Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average Manga Volumes Guide
Your Complete Guide to “Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!” Manga Volumes
Here’s the short version: “Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!” is a comedy isekai manga — meaning it’s set in a fantasy world where the main character has been transported from modern-day life — based on FUNA’s light novel series (Japanese illustrated novels that serve as source material for many manga adaptations), with original character designs by Itsuki Akata and art by Nekomint. The manga ran from 2017 to 2019 in Japan and is complete at 5 volumes, all of which are available in English. It follows Mile, a girl who’s reborn into a fantasy world after asking to be made “average.” The catch? The powers she receives are the average between the weakest and strongest creatures in existence — making her wildly, hilariously overpowered.
The English edition is published by Seven Seas Entertainment, a US-based company that translates and releases manga in English. The manga tells a contained story drawn from the light novels. The series is finished — all 5 manga volumes are out, and the English release is complete. For readers who want a lighthearted, fun isekai they can collect and actually finish, this one fits the bill perfectly. It’s short, sweet, and doesn’t ask you to commit to dozens of volumes.
The premise alone sets the comedic tone: Mile desperately wants to live a normal, inconspicuous life, but her absurdly powerful abilities keep blowing her cover in the most entertaining ways possible. If you’re tired of grim, self-serious fantasy series and just want something that makes you laugh, this series delivers.
What makes it especially appealing for collectors is the manageable size. At just 5 volumes, this isn’t a sprawling 30+ volume commitment. It’s a compact set you can pick up, binge through in a weekend or two, and have a satisfying reading experience from start to finish. The comedy builds on itself — recurring gags land harder as you get to know the characters — but each volume also works as a fun standalone adventure.
The Easiest Way to Collect Every Volume
Seven Seas Entertainment handles the English release, and they’ve made it straightforward to get your hands on all 5 manga volumes in both print and digital formats.
Print Editions
The manga comes in standard-sized paperback volumes — the typical size you’d find on any bookstore manga shelf, roughly the dimensions of a small paperback novel. Seven Seas keeps the presentation clean and consistent across volumes, so they look great lined up on a shelf together.
You can find these at major book retailers, both online and in physical stores. If you’re the type who likes to hold actual pages, print is absolutely the way to go with this series. The art style is cute and expressive, and it pops nicely on physical paper.
A good strategy: grab Volume 1 first and see if the humor clicks for you before buying the rest. The comedy style is pretty consistent throughout, so if Volume 1 makes you laugh, you’re in for a good time with the whole set. If the jokes don’t land for you in the first volume, the series probably isn’t your thing — and that’s totally fine. Better to find out early.
Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! (Manga) Vol. 1
Digital Editions
Digital versions are available through major platforms including Kindle, BookWalker (a manga-focused digital store), and Kobo. This is honestly the most hassle-free way to collect the series, since digital editions don’t go out of stock and you can start reading immediately.
Digital also tends to be a bit easier on the wallet over the course of a full series. Seven Seas’ digital editions are well-formatted and look sharp on tablets and e-readers. If you’re reading on a tablet with a decent screen, the art comes through beautifully.
Pricing Notes
Seven Seas manga volumes typically carry a standard list price in line with other English-language manga releases. Nothing unusual or premium-priced here — just standard manga pricing you’d expect from any similar series. If you’re collecting the whole set, keep an eye on digital storefronts where bundled purchasing options sometimes appear.
Volume-by-Volume Breakdown — What to Expect
Here’s a rundown of what each of the 5 manga volumes brings to the table, so you know what you’re getting into. No major spoilers — just enough to set your expectations.
Volume 1 — The “Average” Girl Arrives
This is where everything kicks off. Mile enrolls at the Hunter’s Prep School — essentially a training academy for people who want to work as adventurers — determined to live a quiet, unremarkable life. The problem? Her “average” abilities are calculated as the midpoint between the weakest and most powerful beings in existence, which means she’s basically a walking nuclear warhead pretending to be a regular student.
Volume 1 establishes the comedic engine that drives the entire series: Mile trying desperately to be normal while being anything but. You’ll get a feel for the humor right away — it’s playful, self-aware, and leans into the absurdity of the premise rather than taking itself seriously. The supporting cast starts to take shape here too, and FUNA’s knack for silly situational comedy comes through clearly in Nekomint’s artwork.
