Corpse Princess Manga Volumes: All 23 Books Explained

Corpse Princess (Shikabane Hime) Is Complete at 23 Manga Volumes

Good news right up front: Corpse Princess is a fully completed manga at 23 volumes, both in the original Japanese and in English. No waiting for new chapters, no indefinite pause, no “is it coming back?” situation. The story is done.

The series, known in Japanese as 屍姫 (Shikabane Hime), was created by Yoshiichi Akahito and originally published chapter by chapter — a process called serialization — in Monthly Shonen Gangan, a Square Enix anthology magazine aimed at younger male readers. Those chapters were then collected into the 23 volumes available now. The first Japanese volume came out in September 2005, and the final volume landed in November 2014, giving the series roughly a nine-year run.

You only need volumes 1 through 23 to get the complete story. There are no required spinoffs, side volumes, light novel prequels, or supplementary material to track down. Twenty-three volumes, start to finish — that’s the whole thing.

At its core, Corpse Princess is a supernatural action manga. The premise centers on undead girls called Shikabane Hime who are spiritually bound to monks of the Kougon Sect, a religious organization that fights the risen dead. Each Shikabane Hime is paired with a specific monk through a supernatural contract — the monk provides spiritual power, and the Shikabane Hime uses it to destroy monstrous corpses that cling to obsessions from their living days. The main character, Makina Hoshimura, is one of these corpse princesses, and her story drives the series from volume 1 through volume 23.

If the name sounds familiar, you might know Corpse Princess from its anime adaptation. The anime aired in two seasons — Shikabane Hime: Aka (Red) and Shikabane Hime: Kuro (Black) — but it only covered a portion of the manga’s story. If you watched the anime and felt like the story was left incomplete, that’s because it was, at least in animated form. The manga is where the full narrative lives.

For anyone looking for a finished supernatural action series with a clear beginning, middle, and end, Corpse Princess checks every box.

All 23 Volumes at a Glance

Rather than listing all 23 volumes individually (which would be a lot of scrolling), here’s a representative snapshot covering the early, middle, and late portions of the series. This should give you a feel for how the story develops across its full run.

Volume	Era	What to Expect
Vol. 1	Early	Introduces Makina Hoshimura, the concept of Shikabane Hime, and the Kougon Sect. The rules of the world are established here — how corpses rise, why they’re dangerous, and what binds a Shikabane Hime to her contracted monk through their spiritual link.
Vol. 4	Early-Mid	The initial connected storylines deepen. Recurring antagonists start to take shape, and the series moves beyond one-off monster encounters into longer, multi-chapter narratives with higher stakes.
Vol. 9	Mid	The stakes escalate significantly. Conflicts between factions within the Kougon Sect and external threats to the entire system start driving the narrative forward. The history and mythology of the Shikabane Hime tradition get fleshed out in detail.
Vol. 14	Mid-Late	The series enters its more complex phase. Character motivations become murkier, alliances shift, and the supernatural mythology that has been building for over a dozen volumes starts paying off in unexpected ways.
Vol. 19	Late	Final storyline territory. The series is pulling its threads together, and the momentum toward the conclusion is unmistakable. Major character confrontations that have been building for the entire series begin to land.
Vol. 23	Final	The last volume. Published in November 2014 in Japan, this is where every major storyline reaches its resolution.

The full series runs 23 volumes with no side stories, spinoffs, or supplementary volumes required. What you see is what you get — volume 1 through 23 is the complete Corpse Princess experience.

What It Costs to Own the Full Set

Let’s talk money, because 23 volumes is a real commitment.

The English edition of Corpse Princess is available digitally, which is currently the most accessible way to read the entire series. Individual digital volumes typically carry a list price in the range of standard single-volume manga releases — generally somewhere between a few dollars and around seven or eight dollars per volume at retail price, depending on the platform. Multiply that across 23 volumes and you’re looking at a meaningful total, so it’s worth checking current listings across different storefronts before committing to the full set, since pricing and periodic sales can differ between platforms.

