Undead Unluck is a manga by Yoshifumi Tozuka, serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump from January 20, 2020 to January 27, 2025. It follows Fuuko Izumo, a girl whose “Unluck” ability brings misfortune to anyone who touches her, and Andy, a man who cannot die and wants to find a true death. The two meet, then join the Union’s hunt for creatures called UMA. This is a review of the whole finished series, with no spoilers for the ending.
What makes it worth discussing goes beyond two opposed powers meeting. In a magazine that tends to stretch hit series, Tozuka chose to finish after five years, and in OtaHub’s view that is a rare choice. Despite the debate over how it draws its female characters, this is a Jump series worth reading in full.
Undead Unluck manga quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Author | Yoshifumi Tozuka (first series; earlier one-shot in Jump Next! in 2014) |
| Serialization | Weekly Shonen Jump (Shueisha), January 20, 2020 to January 27, 2025, 239 chapters |
| Volumes | 27 tankobon, April 3, 2020 to April 4, 2025 in Japan; volume 27 adds 5 new epilogue chapters |
| English edition | VIZ Media; released up to volume 26 (August 18, 2026), volume 27 is the final volume |
| Anime | Season 1: 24 episodes, October 7, 2023 to March 23, 2024, David Production; season 2 announced December 25, 2025 |
| Where to read | VIZ (purchase and digital chapters), Shueisha’s MANGA Plus |
| Awards and rankings | Next Manga Award 2020, print category; 14th in Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2021 (men) |
| Reader score | AniList 77/100 (taken October 3, 2026) |
| OtaHub score | 8.9/10, Great |
Story: two opposed powers make a duo
The two leads are built as halves of one problem. Fuuko brings misfortune to anyone who touches her, so she lives apart from everyone. Andy cannot die, yet wants to. According to VIZ, he sees in her a last chance at what he wants. From that relationship Tozuka gets both strong action beats and a clear emotional spine for the whole series.
The series then widens from the pair to a world of Negators, people whose abilities negate the rules of the world, and the Union that hunts UMA. The pace is fast, new characters keep arriving, and most have powers and personalities distinct enough not to blur together. That is not easy over 239 chapters.
Tonally, this is a series that swings hard between comedy, action and seriousness. One scene can be grim and a few pages later there is a gag. For readers who want an even tone, that is the price; for long-time shonen readers, it gives the series its own personality.
The power system: Undead Unluck’s most inventive part
What sets Undead Unluck apart from most of its peers is that every ability comes with clear rules and takes thought to use. You are not just asking who is stronger but who finds the cleverer use of their own rules. That is the strength readers mention most, and it fits the series winning the 2020 Next Manga Award in the print category with 31,685 votes, first among 50 nominees.
As the series goes on, Tozuka keeps raising the scale: bigger fights, a wider range of UMA, threats that reach the whole world. Keeping that system coherent across years is what OtaHub values most. If there is a weakness, it is that the second half carries a lot of terminology and rules; weekly readers may find it tangled, while reading the collected volumes in one stretch is smoother.
Art and page layout
Tozuka draws with bold lines and a lot of camera angles, which suits fast action. UMA and Negator designs read clearly even as silhouettes. Pages that need emphasis tend to get more detail, giving the big moments real weight.
The controversy lies in how female characters are drawn. Anime News Network criticized the portrayal of Andy and Fuuko’s relationship as sexually exploitative, and Comic Book Resources likewise noted that Fuuko’s body is used as a sexualized tool. OtaHub agrees this drags the score down: it is unnecessary in an already good story and may put some readers off starting.
The ending: stopping at the right place
Chapter 239 ran in Weekly Shonen Jump issue 9 on January 27, 2025, closing the series after five years. Volume 27, released on April 4, 2025, adds five new epilogue chapters. Many Jump series end in a rush or stretch too long; Undead Unluck wraps its main line in five years and then spends five more chapters on the aftermath.
OtaHub will not give the ending away. According to Siliconera, the final chapter is about what happens after the major antagonists are beaten, with characters gathering for a special occasion. That gentle close leaves the series feeling complete, and it is why “Lasting Value” stays high even with the fan-service problem.
