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Shaman King #1
Shaman King. Omnibus, Vol. 1
The action manga bestseller returns, in 600-page editions featuring a remastered translation and new cover art by creator Hiroyuki Takei! Dive into the classic Shonen Jump adventure whose world of mystical spirits and bewitching battles inspired the classic anime.
This volume corresponds to Vol. 1-3 of the original release, featuring updated translation and lettering, back in print more than 20 years after its initial release!
In a world where shamans communicate with the dead and call forth the power of legendary spirits to defeat their enemies in both body and soul, Yoh is a teenager with the ultimate ambition: to become the Shaman King, the one and only shaman who may commune with the Great Spirit and help remake the world for the better. But the road to this pinnacle of spiritual power runs through the Shaman Fight, a gauntlet of battles with rival mediums who call forth dizzying powers from the world of the dead in their own bids for the crown. At Yoh's side is Anna, his coach, fiancée, and a powerful medium in her own right. Sure, it'd be nice if Yoh had a little more time to train and mature...but the Shaman Fight is only held once every 500 years, so he's going to have to grow up quick!
This volume corresponds to Vol. 1-3 of the original release, featuring updated translation and lettering, back in print more than 20 years after its initial release!
In a world where shamans communicate with the dead and call forth the power of legendary spirits to defeat their enemies in both body and soul, Yoh is a teenager with the ultimate ambition: to become the Shaman King, the one and only shaman who may commune with the Great Spirit and help remake the world for the better. But the road to this pinnacle of spiritual power runs through the Shaman Fight, a gauntlet of battles with rival mediums who call forth dizzying powers from the world of the dead in their own bids for the crown. At Yoh's side is Anna, his coach, fiancée, and a powerful medium in her own right. Sure, it'd be nice if Yoh had a little more time to train and mature...but the Shaman Fight is only held once every 500 years, so he's going to have to grow up quick!
600 pages, Paperback
First published March 23, 2021
30 people are currently reading
194 people want to read
About the author
Hiroyuki Takei
399 books194 followersHiroyuki Takei (武井宏之 Takei Hiroyuki) is a Japanese manga artist, best known as the creator of the manga and anime Shaman King. His brother, Hirofumi Takei (武井宏文) is also a manga-ka.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
April 27, 2021
This brings me back to childhood with picking up this volume.
This is about a Shaman named Yoh. He is just a laid back dude who likes to chill and listen to music. He meets a ghost name Amidamaru and together they work together as ghost/human to help other spirits, fight bad guys, and so on. The idea of it all is simple but it's thanks to a large cast of characters including Yoh's future wife Anna, Tao Ren's little pyscho vegeta like ass, and Manta that we keep fresh characters coming on top of solid comedy.
This isn't mind blowing or anything. Shonen has come a long way now and we get much more complicated stories. However, we do get heart here. A lot of the characters get to really present who they are and how they want to help. And while the arc itself is simple and brimming with fun storylines it does remain a bit simple and not very high stakes for me. But because it is a easy breezy read I'll try volume 2 when it drops. For now it's solid fun-good time.
A 3 out of 5.
This is about a Shaman named Yoh. He is just a laid back dude who likes to chill and listen to music. He meets a ghost name Amidamaru and together they work together as ghost/human to help other spirits, fight bad guys, and so on. The idea of it all is simple but it's thanks to a large cast of characters including Yoh's future wife Anna, Tao Ren's little pyscho vegeta like ass, and Manta that we keep fresh characters coming on top of solid comedy.
This isn't mind blowing or anything. Shonen has come a long way now and we get much more complicated stories. However, we do get heart here. A lot of the characters get to really present who they are and how they want to help. And while the arc itself is simple and brimming with fun storylines it does remain a bit simple and not very high stakes for me. But because it is a easy breezy read I'll try volume 2 when it drops. For now it's solid fun-good time.
A 3 out of 5.
November 16, 2022
very funny, and great action scenes!! def gets better after the first volume tho, but overall i enjoyed it very much!