Physical English volumes are a different story. Availability for physical copies can be limited, and some volumes may be out of print — meaning the publisher no longer prints new copies. If you’re set on building a physical collection, you’ll likely be checking secondhand marketplaces, import-focused online stores that specialize in manga and anime products, and keeping an eye on listings as they come and go. Prices for out-of-print manga volumes can vary wildly depending on condition and scarcity.

There is no known box set for Corpse Princess in either language. Individual volumes are the standard purchase route whether you’re going digital or physical. For a 23-volume series without a box set option, digital is often the more practical and more affordable path to owning the complete run.

A quick note: if you’re trying to keep costs manageable, buying a few volumes at a time rather than all 23 at once is perfectly reasonable. Start with volume 1, see if the series clicks for you, and go from there.

How the Story Wraps Up (Spoiler-Free)

No spoilers here — just enough to help you decide if this series is worth your time.

At 23 volumes, Corpse Princess has plenty of room to develop its supernatural mythology. The early volumes set up a world with clear rules — corpses, Shikabane Hime, contracted monks, the Kougon Sect — and the series spends its full run exploring the implications of those rules. What starts as relatively straightforward supernatural action gradually becomes something more layered, with shifting moral ground and organizational politics adding depth to the monster-fighting framework.

The important thing for anyone considering the investment: the story reaches a definitive resolution. This isn’t a series that got cancelled partway through or rushed its ending in two chapters. Yoshiichi Akahito had nine years to tell this story, and it wraps up on its own terms. The core conflict that drives Makina’s journey comes to a clear conclusion.

For readers who value closure in their manga (and if you’re on a site called Finished Manga, there’s a good chance you do), Corpse Princess delivers a complete narrative with a real ending. You won’t be left hanging.

Digital vs. Physical — Choosing the Right Edition

This is a practical decision, and for Corpse Princess specifically, the answer leans pretty heavily in one direction.

Digital (English)

The English digital edition covers all 23 volumes and is the most straightforward way to read the entire series. Digital copies are available through Amazon Kindle, as well as other digital manga platforms like BookWalker and Kobo. Since they’re digital, availability isn’t an issue — every volume is there whenever you want it.

Advantages of digital:

• All 23 volumes are readily available
• No hunting for out-of-print copies
• Typically lower cost per volume than physical editions, especially scarce ones
• Instant access — no shipping wait
• No shelf space required for 23 books

Physical (English)

Physical English volumes of Corpse Princess exist, but availability is inconsistent. Some volumes may be easy to find; others may be scarce or command higher prices on the secondhand market. If you’re a collector who specifically wants physical copies on your shelf, be prepared for some patience and hunting.

Advantages of physical:

• The tangible reading experience some manga fans strongly prefer
• Collectible value, especially for completed series
• No dependence on digital platforms or accounts

Physical (Japanese)

The original Japanese edition was published by Square Enix under their Gangan Comics label across all 23 volumes. If you read Japanese, the original editions may be easier to find physically than the English prints, though availability still varies.

The Bottom Line

For most English-reading newcomers, digital is the simplest path to the complete series. You’ll spend less time hunting for individual volumes, and you can start reading immediately. If physical collecting is important to you, go for it — just know that it may take some effort to assemble all 23.

Where to Buy Corpse Princess Manga Volumes

Here’s where to actually get your hands on the series.

Amazon Kindle

The full 23-volume English run is available digitally on Amazon Kindle. This is one of the most convenient options for reading the entire series, since all volumes are accessible in one place. If you’re ready to start from the beginning, Volume 1 is available right now — and so is every volume through Volume 23.

Other Digital Storefronts

Corpse Princess is also available on other digital manga platforms such as BookWalker and Kobo. It’s worth comparing across platforms, since pricing and sales can differ. Each of these storefronts carries manga from a wide range of publishers and typically has the full series available.

Physical Copies

For physical English editions, your best bets are:

• Secondhand marketplaces where individual sellers list manga volumes
• Import-focused online stores that specialize in manga, anime, and Japanese media products
• Local used bookstores — you never know what you’ll find

Since there’s no box set, you’ll be buying individual volumes. Physical hunting is part of the fun for some collectors, but if you just want to read the story, digital is the path of least resistance.

Publisher Note

When browsing retailer listings, the publisher name will be displayed on each volume’s product page — look for it there to confirm you’re getting the correct English edition.