First Love Monster Manga Volumes: Complete 8-Volume Guide

So you’ve stumbled across First Love Monster (初恋モンスター) and you want to know exactly how many volumes there are, whether it’s finished, and how to get your hands on the whole thing. Here’s the quick answer: First Love Monster is a completed manga with 8 volumes total. The entire series is available right now — no waiting for new releases. Let’s break it all down.

First Love Monster Manga Volumes: Complete at 8

First Love Monster by Akira Hiyoshimaru is a completed manga with 8 volumes total. You can read the entire story from start to finish right now without waiting for new releases.

The series was originally published chapter by chapter — a process called serialization — in ARIA, a manga anthology magazine from Kodansha, one of Japan’s largest publishers. The final Japanese volume came out in February 2017, so this story has been wrapped up for years.

In English, Yen Press acquired the rights to translate and publish the manga (known as licensing), and all 8 volumes have been released. The English edition matches the Japanese 8-volume structure exactly — no missing content, no condensed volumes, no gaps. This means each English volume covers the same chapters as its Japanese counterpart, straight through to the end.

For anyone who likes the idea of picking up a series they can finish without the anxiety of an ongoing release schedule, First Love Monster fits perfectly. Eight volumes is compact enough to sit comfortably on a single shelf, and you won’t be left hanging at the end wondering when the next volume drops. It’s done. The whole story is there.

The series follows Kaho Nikaido, a wealthy high school girl who moves into a dormitory and immediately falls for her handsome landlord’s son — only to discover he’s actually a fifth grader (around ten years old). The comedy spirals outward from there into increasingly absurd, over-the-top situations involving the eccentric cast of residents. If you’ve watched the 2016 anime adaptation and want to experience the full story, the manga is where you’ll find it. This is a romantic comedy that leans hard into its ridiculous premise, pushes its gags to gleefully absurd extremes, and never takes itself too seriously.

All 8 First Love Monster Manga Volumes at a Glance

Here’s a quick look at the full volume lineup. The Japanese editions were released between 2013 and 2017, with the English Yen Press editions following afterward.

Volume JP Release Period What to Expect (Spoiler-Free)
Vol. 1 2013 Introduces Kaho, Kanade, and the bonkers premise — the age-gap absurdity hits immediately and sets the wild comedic tone for the whole series
Vol. 2 2014 The apartment residents get fleshed out and the humor escalates
Vol. 3 2014 Relationship dynamics get more complicated (and more ridiculous)
Vol. 4 2015 New characters stir up trouble and jealousy enters the picture
Vol. 5 2015 Mid-series developments push the comedy and romance forward
Vol. 6 2016 Stakes feel higher as the story moves toward its later storylines
Vol. 7 2016 Threads start coming together heading into the finale
Vol. 8 2017 (Feb) The final volume — wraps up Kaho and Kanade’s story

All 8 volumes are available in the English Yen Press edition. The English releases mirror the Japanese structure one-to-one, so volume 1 in English covers the same chapters as volume 1 in Japanese, and so on straight through to the end.

One thing worth noting: because this series finished in Japan back in 2017, it doesn’t get the same shelf space at bookstores as newer titles. That doesn’t mean it’s hard to find — it just means you might be ordering online rather than spotting it at your local shop. More on that below.

How Much Does a Complete Set Cost

With only 8 volumes, a complete set of First Love Monster manga volumes is a relatively modest purchase compared to longer-running series. Here’s what to keep in mind about pricing.

New physical copies from Yen Press are standard manga paperbacks. Yen Press single volumes typically carry a list price in the range common for standard-format manga from major English publishers. Multiply that across 8 volumes, and the total investment for a full set is quite manageable — far less than committing to a series that runs 20 or 30 volumes.

A few things that affect what you’ll actually pay:

  • Stock availability matters. Since this is an older series (final Japanese volume released in 2017), some individual volumes may occasionally go out of stock at certain retailers. When that happens, third-party sellers sometimes list copies at inflated prices. Don’t overpay — be patient and check multiple sources.
  • Digital editions are a reliable fallback. If you’re having trouble finding a specific physical volume at a reasonable price, digital versions of all 8 volumes are generally available through major e-book platforms (such as Kindle, Kobo, or Google Play Books). Digital pricing tends to be lower per volume than physical, and you never have to worry about a volume being “out of print.”
  • There’s no known box set. Unlike some popular completed series that get a bundled box set, First Love Monster doesn’t have one. Individual volumes are the standard way to collect this series, whether physical or digital.
  • Buying used can save money. Because the series has been out for several years, used copies circulate on secondhand manga marketplaces. Condition varies, but for a series this length, building a complete used set is very doable.