December 16, 2020
Ufff, chulada
April 9, 2021
Shaman King is one of those old Shonen Jump series that I remember seeing in the magazines. Sadly, at the time, I only had access to manga through the magazines and that was a rare occasion. Naruto was still in the prelims of the Chunin Exam... And now I feel old.
In short, this is an old series that was really popular that I never got into because I lived under a rock in the middle of nowhere, and now I'm finally getting to read it!!!
So Yoh is a shaman, meaning he can interact with ghosts. He moves to Tokyo, meets a boy named Manta who becomes his first friend, but then runs afoul of the local hoodlum gang run by Wooden Sword Ryu. Ryu smashes the gravestone of an old samurai, Amidamaru, and Yoh teams up with the samurai's ghost to toss Ryu and his crew out of the graveyard. Thus begins the tale of Yoh and Amidamaru and the fight to become the next Shaman King.
It's a bit goofy (like old-style shonen slapstick), and a bit dark in places (because, you know, this is a story with dead people) but it's an overall fun read. Some of the classic tropes (like 'friendship makes you stronger') are a bit stale, but, given the age of the series, it makes sense.
Yoh is a good, albeit lazy, guy who helps ghosts, even if he nearly dies in the process. Manta is the clueless crybaby that didn't sign up for this adventure, but he's already on the ride and might as well stay. I don't particularly like Anna (she's kind of a bitch) but I admire her drive (even though it makes Yoh suffer) and her no nonsense attitude. Ryu is the troublemaker with the strict code of conduct and a heart of gold and also his hair situation is hilarious. There's other characters too, but they're all enemies/rivals so to avoid spoilers, I'll keep my mouth shut. Based on the last few pages, we're gearing up for a tournament arc!
This omnibus contains volumes 1 -3.
This series has 35 volumes.
In short, this is an old series that was really popular that I never got into because I lived under a rock in the middle of nowhere, and now I'm finally getting to read it!!!
So Yoh is a shaman, meaning he can interact with ghosts. He moves to Tokyo, meets a boy named Manta who becomes his first friend, but then runs afoul of the local hoodlum gang run by Wooden Sword Ryu. Ryu smashes the gravestone of an old samurai, Amidamaru, and Yoh teams up with the samurai's ghost to toss Ryu and his crew out of the graveyard. Thus begins the tale of Yoh and Amidamaru and the fight to become the next Shaman King.
It's a bit goofy (like old-style shonen slapstick), and a bit dark in places (because, you know, this is a story with dead people) but it's an overall fun read. Some of the classic tropes (like 'friendship makes you stronger') are a bit stale, but, given the age of the series, it makes sense.
Yoh is a good, albeit lazy, guy who helps ghosts, even if he nearly dies in the process. Manta is the clueless crybaby that didn't sign up for this adventure, but he's already on the ride and might as well stay. I don't particularly like Anna (she's kind of a bitch) but I admire her drive (even though it makes Yoh suffer) and her no nonsense attitude. Ryu is the troublemaker with the strict code of conduct and a heart of gold and also his hair situation is hilarious. There's other characters too, but they're all enemies/rivals so to avoid spoilers, I'll keep my mouth shut. Based on the last few pages, we're gearing up for a tournament arc!
This omnibus contains volumes 1 -3.
This series has 35 volumes.
August 25, 2025
I enjoyed 👍. I love stories with creative ideas and smart world building. Further topped by the fact that it was a pretty lighthearted and fun thing to read to give my mind a short break from more complex reads like Game of Thrones and the Stormlight Archive! I probably will reread at some point before reading the next compendium!
April 1, 2022
Muy clásico todo y genérico, sabe manejar los códigos de su género a la perfección así que ya se muy bien que luego se pondrá muy interesante. Toca comer un poco de clichés hasta que llegue el momento. Edición chulísima por cierto de las mejores que he visto
September 26, 2021
While I've previously read and written reviews for the first three individual volumes of the original Shonen Jump release of this series, the moment I heard they were going to be re-released and touched up in omnibus form by Kodansha, there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to start collecting the series like this! If you want my individual reviews for the volumes collected in this first omnibus, you can read the first one here, the second one here, and the third one here.
