Inu x Boku SS Manga Volumes: Full Collecting Guide

How Many Volumes of Inu x Boku SS Are There?

The quick answer: 11 volumes, and the series is complete. The Japanese and English editions match at 11 volumes each, so there’s no gap between what was published in Japan and what’s available in English translation.

Here are the key details:

• Author: Cocoa Fujiwara (藤原ここあ)
• Japanese Publisher: Square Enix (a major Japanese media and publishing company)
• English Publisher: Yen Press (a manga and light novel publisher that releases English-language editions in North America)
• Magazine: Monthly GanGan JOKER
• Japanese run: The first volume released on April 22, 2010, and the final volume came out in July 2014
• Status: Completed

A somber note: Cocoa Fujiwara passed away in 2015 at a young age, which means there will be no continuation, spin-off, or sequel to this series. That context adds weight to the 11 volumes as a self-contained, definitive work — the complete story as Fujiwara told it.

The premise centers on Ririchiyo Shirakiin, a sharp-tongued girl with deep insecurities who moves into Maison de Ayakashi — a high-security residence for half-human, half-yokai individuals. Yokai are supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore — spirits, demons, and other beings drawn from centuries of myth — and in this world, certain people carry yokai blood. Ririchiyo is assigned a dedicated bodyguard named Miketsukami (the manga calls these bodyguards “Secret Service agents,” though this is a fictional in-world title, not the real-world institution), whose devotion to her is both endearing and mysterious. What starts as a supernatural comedy about a girl learning to open up gradually evolves into something much heavier, weaving in themes of isolation, cycles of self-destruction, and tragic fate.

It’s not a traditional horror manga, but the darkness in this series is real. The yokai mythology gives it a supernatural backbone, while the psychological weight — especially in the second half — puts it in territory that fans of darker character-driven manga will appreciate.

Collecting Inu x Boku SS Manga Volumes — Formats and Best Options

Physical Editions

All 11 English volumes were published by Yen Press as standard single volumes. That’s the only physical format — there is no omnibus edition (a single book collecting multiple volumes together), no box set, and no deluxe reprint. Each volume is a standalone paperback in Yen Press’s standard manga size.

Because the series wrapped up in the mid-2010s, you’re working with books that have been out of active print for a while. What that means in practical terms:

• New copies may still be available for some volumes through retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Books-A-Million, but availability is spotty and varies by volume
• Used copies are the backup option through sites like eBay, ThriftBooks, or secondhand listings on Amazon — pricing on those fluctuates a lot, with some volumes sitting at reasonable prices while others spike depending on scarcity
• There’s no announced reprint or special edition, so what’s out there now is what you’re working with for physical copies

Digital Editions

Digital is the most reliable path to a complete set if you want guaranteed access to all 11 volumes without hunting for out-of-print paperbacks. Digital editions don’t go out of stock, and you can find them on platforms like Kindle, Kobo, BookWalker, and other major digital manga storefronts.

Buying Strategy

If you’re set on physical copies, the practical approach is to check both new and used listings across multiple retailers. Prices can vary significantly from one volume to the next — a volume that costs a few dollars used on one site might be listed at a premium on another. Patience and comparison shopping help here.

For anyone who just wants to read the complete story without the collector hunt, digital is the straightforward choice.

Complete Volume List and Key Picks

All 11 volumes are meant to be read in order — the story builds carefully, and the emotional impact of later volumes depends entirely on what came before. That said, here’s a breakdown of what each stretch of the series delivers, with a few key volumes highlighted.

Volume 1 — The Setup

This is where you meet Ririchiyo and Miketsukami, get introduced to the Maison de Ayakashi and its cast of half-yokai residents, and learn the bodyguard premise. The tone here is primarily comedic with supernatural elements — think character introductions, bickering, and the first hints of deeper emotional currents beneath Ririchiyo’s prickly exterior. Volume 1 does a good job establishing why you should care about these characters before the story asks more of you later.

Volumes 2–3 — Building the World

The supporting cast gets fleshed out, and the dynamics between the residents and their bodyguards develop. These volumes are still mostly in the lighter zone — funny moments, character bonding, the occasional supernatural incident — but Fujiwara starts planting seeds for the darker material ahead. If you’re enjoying the character interactions and the yokai mythology by this point, you’re in good shape for what’s coming.

Volume 4 — The Turning Point

This is where things start shifting. Character relationships deepen in ways that feel earned because of the groundwork in earlier volumes, and the supernatural stakes begin escalating beyond the relatively safe conflicts of the first few books. Volume 4 is the hinge — the story is still recognizable as the series you started reading, but the trajectory changes here.

Volumes 5–6 — Escalation

The series continues building tension and emotional complexity. The comedy doesn’t disappear entirely, but it starts sharing more space with heavier themes. These are transition volumes doing important structural work, connecting the lighter first half to the dramatically different second half.

Volume 7 — Where the Story Transforms

Volume 7 is where the mood and genre shift becomes unmistakable. A major new section of the story begins here, and it takes things in a dramatically darker and more tragic direction. Without spoiling the specifics, the stakes change fundamentally — this isn’t just “things get more serious.” The nature of the story itself transforms. If Volumes 1–6 were a supernatural comedy-drama, Volume 7 onward is closer to a supernatural tragedy.

An anime adaptation of the series also exists (more on that below), and it covers roughly the first half of the manga’s story. From Volume 7 onward, you’re in manga-only territory.

