The Daily Lives of High School Boys: All 7 Manga Volumes

The Daily Lives of High School Boys Manga Is Complete at 7 Volumes

Here’s the short version: The Daily Lives of High School Boys (男子高校生の日常) is a completed manga that ran for 7 volumes. It was serialized — meaning it was originally published chapter by chapter — in Gangan Online, a digital magazine published by Square Enix. The entire run was collected into book form between February 2010 and December 2012 in Japan. All 7 volumes have been released in English.

The series is created by Yasunobu Yamauchi (山内泰延), and it’s a sketch-comedy manga. What that means in practice is that each chapter is a short, standalone comedic scene — a skit — rather than part of one long continuing story. The whole series is built on absurd everyday scenarios. There’s no overarching storyline, no dramatic tension building across volumes, and no villain to defeat. Just a group of high school boys — and the people around them — getting into the most ridiculous situations imaginable while doing absolutely nothing of consequence.

That might sound like a hard sell on paper, but the execution is what makes it work. The comedy is fast, the timing is sharp, and the skits land with a consistency that’s honestly impressive for something so deliberately silly.

Because there’s no continuing story to follow, the series is ideal for both casual reading and binge sessions. You can pick up any volume on its own and have a good time, or you can tear through all seven in a single weekend. At only 7 volumes, the complete set is one of the shortest finished comedy manga you’ll find — and that’s a genuine selling point for anyone who doesn’t want to commit to a 20+ volume series just to get a few laughs.

All 7 Volumes at a Glance

Here’s a breakdown of each volume with its Japanese release date and a general sense of what to expect. Each volume collects a batch of short, self-contained chapters — so these aren’t plot summaries so much as a feel for what each book brings to the table.

Volume JP Release What to Expect
Vol 1 Feb 2010 Introduces the core trio — Tadakuni, Hidenori, and Yoshitake — along with their school and the rapid-fire skit format that defines the series. Sets the tone immediately.
Vol 2 Jun 2010 Expands the cast significantly. Recurring jokes involving siblings and classmates start to take shape, and the fan-favorite “Literary Girl” segments — short skits featuring an awkward, literature-obsessed girl who keeps running into Hidenori — make their entrance.
Vol 3 Oct 2010 Deepens the recurring jokes and introduces comedic rivalries with students from other schools. The series hits its stride here.
Vol 4 Apr 2011 More elaborate multi-character skits start appearing. The comedy gets more ambitious in scope while keeping individual segments short and punchy.
Vol 5 Dec 2011 Escalates the absurdity with seasonal events and school-related sketches. Some of the most memorable standalone bits in the series show up in this volume.
Vol 6 May 2012 Maintains the self-contained skit structure while beginning a gentle wind-down. Still packed with laughs — there’s no sense of the series running out of steam.
Vol 7 Dec 2012 The final volume. Closes the series with the same comedic energy it started with, delivering one last round of sharp sketch comedy before wrapping things up cleanly.

One thing worth noting: because each chapter is a self-contained sketch rather than part of a longer story, you don’t strictly need to read these in order to enjoy them. That said, some recurring jokes and character dynamics build across volumes, so reading sequentially does add a layer of payoff to certain bits.

How the Final Volume Wraps Things Up

Volume 7, released in December 2012 in Japan, is where the series ends — and it ends cleanly.

Because this is a comedy manga with no continuing storyline, there are no cliffhangers to worry about, no unresolved threads, and no dangling mysteries. The final volume delivers more of the same sharp sketch comedy the series is known for, and then it’s done. There’s a sense of proper closure without any heavy dramatic stakes, which feels exactly right for a manga that never took itself seriously in the first place.

If you’ve ever been burned by a comedy series that either overstayed its welcome or ended abruptly without a satisfying conclusion, this one handles the landing well. Yamauchi clearly knew when the series had said what it needed to say, and Volume 7 serves as a proper send-off rather than an abrupt stop.

The self-contained skit format actually works in the ending’s favor here. Since every volume — and really, every chapter — functions as its own standalone piece of comedy, there’s no pressure on the final volume to “resolve” anything. It just gives you one last round of the humor you came for, and that’s enough.

