I can’t help but chuckle as I open the first page of Hozuki’s Coolheadedness manga.
“This manga is a work of fiction, but hell might actually exist. Be cautious of how you act during life.”
It’s not surprising about the manga being a work of fiction because pretty much all manga will have that sort of warning. But to tell us to watch our behavior when we’re still alive is a rather refreshing disclaimer.
That alone is enough to give me the stamp of approval for this manga.
In case you’re wondering, Hozuki’s Coolheadedness is also known as Hozuki no Reitetsu in Japanese.
What Hozuki’s Coolheadedness is all about
Here’s the book description that I got from Bookwalker.
In the afterlife, there exists Heaven and Hell. Hell consists of the Eight Greater Hells and the Eight Cold Hells, which are further divided into 272 subdivisions. Spearheading the seemingly endless, multifarious affairs in this gargantuan Hell is but one Fierce God, King Enma’s first aide, Hozuki. Between this cool-headed sadist and his colorful band of peers, every day is a riot in Hell! And though this book might make Hell seem like a happening place, please try to behave during life!
What attracted me to this manga
Not going to lie here that the depiction of hell is a rather interesting thing to me. And the fact that I enjoyed watching the anime is also another reason that got me to read this manga.
How can I say no when the manga has finally licensed in English? Sure, the English version of the manga aren’t that many as I write this. But it doesn’t stop me from keeping on reading this manga.
What makes Hozuki’s Coolheadedness worth reading
Well, the manga itself is funny considering that it loves to poke fun on life and also the pop culture in Japan.
Does it sound like Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei in many ways? Yes, it sure does.
But unlike the jokes in Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, most of the jokes in Hozuki’s Coolheadedness are still something that you can relate to even if you don’t know much about the current issues and the pop culture in Japan.
For one, the issue about not taking a paid vacation. This issue isn’t just unique to Japan only. It’s pretty much a global thing if you ask me.
And the fact that the conversations are taking place in the usual place like cafes and restaurants in hell makes things a whole lot different too.
That alone is already funny enough. Who would have thought that the demons would know about it, let alone caring about it, right?
We always assume that those who live in the afterlife are living in isolation. But that doesn’t seem to be the case based on the flow of information.
And the way they see things from the demon’s perspective will make you chuckle too since you’re probably wondering about the same thing as a human.
What I didn’t expect when I read the manga
To be honest, I never thought that managing hell isn’t that much different from…managing government office.
Yes, that seems like a strange comparison. But that’s how the hell management is being depicted in the manga, with Hozuki and the rest of them are acting more like a public servant. They need to be sure that the whole process goes smoothly for the dead.
And let’s not forget how much these demons know about everything hip and trendy in the living world. I can’t help but think that there’s not much distinction between the living world and the afterlife.
They even watch the same show as the one in the living world too even though they have their own version of the TV broadcast. To think that they have something like that in the hell is rather fascinating to me.
Perhaps it’s because I never thought the afterlife to be depicted that way. But I still find it fascinating.
Who should read this manga
If you’re looking for something similar to Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei and you don’t mind much about how hell is being depicted here, then this manga is perfect for you.
Since the manga goes another notch by blending the Japanese folklores and the historical figures from the Chinese and Japanese history, it can be a bit hard to grasp if you’re not familiar with any of these.
But a simple translation and the author’s note at the end of the manga can help you with understanding the folklores and those historical figures. It’s just that it’s not as massive as the one in Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.
Where to buy Hozuki’s Coolheadedness manga
It’s too bad that the English version of the manga is only a available in digital format. If you’re interested in buying the manga, you can buy the manga right here on Amazon:
Buy Hozuki’s Coolheadedness Vol.1 on Amazon
Can’t buy the manga on Amazon? You can also buy the manga on Bookwalker too:
Buy Hozuki’s Coolheadedness Vol.1 on Bookwalker
Want to buy the manga in Japanese? You can buy the manga right here on CDJapan:
Buy Hozuki no Reitetsu Vol.1 manga on CDJapan
Keep in mind that the manga doesn’t have furigana. It’s because of this reason that I didn’t buy the manga in Japanese. My Japanese isn’t fluent enough to read kanji without any furigana at all.
Over to you
What do you think about Hozuki’s Coolheadedness? Are you interested in giving the manga a try after reading about it on my blog? Let me know in the comment below.
P.S Just to let you know that I’m currently running a special promotion for my books where you can get less than $4 on any of my books on Smashwords. This special promotion will only be until May 31st, 2020. If you’re interested in getting any of my books, you can get it right here:
The Diary of Modern Cinderella
I'm an author who writes thriller and suspense light novels. But when I'm not writing a book, I love to blog about books that I enjoy reading. Some of these books also become the inspiration for my novel as well.
Most of the books that I talk about on my blog tend to be manga and light novels, with nonfiction books in between. If you're looking for interesting books to read, then you will certainly enjoy reading my blog. 