Love Me, Love Me Not Manga Reading Order (2026)
The Complete Love Me, Love Me Not Reading Order
Love Me, Love Me Not (思い、思われ、ふり、ふられ) is a completed romance manga by Io Sakisaka. The series falls into the shoujo category — manga aimed at a young female audience, though it’s widely enjoyed by readers of all backgrounds. It ran for 48 chapters, collected into 12 volumes. The series was serialized (published chapter by chapter) in Bessatsu Margaret magazine from June 2015 through May 2019, published by Shueisha in Japan. The English edition is published by Viz Media.
The English release matches the Japanese one perfectly — 12 volumes, same chapter groupings, same order. There are no spin-offs, prequels, sequel volumes, or side stories that you need to factor in.
Here’s your reading order:
- Volume 1 → Volume 2 → Volume 3 → … → Volume 12
That’s it. Start at the beginning, read straight through to the end. There is no alternate reading order and no debate among fans about where to begin. The story is linear, and each volume picks up exactly where the previous one left off.
If you’re coming from series with complicated reading orders, you can relax. This one is refreshingly simple.
English Editions Compared
When it comes to picking up the series in English, here’s what’s available:
Standard Single Volumes
The primary English format is the standard single-volume release from Viz Media — 12 individual volumes that mirror the Japanese edition one-to-one. These are the most widely available physical option and what you’ll find at most bookstores and online retailers.
Each volume collects four chapters of the original run (48 chapters across 12 volumes). A chapter is a single installment of the story — think of it like an episode of a TV show — and each volume bundles several chapters together into one book, giving you a satisfying chunk of story.
Digital Editions
The series is also available digitally through platforms like Kindle, Kobo, and the Viz Manga app. The digital versions follow the same volume-by-volume structure — Volume 1 through Volume 12, identical content to the physical books. If you prefer reading on a tablet or phone, digital is a perfectly good way to experience the series.
No Omnibus or Deluxe Editions
As of now, there are no known omnibus editions, box sets, or deluxe/hardcover editions for this series in English. Some popular manga titles eventually get collected into larger-format editions, but Love Me, Love Me Not hasn’t received that treatment.
| Format | Volumes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Physical singles | 12 | Viz Media, widely available |
| Digital singles | 12 | Same content, same volume structure |
| Omnibus / Box set | — | Not currently available |
| Deluxe / Hardcover | — | Not currently available |
Which Format Should You Choose?
Either physical or digital works perfectly. Both follow the same 1-through-12 reading order with identical content. It really comes down to personal preference — whether you like holding a physical book or the convenience of reading on a device. Some readers buy the first volume or two digitally to test whether the series clicks for them, then switch to physical if they want it on their shelf. No wrong answer here.
Volume-by-Volume Reading Order with Story Arcs
The heart of Love Me, Love Me Not is its four-character love square — think of a love triangle, but with four people instead of three. The story follows Yuna, Akari, Rio, and Kazuomi, two girls and two guys whose feelings intertwine in complicated, messy, and often contradictory ways. The series explores contrasting approaches to love through dual-perspective storytelling — meaning you see events unfold through the eyes of both Yuna and Akari, not just one main character. Each volume builds directly on what came before.
Here’s a spoiler-free breakdown of the story’s major phases (the larger narrative sections that make up the overall plot) to help you pace your reading:
Volumes 1–2: Meeting the Cast
The opening volumes introduce you to the four main characters and establish the central premise. You’ll quickly understand the emotional web connecting Yuna, Akari, Rio, and Kazuomi — who likes whom, who’s holding back, and why these four people’s lives are about to get very complicated. Because the story alternates between Yuna’s and Akari’s viewpoints, you’ll notice the narrative shifting perspective between the two girls. This dual-perspective approach is intentional and continues throughout the series. These volumes set the tone for the entire story: quiet, emotionally observant, and grounded in realistic feelings rather than dramatic spectacle.
This is the foundation. Take your time here and let yourself get attached to the characters.
Volumes 3–5: Feelings Take Shape
The middle-early stretch is where things start moving. The characters’ feelings become clearer — both to the reader and, gradually, to each other. Complications arise not from contrived misunderstandings but from real, conflicting emotions. The emotional stakes climb steadily, and you’ll start to see why this series has such a devoted following.
These volumes reward close reading. Pay attention to the small moments — a look, a pause, a choice not to speak. That’s where the storytelling lives.
Volumes 6–8: Turning Points
This is where the series hits its dramatic peaks. Major confessions happen. The dynamics between the leads shift in ways that feel earned because of all the buildup in earlier volumes. Without spoiling anything, these are the volumes that tend to make readers stay up way too late because they can’t stop turning pages.
