Hōzuki Island


Hōzuki Island is a manga written and illustrated by Kei Sanbe. It was serialized in Square Enix bi-monthly seinen magazine Young Gangan, commencing in the first issue of 2008 and running for 27 chapters through issue 14 of 2009, to July 3, 2009. It is a horror and suspense story set on a nearly deserted island in Japan where six orphaned or abandoned schoolchildren live alone with their four adult teachers in the decrepit ruin of an old school.

Summary

The story is told from the point of view of two siblings, Kokoro and Yume, who are sent to a remote island after their parents abandon them. There, they begin to attend school where they meet four adult teachers and four orphaned or abandoned children who are the only other inhabitants of the island, along with the owner of the island. After hearing rumors and discovering a secret room, the kids begin to suspect that the adults are trying to hide something from them. They try to find out what it is, and while discovering it, they put their lives on the line.

Characters

;Kokoro Suzuhara
;Yume Suzuhara
;Shuichiro Fujii
;Hatsune Miyazawa
;Futoshi Hakkai
;Rikiya Sudo
;Hisanobu Takahashi
;Yukino Kai
;Kuwadate
;Usui
;Toyoda
;Ghost

Manga

The series is written and illustrated by Kei Sanbe and serialized in Square Enix bi-monthly seinen magazine Young Gangan from the beginning of 2008 to July 2009 totalizing 27 serial chapters. The serial chapters were collected into four tankōbon, the first one released on May 22, 2008, and the fourth on September 25, 2009.
Outside Japan this series has been licensed by Ki-Oon in France.

Reception

Animeland reviewed the first volume of the French edition as a well-made thriller, praising the mise-en-scène and the ambiance; the use of the children's points of view was viewed positively but the character of Kuwadate was described as disgusting.