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tankoubon
What does tankoubon mean?
A bound volume collecting serialized manga chapters, sometimes with extras and revised art. This spelling reflects the long ō vowel of the Japanese.
"She's collecting the series in tankoubon form rather than reading the magazine."
Origin
Japanese 単行本 (tankōbon), 'standalone book'; the 'ou' marks the long ō.
Frequently asked questions
What is a tankoubon?
It's a bound volume collecting serialized manga chapters, sometimes with bonus extras and revised art, published after chapters run in a magazine.
Why is it spelled tankoubon?
The 'ou' spelling marks the long ō vowel in the Japanese 単行本; you'll also see it written 'tankobon' or 'tankōbon'.
How is a tankoubon different from the magazine?
Magazines serialize many series' latest chapters weekly or monthly; a tankoubon compiles one series' chapters into a single collectible book.
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