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Hell Is Dark with No Flowers #1
Hell Is Dark with No Flowers, Vol. 1 (light novel) (Hell Is Dark with No Flowers
Seiji Tohno sometimes sees the people around him as monsters.
It's a curse that has driven him to a life of despair, living out of net cafés with nowhere to call home...but all that changes one twilit evening when he stumbles across a huge European mansion. There, Seiji meets a bewitchingly beautiful boy dressed in a kimono with a white peony motif on the shoulder who introduces himself as Shiroshi Saijou. This mysterious young man seems to know more about Seiji that he does himself, and before he knows it Seiji has agreed to become Shiroshi’s assistant in exchange for room and board. Little does he know however, that this ‘proxy service,’ as Shiroshi puts it, is none other than outsourced death–sending monster-possessed sinners to Hell, that will bring Seiji face-to-face with terrifying new monsters each and every day!
It's a curse that has driven him to a life of despair, living out of net cafés with nowhere to call home...but all that changes one twilit evening when he stumbles across a huge European mansion. There, Seiji meets a bewitchingly beautiful boy dressed in a kimono with a white peony motif on the shoulder who introduces himself as Shiroshi Saijou. This mysterious young man seems to know more about Seiji that he does himself, and before he knows it Seiji has agreed to become Shiroshi’s assistant in exchange for room and board. Little does he know however, that this ‘proxy service,’ as Shiroshi puts it, is none other than outsourced death–sending monster-possessed sinners to Hell, that will bring Seiji face-to-face with terrifying new monsters each and every day!
165 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2018
13 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 10, 2021
Title translation: Hell is Dark and Flowerless
Outline of the story: An unemployed, homeless young man stumbled upon a strange estate with a strange young man and his female assistant living inside. The pair agreed to allow the young man to stay and help out since the young man possessed a rare ability to see people's crime: sinners who had escaped justice would appear to the young man as yokai or monsters.
The characters setting is interesting (it doesn't take too much to figure out many of the MCs aren't actually humans), the first story is actually quite intriguing, the second story is just a bit so-and-so, the final story is very short but it really took me by surprise therefore this first volume gets a 4-stars rating from me instead of just 3 stars.
Outline of the story: An unemployed, homeless young man stumbled upon a strange estate with a strange young man and his female assistant living inside. The pair agreed to allow the young man to stay and help out since the young man possessed a rare ability to see people's crime: sinners who had escaped justice would appear to the young man as yokai or monsters.
The characters setting is interesting (it doesn't take too much to figure out many of the MCs aren't actually humans), the first story is actually quite intriguing, the second story is just a bit so-and-so, the final story is very short but it really took me by surprise therefore this first volume gets a 4-stars rating from me instead of just 3 stars.
January 28, 2025
This is much better than the manga adaptation, even if elements of the translation seem to give credence to the rumor that the translator added in definitions for western readers; there are some truly clunky bits of overexplanation that simply don't feel natural.
August 24, 2024
Hell is Dark with No Flowers deliciously dark, twisted, and rich with folklore and unfamiliar 'creature'. It is a mixed-up detective story with twists and turns blending with gore and horror elements (its like Detective Conan mixed with Ghost Hunt). It is full of surprises, and while the topic of demons and hell is common in anime and manga, this novel handles it slightly differently.
Seiji Tohno is a NEET who is unable to land a job, living at the net cafe with nowhere to call home. His unique eye causes him to perceive people as monsters. However, everything changes one evening at dusk when he discovers an enormous European mansion. It was there that he encountered Shiroshi Saijou, a charmingly attractive boy wearing a kimono with a white peony design on the shoulder. Seiji is surprised by Shiroshi's apparent knowledge of him and accepts his offer of a part-time position as his assistant. Seiji was ignorant of the fact that this job was darker than he had thought.
The actual purpose of a 'proxy service' job is to send people who have committed sins to hell. Shiroshi did offer his client a chance to repent and acknowledge their transgressions, but if they declined, that was the price they had to pay. The premise reminds me of the 'Hell Girl' and XXXHolic series, which are both my favorites. I love the morally grey main character, and although I have a hard time liking Seiji as the protagonist, it also kind of strikes a balance between the comedy and the horror. But I like the twist in Seiji's eye revelations, in which the monsters he sees in humans are connected to the sins they've committed.
I love the in-depth discussion of local Japanese folklore, and the story is a mix of episodic, elaborate mystery solving, folklore, and the consequences. The mysteries are really well written, and the way they're solved is really satisfying. Even the littlest details can make a big impact, and the author doesn't just hand out the solution and give the protagonist convenience; instead, they make you think and get enamored with the story first. The deep dives into human psychology are also expertly chosen, and I adore how each of the three "mystery" cases is unique and exceptional on its own.
All in all, it was a delightful book with a concept that was eerily beautiful and engaging character interactions. I enjoy the mind game, and the horror (+ gore). Thank you @Edelweiss and Yen Press for the Digital Review Copy. Giving this 4.25 ⭐️
Seiji Tohno is a NEET who is unable to land a job, living at the net cafe with nowhere to call home. His unique eye causes him to perceive people as monsters. However, everything changes one evening at dusk when he discovers an enormous European mansion. It was there that he encountered Shiroshi Saijou, a charmingly attractive boy wearing a kimono with a white peony design on the shoulder. Seiji is surprised by Shiroshi's apparent knowledge of him and accepts his offer of a part-time position as his assistant. Seiji was ignorant of the fact that this job was darker than he had thought.