On the matter of this omnibus, having seen the original release, the translation here is much better, so many of the pages have been cleaned up and touched up and overall the entire formatting is just all around better. If anyone else missed the chance to collect this series during its original English publication by Shonen Jump (which didn't even collect all the volumes there were in Japan total, if I understand correctly) I highly recommend picking these up. It's worth it, and this series deserves all the love and appreciation it gets!
On the matter of this omnibus, having seen the original release, the translation here is much better, so many of the pages have been cleaned up and touched up and overall the entire formatting is just all around better. If anyone else missed the chance to collect this series during its original English publication by Shonen Jump (which didn't even collect all the volumes there were in Japan total, if I understand correctly) I highly recommend picking these up. It's worth it, and this series deserves all the love and appreciation it gets!
April 2, 2021
One Piece is about a guy who wants to be the King of the Pirates and to do that he has to fight a lot of guys. Naruto is about a guy who wants to be the Hokage (ninja mayor) and to do that he has to fight a lot of guys. Shaman King is about a guy who wants to be Jesus and to do that he has to fight a lot of guys.
A perfect series, so glad they're rereleasing it.
A perfect series, so glad they're rereleasing it.
December 4, 2025
The first three volumes of Shaman King.
***
Volume 1 covers chapters 1-8
The story of a shaman boy in training named Yoh that befriends ghosts and shares his mortal body with them so that they can accomplish supernatural feats of goodwill together from saving children from burning buildings to battling demonic spirits that have failed to move on peacefully into the afterlife. Yoh travels around Tokyo, making peace with powerful spirits and doing good deeds for the locals to help them out. Things get a bit heated when he encounters a fellow shaman named Roh who views spirits as nothing more than tools and seeks to challenge Yoh’s more kind and simplistic approach to their unusual career.
A cozy paranormal fantasy story with a chill protagonist, wholesome subplots and supernatural action. It really feels like an early 2000’s classic. I never got far into this series when I was a kid so I’m looking forward to seeing more of it.
***
Volume 2 covers chapters 9-17
After getting knocked out from his last battle with Ren, Yoh’s fiance and fellow shaman shows up to train him in preparation for the upcoming Shaman King tournament which will decide who among them will be chosen as the leader of all shamans. After embarrassing her brother in a close match, Roh’s sister summons the spirit of a powerful kung fu master to test Yoh’s strength and moral conviction.
Not quite as good as the first volume, but Yoh’s fiancé Anna is a great new addition to the cast and the lighthearted humor was fun.
***
Volume 3 covers chapters 18-27
Yoh’s old nemesis Wooden Sword Ryu gets possessed by the vengeful spirit of a lowlife bandit that was once slain by the friendly samurai spirit Amidamaru hundreds of years ago. With Amidamaru's help, Yoh and his friends settle their old score with Ryu and his gang of wandering goons, learning more about their two foes in the heat of an intense spiritual battle.
I liked this volume a lot more than the first two. The characters have more depth, the banter and humor feels more natural, the backstories of the villains are more emotional and compelling. Ryu was an extremely minor villain from the first chapters of the story who caused some trouble when he went around kicking over the gravestones of restless ghosts and stirring up trouble with the local townsfolk. He goes through an unexpected redemption arc throughout this volume and the bandit that possesses him has a surprisingly tragic backstory as well.
I like the charisma between the main protagonists, how comfortable they all are living under the same roof in a haunted house full of friendly ghosts. Yoh’s laidback but caring personality with his fiancé Anna’s fierce but secretly sweet personality are a good match. I also like Ryu’s switch up to the good side and him showing gratitude toward Yoh’s crew for helping and forgiving him in his hour of need.
