What Is the “Is This a Zombie?” Manga?
Is This a Zombie? (Japanese title: Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?) started life as a light novel series — light novels are short Japanese prose novels, similar to paperbacks, usually with a few illustrations — written by Shinichi Kimura, with illustrations by Kobuichi and Muririn. The light novels began publication in 2009.
The manga adaptation is drawn by Sacchi and was first published chapter-by-chapter in Monthly Dragon Age (a manga magazine published by Kadokawa) starting in January 2010. This is an important distinction: the manga is not the original source material. It’s an adaptation of the light novels, much like how many anime series are based on books or comics rather than being original stories.
The manga runs 8 volumes total, and all 8 have been published in English by Yen Press. It’s complete — no waiting for new volumes.
Genre-wise, this falls into supernatural action-comedy with ecchi humor (sexually suggestive comedy and fanservice) and harem elements (one male lead surrounded by multiple female characters who are potential love interests). Despite the word “zombie” in the title and a premise involving necromancers and serial killers, this is not a horror manga. It’s comedy-first, through and through. If you’re coming here expecting something like Tokyo Ghoul or Uzumaki, you’ll want to recalibrate your expectations. But if you’re in the mood for something funny, weird, and full of energy? Keep reading.
Story and Premise — What the Manga Is About
The setup is wonderfully absurd.
Ayumu Aikawa is a high school boy who gets murdered by a serial killer. That’s a dark start, sure — but he’s quickly resurrected as a zombie by a mysterious necromancer named Eucliwood Hellscythe (everyone calls her Eu). Eu is powerful but mostly silent, communicating through written notes. She moves into Ayumu’s house, and that’s just the beginning of his problems.
Things escalate when Ayumu encounters Haruna, a self-proclaimed Masou-Shoujo (magical garment girl). If you’re not familiar, “magical girl” is a genre in manga and anime where characters — usually young women — transform into powered-up, costume-wearing heroes to fight evil. The Masou-Shoujo in this series is a comedic twist on that idea. During a fight with a monster called a Megalo (one of the supernatural creatures that serve as recurring enemies in the story), Ayumu accidentally absorbs Haruna’s magical powers. The catch? To use those powers, he has to transform into a Masou-Shoujo himself — frilly dress and all.
So now you’ve got a zombie boy fighting monsters in a magical girl outfit. That’s the show.
The household grows when Seraphim, a vampire ninja (yes, vampire ninja), also moves in. She’s there on her own mission but ends up staying, adding another layer to the comedic group dynamic.
The tone ping-pongs between wild slapstick comedy and surprisingly dark moments. There are real stakes sometimes — the serial killer who murdered Ayumu is an ongoing plot thread, and Eu’s backstory has genuine emotional weight. But the manga leans heavily into comedy and ecchi humor. The zombie premise is mostly a vehicle for action gags (Ayumu can take damage that would kill a normal person, which the series plays for laughs) rather than genuine horror.
The Main Cast at a Glance
- Ayumu Aikawa — The zombie protagonist. Sarcastic, put-upon, and stuck wearing a frilly dress to fight monsters. He’s the comedic punching bag of the series, and it works.
- Eucliwood Hellscythe (Eu) — A necromancer whose words have the power to alter reality, so she stays silent. She’s quiet and seemingly emotionless, but she’s the emotional heart of the story.
- Haruna — A loud, energetic magical garment girl who lost her powers to Ayumu. She’s not happy about it.
- Seraphim — A vampire ninja who serves as the sharp-tongued, cold member of the household. She insults Ayumu constantly, which is part of the charm.
How Many Volumes Does the Is This a Zombie? Manga Have?
Here’s the quick reference:
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Total volumes (Japan) | 8 |
| English publisher | Yen Press |
| English volumes available | All 8 |
| Status | Complete |
| Box set available? | No — individual volumes only |
The manga is complete at 8 volumes. You can read from start to finish without worrying about an unfinished story.
