My Little Monster Manga Reading Order (All 13 Vols)
My Little Monster Manga Reading Order: All 13 Volumes, Start to Finish
Here’s the short version: read volumes 1 through 13, in order. That’s it. That’s the reading order.
My Little Monster is a single, continuous story. There are no separate spin-offs you need to hunt down — a short gaiden story exists, but it was collected into Volume 13, so the reading order remains the same 13 volumes, start to finish. Robico — the pen name of the manga’s author and artist — originally published the series chapter-by-chapter in Kodansha’s Dessert magazine, a Japanese publication where manga chapters debut before being collected into book form. That serialization ran from August 2008 to June 2013, and the English release mirrors the Japanese edition exactly — 13 volumes covering all 48 chapters.
The story follows Shizuku Mizutani, a girl whose entire identity revolves around her grades, and Haru Yoshida, a boy who’s been absent from school so long he’s practically a myth. When Shizuku is asked to deliver class printouts to Haru, their strange, reluctant connection begins — and the rest of the series traces how two emotionally guarded people slowly figure out what it means to care about someone else.
One thing worth noting: the main 48-chapter story concludes in Volume 12, giving Shizuku and Haru the resolution their romance deserves. Volume 13 is a bonus gaiden volume — an extra-long collection of spin-off stories focused on supporting characters like Sasayan, Natsume, and Yuzan, published after the main series wrapped up. It’s not required for the central romance, but it gives the full cast satisfying send-offs and makes the complete set feel generous.
Which Edition Should You Buy?
Edition shopping for My Little Monster is refreshingly simple. The English release is published by Kodansha Comics (the primary English-language publisher for many popular manga series) as 13 individual volumes that match the original Japanese release one-to-one. There’s no omnibus edition (multiple volumes collected in one larger book), no deluxe hardcover, and no 2-in-1 format currently available in English.
That means your only real decision is print vs. digital.
| Format | Details |
|---|---|
| Print (single volumes) | 13 individual paperback volumes from Kodansha Comics |
| Digital | Same content as print, available through digital manga platforms such as Kindle, Apple Books, or Kobo |
Both formats contain identical content — same chapters, same bonus material, same page count. If you like having manga on a shelf, go print. If you want to start reading in the next five minutes, digital works perfectly.
Since there’s only one English edition to choose from, you don’t need to worry about which version has the “best” translation or whether a newer release fixed anything. Every copy of My Little Monster in English is the same Kodansha Comics edition.
A note for first-time manga readers: English-language manga volumes are typically read right-to-left, matching the original Japanese reading direction. When you open a volume, start from what would be the “back” of a Western book and read panels from right to left across each page. Most volumes include a note on the first or last page explaining this.
Complete Volume-by-Volume Manga Reading Order
Here’s what you’re getting into, volume by volume. These descriptions are spoiler-light — just enough to give you a sense of pacing and what each section of the story covers.
Volume 1: The Meeting That Changes Everything
Everything starts here. Shizuku delivers printouts to Haru, and his immediate, overwhelming attachment to her catches them both off guard. Volume 1 establishes the core dynamic that drives the entire series: Shizuku’s emotional walls vs. Haru’s unpredictable intensity. Their early interactions are funny, awkward, and surprisingly tender.
Volumes 2–3: Building the World Around Them
The supporting cast starts to fill in. Natsume, a classmate who becomes a close friend, and Sasayan, a laid-back boy who bridges the social gaps in the group, join the picture alongside others. The story expands from a two-person dynamic into something richer. These volumes establish that My Little Monster isn’t just about Shizuku and Haru in isolation — their friends matter, and the relationships between all of them create the emotional texture of the series. You’ll also see the first real moments where Shizuku starts to question whether grades are the only thing worth caring about.
Volumes 4–6: The Stakes Get Real
This is where the romance deepens and the emotional stakes rise. Both Shizuku and Haru start confronting what they actually feel — and more importantly, what they’re afraid of feeling. Key relationship turning points happen across these volumes, and Robico does a beautiful job of making progress feel earned rather than easy. Expect some truly heart-squeezing moments alongside the comedy.
Volumes 7–9: Complications and Growth
New complications arrive. Rival characters enter the picture, personal insecurities surface, and both leads face situations that force them to grow. These are the volumes where Haru’s backstory and emotional struggles get more attention — including his difficulty controlling his temper, which the series treats honestly as a real flaw he needs to work through rather than romanticizing it. Shizuku has to reckon with who she’s becoming. The pacing here rewards patience — things don’t resolve quickly, but the slow build makes the payoffs hit harder.
