Kemono Jihen Has 24 Japanese Manga Volumes and 20 in English — Here’s the Full Breakdown
If you’re looking for a complete breakdown of Kemono Jihen manga volumes, here’s the short answer: the series currently has 24 volumes in Japanese and 20 volumes released in English. The manga is still ongoing, so both counts will continue to grow.
Kemono Jihen (怪物事変) is written and illustrated by Sho Aimoto (藍本松). It began publishing chapter by chapter — a process called serialization — in Jump Square, a monthly manga magazine from Shueisha, one of Japan’s biggest manga publishers. The first collected volume hit shelves in Japan on March 3, 2017. Volume 24, the latest Japanese release, came out on December 4, 2025.
The English edition trails behind by several volumes, which is standard for manga localization — the full process of adapting a Japanese release for English-speaking markets, including translation, text placement in speech bubbles, and quality checks. If you’re starting fresh, you’ve got 20 English volumes available right now, which is a substantial chunk of the story.
So what’s the series actually about? Kemono Jihen follows Kabane, a boy who’s been treated as an outcast his entire life in a rural village. When a detective specializing in supernatural cases arrives to investigate mysterious livestock deaths, Kabane discovers he’s part kemono — a creature from Japanese folklore. He ends up joining the detective’s agency in Tokyo, working alongside other half-kemono kids to solve cases involving dangerous supernatural beings.
The series lands firmly in dark fantasy territory. Despite running in a shonen magazine — shonen refers to manga aimed at a teenage male audience, though readers of all backgrounds enjoy it — Kemono Jihen pushes well beyond the comfort zone of most titles in its category. You’ll find supernatural creatures rooted in Japanese mythology, body horror that doesn’t flinch, morally complicated conflicts where the line between human and monster blurs in uncomfortable ways, and young characters facing situations that feel genuinely dangerous. It’s a story that earns its darkness rather than using it for shock value.
Key Kemono Jihen Manga Volumes at a Glance
For readers who want to understand the shape of the story before committing, here’s a spoiler-free look at key volumes that mark important milestones or shifts in the narrative. An arc in manga refers to a self-contained story segment — a group of chapters that follow one connected plotline from beginning to end. These aren’t the “only” important volumes — every volume contributes — but they’re useful landmarks.
| Volume | JP Release Year | What Happens Here (Spoiler-Free) |
|---|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | 2017 | The beginning. Kabane’s life in the countryside, the mystery that sets the story in motion, and his move to Tokyo. Sets up the core cast and the detective agency premise. This is where you start. |
| Vol. 3 | 2017 | The first major multi-chapter arc wraps up here, and the emotional stakes for the kid characters sharpen considerably. You’ll know by this point whether the series is for you. |
| Vol. 5 | 2018 | A significant turning point where the overarching conflict comes into clearer focus. The antagonists’ motivations start to crystallize, and the story moves beyond standalone cases into a larger connected narrative. |
| Vol. 8 | 2019 | One of the story’s most intense arcs reaches its climax. The body horror — meaning disturbing physical transformations and visceral damage to characters’ bodies — and emotional weight both escalate. This is where many readers say the series truly distinguishes itself. |
| Vol. 12 | 2020 | A major narrative shift. Alliances and loyalties get tested in ways that reshape everything the reader has come to expect. If you’ve made it here, you’re fully invested. |
| Vol. 16 | 2022 | Deep into the ongoing larger conflict. Character backstories that have been building for volumes start paying off. The scope of the story widens significantly. |
A note about the anime: A TV anime adaptation exists that covers the early story arcs — roughly the material in the first 4–5 volumes. If you’ve already watched the anime and want to pick up where it left off, starting around Volume 5 or 6 will catch you at the right place, though reading from Volume 1 is always worthwhile for details the adaptation condensed. If you’re unsure whether to commit to the manga at all, the anime works as a low-commitment preview of the tone, characters, and setting. But the manga goes far deeper and further than where the anime left off, and the later volumes are where the story really opens up.
How Dark Does Kemono Jihen Get?
This is an important question, especially if you’re new to dark fantasy manga. Kemono Jihen occupies an interesting middle ground on the darkness spectrum.