***
Volume 1 covers chapters 1-8
The story of a shaman boy in training named Yoh that befriends ghosts and shares his mortal body with them so that they can accomplish supernatural feats of goodwill together from saving children from burning buildings to battling demonic spirits that have failed to move on peacefully into the afterlife. Yoh travels around Tokyo, making peace with powerful spirits and doing good deeds for the locals to help them out. Things get a bit heated when he encounters a fellow shaman named Roh who views spirits as nothing more than tools and seeks to challenge Yoh’s more kind and simplistic approach to their unusual career.
A cozy paranormal fantasy story with a chill protagonist, wholesome subplots and supernatural action. It really feels like an early 2000’s classic. I never got far into this series when I was a kid so I’m looking forward to seeing more of it.
***
Volume 2 covers chapters 9-17
After getting knocked out from his last battle with Ren, Yoh’s fiance and fellow shaman shows up to train him in preparation for the upcoming Shaman King tournament which will decide who among them will be chosen as the leader of all shamans. After embarrassing her brother in a close match, Roh’s sister summons the spirit of a powerful kung fu master to test Yoh’s strength and moral conviction.
Not quite as good as the first volume, but Yoh’s fiancé Anna is a great new addition to the cast and the lighthearted humor was fun.
***
Volume 3 covers chapters 18-27
Yoh’s old nemesis Wooden Sword Ryu gets possessed by the vengeful spirit of a lowlife bandit that was once slain by the friendly samurai spirit Amidamaru hundreds of years ago. With Amidamaru's help, Yoh and his friends settle their old score with Ryu and his gang of wandering goons, learning more about their two foes in the heat of an intense spiritual battle.
I liked this volume a lot more than the first two. The characters have more depth, the banter and humor feels more natural, the backstories of the villains are more emotional and compelling. Ryu was an extremely minor villain from the first chapters of the story who caused some trouble when he went around kicking over the gravestones of restless ghosts and stirring up trouble with the local townsfolk. He goes through an unexpected redemption arc throughout this volume and the bandit that possesses him has a surprisingly tragic backstory as well.
I like the charisma between the main protagonists, how comfortable they all are living under the same roof in a haunted house full of friendly ghosts. Yoh’s laidback but caring personality with his fiancé Anna’s fierce but secretly sweet personality are a good match. I also like Ryu’s switch up to the good side and him showing gratitude toward Yoh’s crew for helping and forgiving him in his hour of need.
December 29, 2021
A lot of people have been hating on this book for an ugly design among other things, at the end of the day it's £15 for 3 volumes of manga in an omnibus. Yes it's heavy and gave me a dead arm whilst reading it but compared to the 3 in 1 Viz the paper quality is vastly superior. Design wise the spine features a character with with a different colour spin, this one features Yoh and has a green spine so it'll pop nicely, if you like the Viz Big then you'll probably like this format as well.
As for the story itself, the first 2 chapters are a little hard to get through, they introduce a lot of school stuff that doesn't really go anywhere. After that it really picks up, what I liked about the story was that our lead (Yoh) wants to be Shaman King but isn't the strongest, in fact all the fights he has in this he gets his ass handed to him. It's like a journey of self discovery and how to become better, my favorite fight was with a corpse puppet with a tailsman on it's head, it just had this creepy vibe which I really enjoyed.
Even though this story is older, it doesn't feel like a dated story in fact most of the dialogue between the characters feels quite modern. I also liked the fact this included the original covers of the 3 volumes this collect, speaking of which I felt that third volume in this was the weakest as it retread a lot of ground that we've already covered. Though it does seem to be setting up a tournament arc between all the Shamans which should be awesome!
It also had some sword fighting in this, so it scratched that itch in some respect to. So all in all really happy that I picked it up, if it continues to be this good then it might just become one of my favorite series.
As for the story itself, the first 2 chapters are a little hard to get through, they introduce a lot of school stuff that doesn't really go anywhere. After that it really picks up, what I liked about the story was that our lead (Yoh) wants to be Shaman King but isn't the strongest, in fact all the fights he has in this he gets his ass handed to him. It's like a journey of self discovery and how to become better, my favorite fight was with a corpse puppet with a tailsman on it's head, it just had this creepy vibe which I really enjoyed.
