To Love Ru Darkness Manga Volumes: Full 18-Volume Guide
So you want to collect all the To Love Ru Darkness manga volumes and you’re wondering exactly how many there are, what order to read them in, and where to grab them. Good news — the series is completely finished, so you can read the whole thing without waiting for new releases. Here’s the full rundown.
To Love Ru Darkness Manga Volumes: All 18, Fully Complete
The short answer: To Love Ru Darkness ran for 18 volumes, and it’s done. No cliffhanger ending, no indefinite hiatus — the story is wrapped up.
The series was written by Saki Hasemi with art by Kentaro Yabuki (矢吹健太朗), the same creative team behind the original To Love Ru. It was published in Japan by Shueisha in Jump Square (Shueisha’s monthly manga magazine — distinct from Weekly Shonen Jump, where the original To Love Ru ran), and the English-language edition is available from Seven Seas Entertainment, an American manga and light novel publishing company.
If you’re new to the franchise, here’s the quick pitch: Darkness is a sequel to the original To Love Ru, a romantic comedy manga about a high school boy named Rito who accidentally gets engaged to an alien princess. Darkness shifts the romantic focus significantly. Where the first series leaned heavily on slapstick comedy and accidental encounters, Darkness centers on Momo Belia Deviluke’s “Harem Plan” — her deliberate scheme to get Rito into a relationship with multiple girls so that she can be part of that arrangement herself. In manga, this kind of story — where one character is surrounded by several romantic interests at once — is called a harem setup, and Darkness is one of the most well-known examples. It’s a much more intentional take on that premise, and the emotional stakes ramp up considerably compared to the original.
Fair warning before you start collecting: this series contains explicit fan-service (a manga term for sexually suggestive imagery, including frequent nudity, included as a deliberate appeal to the audience) and mature content. It’s aimed at older teens and adults, not younger readers. Keep that in mind if you’re buying for someone else or browsing in a shared space.
Complete Volume List
Here’s the full breakdown of all 18 volumes. The Japanese (JP) release dates from the early volumes are confirmed below, with the remaining volumes noted through the final release in April 2017.
Volumes 1–6
| Volume | JP Release Date | Content Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | March 9, 2011 | Series opener — introduces Momo’s Harem Plan and establishes the new direction following the original series |
| Vol. 2 | July 2011 | Expands on the Darkness cast, including new characters and Momo’s growing feelings |
| Vol. 3 | November 2011 | Romantic tensions build as Rito’s relationships with multiple characters deepen |
| Vol. 4 | March 7, 2012 | Yami — a dangerous assassin also known as Golden Darkness, who first appeared in the original series — takes a more prominent role in the storyline |
| Vol. 5 | August 22, 2012 | Escalating complications as the Harem Plan faces real obstacles |
| Vol. 6 | December 24, 2012 | Major developments in the overarching romantic and sci-fi plotlines |
Volumes 7–18
| Volume | Content Notes |
|---|---|
| Vol. 7 | Mea Kurosaki — a character connected to Yami’s past as a living weapon — enters the story in a significant way |
| Vol. 8 | Relationships between the growing cast become more layered and emotionally complex |
| Vol. 9 | The rivalry and connection between Yami and Mea deepens |
| Vol. 10 | A turning point in the series — Rito begins to show more emotional awareness about his situation |
| Vol. 11 | Nemesis, a shadowy figure pulling strings behind Mea, steps into the foreground |
| Vol. 12 | The romantic and action storylines become increasingly intertwined |
| Vol. 13 | Characters who had been secondary begin confronting their own feelings |
| Vol. 14 | Yami’s “Darkness” transformation storyline escalates the stakes dramatically |
| Vol. 15 | Major confrontations force several characters to be honest about what they want |
| Vol. 16 | Confessions and emotional payoffs that the series has been building toward for volumes |
| Vol. 17 | The final story threads begin converging toward resolution |
| Vol. 18 | Final volume — released April 2017 in Japan. Brings the series to its conclusion, resolving the major romantic threads |
All 18 volumes are available in both Japanese and English, so there’s no gap in the translation where you’d need to switch languages or hunt for fan translations to finish the story.
A note on the ending: fan reception has been mixed, with some readers finding the conclusion satisfying and others wishing it had gone further in resolving every romantic thread. The major storylines do reach clear endpoints, but if you’re hoping for a perfectly tidy bow on every relationship, set your expectations accordingly.
How the Romance Develops Across Key Volumes
One of the things that makes Darkness stand out from the original series is how deliberate the romance is. The original To Love Ru ran on a formula of “Rito accidentally falls into compromising situations” — funny, but not exactly deep. Darkness keeps some of that comedy but adds genuine emotional development.
Momo’s Harem Plan: The Central Thread
The entire series is built around Momo’s plan to create a harem with Rito at the center. What makes this interesting from a romance standpoint is that Momo isn’t just scheming — she genuinely falls for Rito and struggles with whether her plan is really about making everyone happy or just about securing her own place beside him. That internal conflict gives the romance real weight.
Where the Big Relationship Shifts Happen
Without spoiling specific plot points, here’s a general guide to where the emotional payoffs land:
- Early volumes (1–4): Setup phase. Momo’s plan is introduced, and the romantic dynamics between the expanded cast are established. If you’ve read the original series, this is where you’ll notice the shift in tone and focus.
- Mid-run (5–10): The relationships start getting complicated in meaningful ways. Characters who seemed like comic relief develop genuine feelings, and Rito begins to show more emotional awareness than he ever did in the original series.
