Love is cut open by “seeing” and “being seen” —
from a maze of sexuality and gazes to “welcome back.”

Hello, this is Kanahina 😊

This article introduces Welcome Back, Alice, Shuzo Oshimi’s sharp manga about gaze, sexuality and self-acceptance.

It includes the synopsis, impressions and ending spoilers, so please be careful if you have not read it yet🥺

First, let’s check where you can read and buy it legally.

✅ Conclusion: you can read it on these services

It is available on major ebook stores such as ebookJapan, BookLive, DMM Books, Kindle, Renta! and Rakuten Kobo. The print edition is complete in 7 volumes from Kodansha.

Service	Highlights	Campaign
ebookJapan	Over 800,000 manga-focused titles, many free works and strong PayPay returns.	70% OFF (usable 6 times)
BookLive	A large ebook store with daily coupons and frequent sales.	70% OFF (1 volume)
DMM Books	A strong first-purchase discount, useful for buying several volumes.	90% OFF (up to 2,000 yen)
Kindle Store	Use or earn Amazon points depending on Kindle campaigns.	70% OFF only items with coupon label
Renta!	Good for rental-style reading and low entry prices.	Rank system available
Rakuten Kobo	Rakuten points and point-back campaigns are the main attraction.	Up to 70x points (up to 2,000 yen)

There are many other places to read it, but these are the main stores I know. For buying all volumes, ebookJapan is especially attractive because of the first-time 70% OFF coupon 😊

📖 Welcome Back, Alice overview

The story follows three childhood friends: Yohei Kamekawa, Yui Mitani and Kei Murota. Yohei once sees Yui and Kei kissing, and the awkwardness and jealousy slowly break the trio apart. When Kei returns in high school wearing feminine clothes and says he has “stepped down from being a man,” the hidden desires and anxieties of Yohei and Yui are exposed.

The manga shows how seeing and being seen can become both pleasure and violence, and how difficult it is to affirm yourself without relying only on other people’s approval.

✍️ Author

Shuzo Oshimi is known for works such as The Flowers of Evil, Inside Mari, Happiness and Blood on the Tracks. He uses silence, facial expressions and crossing gazes to make shame, envy and self-disgust feel painfully real.

👥 Main characters

Yohei Kamekawa wants to remain normal but is shaken by desire and self-disgust. Kei Murota returns in feminine clothing and unsettles the values of everyone around him. Yui Mitani stands between past feelings, love and the desire to be seen. Ren Ano, an art club member, adds another perspective through drawing.

👀 Highlights

■ Expressions and pauses that cut deep

Oshimi makes the reader understand without overexplaining. Wandering eyes, tense hands and silence carry more emotion than long dialogue.

These are the points that tend to hit hardest:

• You like psychological drama told through expressions and silence.
• You want a raw story about jealousy, shame and approval.
• You are interested in gender roles and self-acceptance.
• You like Shuzo Oshimi’s uncomfortable but compelling style.
• You want a completed 7-volume series.

■ The pleasure and violence of being seen

The story is driven by the double edge of seeing and being seen. A gaze can be approval, humiliation, understanding or control.

■ What becomes visible by stepping down

Kei’s “stepping down from being a man” is not just about clothes. It means setting aside assigned roles and choosing a more honest way to exist.

🏢 Publisher

Publisher: Kodansha / Magazine: Bessatsu Shonen Magazine / Label: Kodansha Comics. Serialized from 2020 to 2023 and complete in 7 volumes.

📱 Official updates

I could not find a dedicated official special site, but you can check updates on Magazine Pocket.

⭐ Reviews and reputation

Readers praise the restrained direction and the drama of the gaze. The slow psychological pacing may divide opinions, so a free preview is recommended.

🔎 Ending spoilers and analysis

In the final stretch, the triangle reaches its limit. Yui and Yohei become physically involved, while Yohei sinks into self-loathing over desire. In volume 7, Yui chooses goodbye, and Kei cuts the long hair in a symbolic act that suggests stepping away from both the frame of “man” and “woman.”

A simple way to understand the ending

After time passes, Yohei reunites with Kei. The words “welcome back” and “I’m home” do not define the relationship; they affirm that each can be a place to return to for the other.

⚠️ Searching raw or zip is very dangerous

Searching for unofficial files such as “Welcome Back, Alice raw” or “Welcome Back, Alice zip” is risky. Unknown files can infect your device and unauthorized downloads can lead to legal trouble. Use official services.

Security risks

Illegal upload sites often contain malware or spyware. A single download may leak personal information or damage your device.

Copyright and legal trouble

Downloading or sharing unauthorized copies violates copyright law and can lead to claims, fines or criminal penalties.

Respect for creators

Buying through official ebook stores returns proper revenue to the author and publisher.

🎯 Summary

■ A painful and beautiful youth drama about seeing and being seen.
■ A rare work about stepping away from sex, body and roles without forcing one answer.
■ Complete in 7 volumes, so it is easy to finish with coupons.

✔ Recommended for these readers

• Fans of quiet psychological drama.
• Readers interested in gaze, desire and identity.
• People who want a complete 7-volume manga.

🛒 Checklist before buying

• Try a free preview first.
• Use first-time coupons; ebookJapan can be useful with 70% OFF × 6 uses.
• Combine point-return days to reduce the real cost.
• Digital is fast and space-saving; print is good for collecting.

🚀 Fastest route

• Try one or two chapters.
• If the atmosphere fits, buy volumes 1–6 with a coupon.
• Read volume 7 slowly and let the ending settle.

If you are unsure, try a free preview first, then use a coupon for the rest.
You can start below at a better price.

Buy cheaply with a couponRead on ebookJapan

❓ Frequently asked questions