If you’ve been reading in 2–3 volume chunks, this is where that strategy might fall apart — in the best way.
Volumes 9–12: Resolution
The final four volumes bring all the threads together. Every character’s romantic journey reaches its conclusion. The emotional payoffs here land hard precisely because the series took its time getting to this point. The ending is satisfying and complete — no cliffhangers, no “read the sequel” hooks.
Volume 12 wraps everything up. When you close that final book, the story is done.
A word of caution: Every volume builds directly on the last. Skipping ahead — even by a single volume — will spoil key emotional moments that Sakisaka carefully constructed over hundreds of pages. Read in order. The payoff is worth the patience.
Does the Anime Film Affect the Reading Order?
An animated film adaptation of Love Me, Love Me Not exists, and if you’re aware of it, you might be wondering whether you need to watch it at some specific point during your reading.
The short answer: no, the film doesn’t change the reading order at all.
The film covers the full story in condensed form. It’s an adaptation of the complete manga, not a supplement, side story, or separate version of events. It doesn’t introduce new characters, plot points, or story content that you’d need to know for the manga.
Recommended Approach
Read the manga first, then watch the film. Here’s why:
- The manga’s 48 chapters give the story room to breathe. Character development happens gradually, and the emotional impact comes from spending time with these four people across twelve volumes.
- The film necessarily compresses that experience. Watching it first means you’ll know every major plot point before you read the manga, which reduces the tension and surprise that make the reading experience special.
- The film works beautifully as a way to revisit the story in a different medium after you’ve read the manga — a chance to see the characters animated and experience the emotional highlights with music and voice acting.
If you’ve already seen the film and are now picking up the manga — don’t worry. The manga has so much more depth and nuance that it’s still absolutely worth reading even if you know the broad strokes of the plot. You’ll discover scenes, conversations, and character moments that the film didn’t have time to include.
Either way, the manga reading order stays the same: Volume 1 through Volume 12, in sequence.
Reading Tips for Newcomers
Patience Is Part of the Experience
Love Me, Love Me Not builds its romance slowly and deliberately. If you’re used to stories where the main couple gets together right away, this series operates differently. It’s interested in the process of falling in love — the uncertainty, the false starts, the moments where characters almost say what they feel but don’t. The later volumes pay off everything the earlier ones set up, so give the story time to unfold.
If You’ve Read Io Sakisaka’s Other Works
Io Sakisaka is known for emotionally grounded romance manga. If you’ve enjoyed her other series, expect a similar tone here — realistic relationship drama, characters who feel like real people, and an emphasis on emotional honesty. Love Me, Love Me Not adds a more complex character web by centering four protagonists instead of the more typical two, which gives the story a richer and more layered feel.
Completely Beginner-Friendly
Never read manga before? This is a great place to start. Love Me, Love Me Not has no shared universe to catch up on, no required background reading, and no prior knowledge you need going in. It’s a self-contained story about teenagers navigating love and friendship. If that premise appeals to you, you’re ready to read it.
One thing to know: manga reads right-to-left. When you open the book, you’ll start from what feels like the “back” compared to a Western novel, and you read each page from the right side to the left. The English volumes from Viz Media maintain this original Japanese reading direction, which is standard for manga published in English. It sounds unusual, but most readers find it feels completely natural within just a few pages — your eyes adjust quickly, and you’ll stop thinking about it before you finish the first chapter.
Pacing Suggestion
The series reads well in 2–3 volume chunks. There are natural emotional resting points built into the story — moments where a particular subplot reaches a temporary resolution and you can set the book down, process what happened, and come back refreshed. That said, plenty of readers have burned through all twelve volumes in a weekend. Read at whatever pace feels right.
Start Here — Your Reading Order Summary
Let’s bring it all together. Here’s everything you need:
The Complete Love Me, Love Me Not Manga Reading Order:
- Volume 1
- Volume 2
- Volume 3
- Volume 4
- Volume 5
- Volume 6
- Volume 7
- Volume 8
- Volume 9
- Volume 10
- Volume 11
- Volume 12
That’s the entire series — 48 chapters across 12 volumes, one continuous story from beginning to end. Published in English by Viz Media, available in both physical and digital format.
Volume 12 is the final volume and completes the story.
Love Me, Love Me Not
Love Me, Love Me Not is a completed series with a satisfying, definitive ending — no cliffhangers, no ambiguity about what happens next. If you’re the kind of reader who prefers to pick up manga that’s already finished so you can read the whole thing without waiting for new releases, this is a perfect choice. The entire story is available right now, ready for you to read from start to finish.
Grab Volume 1, settle in, and enjoy what the series does so well: a slow, honest, fully resolved romance.