- Late volumes (11–16): This is where the series really commits to its romantic storylines. Expect confrontations, confessions, and moments where characters have to be honest about what they actually want.
- Final stretch (17–18): Resolution. The buildup across the entire series comes to a head, and the major romantic threads reach their conclusions.
For Readers Who Care Most About Romance
If you’re reading primarily for the romantic payoff, the strongest material is concentrated in the second half of the series. The early volumes are necessary setup, but the emotional rewards come later. Stick with it through the first several volumes even if the comedy-heavy tone doesn’t immediately grab you — the series earns its emotional moments by building to them gradually.
Do You Need to Read the Original To Love Ru First?
Short answer: yes, strongly recommended.
Darkness is a direct sequel. It doesn’t spend much time re-introducing characters or explaining their relationships — it assumes you already know who Lala, Haruna, Yami, and the rest of the cast are, and it assumes you understand the romantic setup that was established in the original series.
What the Original Series Is
To Love Ru is the first manga in the franchise — a romantic comedy about Rito Yuuki, an ordinary high school boy who accidentally becomes engaged to Lala Satalin Deviluke, a princess from an alien planet called Deviluke. The original series runs for 18 volumes in Japanese and is published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment as 9 two-in-one omnibus volumes. It introduces the full cast, the sci-fi setting (alien politics, advanced technology, and the broader Deviluke universe), and the central love triangle between Rito, Lala, and Rito’s longtime crush Haruna.
What Carries Over Into Darkness
- Rito’s relationships with Lala and Haruna — the central love triangle from the original series is the foundation that Darkness builds on
- Character dynamics — personalities, running gags, and interpersonal tensions are all established in the first series
- The sci-fi setting — Deviluke politics, alien technology, and the broader universe are introduced in the original and expanded in Darkness
Recommended Reading Order for Newcomers
- To Love Ru (original series) — read this first to get the full character introductions and romantic setup
- To Love Ru Darkness — picks up after the original and takes the story in a more romance-focused direction
Can You Skip the Original?
Technically, Darkness tells its own story and you could follow the plot without having read the original. But the romance hits much harder when you have the context. Watching Rito’s growth as a character means more when you’ve seen where he started. Momo’s plan carries more emotional weight when you understand the existing relationships she’s working around. And several key moments in Darkness are direct references to events in the original series.
If you absolutely can’t get the original first, you won’t be completely lost — but you’ll be missing a lot of the emotional texture that makes Darkness work as well as it does.
What About the Anime?
If you’ve watched the To Love Ru Darkness anime and are wondering where it leaves off relative to the manga: the anime adapts a portion of the manga but does not cover the full story. The manga goes further, especially in the later volumes, and reaches a more definitive conclusion. If you enjoyed the anime and want to see how the story actually ends, the manga is the way to get there.
Which Edition Should You Buy?
English Individual Volumes
The English edition is published by Seven Seas Entertainment as 18 individual volumes, matching the Japanese release one-to-one. Each English volume corresponds to the same Japanese volume, so there’s no confusing numbering to worry about. An omnibus edition (where multiple volumes are collected into a single, larger book) has not been released for this series — the individual volumes are the standard format you’ll find at retailers.
Given the series’ mature content, it may be listed under Seven Seas’ Ghost Ship imprint, which is the label they use for adult-oriented titles. If you see “Ghost Ship” on the spine or product listing instead of the main Seven Seas logo, that’s the same publisher — just their mature content line.
Physical vs. Digital
Both physical and digital editions are available for To Love Ru Darkness:
- Physical volumes are great for collectors and for appreciating Kentaro Yabuki’s detailed artwork on actual paper. As a completed series, all 18 volumes should be available through retailers — “in print” meaning the publisher is still producing and selling copies.
- Digital editions are convenient if you want instant access or prefer reading on a tablet. They also offer more privacy for a series with this level of mature content — no spines visible on a shelf.
Where to Buy To Love Ru Darkness in English
Since the series is fully complete at 18 volumes, you have the nice advantage of being able to plan your full collection from the start. No wondering if a series will get cancelled mid-translation or waiting months between releases.
Buying Options
All 18 English volumes are available through major online and physical retailers. You can typically find them at:
- Amazon and other large online bookstores
- Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and similar physical bookstores with manga sections (availability varies by location)
- BookWalker, Kobo, Kindle, and other digital platforms for e-reader versions
- Right Stuf (now part of Crunchyroll’s store) and other specialty manga retailers
For a completed series like this, stock levels are generally stable — you shouldn’t run into the supply issues that sometimes plague ongoing popular series where specific volumes go in and out of print.
Collecting the Full Set
- Start with Volume 1 and buy sequentially. This sounds obvious, but with 18 volumes to collect, it’s tempting to grab whatever’s available. The story builds continuously, so reading out of order will hurt your experience.
To Love Ru Darkness, Vol. 1
- Check the publisher’s list price before buying. Seven Seas individual manga volumes have a standard retail price printed on the back cover. Knowing that number helps you recognize a fair deal when you see one.
- Digital is a solid backup plan. If a specific physical volume is temporarily hard to find, the digital edition is usually always available. You can always pick up the physical copy later if you want it for your shelf.
The complete 18-volume set of To Love Ru Darkness is a manageable collection — not so long that it feels overwhelming, but substantial enough to tell a full, satisfying story. Whether you’re coming from the anime, the original manga, or just heard good things about the series, having all 18 volumes available and ready to collect is a great position to be in. Grab Volume 1 and see if Momo’s Harem Plan hooks you — there’s a good chance it will.
