Scum’s Wish is one of those manga that gets under your skin. It’s not a sweet love story — it’s a raw, uncomfortable look at desire, loneliness, and the way people use each other when they can’t have what they really want. If you’re here looking for a complete Scum’s Wish manga volume list and the right reading order, you’re in the right place.
Written and illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari (横槍メンゴ), the series ran for 47 chapters in Square Enix’s Monthly Big Gangan magazine. In manga publishing, chapters are individual installments that first appear in a magazine before being collected into bound volumes — so those 47 chapters were gathered into the volumes listed below. The English edition is published by Yen Press, an American company that licenses and translates manga for English-speaking readers. The whole thing is done — no waiting for new volumes.
Let’s get into the details.
Scum’s Wish Manga Volumes at a Glance — Series Structure and Volume Count
Here’s the quick snapshot before we break things down volume by volume:
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Japanese Title | クズの本懐 |
| English Title | Scum’s Wish |
| Author / Artist | Mengo Yokoyari |
| Japanese Volumes | 9 (volumes 1–8 are the main story; volume 9 is the separately titled decor) |
| English Volumes | 8 (main story only) |
| Total Chapters | 47 |
| Status | Completed |
| JP Publisher | Square Enix (Big Gangan Comics) |
| EN Publisher | Yen Press |
| Age Rating (EN) | OT — Older Teen (recommended for mature readers) |
| Genres | Drama, Romance |
The key thing to understand about the volume count is this: the main story runs across volumes 1 through 8. Volume 9 in Japan is titled decor, and it’s a separately titled aftermath volume — not a direct continuation of the plot, but a collection of short stories set after the main story ends. More on that in a moment.
If you’re reading in English through Yen Press, you get all 8 volumes of the main story. That’s the complete narrative from beginning to end. The decor volume has not been released in English.
Volume-by-Volume Breakdown — Scum’s Wish Manga Volumes Explained
One thing to know going in: Scum’s Wish doesn’t follow a typical romance structure. There’s no slow build toward a happy confession. Instead, the series peels back layers of self-deception and emotional dependency across its run. Each volume escalates the tension in ways that feel genuinely uncomfortable — and that’s the point.
Volume 1 sets up the central premise. Hanabi Yasuraoka and Mugi Awaya are two high school students who appear to be the perfect couple. In reality, they’ve entered a relationship of convenience. Hanabi is in love with a man she grew up with as a kind of surrogate older brother — not a blood relative, but someone close enough to feel like family — who happens to be her homeroom teacher. Mugi is pining for a different teacher, a woman from his past. Neither can have who they truly want, so they use each other as substitutes. It’s a brutal foundation, and Yokoyari doesn’t flinch from showing how hollow that arrangement feels even as both characters cling to it.
Scum's Wish, Vol. 8 (final volume)
Volume 2 deepens the emotional stakes considerably. The arrangement between Hanabi and Mugi starts to feel less like a coping mechanism and more like a trap. Both characters’ real feelings for their respective crushes intensify — but so does the complicated intimacy of their fake relationship. Yokoyari’s artwork in these early volumes does heavy lifting, conveying longing and discomfort through body language and panel composition — the way individual frames on a page are arranged to guide your eye and shape the mood — in ways that dialogue alone couldn’t.
Volume 3 widens the cast in a significant way. New characters enter the web of desire, and suddenly the story isn’t just about two people pretending — it’s about an entire network of people wanting what they can’t have, or wanting the wrong things for the wrong reasons. The tangled relationships multiply, and the emotional logic of the series gets sharper. You start to see that Yokoyari isn’t just writing a messy love story; she’s dissecting how desire works when it’s disconnected from genuine connection.
Volume 4 is where consequences start catching up. The idea that you can use another person as an emotional placeholder without anyone getting hurt — that illusion starts cracking. Characters are pushed toward breaking points, and the comfortable numbness that defined the early volumes gives way to real pain. This is a turning point for the series tonally. The drama becomes more intense, and Yokoyari doesn’t let anyone off easy.
Volume 5 fractures and reforms the relationships we’ve watched develop. Characters are forced to confront an uncomfortable question: are their feelings genuine, or are they just different flavors of self-destruction? It’s the kind of volume that makes you set the book down for a minute. The honesty of the character writing here is striking — Yokoyari gives every character enough inner emotional depth that you understand their choices even when those choices are terrible.
Volume 6 shifts focus in an interesting way, bringing the adult characters’ perspectives into sharper relief. The teachers who are the objects of Hanabi’s and Mugi’s affection aren’t just static targets of desire — they have their own messy emotional lives. This mirroring of the students’ turmoil through the adults’ experiences adds a layer of thematic depth. It’s also where the series makes clear that growing up doesn’t mean you stop making the same mistakes.