Even though this story is older, it doesn't feel like a dated story in fact most of the dialogue between the characters feels quite modern. I also liked the fact this included the original covers of the 3 volumes this collect, speaking of which I felt that third volume in this was the weakest as it retread a lot of ground that we've already covered. Though it does seem to be setting up a tournament arc between all the Shamans which should be awesome!
It also had some sword fighting in this, so it scratched that itch in some respect to. So all in all really happy that I picked it up, if it continues to be this good then it might just become one of my favorite series.
April 14, 2025
Shaman King: Omnibus Volume 1 brings together the first three volumes of the original manga by Hiroyuki Takei, offering a great start for new readers and longtime fans alike. The story follows Yoh Asakura, a laid-back teenager with a powerful gift—he can see and communicate with spirits. Yoh's dream is to become the Shaman King, a title given to the one who can unite the world of humans and spirits.
In this volume, Yoh begins his journey, meets his samurai ghost partner Amidamaru, and faces off against strong opponents, including other shamans with dark intentions. The 3-in-1 format offers a thicker, value-packed read with a smooth story flow.
What to Expect:
- Introduction to the world of shamans and spirits
- Fun mix of action, comedy, and spiritual themes
- Memorable characters like Manta, Amidamaru, and Anna
- Great pacing that builds up to the Shaman Fight tournament
The omnibus edition features updated translations and clean artwork, making it a great collectible and reading experience.
An exciting and spiritual adventure that kicks off a unique shonen journey—perfect for fans of classic action manga!
In this volume, Yoh begins his journey, meets his samurai ghost partner Amidamaru, and faces off against strong opponents, including other shamans with dark intentions. The 3-in-1 format offers a thicker, value-packed read with a smooth story flow.
What to Expect:
- Introduction to the world of shamans and spirits
- Fun mix of action, comedy, and spiritual themes
- Memorable characters like Manta, Amidamaru, and Anna
- Great pacing that builds up to the Shaman Fight tournament
The omnibus edition features updated translations and clean artwork, making it a great collectible and reading experience.
An exciting and spiritual adventure that kicks off a unique shonen journey—perfect for fans of classic action manga!
February 8, 2022
The Shaman King Omnibus might be the most important manga project of the 20'. YEA I SAID IT.
Shaman King was originally released 20-ish years ago and had a short anime adaptation. That anime adaptation found its way into Europe via Fox Kids and it was a fresh approach to what anime was back then. The Omnibus remake is a "once in a lifetime" event for many of us, to have the chance to experience the release of a manga you never owned. The moment I saw this book in the shop I knew it was time for me to own my first manga collection.
As for book one, I was really happy to find out entire chapters with stories I never knew of. When you're reading a book you already have an idea of what's going to happen you tend to anticipate each chapter. In these volumes, you find "new" characters and "new" events that we're not approached in the anime.
Not to mention a lot of funny expressions, shots, and frames. Can't wait for the other books to hit the shelves.
Shaman King was originally released 20-ish years ago and had a short anime adaptation. That anime adaptation found its way into Europe via Fox Kids and it was a fresh approach to what anime was back then. The Omnibus remake is a "once in a lifetime" event for many of us, to have the chance to experience the release of a manga you never owned. The moment I saw this book in the shop I knew it was time for me to own my first manga collection.
As for book one, I was really happy to find out entire chapters with stories I never knew of. When you're reading a book you already have an idea of what's going to happen you tend to anticipate each chapter. In these volumes, you find "new" characters and "new" events that we're not approached in the anime.
Not to mention a lot of funny expressions, shots, and frames. Can't wait for the other books to hit the shelves.
November 13, 2021
Shaman King is my favorite manga of all time, so when Kodansha started publishing a new omnibus collection of the series I immediately determined to collect them all. I am not regretting that decision. Shamans from all over the world compete for the right to commune with the great spirit and shape the course of the world for centuries to come. It's the kind of story that just keeps getting better as it progresses, and you can see that in these first three volumes, in which the main characters are introduced and then grow in tremendous ways. And it has an Ainu character, Hororo: a snowboarder who wants to create a paradise for his koropokkur nature spirit ally and her kind to live in peacefully. He's my favorite.