English Edition — What to Know Before Buying

The English edition of The Daily Lives of High School Boys was published by Vertical Comics (an imprint of Kodansha USA Publishing). All 7 volumes have been released in English, so the set is fully complete. You won’t be left waiting for future volumes or dealing with a partial translation.

The English release is available in single paperback volumes. No omnibus editions (which combine multiple volumes into one larger book) or box sets have been released for this series. That means if you want the complete set, you’re picking up seven individual books.

A few practical things to keep in mind:

  • Print availability can fluctuate. Vertical titles have been known to go in and out of print, especially for older or more niche series. If you see all seven volumes available at once, that’s a good sign — but don’t assume they’ll stay in stock indefinitely.
  • Digital editions may be available. It’s worth checking platforms like Kindle, Kobo, and BookWalker (a digital manga storefront that specializes in manga and light novels) if you prefer reading digitally or if certain physical volumes are hard to find. Digital availability can vary by region, so a quick search on your preferred platform is the fastest way to confirm.
  • Condition matters for used copies. Since these volumes have been out for a while, the secondhand market is an option. Just be aware of the usual considerations — yellowing pages, shelf wear, and so on — if you’re buying used.

Where to Buy the Complete Set

Since there are only 7 volumes, buying the complete set is straightforward and relatively affordable compared to longer-running manga.

Amazon US carries the English volumes. If you’re starting from scratch and want the whole series, checking Amazon for individual volume availability is a solid first step.

The Daily Lives of High School Boys 1

Check on Amazon

Beyond Amazon, you can also find the series through other major manga retailers:

  • Barnes & Noble stocks manga both online and in physical stores, though in-store selection depends on location.
  • Books-A-Million is another option, particularly if you have a local store or prefer their online platform.
  • Crunchyroll Store (which also sells physical manga and merchandise alongside its streaming service) may carry the series depending on current inventory.

For digital readers, checking Kindle, Kobo, and BookWalker directly is the way to go. Digital editions have the obvious advantage of always being “in stock,” and they’re a solid option if shelf space is a concern or if you prefer reading on a screen.

Buying tip: Since the series is only 7 volumes, the total cost for the complete physical set stays reasonable at standard manga paperback pricing. There’s no need to wait for a box set that may never come — just grab the individual volumes and you’re set.

Is It Worth Collecting All 7 Volumes?

Short answer: yes, especially if you like comedy manga and want something finished.

Here’s why this series is worth the shelf space:

It’s a perfect low-commitment comedy. Seven volumes is nothing. You can own the entire series for less space than a single storyline of most long-running manga takes up. For readers who want a completed comedy with no ongoing releases to track and no fear of a disappointing future direction, this is exactly what you’re looking for.

The manga has material the anime doesn’t cover. The series received an anime adaptation in 2012 (produced by Sunrise) that drove a huge wave of popularity. The anime covers much of the same cast and humor, so if you’ve seen it, you already know the comedic style works. But the manga contains extra skits and scenes that didn’t make it into the show. For fans of the anime, the manga isn’t just a retread — it’s additional content featuring the characters you already like. And if you haven’t seen the anime, the manga stands entirely on its own.

The comedy holds up on rereads. A lot of comedy manga is “read once, laugh, move on.” This one has a different quality to it. The recurring jokes reward readers who remember earlier volumes, and the sheer density of jokes per chapter means you’ll notice things on a second read that you missed the first time around. For a 7-volume set, that kind of lasting value makes it a smart addition to any shelf.

It’s great for lending to friends. This is one of those series that’s incredibly easy to recommend to people who don’t normally read manga. The humor translates well, there’s no complex lore to explain, and the short length means you can hand someone the whole set without it feeling like homework. If you’ve ever wanted a manga to win over a skeptical friend, this is a strong candidate.

Shelf space and cost are minimal. Compared to longer comedy series that run 15, 20, or 30+ volumes, collecting all 7 books here feels almost trivial. You get a complete, satisfying comedy experience without dedicating an entire shelf to it.

The Daily Lives of High School Boys isn’t trying to be the most ambitious manga ever made. It’s trying to make you laugh with stupid, absurd, perfectly-timed comedy about teenage boys doing absolutely nothing important — and it succeeds at that consistently across all 7 volumes. For a finished series at this length, it’s an easy recommendation.

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