The bottom line: eight volumes is an easy number. You’re not committing to a 30-volume investment. Even at full list price, the complete set is manageable for most manga budgets.

Which Edition to Buy for a Full Set

Collecting First Love Monster manga volumes is refreshingly straightforward because there’s really only one English edition to think about.

The Yen Press Standard Paperback

This is the only English-language print edition of First Love Monster. Published by Yen Press, the series runs 8 volumes and covers the complete story. These are standard manga-sized paperbacks — the same physical dimensions and format as other Yen Press manga releases.

There are no omnibus editions (larger books that combine multiple volumes into one), no hardcover deluxe versions, no collector’s editions, and no special anniversary releases for this series. If you’re buying physical English copies, you’re getting the Yen Press paperback. Simple.

Volume 8 — the final volume — wraps up the story completely.

First Love Monster, Vol. 8 (final volume)

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Digital vs. Physical

For an 8-volume series, the digital-vs-physical question comes down to personal preference more than anything else:

  • Physical is great if you like having manga on your shelf. Eight slim volumes barely take up any space and look nice as a complete set. The downside is that individual volumes may occasionally be out of stock since the series is older.
  • Digital guarantees access to every volume instantly, usually at a lower per-volume price than physical. You also never have to worry about stock issues or condition. The trade-off is that you don’t get to hold the books or display them.

For a shorter series like this, plenty of readers go all-physical without issues. But if you find that a couple of volumes are temporarily unavailable in paperback, grabbing the digital versions to fill the gap is a perfectly fine approach. Mixing formats works just as well as sticking to one.

Where to Buy First Love Monster Manga Volumes in English

Here are the main options for tracking down all 8 volumes.

Online Retailers (New Copies)

Major online booksellers and manga retailers are the most reliable source for new copies. Because this is a Yen Press title, it’s distributed through standard book distribution channels — meaning most large online bookstores carry it or can order it. Searching by title and volume number is the simplest approach.

If a specific volume shows as unavailable from the primary retailer, check back periodically. Manga volumes from established publishers like Yen Press get restocked, though the timing can be unpredictable for older series.

Digital Storefronts

For instant access with no stock worries, digital is hard to beat. All 8 volumes of First Love Monster are generally available through popular e-book platforms like Kindle, Kobo, and Google Play Books. You can often buy individual volumes or grab the whole set at once. Digital is also a good way to sample the series — pick up volume 1 digitally, see if the humor clicks for you, and then decide whether you want to commit to physical copies for the rest.

Library Systems

Before spending anything, check your local library system. Many libraries carry manga, and even if your branch doesn’t have First Love Monster on the shelf, you can often request it through interlibrary loan — a system where libraries borrow books from each other on your behalf, usually at no cost to you. Digital library apps like Libby or hoopla are another option — some carry Yen Press titles in their manga catalog. It’s a zero-cost way to read the series and decide if you want to own it.

Used Manga Marketplaces

Secondhand bookselling platforms, manga-specific resale communities, and local used bookstores are all worth checking. For an 8-volume completed series that’s been out for several years, you’ll sometimes find people selling partial or complete sets. Buying a set from a single seller usually means more consistent condition across volumes compared to piecing it together from multiple sources.

A few tips if you go the used route:

  • Check the spine and pages for damage. Manga paperbacks are thin, and older copies can have cracked spines or yellowed pages. Minor yellowing is cosmetic and doesn’t affect readability, but badly cracked spines can mean loose pages down the road.
  • Watch out for ex-library copies — these are books previously owned by a library, and they’re usually functional but come with stamps and stickers if you care about cosmetic condition.
  • Confirm you’re getting the English Yen Press edition and not a Japanese volume by mistake — this mainly matters on international secondhand marketplaces.

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That’s everything you need to collect First Love Monster from volume 1 to volume 8. The series delivers on its absurd premise all the way through, and the final volume gives Kaho and Kanade’s story a proper conclusion. It’s a completed, compact comedy series that’s easy to find, easy to afford, and easy to shelf. Eight volumes, one story, no waiting.

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