Black Lagoon Has 13 Manga Volumes — and the Series Is Still Ongoing
If you came here looking for a number, here it is: Black Lagoon currently has 13 manga volumes, published in both Japanese and English. The series is ongoing, though its release schedule is anything but regular — more on that below.
Black Lagoon is written and illustrated by Rei Hiroe and has been serialized — meaning its chapters are published periodically in a magazine before being collected into book form — in Shogakukan’s Monthly Sunday GX magazine since April 2002. Shogakukan is one of Japan’s largest manga publishers. The English-language edition is published by Viz Media. For over two decades, the series has built a fierce reputation as one of manga’s most uncompromising crime-action stories — a morally scorched-earth thriller set in the fictional Thai city of Roanapur, where pirates, mercenaries, crime syndicates, and hired killers operate without anything resembling a conscience.
If you’re the kind of reader who gravitates toward dark fantasy manga, Black Lagoon scratches a similar itch even though its setting is grounded in the real world rather than a secondary fantasy one. The appeal overlaps heavily: morally bleak worlds, protagonists who make questionable choices, and a narrative that refuses to flinch. If you’ve read Berserk (a dark medieval fantasy about a lone warrior battling demonic forces) or Vinland Saga (a Viking epic exploring cycles of violence), Black Lagoon offers that same unflinching quality — just traded for bulletproof vests and cigarette smoke instead of swords and armor.
Thirteen volumes across twenty-plus years might sound slim, but each one is densely packed. And the story isn’t done yet.
All Black Lagoon Manga Volumes at a Glance
Here’s the full volume list with Japanese release dates. One thing to notice immediately: look at the gaps between later volumes. This is a series that demands patience.
| Volume | JP Release | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | Jan 2003 | Series introduction — Rokuro “Rock” Okajima is kidnapped by the Lagoon Company (a crew of pirates-for-hire) and chooses not to go back to his old life |
| Vol. 2 | Aug 2003 | Early missions and the crew dynamic solidifies; Revy’s violent worldview takes center stage |
| Vol. 3 | May 2004 | Tensions escalate as the crew takes increasingly dangerous jobs |
| Vol. 4 | Aug 2005 | Deeper entanglements with Roanapur’s criminal factions |
| Vol. 5 | Apr 2006 | The balance of power in the city starts to shift |
| Vol. 6 | Dec 2006 | Major story developments; alliances tested under pressure |
| Vol. 7 | Oct 2007 | Roanapur’s underworld politics reach a boiling point |
| Vol. 8 | Jul 2008 | One of the series’ most intense stretches of action |
| Vol. 9 | Oct 2009 | Conclusions and fallout from the current storyline — then the long silence begins |
| Vol. 10 | May 2014 | Nearly 5-year gap. The series returns with a new storyline |
| Vol. 11 | Nov 2018 | Over 4-year gap. Story continues after another extended break |
| Vol. 12 | Aug 2021 | Nearly 3-year gap. The pattern holds |
| Vol. 13 | Dec 2023 | Most recent volume; the series remains ongoing |
A couple of things worth highlighting:
The early pace was reasonable. Volumes 1 through 9 came out between 2003 and 2009 — roughly a volume per year, sometimes faster. That’s a perfectly normal manga release schedule.
Then the gaps exploded. From Volume 9 (2009) to Volume 10 (2014) is almost five years. Volume 10 to 11 is another four-plus years. Volume 11 to 12 is about three years. If you’re used to series that drop a new volume every few months, Black Lagoon will test your patience.
All volumes are standard single-volume editions. There’s no omnibus, deluxe, or collector’s edition for the English release — just the individual Viz Media volumes (the collected book versions of the magazine chapters). This keeps things simple for collecting, at least.
How Dark Does Black Lagoon Get
Let’s be straightforward about this, because if you’re considering picking up the series, you should know what you’re getting into.
Black Lagoon is a mature seinen manga through and through. Seinen (SAY-nen) is a classification meaning the manga is aimed at adult readers, typically men aged 18 and older, rather than teens. Black Lagoon earns that classification in virtually every chapter. Here’s what to expect:
- Certain storylines deal with deeply disturbing subject matter, including human trafficking and child exploitation. These elements are not gratuitous shock value — they serve the narrative’s exploration of a world where money and power dictate everything — but they are unflinching and will be difficult for some readers. If you are sensitive to these themes, be aware before starting
- Extreme gun violence is the series’ bread and butter. Firefights are frequent, graphic, and drawn with sharp, high-energy detail. People die — a lot of people, and not cleanly
- Morally bankrupt characters populate every corner of the story. There are no clean heroes in Roanapur. The protagonists are pirates and mercenaries. The people they work for — and against — are drug lords, arms dealers, mafia bosses, and worse. Even Rock, the closest thing the series has to a moral center, gets steadily pulled into compromising territory
- Organized crime is the fabric of the world. Russian mafia, Chinese triads (organized crime syndicates based in China), Colombian cartels, the Italian Cosa Nostra (the Sicilian mafia) — they all operate in Roanapur, and the series treats their business with a cold, matter-of-fact brutality
- Heavy profanity throughout. Revy in particular has a vocabulary that would make a sailor blush, and the English translation preserves that energy faithfully
Why Dark Fantasy Readers Connect With Black Lagoon
Even though Black Lagoon is set in something resembling the real world (Southeast Asia, modern era, no magic or monsters), the feeling it creates is remarkably close to dark fantasy. Roanapur functions like a cursed city in a grimdark novel — “grimdark” being a subgenre defined by bleak, morally gray worlds where cruelty is the norm and hope is scarce. It’s a place with its own terrible laws, where survival means either becoming a predator or getting eaten. The power dynamics between criminal organizations mirror the feudal warfare of fantasy kingdoms. And the central question that haunts Rock — whether a decent person can exist in a world that punishes decency — is the same question that drives characters in series like Berserk, Claymore (a dark fantasy about female warriors hunting monsters in a medieval setting), and Vinland Saga.