If you’ve seen the anime adaptation (a 12-episode animated TV series that aired in 2019), the manga still has plenty to offer since the pacing and specific scenes differ. But you absolutely do not need to have seen the anime. Volume 1 is the only entry point — no need to read the light novels first either.
Volume 2 — The Crimson Vow Forms
This is where the series really finds its groove. Mile teams up with three other girls to form the Crimson Vow, a named adventuring party — think of it as a small team that takes on missions together. This group becomes the heart of the series. Each member brings a different personality and fighting style, and the group dynamic is where much of the comedy lives.
The banter between party members is a highlight. You’ve got the earnest warrior, the sharp-tongued mage, the devoted healer, and Mile — who’s trying to hide the fact that she could complete any mission on her own without breaking a sweat. The chemistry between these four is genuinely fun, and Volume 2 is where you’ll start to feel invested in them as a group rather than just following Mile’s solo antics.
Volume 3 — Real Quests, Real Worldbuilding
The Crimson Vow takes on actual adventuring missions, and the world opens up. There’s more variety in the settings and scenarios, and we start to get backstory for the supporting cast. Character motivations get a bit more depth without ever losing the lighthearted tone.
This volume strikes a nice balance between comedy and worldbuilding. You learn more about how the fantasy setting works — including the guild system that assigns missions to adventuring parties — and what drives each member of the group beyond just “go on quests and have fun.” It’s still primarily a comedy, but the added layers make it richer.
Volume 4 — Mile’s Secret Gets Harder to Keep
Stakes go up a notch here. Mile’s past and her true identity start becoming harder to conceal, and there are moments of genuine tension woven between the comedy beats. The series doesn’t suddenly become dark or dramatic — it just adds enough weight to keep you turning pages for reasons beyond “what’s the next funny thing.”
This is often where readers who were on the fence find themselves fully hooked. The combination of escalating plot threads and the now-established character dynamics creates momentum that carries you forward.
Volume 5 — The Final Volume
Volume 5 is the last volume of the manga. The Crimson Vow faces more serious challenges that test the group’s bonds, and the overarching storyline reaches a satisfying conclusion. Mile’s overpowered abilities become both a source of comedy and a narrative complication — how do you keep a low profile when you keep accidentally saving the world? The threads built up across the previous four volumes come together, and without spoiling the specifics, you won’t be left on a cliffhanger or wondering what happens next.
The humor stays strong even as the situations get more intense. FUNA has a talent for deflating tension with a well-timed joke without making the stakes feel meaningless. Nekomint’s art handles both the action sequences and the comedic reaction faces with equal skill.
The manga adaptation covers a complete story drawn from the much longer light novel series. So while the light novels continue Mile’s adventures well beyond this point, the manga tells a complete, satisfying story on its own terms. You can close Volume 5 feeling good about the journey. And if you fall in love with the characters and want even more of their adventures, the light novels are there waiting for you — but you absolutely don’t need them. The manga stands on its own.
Which Volumes Are Essential Starting Points?
Volume 1 is the only real entry point. The series is designed to be read sequentially — comedy and character dynamics build on what came before, and jumping into the middle would rob you of context that makes the jokes land.
Even if you’ve watched the anime, starting from Volume 1 is the way to go. The manga and anime differ in pacing and which scenes they emphasize, so there’s plenty of fresh material even if you know the broad strokes of the story.
The good news: at only 5 manga volumes, starting from the beginning isn’t a big ask. You could easily read the whole thing in a couple of sitting sessions.
Availability Pitfalls to Watch For
Collecting this series is mostly painless, but there are a few things worth knowing.
Print Stock Can Be Spotty
As of this writing, print editions of this series have limited availability — the series is out of print, meaning new physical copies may be difficult to find through standard retail channels. You may still find copies through third-party sellers or used bookstores, but availability is not guaranteed.
If you’re buying print copies, it can be smart to grab the whole set when you see everything available rather than spacing your purchases out over months. That way you avoid the frustration of having most of the set on your shelf with one gap that takes a while to fill.