Volumes 10–12: The Road to Resolution
The final stretch begins. Shizuku and Haru are forced to confront their feelings directly, and the story starts pulling its threads together. The supporting cast gets meaningful closure too. These volumes have a momentum to them — you can feel the story moving toward its ending, and Robico handles the buildup with real care.
Volume 13: The Bonus Gaiden
The extra-long bonus volume collects spin-off stories focused on the supporting cast — Sasayan, Natsume, Yuzan, and others. Volume 13 is notably longer than the other volumes in the series, and it includes these bonus side stories and extra material beyond the main 48 chapters. Shizuku and Haru’s story already reached its conclusion in Volume 12 — this volume gives the full supporting cast their own satisfying send-offs. It’s the kind of bonus that makes the complete set feel generous.
My Little Monster, Vol. 13 (final volume)
Anime vs. Manga — Where the Adaptation Fits In
My Little Monster received a 13-episode anime adaptation that covers roughly the first four to five volumes of the manga’s story. The anime does not adapt the complete series — not even close. If you watched the anime and loved it, you’ve only seen a fraction of Shizuku and Haru’s story.
Here’s what that means for your reading plan:
- If you watched the anime and want to continue the story: The anime covers material from approximately the first four to five volumes. You’ll need the manga for the full romance, the later character development, and the actual ending. The anime stops well before the story’s most important emotional beats.
- Should you start from Volume 1 even if you saw the anime? Strongly recommended. The anime condensed and rearranged material, so jumping straight to where the anime left off means missing context, character moments, and subplots that the manga handles differently. Volume 1 is a quick read, and experiencing Robico’s version from the beginning gives you the full picture.
- The manga’s ending is exclusive to the manga. There’s no second anime season that finishes the story. The only way to see how Shizuku and Haru’s relationship resolves is to read the manga through Volume 13.
The anime is a fine introduction to the characters and tone, but it’s really just the beginning. The manga is the complete experience.
What First-Time Readers Should Know
Going into My Little Monster for the first time? Here’s what to expect.
This is a slow-building romance. Shizuku and Haru don’t follow a straightforward “confession then dating then happily ever after” path. Both characters are emotionally guarded in very different ways. Shizuku suppresses her emotions to focus on academics; Haru expresses his emotions so intensely that he scares people away. Watching them inch toward each other — and sometimes push each other away — is the entire point.
The leads are deliberately unusual. Shizuku isn’t a sweet, blushing heroine. She’s blunt, cold, and far more interested in test scores than people for a long time. Haru isn’t a smooth love interest — he’s impulsive, struggles with social cues, and has a temper that the series treats as a genuine problem rather than a charming quirk. If you’ve seen online discussions about Haru’s behavior, the manga does address his rougher edges directly and shows him working to change. If you go in expecting conventional shoujo character types, you might be thrown off. But their unconventional personalities are exactly what makes the romance compelling.
Don’t skip the supporting cast’s storylines. Natsume’s story in particular becomes genuinely moving. The friend group dynamics add layers to the main romance — Shizuku and Haru’s growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and the supporting characters help both leads become better versions of themselves.
Robico’s art evolves noticeably. Volume 1 looks different from Volume 13. The character designs become more refined, the expressions get more nuanced, and the visual storytelling improves steadily. It’s one of those series where you can actually watch the author grow alongside the characters.
Give it a few volumes. If Volume 1 intrigues you but doesn’t fully click, push through to Volume 3. The series finds its stride once the full cast is assembled and the emotional dynamics deepen beyond the initial premise.
The Best Way to Start My Little Monster Today
My Little Monster is a completed, self-contained 13-volume romance manga with no complicated reading order, no alternate editions to compare, and no spin-offs to track down. It’s one of the most straightforward series to start and finish.
Here’s your plan:
- Grab Volume 1 in print or digital — whichever format you prefer.
- Read straight through, Volumes 1 to 13. No detours, no skipping, no alternate order needed.
- Enjoy the fact that it’s finished. You can read the entire romance from Shizuku and Haru’s first awkward meeting to their final resolution without waiting a single day between volumes.
The series ran from 2009 to 2014 and has held up remarkably well. Shizuku and Haru’s story is funny, messy, emotionally honest, and genuinely rewarding if you stick with it. If you’re looking for a shoujo romance manga that doesn’t follow the usual playbook, this is a great one to pick up.
