This Monster Wants to Eat Me — Series Overview and Volume Count
This Monster Wants to Eat Me (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし) is an ongoing suspense and yuri manga by Sai Naekawa. If you’re new to manga — Japanese comics, typically published as compact paperback volumes — this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the This Monster Wants to Eat Me manga volumes before picking them up. Whether you saw the anime, spotted the striking cover art, or just heard the title and had to know more, you’re in the right place.
The series is published by KADOKAWA (one of Japan’s largest publishers) in Japan under their Dengeki Comics NEXT label. Like many manga, the chapters first appear in a magazine — in this case Dengeki Maoh — before being collected into the bound volumes you’d buy off a shelf. As of the latest verified information, there are 12 volumes out in Japan and 6 volumes available in English through Yen Press.
The story follows a girl caught in a deeply unsettling relationship with a non-human creature that wants to consume her. That premise — predator and prey forced into proximity — gives the series its constant undercurrent of dread. But it’s not just horror. “Yuri” is a manga genre focused on romantic or emotional relationships between women, and those relationship dynamics are woven tightly into the suspense here, creating something that feels genuinely distinct from most supernatural manga. The tension between desire and danger is the whole engine of the story.
A TV anime adaptation aired starting in October 2025, which brought a wave of new international attention to the manga. If that’s what brought you here, you’ll find the manga expands on the story with more time to sit in the tension and character details that an anime can only gesture at.
Yen Press rates the English edition Teen, making it accessible to a fairly wide audience despite its darker subject matter. The genre blend of suspense and yuri means it appeals to readers coming from different directions — whether you gravitate toward horror stories, romance between women, or you’re just looking for a manga with a gripping premise and a mood that won’t let go.
Complete Volume Breakdown
The Japanese run spans 12 volumes published between February 2021 and March 2026, with the series still ongoing. The English edition from Yen Press currently covers 6 volumes containing 27 chapters (roughly four to five chapters per volume, which is typical for manga). That puts English readers at about the halfway point of the Japanese release.
Here’s what we know about the Japanese volume releases:
| Volume | JP Release Date |
|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | 2021-02-27 |
| Vol. 2 | 2021-06-25 |
| Vol. 3 | 2021-11-27 |
| Vol. 4 | 2022-05-27 |
| Vol. 5 | 2022-09-26 |
| Vol. 6 | 2023-03-27 |
| Vol. 7–12 | Released between 2023 and March 2026 |
Looking at the Japanese dates above, the series has generally released a new volume every three to six months, which is a fairly standard pace for an ongoing manga. That cadence is useful to keep in mind if you’re wondering how quickly the English edition might catch up — translation and publishing schedules add their own lag, but the source material has been coming steadily.
Vol. 1 is where the core relationship gets established — the human protagonist and the monster, the hunger, the proximity, the question of why she doesn’t just run. It sets the tone for everything that follows, and it does so quickly. If the first volume grabs you, the series only tightens its grip from there.
The Japanese edition is available in both paper and digital formats. More volumes are expected as the series continues.
For English readers, the 6 available Yen Press volumes represent a solid chunk of the story. You won’t be left hanging after just a chapter or two of setup — 27 chapters is enough to get deeply invested in the characters and the escalating tension between them.
Japanese vs English Edition — Which Should You Buy
This is a straightforward decision since there aren’t multiple English editions to compare. There’s no collected edition that bundles multiple volumes into one book, no deluxe hardcover, no box set — just the standard Yen Press single volumes.
Here’s how the two editions stack up:
| Japanese Edition | English Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | KADOKAWA (Dengeki Comics NEXT) | Yen Press |
| Volumes Available | 12 | 6 |
| Formats | Paper and digital | Standard single volumes (check Yen Press for digital availability) |
| Status | Ongoing | Ongoing (English volumes are still being released to catch up with the Japanese run) |
The big factor is how far you want to read. The English release covers 6 of 12 Japanese volumes, so English readers are significantly behind. If you absolutely need to know what happens next and can read Japanese, importing the later volumes is an option — import retailers are online shops that specialize in shipping Japanese-language books internationally. Japanese volumes are text-in-Japanese only with no English translation included.