However, there’s an important caveat: the manga only adapts a portion of the light novel’s full storyline. The light novels ran for 19 volumes in Japan, so the manga covers roughly the early story arcs (self-contained chapters of the larger narrative). It doesn’t end on a painful cliffhanger or anything — it wraps up in a satisfying enough spot — but if you fall in love with the characters and want to know how everything plays out, you’ll eventually want to look into the light novels.
And here’s where it gets tricky: the English light novel release, also from Yen Press (published under their Yen On label, which is the branch of Yen Press that handles prose novels rather than manga), only published 8 of the 19 Japanese volumes before it was discontinued. So the full story is not available in English through official channels regardless of format.
For most readers, the manga’s 8 volumes tell a complete and enjoyable story. Just know that there’s more out there if you go looking.
Is This a Zombie? Manga vs. Anime vs. Light Novel — Which Should You Start With?
This is one of those franchises where the same story exists across multiple formats, and each one has a slightly different appeal. Here’s how they compare:
| Format | Details | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manga (8 vols) | Drawn by Sacchi, adapts early LN story arcs | Self-paced reading, Sacchi’s art, re-readable | Only covers a portion of the full story |
| Anime (2 seasons) | 22 TV episodes total (Season 1: 12 eps, Season 2: 10 eps) + OVAs (bonus episodes released separately from the TV series) by Studio Deen | Voice acting, animation, music, most accessible entry point | Also doesn’t cover the complete LN story |
| Light Novel (19 vols JP / 8 vols EN) | The original source by Shinichi Kimura | Most complete version of the story | English release discontinued at Vol. 8 |
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
The anime adapts the light novels, not the manga. The manga and anime are both independent adaptations of the same source material. They cover similar early story arcs, but they’re not direct copies of each other. You won’t find the anime to be a page-by-page recreation of the manga or vice versa.
The anime is probably the easiest starting point. It’s widely available on streaming platforms, the voice cast is great (both Japanese and English dub), and the comedy lands well in animated form. If you’re unsure whether you’ll like the series, watching a few episodes is the lowest-commitment way to find out.
The manga is a solid companion read. If you watched the anime and want to revisit the story at your own pace, or if you prefer manga to anime in general, the manga adaptation does a good job. Sacchi’s artwork captures the comedy and action well, and there’s something nice about being able to linger on the funnier moments at your own pace.
The light novels are the most complete version — but with a big asterisk. In Japanese, you get the full 19-volume story. In English, you get 8 volumes and then it stops. If you’re an English-only reader, the light novels give you roughly the same amount of story as the manga.
Recommendation: Watch the anime first. If you enjoy it, grab the manga for a different take on the same story. If you love the world and characters enough to want more, the light novels are there — just know the English edition doesn’t finish the story.
Where to Buy the Is This a Zombie? Manga in English
All 8 volumes are published by Yen Press and are available through major retailers:
- Amazon — Both physical and Kindle digital editions
- BookWalker — Digital editions
- Barnes & Noble — Physical and digital editions
- Crunchyroll Store — Physical editions (availability may vary)
- Your local bookstore — Many carry Yen Press titles or can order them
There is no box set for this series. You’ll need to buy individual volumes. Start with Is This a Zombie?, Vol. 1 and go from there.
One thing to be aware of: there are other spin-off manga in the franchise (such as Is This a Zombie? Of the Dead). The main 8-volume series by Sacchi is the one you want. If you see other “Is This a Zombie?” titles while browsing, those are side stories — not required reading.
For physical copies, pricing is standard manga pricing — typically around $13 per volume at full retail, though you can often find deals. With 8 volumes total, the full set is a pretty reasonable investment compared to longer-running series.
Digital is generally a bit cheaper per volume and has the advantage of instant delivery if you just want to start reading right now.
Is It Worth Reading? Who This Manga Is For
You’ll probably love it if:
- You enjoy supernatural comedy. The zombie-magical-girl-vampire-ninja setup is ridiculous in the best way. If that sentence made you smile, this manga is for you.
- You liked the anime and want more. The manga offers a slightly different take on familiar story beats, and it’s fun to see Sacchi’s visual interpretation of scenes you might know from animation. If you enjoyed the anime enough to want to revisit that world, the manga is the natural next step.
