What is a tankōbon?
A tankōbon (単行本, also spelled tankoubon, tankobon or tankouban) is the collected paperback volume of a manga series: usually 9 to 11 chapters bound together into one numbered book, released a few months after those chapters first ran in a weekly or monthly zasshi magazine. When English speakers say "Volume 1" of a manga, they mean its first tankōbon. First prints of major series like One Piece, Naruto, Berserk and Dragon Ball are highly collectible, especially with the original obi (the paper belt wrapped around the cover).
Tankōbon vs zasshi: what is the difference?
A zasshi (雑誌) is the manga magazine where a chapter is published first, such as Weekly Shōnen Jump: a thick, cheap anthology printed on newsprint with many series in each issue. A tankōbon comes later and collects one series only, on better paper with a dust jacket. For debut appearances the magazine is the true first printing of the story, while the tankōbon is the first printing of the book. See tankōbon vs zasshi: what's the difference or browse the Zasshi Database.
Is a tankōbon hardcover or softcover?
Softcover. A standard tankōbon is a paperback with a removable printed dust jacket over a plain soft cover, which is why it can look like a hardcover on a shelf. True hardcovers are special editions (some deluxe and anniversary releases), not the regular tankōbon line.
How do you pronounce tankōbon?
Tankōbon is said "tahn-koh-bohn", with a long "o" in the middle. The same word is written tankōbon, tankobon or tankoubon depending on how the long vowel is romanized (and is often misspelled "tankabon"). The characters 単行本 literally mean a standalone book, as opposed to an issue of a magazine.
Tracked first-print tankōbon
The volumes we track, with publisher, language and first-print year. Search or filter, then open a volume for its identification notes.
All 12 volumes
| Series | Volume | Language | Publisher | First Print Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bleach | 19 | Japanese | Shueisha | 2005 |
| Bleach | 24 | Japanese | Shueisha | 2006 |
| Burn the Witch | 1 | Japanese | Shueisha | 2020 |
| Hunter×hunter no.29 | 29 | Japanese | Shueisha | 2011 |
| Naruto | 1 | Japanese | Shueisha | 2000 |
| イジらないで、長瀞さん | 1 | Japanese | Kodansha | 2018 |
| ソウルイーター 2 | 2 | Japanese | Square Enix | 2004 |
| ダンジョン飯 | 1 | Japanese | Kadokawa | 2015 |
| ダンダダン | 1 | Japanese | Shueisha | 2021 |
| メイドインアビス | 2 | Japanese | Takeshobo | 2014 |
| ヴィジランテ = VIGILANTE : 僕のヒーローアカデミアILLEGALS | 1 | Japanese | Shueisha | 2017 |
| 進撃の巨人 | 2 | Japanese | Kodansha | 2010 |
First print questions
How do I identify a first print?
For Japanese tankōbon, look at the colophon (奥付), usually the last page. A line reading 第1刷発行 (dai-isshatsu hakkō) means "first printing." Later printings will say 第2刷, 第3刷, and so on. The original obi (paper belt) is also typically only present on first prints, since shops discard old obi when restocking later printings.
What does 第1刷 mean?
第1刷 (dai-isshatsu) literally translates to "first printing": the very first run of a tankōbon off the press. Subsequent reprints are numbered 第2刷, 第3刷, etc. For collectors, only 第1刷 copies count as true first editions, and prices increase sharply for first-print copies of major debut volumes.
Why are first-print tankōbon valuable?
First-print tankōbon of breakout series were printed in modest runs before the series became famous. One Piece Volume 1 first prints, for instance, were produced in 1997 when the series was unproven. Survival rates are low (paperbacks are read, lent, and damaged), and the original obi is almost always lost. BGS (Beckett) slabbed first prints with obi are the gold standard. See our graded manga collection for current listings.
Looking for the magazines where these series first appeared? Browse the Zasshi Database →