Volumes 8–10 — The Tragic Stretch

These volumes carry the weight of the second half’s darker storyline. Themes of fate and the cost of the characters’ supernatural nature come to the foreground. The emotional intensity ramps up considerably. Fujiwara’s writing commits fully to the tragic elements — there’s no pulling back to safety.

Volume 11 — The Finale

The final volume concludes the story and brings the series to a close. It’s an emotionally heavy ending that earns its impact through everything that came before. Whether you find it satisfying or heartbreaking (or both) depends on how attached you’ve gotten to these characters over the previous ten volumes — and if Fujiwara did her job right, you’ll be very attached.

A Note on Skipping

Don’t skip volumes. The shift in mood that makes this series special only works because of the lighter, character-building first half. Jumping straight to the “dark part” would rob those later volumes of their emotional weight. The comedy isn’t filler — it’s the foundation that makes the tragedy land.

Volumes That May Be Hard to Find

As a completed Yen Press series from the early 2010s, Inu x Boku SS is in the category of manga where physical availability is unpredictable. Some volumes may still have new copies floating around in retail channels, while others may be effectively out of print — meaning the publisher is no longer producing new copies, and once existing stock sells out, it’s gone.

A pattern that’s common with older completed series applies here: volumes in the middle of the series tend to be the hardest to find at reasonable prices. Volumes 1 and 11 — the first and last — often stay in circulation longer because of natural demand from people starting or finishing a collection. But volumes in the 4–8 range can sometimes become scarce, with used prices climbing accordingly.

What to Do About It

• Check multiple sources. A volume that’s unavailable or overpriced at one retailer might be sitting at a normal price on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, eBay, or ThriftBooks.
• Consider used copies. For manga you’re reading rather than displaying, a used copy in good condition is perfectly functional and often significantly cheaper.
• Digital fills the gaps. If one or two physical volumes are proving impossible to find, grabbing those specific volumes digitally on Kindle, Kobo, or BookWalker while keeping the rest physical is a reasonable compromise.
• No reprint is coming (as far as we know). There’s been no announcement of a reprint, deluxe edition, or collector’s edition — and given Fujiwara’s passing, the chances of any new edition receiving special supplementary material are essentially zero. Plan accordingly.

The complete set is 11 volumes — a manageable number compared to longer-running series. But the tradeoff with shorter completed series is that fewer copies were printed initially, and once stock is gone, it’s gone unless the publisher decides to reprint.

Reading Order and What to Expect

Reading Order

This one is simple: Volume 1 through Volume 11, in order. There are no side stories published in separate volumes, no spin-off series you need to read first, and no complicated branching order. Start at the beginning, read straight through.

The Two Halves

The most important thing to understand about Inu x Boku SS before you start is that it’s essentially two different stories sharing one continuous narrative.

The first half (roughly Volumes 1–6) is a supernatural comedy with romantic elements. You’re getting to know the cast, enjoying the yokai-infused everyday dynamics at Maison de Ayakashi — the kind of story focused on daily life, character interactions, and small moments rather than big action — and watching Ririchiyo slowly learn to let her guard down. It’s warm, it’s funny, and it’s charming. If this were all the series offered, it would be a pleasant but unremarkable supernatural romance.

The second half (roughly Volumes 7–11) shifts into much darker territory. The supernatural mythology takes on tragic dimensions, themes of cyclical fate come to dominate, and the emotional stakes become genuinely heavy. Characters you’ve grown fond of in the lighter first half face circumstances that are painful to watch unfold.

The shift in tone is deliberate. Fujiwara built the first half specifically so the second half would hit harder. Knowing this going in doesn’t diminish the impact — if anything, it makes the early comedy bittersweet on a reread.

The Anime Connection

An anime adaptation of Inu x Boku SS exists, covering roughly the first half of the manga — approximately the material in Volumes 1 through 6. If you’ve seen the anime and want to continue the story in manga form, start at Volume 7 for the new material, though reading from Volume 1 is recommended since the manga handles some details differently. The entire darker second half of the story was never adapted into anime, so reading all 11 volumes is the only way to get the full picture.

Who Should Read Inu x Boku SS

Great Fit For:

• Fans of supernatural manga with yokai elements who want more emotional depth than the typical yokai comedy offers
• Character-driven readers who value watching characters grow and change, even when that growth leads somewhere painful
• People who appreciate stories that evolve — if you like manga that starts light and gradually reveals something darker underneath, this is a strong example of that structure done well
• Readers looking for a manageable complete series — 11 volumes is short enough to collect and read without a massive time or money investment, and you get a definitive ending
• Anyone who enjoyed the anime and wants to know how the story actually ends

Maybe Not For:

• Pure horror fans — this is not a scare-focused series. The darkness here is psychological and emotional, not visceral or graphic. It sits alongside darker supernatural titles rather than being horror itself.
• Readers who want consistent tone throughout — if a series shifting from comedy to tragedy frustrates you, the deliberate change in mood may not work for you
• Readers who want an unambiguously upbeat conclusion — without spoiling details, the final volumes carry significant emotional weight and don’t take the easy way out. The ending is earned and meaningful, but it’s not light.

The Bottom Line

Inu x Boku SS is a completed 11-volume supernatural manga that rewards patient, sequential reading with one of the more emotionally affecting back halves in its genre. It’s not the longest commitment, and it’s not the darkest manga out there, but it earns its emotional impact honestly — through characters you care about facing consequences you wish they didn’t have to. If that sounds like your kind of story, grab Volume 1 and start reading.