Digital Is Always There
Digital editions don’t have stock issues. If you want guaranteed instant access to every volume, digital is the reliable fallback. This is especially handy if a particular print volume is temporarily out of stock — you can read the digital version while waiting for your physical copy to ship.
No Special Editions to Worry About
There are no variant covers, limited editions, or special box sets to hunt down. Every volume has one standard edition, which makes collecting simple and stress-free. You don’t need to worry about missing a rare printing or paying a premium for a collector’s edition that might exist somewhere.
Digital Bundle Deals
Digital storefronts occasionally offer bundle pricing or promotional sales on manga series. Keeping an eye on the platforms where you buy digital manga can sometimes land you the whole set at a nice price. Since it’s only 5 volumes, the total cost is manageable even at full list price.
A Finished Comedy Isekai That Won’t Leave You Hanging
One of the biggest frustrations in manga collecting is investing time and money in a series that never gets a proper ending — either because it’s still ongoing with no end in sight, or because the English release stalled out. This series doesn’t have that problem.
The manga is complete at 5 volumes, and the full English release from Seven Seas is finished. The story reaches a natural, satisfying conclusion. You won’t be left on a cliffhanger wondering what happens next. No waiting for future manga volumes, no anxiety about cancellation, no incomplete English release. It’s all there, ready to read from start to finish.
This makes it a genuinely satisfying binge read. You can sit down, marathon through all 5 volumes, and walk away feeling like you got a complete story. The comedy doesn’t rely on a grand finale to work — it’s funny throughout — and the character development reaches a point that feels earned by the end.
For readers who specifically seek out finished manga (and if you’re reading this site, that’s probably you), this one checks the box cleanly.
The light novels are there if you fall in love with the characters and want to continue their adventures beyond the manga. Think of the manga as a complete meal that also happens to be the first course of a longer feast — fully satisfying on its own, but there’s more at the table if you’re still hungry.
Who Should Collect This Series?
You’ll Love It If…
- You enjoy comedy isekai. The humor is front and center. If you’ve read series like Konosuba (a parody where a dysfunctional party bumbles through a fantasy world) or The Saint’s Magic Power Is Omnipotent (a gentle story about a woman quietly thriving in a magical world), this hits a similar sweet spot of fantasy-world fun without taking itself too seriously.
- You watched the anime and want more. The manga covers material with different pacing and emphasis, so it’s not just a retread of what you already saw. It’s a fresh way to experience the story.
- You want a short, complete manga set. This is a quick collect. Just 5 volumes, all available, all telling a finished story. Perfect for readers who like seeing a clean, complete run on their shelf.
- You’re new to isekai and want something approachable. There’s no dense power system to memorize, no graphic violence, no complicated relationship drama. Just a funny girl trying (and failing) to be normal in a fantasy world. It’s one of the most welcoming entry points into the genre.
- You want a comfort read. Sometimes you don’t want high stakes and emotional devastation. Sometimes you just want to laugh and feel good. This series is perfect for those days.
Maybe Skip If…
- You want intense drama or complex worldbuilding. This is comedy first, everything else second. The worldbuilding exists but serves the jokes rather than the other way around.
- You want a long series to sink into. If you’re looking for something that’ll keep you busy for months, 5 volumes won’t scratch that itch. (Though it works nicely as a lighthearted break between longer series.)
- You want the complete story from the light novels. The manga covers a portion of the overall narrative FUNA wrote. If you specifically want the full, unabridged story, you’ll want the light novels instead (or in addition).
Great Pairings
If you enjoy this series and want more in a similar vein, consider checking out other completed comedy isekai manga like Konosuba (if the irreverent humor appeals to you) or The Saint’s Magic Power Is Omnipotent (if the gentle, feel-good fantasy tone is what you loved). The genre has a number of short, fun manga adaptations that tell contained stories — perfect for the reader who likes to collect finished series and move on to the next one.
—
That’s the full guide to start collecting all 5 “Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!” manga volumes. It’s a short, sweet, funny series that’s easy to find, easy to collect, and genuinely enjoyable from the first page to the last. Grab Volume 1 and see if Mile’s hilariously failed attempts at being ordinary make you smile — there’s a very good chance they will.