OVA
Description
Hōzuki functions as chief deputy to King Enma, ruler of Japanese Hell, efficiently managing its bureaucracy and resolving operational problems. His duties encompass overseeing departments like Animal Hell and conducting diplomacy with other afterlife realms, including Satan's European Hell. He personally designed much of Japanese Hell's infrastructure and systems during its early formation. Directly supervising two young demon subordinates, Karauri and Nasubi, his managerial style prioritizes efficiency, often employing strategic solutions that tackle multiple issues—such as repurposing leftover offerings from the deceased to feed the Ten Kings of Hell.
Standing 185 cm (6 feet) tall, Hōzuki is a slender oni with black hair, a single forehead horn, large pointed ears, and prominent fangs. His grey, slanted eyes bear permanent red markings at the corners. He typically wears a black yukata lined with red and an obi featuring a Chinese lantern emblem, reflecting his name and role. He wields a spiked metal club with effortless superhuman strength. Despite his demonic appearance, he maintains meticulous grooming and receives frequent compliments on his striking looks from female characters like the Stone Princess.
His personality blends stoicism with sadistic tendencies; he rarely loses composure except with King Enma or rival Hakutaku. He openly favors violent conflict resolution as Hell's fastest method and demonstrates skill in psychological torment through verbal confrontations, traumatizing beings like Beelzebub into physical illness. He denies accusations of sadism despite actions like grinding escaped goldfish plants into juice fed to Enma. A sharp intellect makes him proficient in strategy, herbalism, and organizational management, cementing his indispensable role. Contrasting his harsh demeanor, he exhibits deep affection for animals, expressing disgust toward human abusers and visiting zoos incognito during vacations. He treats women courteously, supporting idol Peach Maki, but seeks partners tolerant of gruesome interests like brain-tissue miso soup. He is a notoriously heavy sleeper and reacts violently if awakened prematurely.
Originally a human child named Chou, he was orphaned and sacrificed by his village during a crop failure. Forest spirits merged with his corpse, transforming him into a yōkai. Post-transformation, he researched global afterlife systems, encountering the Chinese divine beast Hakutaku in ancient times. He exploited Hakutaku’s knowledge of the Chinese afterlife by getting him intoxicated, leading to Hakutaku’s capture by the Yellow Emperor. Hōzuki later joined Enma during Japanese Hell's formative years, rising to deputy through merit. He condemned his former village’s elders to eternal torment as living pillars (Hitobashira) in Hell’s Realm of Great Burning, reserved for severe sinners.
His relationship with King Enma combines professional duty and personal friction; Enma acts as a godfather figure but relies heavily on Hōzuki’s competence, often seeming ineffectual. Hōzuki dominates their dynamic, issuing commands as polite suggestions and administering physical "treatments" for ailments like Enma’s slipped discs. Despite this, Enma trusts him implicitly, their long association fostering mutual understanding of habits and pet peeves. Hōzuki’s rivalry with Hakutaku stems from their physical resemblance and opposing values—Hakutaku’s womanizing disgusts Hōzuki, who frequently humiliates him. This animosity traces to a trivial dispute during a Japan-China cultural event involving a bet about a woman’s physical attributes. Later, Hōzuki adopts twin Zashiki-warashi spirits, Ichiko and Niko, integrating them into Hell’s household.
He favors foods like sushi, rice balls, donburi, dango, karaage, and Baumkuchen, but dislikes spicy food and Japanese-style pudding. He is a heavy drinker and admires Studio Ghibli animations. His name derives from the Chinese lantern plant (Physalis alkekengi), and he has made crossover appearances in works like Natsuhiko Kyōgoku’s USO MAKOTO Yōkai Hyaku Monogatari series.
Standing 185 cm (6 feet) tall, Hōzuki is a slender oni with black hair, a single forehead horn, large pointed ears, and prominent fangs. His grey, slanted eyes bear permanent red markings at the corners. He typically wears a black yukata lined with red and an obi featuring a Chinese lantern emblem, reflecting his name and role. He wields a spiked metal club with effortless superhuman strength. Despite his demonic appearance, he maintains meticulous grooming and receives frequent compliments on his striking looks from female characters like the Stone Princess.
His personality blends stoicism with sadistic tendencies; he rarely loses composure except with King Enma or rival Hakutaku. He openly favors violent conflict resolution as Hell's fastest method and demonstrates skill in psychological torment through verbal confrontations, traumatizing beings like Beelzebub into physical illness. He denies accusations of sadism despite actions like grinding escaped goldfish plants into juice fed to Enma. A sharp intellect makes him proficient in strategy, herbalism, and organizational management, cementing his indispensable role. Contrasting his harsh demeanor, he exhibits deep affection for animals, expressing disgust toward human abusers and visiting zoos incognito during vacations. He treats women courteously, supporting idol Peach Maki, but seeks partners tolerant of gruesome interests like brain-tissue miso soup. He is a notoriously heavy sleeper and reacts violently if awakened prematurely.
Originally a human child named Chou, he was orphaned and sacrificed by his village during a crop failure. Forest spirits merged with his corpse, transforming him into a yōkai. Post-transformation, he researched global afterlife systems, encountering the Chinese divine beast Hakutaku in ancient times. He exploited Hakutaku’s knowledge of the Chinese afterlife by getting him intoxicated, leading to Hakutaku’s capture by the Yellow Emperor. Hōzuki later joined Enma during Japanese Hell's formative years, rising to deputy through merit. He condemned his former village’s elders to eternal torment as living pillars (Hitobashira) in Hell’s Realm of Great Burning, reserved for severe sinners.
His relationship with King Enma combines professional duty and personal friction; Enma acts as a godfather figure but relies heavily on Hōzuki’s competence, often seeming ineffectual. Hōzuki dominates their dynamic, issuing commands as polite suggestions and administering physical "treatments" for ailments like Enma’s slipped discs. Despite this, Enma trusts him implicitly, their long association fostering mutual understanding of habits and pet peeves. Hōzuki’s rivalry with Hakutaku stems from their physical resemblance and opposing values—Hakutaku’s womanizing disgusts Hōzuki, who frequently humiliates him. This animosity traces to a trivial dispute during a Japan-China cultural event involving a bet about a woman’s physical attributes. Later, Hōzuki adopts twin Zashiki-warashi spirits, Ichiko and Niko, integrating them into Hell’s household.
He favors foods like sushi, rice balls, donburi, dango, karaage, and Baumkuchen, but dislikes spicy food and Japanese-style pudding. He is a heavy drinker and admires Studio Ghibli animations. His name derives from the Chinese lantern plant (Physalis alkekengi), and he has made crossover appearances in works like Natsuhiko Kyōgoku’s USO MAKOTO Yōkai Hyaku Monogatari series.