If your reading taste runs dark, Black Lagoon fits right in.
Is Black Lagoon Finished or Still Running
Black Lagoon is ongoing — but “ongoing” carries a heavy asterisk with this series.
Let’s put the pace in perspective. The manga started serialization in April 2002. In the twenty-plus years since then, it has produced 13 volumes. For comparison, many manga series produce 13 volumes in three to five years. Rei Hiroe has taken more than two decades to reach the same count.
This isn’t because the chapters are unusually long or dense (though they are well-crafted). It’s because the series goes on hiatus — extended breaks from publication — repeatedly, and for years at a time. The gaps between volumes in the later half of the series aren’t exceptions; they’re the pattern:
- Vol. 9 to Vol. 10: ~4.5 years
- Vol. 10 to Vol. 11: ~4.5 years
- Vol. 11 to Vol. 12: ~2.5 years
The series has never been formally cancelled or declared finished. It simply… pauses. And then eventually returns. Monthly Sunday GX continues to list it, and Rei Hiroe has not indicated any intention to end it.
What About the Anime
If you arrived here after watching the Black Lagoon anime, you’re not alone — the anime adaptation is many readers’ entry point. The anime covers material from the earlier manga volumes, but the manga continues well beyond where the anime leaves off. Reading from Volume 1 is still recommended for the full experience, but the manga is where the story keeps going.
What This Means for New Readers
If you’re deciding whether to start Black Lagoon, you should go in with realistic expectations:
- The existing 13 volumes tell several complete story arcs — self-contained storylines with beginnings, middles, and endings. You won’t be left dangling on a single cliffhanger. The series is structured in discrete storylines that resolve, even as the larger narrative continues
- There is no guaranteed schedule for future volumes. You may wait years between releases. That’s been the reality for longtime fans, and there’s no reason to expect it will change
- The series could remain in this pattern indefinitely. It might get another volume next year. It might not get one for three years. Nobody outside of Rei Hiroe’s workflow knows
For some readers, this is a dealbreaker. For others, the quality of what exists makes it worth the uncertainty. Thirteen volumes of some of the best crime-action manga ever drawn is still thirteen volumes of some of the best crime-action manga ever drawn, regardless of when — or if — volume 14 arrives.
Where to Buy Black Lagoon Manga Volumes in English
All 13 volumes of Black Lagoon are published in English by Viz Media in standard single-volume format. All 13 English volumes are currently in print and available for purchase. There’s no omnibus or deluxe edition currently available, so collecting the series means picking up each volume individually.
Physical Copies
You can find Black Lagoon volumes through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and other major book retailers. Independent bookstores can also typically order them. Because the series has been in print for a long time and Viz keeps it available, most volumes shouldn’t be hard to track down — though occasionally an individual volume may temporarily be out of stock as the publisher schedules new printings.
If you’re just getting started, grabbing Volume 1 is the obvious move. It establishes Rock’s transformation from a Japanese office worker (a “salaryman”) to reluctant pirate, introduces the Lagoon Company crew (Revy, Dutch, and Benny), and sets the tone for everything that follows. You’ll know within the first few chapters whether this series is for you.
If you’re already caught up or want to jump straight to the latest release, Volume 13 is the most recent volume available in English from Viz Media.
Black Lagoon, Vol. 13
Digital Options
Black Lagoon is also available digitally through manga reading platforms including the Viz Media app and other major digital storefronts. If you prefer reading on a tablet or phone, digital volumes are a convenient option — and they won’t take up shelf space across 13 books.
Collecting Tips
- Start with Volume 1 and read in order. Black Lagoon’s storylines build on each other, and character development is cumulative. Skipping around will rob you of the slow transformation that makes the series compelling
- Don’t feel pressured to buy all 13 at once. The series reads well in chunks — grab a few volumes, see how you feel, then continue. There’s no rush, especially given how slowly new content releases
- Check multiple retailers for availability. If a specific volume is temporarily out of stock at one store, it’s often available at another. Viz Media keeps the series in active print
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Black Lagoon manga volumes are there?
There are currently 13 volumes of Black Lagoon in both Japanese and English. The English editions are published by Viz Media.
Is Black Lagoon manga finished?
No. Black Lagoon is still ongoing, but it releases new volumes very infrequently — gaps of several years between volumes are normal for this series.
Is there an omnibus or deluxe edition of Black Lagoon?
No. As of now, Black Lagoon is only available in standard single-volume editions from Viz Media. There is no omnibus, hardcover, or deluxe format.
Does the Black Lagoon manga go beyond the anime?
Yes. The manga continues well past the material covered by the anime adaptation, so readers who have only watched the show will find new storylines in the later volumes.
Black Lagoon is one of those manga that rewards a patient, committed reader. Thirteen volumes of ruthless crime fiction, drawn with extraordinary energy, starring characters who are terrible people you can’t stop rooting for anyway. Whether you’re coming from dark fantasy manga or just looking for something with real bite, it’s well worth your time.