If you’ve been wondering whether the Hell Girl manga is finished — maybe you’re watching the anime and curious about the print version, or you’re staring at a secondhand listing wondering how many volumes you actually need — the short answer is yes, the manga is finished and fully complete. Here’s everything you need to know.
Yes — the Hell Girl Manga Finished in 2008 With 9 Volumes
The original Hell Girl (地獄少女, which translates to “Hell Girl” in Japanese) manga is complete. It ran for 9 volumes and 34 chapters, published by Kodansha — one of Japan’s largest manga publishers — in Nakayoshi, a manga magazine aimed at younger female readers. If you’re new to manga, a “volume” is a collected book containing several chapters, and it’s the standard way manga is sold in bookstores. The first volume came out in Japan on January 25, 2006, and the final volume released on October 6, 2008.
One detail that surprises a lot of people: the Hell Girl manga is actually an adaptation of the anime, not the other way around. An adaptation means the story was retold in a different format — in this case, the anime TV series came first as the original work, and the manga was created afterward as a print version of that story. The manga was drawn by Miyuki Eto (永遠幸) and created under the Hell Girl Project (地獄少女プロジェクト). So if you came to the manga expecting it to be the “source material” — it isn’t, but that doesn’t make it any less worth reading on its own terms.
The series is categorized as horror/mystery, and it’s firmly complete with no ambiguity about its status. No hiatus, no cancellation — it wrapped up its run as planned.
How the Original Manga Wraps Up (Spoiler-Free)
The manga follows the same core premise as the anime: people who hold a deep grudge can access the Hell Correspondence — a mysterious supernatural website that appears at midnight, named for the idea that you’re sending a message (a “correspondence”) directly to hell. By entering a name, they can summon Ai Enma — the Hell Girl — who will ferry their tormentor straight to hell. The catch? The person making the request condemns their own soul to hell when they eventually die.
Structurally, the manga uses an episodic format, meaning most chapters tell self-contained stories that don’t depend on each other. Rather than building one continuous storyline across all nine volumes, each chapter presents a standalone revenge story following a different person pushed to the breaking point. A new character appears, their suffering is laid out, they make their choice, and Ai carries out the contract. It’s a repeating moral framework that hits hard because the stories vary so much in who’s involved and why.
The horror isn’t primarily about monsters or jump scares — it’s psychological. Each story asks you to sit with the question of whether sending someone to hell is justified, and what it costs the person doing it. Some of these revenge scenarios are deeply unsettling, dealing with bullying, abuse, and manipulation.
By volume 9, the series brings its run to a close without leaving readers hanging on a cliffhanger. Because each chapter is its own story rather than part of one long ongoing narrative, there isn’t a massive plot that needs resolving — the manga completes its collection of stories and ends cleanly. If you pick up volume 1, you can read through to volume 9 knowing you’ll reach a definitive ending.
Two Sequel Manga Continue the Hell Girl Story
The original 9-volume manga isn’t the only Hell Girl manga out there. Two separate sequel series were also published, both continuing the Hell Correspondence premise with new stories and characters:
- Shin Jigoku Shoujo (新・地獄少女), which translates to “New Hell Girl” — a sequel manga that ran for 3 volumes
- Jigoku Shoujo R (地獄少女R), or “Hell Girl R” — another sequel manga that ran for 11 volumes
“Jigoku Shoujo” is simply the Japanese title for “Hell Girl,” so all three manga share that name but are distinct series with their own volume numbering.
These are separate series, not continuations tacked onto the original run. If someone tells you “Hell Girl manga is 23 volumes,” they’re incorrectly adding all three series together. The original is 9 volumes, full stop. The sequels are their own separate works.
This distinction matters when you’re shopping for copies. If you see a “volume 10” listed somewhere, it belongs to one of the sequel series, not the original manga. Keep the three series mentally separated and you won’t accidentally buy the wrong thing or think you’re missing volumes.
If you finish the original 9 volumes and want more, the two sequel series give you plenty of additional Hell Girl manga to read.
Does the Anime Cover the Full Manga Story?
This is where Hell Girl flips the usual manga-anime relationship on its head. With most series, the anime adapts the manga. Here, the anime came first as the original work, and the manga was created afterward as an adaptation.
The anime spans 4 TV seasons, covering far more ground than the 9-volume manga does. Because the manga adapts stories from the anime rather than providing source material for it, the two versions share the same premise and characters but differ in which specific stories they tell and how they tell them.
What does this mean for you as a reader or viewer?
- You don’t need to read the manga before watching the anime. The anime stands completely on its own as the original version of the story.
- You don’t need to watch the anime before reading the manga. The manga works independently too.
- They complement each other rather than one being a prerequisite for the other. The manga offers its own selection of Hell Correspondence stories drawn in Miyuki Eto’s art style, while the anime has a much larger catalog of episodes across its four seasons.
If you love the anime and want more Hell Girl stories in a different format, the manga is a great companion piece. And if you prefer reading to watching, the manga gives you a self-contained horror/mystery experience without requiring any anime knowledge.
Where to Read or Buy Hell Girl Manga
Here’s the tricky part. The English edition of Hell Girl was originally published by Del Rey Manga, a publishing label that specialized in manga translations. Del Rey ceased manga publishing around 2010, and the English edition of Hell Girl is currently out of print, meaning no new copies are being produced.
No other English-language publisher has picked up the publishing rights as of this writing. Kodansha USA, which took over many former Del Rey titles when Del Rey closed, does not currently carry Hell Girl in its catalog.
So what are your options?
Secondhand print copies are the most reliable way to get the English edition. The Del Rey volumes do show up in used bookstores, online secondhand marketplaces, and library sales. Prices vary — some volumes are easier to find than others. If you spot a copy in good condition, it’s worth grabbing, because out-of-print manga only gets harder to find over time as existing copies get damaged, lost, or pulled from circulation.
Hell Girl 7/8/9
Digital availability in English is uncertain. The Del Rey release predates the current era of widespread digital manga distribution, and without an active English-language publisher, digital storefronts may not carry it. Check current listings on major digital platforms to see if anything has changed since this article was written.
The Japanese edition remains available through Kodansha. If you read Japanese or are studying the language, the original volumes published under the Kodansha Comics Nakayoshi label are much easier to find than the English out-of-print editions.
One important note on unofficial sources: because the English edition is out of print and difficult to find, you may encounter unofficial scans or fan translations (translations made by fans rather than by a licensed publisher) online. If you can track down the official Del Rey volumes secondhand or the Japanese Kodansha originals, those are the best way to support the creators and signal to publishers that there’s demand for a potential new English edition.
FAQ
How many volumes of Hell Girl manga are there?
The original Hell Girl manga has 9 volumes containing 34 chapters. Two separate sequel manga series also exist: Shin Jigoku Shoujo, or “New Hell Girl” (3 volumes), and Jigoku Shoujo R, or “Hell Girl R” (11 volumes). These are distinct series with their own volume numbering, not part of the original’s count.
Is the Hell Girl manga the same as the anime?
Not exactly. The manga is an adaptation of the anime, meaning the anime came first and the manga retells the story in print form. They share the same core premise — Ai Enma and the Hell Correspondence — but the specific stories differ between the two. You can enjoy either one independently without needing the other.
Can I still buy Hell Girl manga in English?
The Del Rey English edition is out of print, and no current publisher carries it. Your best bet is finding secondhand copies through used bookstores or online resellers. The Japanese edition from Kodansha is more readily available if you read Japanese. Keep an eye on major digital platforms as well — availability can change if a new publisher picks up the rights.