- You’re into harem comedies with action. The household dynamic between Ayumu, Eu, Haruna, and Seraphim is the engine of the series. If you’ve enjoyed series like The Devil Is a Part-Timer or the Konosuba manga adaptations, the comedic energy here is in a similar vein.
- You want something short and complete. At 8 volumes, you can read the whole thing in a weekend. No 30-volume commitment, no ongoing wait for new chapters.
It might not be for you if:
- You’re looking for genuine horror. Despite the zombie premise, the necromancer lore, and the serial killer subplot, this is fundamentally a comedy. The horror elements are window dressing for jokes and action, not the main attraction.
- You don’t enjoy ecchi humor. There’s significant fanservice (scenes designed to be sexually appealing to the reader) throughout the series. Transformation sequences, revealing outfits, and comedic pervy situations are a regular feature. If that’s not your thing, you’ll be rolling your eyes a lot.
- You want the complete story. The manga covers the early story arcs well, but if incomplete adaptations frustrate you, know going in that the full narrative only exists in the Japanese light novels.
Content Heads-Up
- Ecchi content / fanservice — frequent throughout
- Some violence and gore — mostly played for comedic effect (Ayumu is a zombie, so he gets dismembered and reassembles, that kind of thing)
- Dark themes — murder, death, loneliness — handled with a light touch but present
Similar Series Worth Checking Out
If the supernatural-comedy-harem blend appeals to you, here are some other series in a similar space:
- The Devil Is a Part-Timer — Another comedy where a supernatural being (the Demon King) ends up in mundane modern Japan. Similar tonal balance between comedy and occasional serious moments.
- Konosuba (manga adaptation) — An isekai comedy (isekai is a genre where a character gets transported to another world) with a dysfunctional party. If you like the bickering-household energy of Is This a Zombie?, Konosuba scratches that same itch.
- Sankarea: Undying Love — If the “zombie” part of the premise interests you more than the comedy, Sankarea takes the zombie-romance concept in a more atmospheric, slightly darker direction. It’s a romance manga about a boy who brings a girl back from the dead, with genuine horror undertones alongside the love story.
Sankarea: Undying Love, Vol. 1
For readers who wandered here looking for actual horror manga with zombie themes, here are two strong options:
- Biomega by Tsutomu Nihei — A sci-fi horror manga set in a world overrun by a virus that turns people into mindless drones. It’s fast, violent, and visually striking, with almost no comedy at all.
- I Am a Hero by Kengo Hanazawa — A slow-burn zombie apocalypse manga that follows an ordinary, struggling manga artist as the world falls apart around him. It’s one of the most grounded and genuinely frightening takes on the zombie genre in manga.
Both take the zombie concept seriously and deliver real horror rather than comedy.
Quick FAQ
Is the manga the same as the anime?
Not exactly. Both adapt the same light novel source material, but independently. The broad story beats are similar for the early story arcs, but there are differences in pacing and detail.
Do I need to read the light novel first?
Nope. The manga works fine on its own as an entry point. You can also start with the anime — there’s no required reading order.
Is the manga finished?
Yes. All 8 volumes are out in both Japanese and English. The story it tells is complete, though it doesn’t cover the full light novel storyline.
Is this actually a horror manga?
No. The title and premise sound like horror, but it’s a supernatural action-comedy with ecchi and harem elements. The zombie angle is played for laughs and action, not scares.
Can I read the full story in English?
Unfortunately, the full light novel series (19 volumes) was never fully translated into English — only 8 volumes were released by Yen Press. The manga’s 8 volumes and the anime’s 2 seasons cover the early portion of the story.
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Is This a Zombie? is a fun, breezy read that doesn’t overstay its welcome. At 8 volumes, it’s the kind of series you can pick up on a whim, read through in a weekend, and come away entertained. It’s got charm, laughs, and a zombie in a magical girl dress — and if you already enjoyed the anime, the manga is one of the best ways to spend more time with these characters. Sometimes that’s exactly what you’re in the mood for.