No Guns Life Manga Volumes: All 13 Books Explained

A guy with a revolver for a head, working odd jobs in a grimy cyberpunk city full of weaponized humans — that’s the pitch for No Guns Life. The entire manga is finished, every volume is available in English, and at just 13 books it’s a tight, satisfying read from start to finish. If you’re looking for a breakdown of all 13 No Guns Life manga volumes — how many there are, what the story arcs look like, or where to pick up after the anime — you’re in the right place. Let’s break it all down.

All 13 No Guns Life Manga Volumes, Explained

No Guns Life was created by Tasuku Karasuma and published chapter-by-chapter in Ultra Jump, a manga magazine from the Japanese publisher Shueisha that’s aimed at older teen and adult readers. If you’re new to manga — Japanese comics published in book-sized volumes that you typically read from right to left — this series is a great entry point because of its manageable length and self-contained story.

The series is a sci-fi hardboiled story — “hardboiled” meaning it has a tough, cynical tone inspired by classic detective fiction, think trench coats and moral ambiguity — set in a world where people have been physically modified into living weapons called Extended, human-weapon hybrids fitted with mechanical parts during a past war. The story follows Juzo Inui, an Extended with a giant revolver where his head should be, as he works as a “Resolver” — someone who takes on cases and solves problems involving Extended, operating outside official channels.

The manga ran for 13 volumes in Japan, with the first volume published on February 19, 2015 and the final volume released on December 17, 2021. In English, all 13 volumes have been published by VIZ Media, with the last volume arriving on December 20, 2022. The English edition carries a Teen Plus age rating, reflecting the series’ hardboiled violence and mature themes.

So if you’re counting: 13 volumes, fully complete, available right now in English. No waiting for new releases, no cliffhangers left unresolved.

Story Arcs by Volume

The broad strokes of No Guns Life follow Juzo as he uncovers a massive conspiracy tied to the corporations that created the Extended. Here’s how the story flows across its 13 volumes. (Note: the series doesn’t use rigid named story arcs — longer self-contained storylines within the larger narrative — the way some manga aimed at younger readers do. These are approximate thematic groupings to help you navigate the run.)

Volumes 1–3: The Setup

The opening stretch introduces you to Juzo Inui and his world. When a young boy named Tetsuro shows up on his doorstep, Juzo gets pulled into a much bigger conflict involving Berühren Corporation, the mega-company behind the Extended program. These early volumes are episodic in structure — meaning each chapter or pair of chapters tends to tell a relatively self-contained story — while slowly peeling back layers of the corporate conspiracy. By the end of Volume 3, the world is fully built and the main conflict is in motion.

Volumes 4–7: Deeper Conspiracies

The middle section digs into the Extended program itself and Juzo’s own past as a former soldier. New characters enter the picture, alliances shift, and the scope of what Berühren has been doing — and what they’re still planning — becomes much clearer. Juzo’s relationship with Tetsuro deepens as they both confront uncomfortable truths about what the Extended really are. The pacing tightens here as the standalone episodes give way to longer, more connected storylines.

Volumes 8–10: Rising Stakes

Things escalate. The truth behind the Extended program starts to surface, and the stakes jump considerably. Characters who seemed like allies or enemies get shown in a new light, and Juzo is forced to confront aspects of his own history that he’s been avoiding. These volumes carry a strong forward momentum — once you hit Volume 8, the story doesn’t really let you catch your breath.

Volumes 11–13: Climax and Resolution

The final three volumes bring the central conflict to its conclusion. Everything that’s been building — Juzo’s past, Tetsuro’s role, Berühren’s plans — comes together for the climax. The ending wraps up the main storylines and gives the characters a definitive resolution. At 13 volumes, the series doesn’t overstay its welcome, and the finale feels earned rather than rushed.

A Marathon Reading Plan for All 13 Volumes

Thirteen volumes is a very manageable length. Each volume typically takes around 30 to 45 minutes to read, so the entire series clocks in at roughly 7 to 10 hours of reading time. Depending on your schedule, you could finish the whole series in a long weekend or spread it across a week of evening sessions.

Here’s a suggested reading plan with natural break points:

Session 1 — Volumes 1–3

This is a clean stopping point. The first major storyline wraps, you know the world, you know the characters, and you have a clear sense of whether the hardboiled tone clicks for you. The self-contained early chapters make these volumes easy to pace through without feeling like you’re stopping mid-story.