The Final Stretch — Volumes 7 and 8
Volume 7 brings the central relationships to a crisis point. Everything that’s been building — the lies, the substitutions, the genuine feelings tangled up with the fake ones — converges. Hanabi and Mugi each have to face what they actually want, stripped of all the convenient excuses they’ve been hiding behind. The pacing tightens here, and Yokoyari’s panel work gets more intense to match.
Volume 8 concludes the main story. This is where Hanabi and Mugi must decide whether to keep living the lie or accept painful, unglamorous truths about themselves and each other. Without spoiling the ending — it’s not what most romance manga would do, and that’s exactly why it works. The conclusion is earned. It respects the story’s themes rather than betraying them for a neat resolution.
When you finish Volume 8, you’ve read the complete main narrative of Scum’s Wish. That’s the definitive ending.
Decor — The Aftermath Volume
Volume 9, titled decor (クズの本懐 décor), is something different. It’s a separately titled aftermath volume that collects short stories set after the main series’ conclusion. Think of it as epilogue material — glimpses of where the characters end up, how they’ve changed (or haven’t), and what life looks like after the emotional wreckage of the main story.
Decor is part of the Scum’s Wish universe, but it stands apart from the core 8-volume narrative. It’s not required to understand the ending — Volume 8 gives you a complete story. But if you want to spend more time with these characters and see the aftermath play out, decor provides that.
Here’s the catch for English readers: decor has not been released in English by Yen Press. Only volumes 1 through 8 are available in the English edition. If you want to read decor, you’d need to seek out the Japanese edition.
Manga vs. Anime — Where the TV Adaptation Stops
Scum’s Wish received a Japanese animated television adaptation that began airing in January 2017. The adaptation covers the core story from the manga, but it was produced while the manga was still running — which means there are differences in how certain elements are handled.
If you watched the anime first and are now considering the manga, here’s what you should know:
- The manga offers additional depth that the anime couldn’t fully capture in its runtime. Internal monologue, which is central to understanding these characters, gets more space on the page than it does on screen.
- The manga provides the definitive ending as Yokoyari intended it. The anime had to work with the material available at the time of production.
- Decor is entirely manga-exclusive. None of the aftermath stories have been adapted. If you want the post-ending content, the manga is your only option.
For readers coming from the anime, starting from Volume 1 is still the recommendation. The manga’s pacing and internal character work are different enough from the anime that reading from the beginning doesn’t feel redundant — it feels like getting the fuller version of a story you already liked.
Which Edition Should You Buy
For English readers, the choice is straightforward: the Yen Press edition is your one option, and it’s a solid one. It’s available in both print and digital formats and covers the complete main story across 8 volumes. The age rating is OT (Older Teen), which reflects the series’ mature emotional themes and some physical intimacy — appropriate for the subject matter.
Here’s a quick format comparison for the Scum’s Wish manga volume list:
| Format | Volumes Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yen Press Print | 1–8 | Standard single-volume paperbacks |
| Yen Press Digital | 1–8 | Available through major digital platforms |
| Japanese (Big Gangan Comics) | 1–9 | Includes decor (vol. 9) |
If you’re buying print, volumes are standard manga size. Collecting all 8 is manageable — this isn’t a 30-volume commitment.
For readers who want the decor aftermath volume, the Japanese edition published by Square Enix under the Big Gangan Comics label is where you’d find it. Just keep in mind it’s only available in Japanese.
A practical note on collecting: because Scum’s Wish is a completed series with a relatively small volume count, finding all 8 English volumes is generally straightforward at major retailers. There are no omnibus editions (combined volumes that collect multiple books into one) or special box sets to hunt down — just the 8 individual volumes in the Yen Press edition.
FAQ
How many volumes is Scum’s Wish?
The Japanese edition has 9 volumes (with the 9th being the separately titled decor). The English edition from Yen Press has 8 volumes, covering the complete main story.
Is Scum’s Wish finished?
Yes. The series is fully completed. You can read the entire main story without waiting for new releases.
Who is the author of Scum’s Wish?
Mengo Yokoyari (横槍メンゴ) wrote and illustrated the series.
What is decor?
Decor is a separately titled aftermath volume — it’s Volume 9 in the Japanese release. It contains short stories set after the main story concludes, showing what happens to the characters next. It has not been released in English by Yen Press.
What’s the right reading order?
Read the main series — volumes 1 through 8 — in order. After that, if you can access the Japanese edition, decor comes next. That’s it. No side stories or alternate reading paths to worry about.
Where can I buy Scum’s Wish in English?
Yen Press publishes the English edition in both print and digital formats. You can find it at major book retailers and digital manga platforms.
Is the manga different from the anime?
Yes. The manga provides more internal character depth and the definitive ending. The decor aftermath volume is entirely manga-exclusive. If you enjoyed the anime, the manga is worth reading from the start.
Is this series appropriate for younger teens?
The Yen Press edition carries an OT (Older Teen) rating. The series deals with mature emotional themes — unrequited love, physical intimacy, manipulation, and self-destructive behavior. It’s not graphic in a violent sense, but the emotional content is heavy and aimed at a more mature readership.