June 12, 2021
Shaman King. Great story. I’m so very happy for these omnibus editions so I can enjoy this story without paying an arm and a leg. Now if I liked it so much you may be wondering why it took me over 2 months to finish. Well, it’s because this is literally the most uncomfortable omnibus I have ever held. The omnibus is a 3 in 1 so it’s huge. Unlike the Vizbigs, Kodansha decided to make these short and fat. This makes them stupid difficult to hold. Then they are so hefty you have to gently read as to not snap the massive spine. Story great. Edition sucks.
April 21, 2021
Still just as good as it was when I read the series as a kid. Lots more to pick up on as an adult - the permeating influence of buddhism, the respect for and influence of multiple cultures and religions, the sense of humor about all of it, the inverse/contrary nature of the protagonist Yoh to other shonen protagonists, etc.
August 30, 2021
Wow this was a thick boy to tackle. I’ never thought it would take me so long to finish it, I finally did after over 2 months.
Since this is a Omnibus it felt like it was endless but because the first 2 volumes were super slow. Bit the 3rd on was really good.
I can’t wait to start then next!
Individual rating;
vol 1. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vol 2. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vol 3. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Since this is a Omnibus it felt like it was endless but because the first 2 volumes were super slow. Bit the 3rd on was really good.
I can’t wait to start then next!
Individual rating;
vol 1. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vol 2. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vol 3. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 26, 2025
Amo el arte de Shaman King, tanto del anime como el manga, fue un gran gusto leer el inicio. No creo continuar con el manga porque ya vi el anime, y oye, son caros los mangas, pero si acaso llegan a mis manos con mucho gusto los leería. Yoh Asakura es un personaje que me encanta y realmente es una bonita hiztoria, cada capítulo con una reflexión espiritual y de valor.
October 24, 2020
Shaman King is one of my favourite animes even as a child and now too. I read this bind up as well as rewatching the first couple of episodes to compare and they are pretty close.
This gave me nostalgic feels and I enjoyed the entire bind up! I cant wait to read more!
This gave me nostalgic feels and I enjoyed the entire bind up! I cant wait to read more!
July 29, 2021
I read from some of manga from Shonen Jump and watched anime on Fox Kids. It tells about Yoh Ashura, who's a Shaman that comes to train to become Shaman King, and making friends and enemies along the way,
June 27, 2022
Very good start. The first three volumes do a great job introducing each character, explaining the motives and the fight scenes are well design, clearly seeing what was meant to happen. I love Yoh and Anna, still lukewarm on Manta, Ryu is funny and Amidaru and Mosuke are cool.
Read
March 28, 2021Good stuff. Setting up the Shaman King tournament.
April 25, 2021
Just as fun as I remember. A great story and great cast of characters.
May 29, 2021
Such a nostalgic story!
July 1, 2021
A wonderful trip down memory lane and a wonderful reminder of just how ahead of its time Shaman King was
July 31, 2021
DNF
This wasn't a horrible story, I just couldn't get into it. The art kind of reminds me of One Piece.
This wasn't a horrible story, I just couldn't get into it. The art kind of reminds me of One Piece.
August 29, 2021
Re-entering the fight in thé "Kang Zeng Bang" style.
October 23, 2021
Me ha encantado la historia de yoh!!
December 22, 2021
This has always been a series I've Wanted to read since watching the anime as a kid!
One thing I'm not happy with is that they are omnibuses, really not a fan of them. Especially 3 volume omnibuses
One thing I'm not happy with is that they are omnibuses, really not a fan of them. Especially 3 volume omnibuses
February 13, 2022
The first volume is, admittedly, a slog to get through, but like everything else, it starts to really show the potential it has when you move into the second volume.
May 1, 2022
lo he terminado porque lo tenía a medias en el Kindle y bastante guay, se nota que es introductorio pero el dibujo mola mucho y los personajes son muy carismáticos así que a seguirlo!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews