the Final Volume Wraps Up the Story
One of the most common questions about any completed manga is: does it actually end well? For After the Rain, the answer is yes — with a caveat that depends on what you’re expecting.
This series is widely appreciated for its emotional maturity and restraint. The ending doesn’t take the easy road, and it doesn’t deliver a conventional romance resolution. Instead, it follows through on the ideas that have been building since chapter one — about rediscovering passion, confronting the things you’ve given up on, and finding the courage to run again (literally and figuratively).
The conclusion was not rushed and not cancelled. Jun Mayuzuki brought the story to a natural stopping point at 82 chapters, and it shows. The final volume feels like the ending the series was always building toward. Readers who connect with the series’ quieter, more introspective approach to storytelling tend to find the ending deeply satisfying.
Without giving anything away: if you go into After the Rain expecting the romance to resolve the way a typical love story might, you may be surprised. If you go in expecting a thoughtful story about two people at different crossroads in life, each needing to figure out their own path forward — you’ll love where it lands.
This is one of those series where the ending actually makes the whole journey better in retrospect. Knowing how it concludes makes a reread feel richer, not emptier. That alone makes it worth owning the complete set rather than just reading a few volumes.
Where to Buy the Complete After the Rain Manga Volumes
Since the entire series fits into just 5 omnibus volumes, building a complete collection is straightforward. Each omnibus carries a list price in the typical range for two-in-one manga editions, so budgeting for all five books upfront is reasonable for most readers.
New Copies
The 5 English omnibus volumes from Vertical are available through major online retailers and brick-and-mortar bookstores. Any store that carries manga should be able to order them if they’re not already on the shelf. Dedicated manga retailers — both online storefronts and physical shops that specialize in manga and comics — are also a reliable option.
The fifth and final omnibus, which collects Japanese volumes 9 and 10 and brings the story to its conclusion, is a good place to check availability first. If that one’s in stock, the rest of the set usually is too.
After the Rain, Vol. 10 (final volume)
Digital Editions
Digital versions of After the Rain are available through major e-book platforms such as Kindle, Kobo, and other digital manga storefronts. If you prefer reading on a tablet or e-reader, this is a space-saving way to own the complete series. Digital editions sometimes follow the original 10-volume Japanese numbering rather than the 5-book omnibus split, so don’t be alarmed if you see 10 digital volumes listed — it’s the same content.
Used and Secondhand Sets
For budget-conscious readers, keep an eye out for complete used sets. Because After the Rain is a finished series with a relatively small volume count, complete sets do show up in secondhand manga markets, used bookstores, and online resale platforms. A 5-book set is easy to ship and store, which works in your favor when buying used.
When buying used manga, check that the listing specifies all 5 omnibus volumes (or all 10 if you’re buying Japanese singles). Incomplete sets are common in used manga markets, and you want to make sure volumes 4 and 5 are included — those are sometimes the hardest to find secondhand since they were printed later.
A Quick Note on the Anime
After the Rain also received an animated TV series adaptation (anime), which may be how some of you first heard about the story. If you watched the anime and want more, the manga is where the full story lives. The anime covers a portion of the manga, but the complete 82-chapter narrative — especially the ending — is only available in the original manga volumes. Going from the anime to the omnibus editions is a natural next step, and the reading experience adds layers that the adaptation didn’t have time to explore.
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After the Rain is one of those series that’s easy to recommend and hard to forget. Ten volumes, eighty-two chapters, one complete story about two people figuring out what they really want from life. Five omnibus books on your shelf, and you’re done. Grab the first omnibus and see for yourself.