For most English-speaking readers, though, the Yen Press singles are the way to go. The translation quality is solid, the volumes are easy to find, and you’ll be supporting the official English release — which in turn helps ensure more volumes get translated.
If you’re starting fresh, grab Vol. 1 in English and see how you feel. No need to overthink it.
Key Volumes Where the Horror Hits Hardest
If you’re coming to this series specifically for the horror, here’s what to expect from the This Monster Wants to Eat Me manga volumes as a reading experience.
Vol. 1 is absolutely essential. The predator-prey supernatural premise gets established immediately, and the unsettling tension that defines the entire series is present from the first chapter. This isn’t a manga that takes five volumes to find its footing — the dread is baked in from page one. The monster’s hunger isn’t metaphorical. It’s real, it’s present, and the protagonist knows it.
What makes this series effective as horror isn’t gore — it’s the psychological unease. The suspense classification is accurate. This is a manga built on dread, on the constant awareness that the person (or thing) closest to you might destroy you. The yuri elements — the romantic tension between women — don’t soften this. They amplify it. When closeness itself is dangerous, every moment of intimacy doubles as a moment of threat, and the series never lets you forget that.
For readers who enjoy horror manga that gets under your skin through atmosphere rather than graphic violence, the early volumes of This Monster Wants to Eat Me are a strong fit. The mood is oppressive in the best way. You’ll find yourself reading with a low-level anxiety that just doesn’t let up.
The horror and yuri elements are interwoven from the very beginning and build progressively throughout the volumes. Each volume layers new complications onto the central relationship, raising the stakes without abandoning the slow-burn dread that makes the series work. Starting from Vol. 1 is the only way to experience that escalation properly — skipping ahead would rob you of the buildup that makes the later developments land.
Where to Buy This Monster Wants to Eat Me in English
Yen Press is the sole official English publisher for this series. There are 6 English volumes currently available.
Your best bet is checking major book retailers for availability. Yen Press titles are widely distributed, so you should be able to find them at the usual spots — both physical bookstores and digital storefronts. Manga single volumes from Yen Press typically carry a list price in the range common for standard manga paperbacks, so the financial commitment to try Vol. 1 is low.
Vol. 6 is the most recent English release and brings the English edition up to 27 chapters. If you’re just starting out, this is a great time to jump in — you’ve got six volumes to read through before you hit the wait for more translations.
This Monster Wants to Eat Me, Vol. 1
For readers who want to go beyond the English release, the Japanese volumes (all 12) are available through import retailers — online shops like those specializing in Japanese media that ship internationally. Keep in mind these are in Japanese only.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many This Monster Wants to Eat Me manga volumes are there?
There are 12 volumes in Japanese and 6 volumes in English from Yen Press. The series is ongoing, so more volumes are expected in both languages.
Is the manga finished?
No. This Monster Wants to Eat Me is an ongoing series in Japan. The most recent Japanese volume (Vol. 12) was released on March 27, 2026.
Who is the author?
The manga is written and illustrated by Sai Naekawa.
Who publishes the English version?
Yen Press publishes the official English edition.
Is there an anime adaptation?
Yes. A TV anime adaptation aired starting in October 2025. The anime has helped bring significant international attention to the manga. If you’ve already watched the anime and want to continue the story in manga form, starting from Vol. 1 is still recommended — the manga gives you more room to absorb the character dynamics and tension that the anime can only cover at a faster pace.
What age rating does it have?
Yen Press rates it Teen.
What genre is it?
The series is classified as suspense and yuri (yuri being a manga genre centered on romantic relationships between women), with strong supernatural horror elements. It focuses more on psychological dread and the tension of a dangerous relationship than on graphic violence. If you enjoy horror that prioritizes atmosphere and unease, this is one to check out.
Should I watch the anime or read the manga first?
Either works. The manga gives you more time to sit with the tension and absorb the character dynamics at your own pace — you control how fast the dread builds, which is part of the experience. The anime is a solid entry point if you want to see whether the premise clicks for you before committing to the volumes. Many readers find that experiencing both formats enriches the story, since each medium handles the horror and intimacy differently.
Are the English volumes available digitally?
The Japanese edition is confirmed available in both paper and digital formats. For the English edition, check the Yen Press website or major digital storefronts for current digital availability.