K-pop trainee drama Girl Crush is getting a TV anime, but the manga is already far ahead across print, digital, and even English editions. If you are wondering where to start—paperback, ebook, or translated volumes—here’s a quick roadmap before the show hits TV.
Girl Crush in brief for K-pop and manga fans
Girl Crush follows Tenka Momose, a high school girl who can seemingly do everything except handle love, and Erian Satou, a hardcore K-pop fan whose passion pulls Tenka toward the idol world. Together with other trainees, they chase a K-pop debut while dealing with auditions, self-doubt, and friendship drama. It is a coming-of-age story that has already reached hundreds of thousands of copies in circulation and will soon arrive on TV as Japan’s first K-pop–themed anime.
Current Japanese volumes across print and digital
In Japan, Girl Crush started as a digital comic and is furthest ahead there. As of December 9, 2025, volume 9 is available as an ebook, beginning the three-company joint audition arc where doors finally start opening for the girls. Print readers can pick up volume 5, which covers Tenka’s collapse during a crucial evaluation, the pain of a setback, and a turning point when she is offered a music video appearance and a new project begins.
English options with Comikey and Viz Media releases
For English readers, there are two main routes. Digital-first fans can jump onto Comikey, which is legally translating Girl Crush chapter by chapter and already hosts a long run of episodes. Meanwhile, Viz Media is rolling out collected English paperbacks and ebooks, with volume 1 out in mid-2025 and more volumes on the release calendar into early 2026. Both options mean you can follow Tenka and Erian without needing Japanese.
Reading paths for newcomers before the TV anime
If you mainly read Japanese, the simplest plan is to start with the free first chapter on the official manga site, then collect print up to volume 5 or go digital up to volume 9 to reach the big audition phase. If you prefer English, start with Viz’s volume 1 to get a polished book experience, then decide whether to keep collecting volumes or move to Comikey to get closer to the Japanese release. Either way, you will be comfortably ahead of the anime’s starting point.
Advice for collectors of paperbacks and digital editions
Shelf-first collectors may want to stick with physical volumes from Shinchosha in Japanese or Viz in English so the series lines up neatly on a bookcase. Digital binge readers, on the other hand, will get the fastest updates through Japanese ebook platforms or Comikey’s app. If you are on the fence, sampling the official free opening chapter is an easy way to see whether Tenka and Erian’s K-pop grind is your kind of story before you commit to a format.
Official places to preview Girl Crush and follow news
To test the waters, you can read the first chapter for free via the official sample on Kurage Bunch, then check the publisher’s listings for the latest print and digital volumes in Japanese. English readers can compare formats and prices on the Girl Crush series page at Viz Media and the Girl Crush series page on Comikey. For anime updates, keeping an eye on the series’ official social media accounts will bring you new visuals, trailers, and broadcast information as it drops.
©タヤマ碧・新潮社／「ガールクラッシュ」製作委員会
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