20th Century Boys Manga: Perfect Edition vs Originals, and 21st Century Boys
Compare VIZ’s original 20th Century Boys paperbacks with the Perfect Edition, and why every complete shelf needs 21st Century Boys, whose Perfect Edition has a new ending.
20th Century Boys does not end in 20th Century Boys. The story concludes in a separately titled sequel, 21st Century Boys, so a complete shelf is always two titles. VIZ has published both in two editions: the original paperbacks (22 volumes of 20th Century Boys plus 2 of 21st Century Boys) and the Perfect Edition (11 books plus 1). Pick one edition and buy both titles in it. The Perfect Edition is the better buy for a new reader, and it is not only the more handsome option: VIZ says its final book carries a new ending.
The two complete routes
| Route | Books | Released | US list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original paperbacks | 20th Century Boys Vols. 1–22, then 21st Century Boys Vols. 1–2 | February 2009 to March 2013 | $12.99 each; $311.76 for all 24 |
| Perfect Edition | 20th Century Boys: The Perfect Edition Vols. 1–11, then 21st Century Boys: The Perfect Edition | September 2018 to June 2021 | $22.99 each; $275.88 for all 12 |
At list, the Perfect Edition route costs $35.88 less than the original paperbacks, in half as many books. Both routes use the same 5 3/4 by 8 1/4 inch trim on VIZ’s pages; the Perfect Edition books run 408 to 464 pages against 200 to 256 for the originals.
What the Perfect Edition changes
VIZ editor Mark De Vera’s 2018 introduction describes it as “a 2-in-1 bind up collection” based on the Japanese kanzenban edition, with “new cover art, additional editor notes and color pages that were not included in the first edition of the series.” He adds that the final book, 21st Century Boys: The Perfect Edition, “includes a new ending to the series that was also not included in the original edition.”
That last point is the reason to choose carefully. The two editions do not end on the same pages: VIZ calls the new ending “exclusive to this edition.” This guide does not describe either ending, and it does not claim to have compared them page by page.
Even though VIZ calls it a 2-in-1 edition, the individual product pages do not list which original volumes each Perfect Edition book contains, and our catalog does not infer them. If you are switching editions partway, check the first chapter of the book you plan to buy against the last chapter you read. Our edition-switching guide covers the method.
Watch the titles when buying
VIZ lists 21st Century Boys: The Perfect Edition on its Perfect Edition page right after Vol. 11 (its URL even calls it volume 12), but its own title is 21st Century Boys: The Perfect Edition, Vol. 1, ISBN 9781421599724, released June 15, 2021. In the original edition, 20th Century Boys stops at Vol. 22, which VIZ marks as the final volume, and the story continues in 21st Century Boys Vols. 1 and 2. A seller’s “complete 20th Century Boys” lot that lacks the 21st Century Boys books is missing the ending.
Which to buy
- New reader: Perfect Edition Vol. 1 (ISBN 9781421599618), through Vol. 11, then 21st Century Boys: The Perfect Edition.
- Owner of original volumes: finish in the originals, including both 21st Century Boys books, knowing that VIZ says the new ending appears only in 21st Century Boys: The Perfect Edition. Original Vol. 1 is ISBN 9781591169222.
- Gift buyer: ask which edition and which title the shelf holds. “Vol. 1” exists four times across these lines.
For the hero before you start, see our Kenji character analysis.