The Framework Is Shonen — The Content Pushes Beyond It
On the surface, Kemono Jihen has the structure of a shonen action series: a young protagonist discovers hidden powers, joins a team, faces progressively stronger enemies. But Aimoto uses that familiar framework to explore themes and imagery that go well past what you’d expect from a Jump Square title.
What to Be Aware Of
- Body horror: Kemono transformations and monster encounters get visceral. Characters lose limbs, get torn apart, and undergo physical changes that are drawn in unflinching detail. The art doesn’t cut away at the crucial moment — it shows you.
- Children in genuine peril: The main cast are kids, and the story doesn’t protect them with convenient narrative safety nets the way lighter series do. They get hurt. They suffer. The stakes feel real because the consequences are visible.
- Abandonment and identity: Multiple characters grapple with being rejected by human society, by their kemono relatives, or by both. These aren’t background themes — they’re central to the emotional core of the story.
- Monster violence: The supernatural cases involve creatures that kill, and the aftermath is shown rather than implied.
Where It Sits on the Dark Fantasy Scale
For context, dark fantasy manga exists on a wide spectrum. On the extreme end, you’ll find series aimed at adult readers (a category called seinen) that depict graphic violence with very few limits. Kemono Jihen doesn’t reach those levels. But compared to mainstream shonen action series — titles where the heroes face danger but rarely suffer lasting consequences — Kemono Jihen is noticeably darker and more willing to sit in uncomfortable territory.
The tonal sweet spot is somewhere in between: a familiar shonen structure that regularly dips into horror. Kemono Jihen leans especially hard into the emotional vulnerability of its young cast, which gives the darker moments more weight than pure spectacle would.
For readers who are new to dark fantasy manga, this is actually a strong entry point. It eases you in with a familiar format before gradually escalating the intensity. You won’t be thrown into the deep end on page one, but by the time you’re ten volumes in, you’ll realize the water’s gotten pretty deep.
Is Kemono Jihen Finished or Still Running?
Kemono Jihen is ongoing. The story is not yet complete.
As of the most recent data: Japanese volume 24 released on December 4, 2025, and the English edition has reached volume 20. Serialization continues in Jump Square, and there’s been no announcement of the manga ending soon.
What This Means If You’re Starting Now
Starting an ongoing series is a trade-off. On one hand, you get to experience the story as it unfolds and join the conversation with other readers in real time. On the other hand, you’ll eventually catch up to the latest volume and have to wait for new releases.
The good news is that 20 English volumes gives you a huge amount of story to work through. You won’t be staring at a cliffhanger after three books — there’s a deep, substantial reading experience waiting here. And the Japanese edition being at 24 volumes means there’s even more content in the pipeline for English translation.
If you prefer to read completed series, you might want to bookmark Kemono Jihen and check back periodically. But if you don’t mind catching up and then following along, now is a perfectly fine time to jump in.
Where to Buy Kemono Jihen Manga Volumes in English
The English edition of Kemono Jihen is available as individual collected volumes — single books that each contain several chapters’ worth of story, numbered sequentially. There’s no special reading order to worry about. Start at Volume 1 and go straight through.
As of now, there are no known omnibus editions (larger books that bundle two or three volumes into one), deluxe editions, or box sets for the English release. If you’re hoping for a collected format, you’ll need to pick up the individual books for the time being.
Where to Find Them
Kemono Jihen volumes are available through:
- Major online retailers — readily stocked and easy to find
- Brick-and-mortar bookstores — many chain bookstores carry the series in their manga sections, though selection may vary by location
- Digital platforms — if you prefer reading on a tablet or phone, digital editions are available through services like Kindle, Apple Books, and other major e-book storefronts. Digital can be a convenient way to catch up quickly on a longer series, and buying a single digital volume is an easy low-commitment test before investing in physical copies
The series is a straightforward sequential purchase. No variant editions to compare, no confusing “which version should I get” decisions. Just grab Volume 1 and start reading.
Kemono Jihen, Vol. 20
A Practical Tip for Buying 20 Volumes
Twenty volumes is a meaningful investment of both money and shelf space. If you want to test the waters before committing to the full run, picking up the first three volumes gives you a solid sample of the art, tone, and storytelling. By the end of Volume 3, you’ll have a clear sense of whether Kemono Jihen clicks for you. From there, you can buy in batches as your budget allows — there’s no rush, and the books aren’t going anywhere.