Black Friday is still several weeks away, but Amazon is already unloading physical media deals. I’m the first to admit I read most manga online these days, so when I do buy a physical copy, it’s likely something I already love. Enter the box set, which seems to be a major focus of Amazon’s early Black Friday discounts.
Box sets were massive back in the day, but publishers like Viz Media and Shout Factory are still keeping the trend alive. They collect full arcs and at times an entire series, making it easy to binge or go back through your favorite panels. A solid box keeps things organized, and most sets come with some kind of collectible bonus.
I've been scrolling through Amazon’s manga deals and found new low prices on classic shonen collections as well as some popular new releases.
Manga Box Set Deals Now Live at Amazon
Like I said, some of the best deals are on the classics. One Piece, the best-selling manga of all time, has a number of different box sets on the market. If you somehow haven’t already started your journey, the first (treasure) box set collects 23 volumes of the East Blue and Baroque Works (also known as Alabasta Saga) arcs, lining up with about how far the Netflix series has gotten in its first two seasons.
An ongoing manga with over 1,000 chapters may sound daunting, but I promise it’s one of the greats for a reason. The first box set is currently at its lowest price of the year at $161, adding up to around $7 per volume. If you’re working on a full collection, later box sets are getting similar discounts.
On the more recent side of things, we’re seeing an a new low price on the Chainsaw Man box set, which collects all 97 chapters of the Public Safety Arc. The hefty Jujutsu Kaisen set collects all 30 volumes of the manga, including volume 0. Both of these come with a good ol’ poster.
My Hero Academia's collector's box set comes with the first 20 volumes, featuring cover art that was originally exclusive to Japan. It also comes with an exclusive 48-page booklet of illustrations in addition to the usual poster, and would make a great pick-up for any fans missing the now-finished anime.
And, of course, I haven’t forgotten about the shojo lovers. I highly recommend the Ouran High School Host Club box set I currently have sitting on my shelf. It collects all 18 volumes of Bisco Hatori’s manga, which is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. Instead of a poster, the box set gifts you a pretty cute notepad with illustrations of the Host Club members. Amazon's early Black Friday deal has brought the full set under $100.
Should you wait for Black Friday?
I’ve been covering Amazon sales for several years now, and have become keenly aware of how the retailer handles its deals. One thing I’ve consistently seen is that whatever Amazon labels "early Black Friday deals" don’t tend to get any better on the actual day. However, there’s two caveats I’d keep in mind as you shop:
First, Amazon is prone to surprise-dropping BOGO sales that often include manga and other physical media. We don’t know for sure whether one of those sales will happen over Black Friday, but if it does, that would offer even more savings (assuming you pick up multiple volumes or sets).
The other caveat is Amazon’s aggressive price-matching. While Amazon might not plan to drop these prices any lower, if another retailer does, Amazon will be quick to make sure their own listing is one cent lower. Yep, it’s a whole thing.