Session 2 — Volumes 4–7

The middle chunk takes you through the meatiest part of the conspiracy. Volume 7 hits a natural midpoint in the overall narrative — a good place to pause before the story begins building toward its conclusion.

Session 3 — Volumes 8–13

The back half of the series builds momentum steadily and reads best in one stretch if you can manage it. Six volumes sounds like a lot, but the pacing is tight enough that you’ll likely blow through them faster than you expect. The story is actively pulling you toward the conclusion by this point.

Of course, you don’t have to follow this plan. The hardboiled tone and relatively short volume count mean you can really just pick up Volume 1 and let the story carry you at whatever pace feels right.

What the Anime Covers Compared to the Manga

No Guns Life received two TV anime seasons. Season 1 began airing on October 11, 2019, and Season 2 started on July 10, 2020. The anime adapts a portion of the manga’s story, but it does not cover the entire series — the manga continued publishing for over a year after the anime’s second season concluded, with the final Japanese volume coming out in December 2021.

That means if you’ve watched both seasons and want to know how the story ends, you need the manga. The anime leaves the overarching plot unresolved.

For anime-first readers looking to continue in the manga: the safest approach is to start a few volumes before where you think the anime ended. The anime covers material from the earlier portion of the series, so picking up around the midpoint and reading a bit of familiar material will make sure you don’t accidentally skip key plot points. Volumes are quick reads — backtracking won’t cost you much time, and you’ll catch details the anime may have condensed or skipped.

If you haven’t watched the anime at all and you’re choosing between formats, the manga is the way to get the complete story. The anime is a fine introduction to the world and characters, but only the manga takes you all the way to the ending.

Which Edition to Buy

The English edition of No Guns Life is published by VIZ Media in standard paperback format. All 13 volumes are available, and the series has been fully complete in English since December 2022.

Here’s what you need to know about your buying options:

Paperback singles — This is the standard format and, as of this writing, the only physical English edition available. Each volume is a compact paperback, roughly the size of a typical paperback novel but slightly smaller. There are no widely announced omnibus editions (collected volumes that bundle multiple books into one), box sets, or special editions for the English release.

Digital editions — Also available if you prefer reading on a tablet or phone. You can find No Guns Life through major digital manga platforms, including the VIZ app, Kindle, and other digital storefronts. Digital is a convenient option given the series’ manageable length.

Age rating — The Teen Plus rating means this series is aimed at older teens and adults. The hardboiled setting involves violence, characters who operate in moral gray areas, and some heavy themes. It’s not gratuitously graphic, but it’s definitely not a kids’ series either.

If you’re collecting the physical volumes, the final book brings the story to a definitive close and is a satisfying cap to the shelf.

For budget-conscious readers, 13 volumes is one of the more wallet-friendly complete series out there. At typical retail pricing, the full run costs considerably less than longer series that stretch to 30 or more books. The whole story fits comfortably on a single shelf.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many volumes of No Guns Life are there?

13 volumes in both the Japanese and English editions. The series is fully complete — no additional volumes are expected.

Is No Guns Life finished?

Yes. The manga is complete. The final Japanese volume was released in December 2021, and the final English volume followed in December 2022. You can read the entire story right now without waiting for anything.

Who publishes No Guns Life in English?

VIZ Media publishes the English edition. It carries a Teen Plus age rating.

Does the anime cover the whole manga?

No. The two anime seasons (starting in October 2019 and July 2020 respectively) adapt only a portion of the manga. The anime does not reach the story’s conclusion. To get the full story, you’ll need to read the manga.

Is No Guns Life worth reading?

If you like cyberpunk settings or hardboiled detective stories, this series is an easy recommendation. But even if you’re not sure about those genres, the core appeal is simpler than that: it’s a story about a guy trying to do right in a world that’s been chewed up by war and corporate greed, wrapped in a setting that’s visually striking and constantly surprising. The protagonist’s design — a man with a giant revolver for a head — sets the tone for a series that commits fully to its strange premise and uses it to tell a genuinely engaging story about identity, autonomy, and what it means to be human. At 13 volumes it respects your time, moves with purpose, and wraps up without dragging. It’s a great pick for readers who want a complete sci-fi manga that doesn’t require a massive time investment.