The anime: season 1, the special and season 2
The anime was made by David Production with director Yuki Yase: 24 episodes aired from October 7, 2023 to March 23, 2024, streaming on Hulu in the US and on Disney+ in many other regions. The special “Winter Arc” aired on December 25, 2025 with an original story by Tozuka, and season 2 was announced the same day. ComicBook.com reports the special reaching Hulu on July 2, 2026. No season 2 premiere date appears in the sources OtaHub checked.
For the full experience, the manga is still the better pick: the whole story is finished, along with epilogue chapters the anime has not reached.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Negator abilities and UMA types come with clear rules and create plenty of clever fights.
- Fuuko and Andy hold the emotional centre across the whole series.
- A tidy finish after 239 chapters, with no stretching.
- Complete: read all 27 volumes without waiting for new chapters.
Weaknesses
- Its treatment of female characters’ bodies has drawn criticism from the press.
- Tone swings abruptly between comedy and heavy scenes.
- The second half is dense with terms, easy to lose track of in weekly reading.
- The VIZ English release is incomplete; volume 27 has no date on VIZ yet.
What critics say
International reaction is mixed. In its Spring 2021 manga guide, Anime News Network included a reviewer who said they would have dropped the series after the first two chapters if reading weekly, because of how it mixes suicide with groping for laughs. Comic Book Resources raised the same concern about how Fuuko’s body is used.
On the other side, the series won the Next Manga Award 2020 in the print category, ranked 14th in Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2021 for male readers, and, per Wikipedia, had over 1.8 million copies in circulation by September 2022. On AniList the reader average is 77/100 (read October 3, 2026), a solid rather than outstanding figure that fits a series that is loved but also divisive.
OtaHub score
The overall score is the weighted average of the four criteria, with up to ±0.2 editorial adjustment. See our review standards.
Who should read Undead Unluck?
Read it if you like action shonen with a smart power system and a lead pair with depth, and want a Jump series that has an ending. Fans of Black Lagoon, Hunter x Hunter or Dr. Stone, the titles VIZ suggests, should settle in easily.
Think twice if heavy-handed fan service in shonen manga bothers you, or if you want one steady tone from start to finish. In that case, try the first few VIZ volumes before committing to all 27.
Frequently asked questions
How many chapters and volumes does Undead Unluck have?
The manga ran 239 chapters in Weekly Shonen Jump and was collected in 27 tankobon volumes. Volume 27 adds five new epilogue chapters, so the books contain more chapters than the magazine run.
When did Undead Unluck end?
The final chapter appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump issue 9 of 2025, released on January 27, 2025 (Japan time), five years after serialization began on January 20, 2020. The last two volumes came out in Japan on April 4, 2025.
Where can I read Undead Unluck legally?
VIZ Media sells the English edition and publishes digital chapters on VIZ and Shonen Jump; Shueisha’s MANGA Plus also carried the latest chapters. At the time of writing VIZ has released up to volume 26 and lists volume 27 as the final volume.
Is there an Undead Unluck anime?
Yes. Season 1 has 24 episodes, aired from October 7, 2023 to March 23, 2024, produced by David Production and directed by Yuki Yase. A special, “Winter Arc”, with an original story by Tozuka, aired on December 25, 2025, the day season 2 was announced. No season 2 premiere date appears in the sources OtaHub checked.
Should I read the manga if I have not seen the anime?
Yes. The manga is the full, finished story, while the anime adapts only the early part. Reading it gives you the whole plot and the ending without waiting for season 2.
Sources: VIZ Media (author details, released volumes), Anime News Network (ending news, final volume, Spring 2021 manga guide), Wikipedia and the chapter list (chapter counts, release dates, awards, anime), Siliconera, Comic Book Resources (comments on the female characters’ portrayal), AniList (reader score taken October 3, 2026) and ComicBook.com (the special on Hulu). The score is OtaHub’s editorial judgement under our review standards.