The actual purpose of a 'proxy service' job is to send people who have committed sins to hell. Shiroshi did offer his client a chance to repent and acknowledge their transgressions, but if they declined, that was the price they had to pay. The premise reminds me of the 'Hell Girl' and XXXHolic series, which are both my favorites. I love the morally grey main character, and although I have a hard time liking Seiji as the protagonist, it also kind of strikes a balance between the comedy and the horror. But I like the twist in Seiji's eye revelations, in which the monsters he sees in humans are connected to the sins they've committed.
I love the in-depth discussion of local Japanese folklore, and the story is a mix of episodic, elaborate mystery solving, folklore, and the consequences. The mysteries are really well written, and the way they're solved is really satisfying. Even the littlest details can make a big impact, and the author doesn't just hand out the solution and give the protagonist convenience; instead, they make you think and get enamored with the story first. The deep dives into human psychology are also expertly chosen, and I adore how each of the three "mystery" cases is unique and exceptional on its own.
All in all, it was a delightful book with a concept that was eerily beautiful and engaging character interactions. I enjoy the mind game, and the horror (+ gore). Thank you @Edelweiss and Yen Press for the Digital Review Copy. Giving this 4.25 ⭐️
March 19, 2025
Seiji Tohno is a down and out NEET, living out of Net Cafes he's on his last few coins when one evening at Twilight, he finds himself lost. After wandering for a bit, he finds himself in front of a European style mansion and is quickly invited inside for tea. Once inside, he meets Shiroshi Saijou, who offers Seiji a part-time job, including room and board. All he has to do is help Shiroshi with his business. The problem is Seiji is 100% sure that he can't say no and that Shiroshi's business is no normal business. It may even be Hell on Earth.
I can not begin to tell everyone how much this is exactly the story I've been looking for for months! This blends Yokai folklore and mythology with a detective style story reminiscent of Yokomizo. So much so that the second "case" in the book appears to be dedicated to him. And I can say with 90% certainty that I think Yokomizo would love these stories.
So far we have delved into two stories that center around broken families, those lying to each other and betraying each other (very reminiscent of Yokomizo's works), people who have sinned and believe that have gotten away with it. The twist here is that Seiji can see these sins in the form of a corresponding Yokai, instead of the person he sees the Yokai that represents the sin, which is great because Shiroshi can send them to Hell (after giving them the opportunity to repent of course). This is such a brilliant use of Yokai, having them manifest in an individual, I busted out my own copy of Seiken Toriyama's Yokai Encyclopedia (a modern translation) to see if I could figure out which villain was which Yokai first!
I genuinely can not recommend this enough, especially if you enjoy Yokomizo's Detective Kindaichi series. Thank every god ever. I picked up Vols 1 and 2 at the same time!
I can not begin to tell everyone how much this is exactly the story I've been looking for for months! This blends Yokai folklore and mythology with a detective style story reminiscent of Yokomizo. So much so that the second "case" in the book appears to be dedicated to him. And I can say with 90% certainty that I think Yokomizo would love these stories.
So far we have delved into two stories that center around broken families, those lying to each other and betraying each other (very reminiscent of Yokomizo's works), people who have sinned and believe that have gotten away with it. The twist here is that Seiji can see these sins in the form of a corresponding Yokai, instead of the person he sees the Yokai that represents the sin, which is great because Shiroshi can send them to Hell (after giving them the opportunity to repent of course). This is such a brilliant use of Yokai, having them manifest in an individual, I busted out my own copy of Seiken Toriyama's Yokai Encyclopedia (a modern translation) to see if I could figure out which villain was which Yokai first!
I genuinely can not recommend this enough, especially if you enjoy Yokomizo's Detective Kindaichi series. Thank every god ever. I picked up Vols 1 and 2 at the same time!
October 25, 2025
This has been on my list ever since Yen Press announced it's been licensed two years ago. I was drawn in by the premise and eerie atmosphere. While the cases are intriguing, the solutions offered require a suspension of disbelief. Also, you can't think too deeply about the culprits' motivations or you'll find yourself questioning what the author is trying to say.
December 22, 2020
之前在亞馬遜上看了「角川文庫」這個書系的排行榜，意外地發現這個《地獄くらやみ花もなき》系列每集都在榜上，而且查了發現還有出中文版，於是我就開心地借來看了。
故事描述主角遠島青兒既無工作又無住處，整天都在網咖過夜生活，窮途末路的青兒在一次迷路時，踏進了一間洋房，結識了一名美少年西條皓，還被西條雇用成為對方的助手。青兒之所以被皓看上的原因，是因為他特殊的能力，青兒能夠看出人的罪行，並將對方的罪行反映成適合的妖怪，在青兒眼中的犯罪者都以妖怪的姿態顯現出來（不過與其說是助手，青兒其實更像是皓的寵物（？），只是跟一般寵物比起來，至少他是有領薪水的www）。
而皓這個神秘的美少年的工作是「代課服務」，洋房會自動引導犯罪者前來，而皓則是試著去了解上門的客人藏在內心深處的罪行，若是毫無悔意的人，就由皓執行送對方下地獄的待客服務……認真說這到底哪裡是代客服務了啊？這單純只是閻王那邊的臨時打工吧？？？
本來以為這類型的故事大概就是日本最擅長充滿說教教訓的類型，結果意外地第一集收錄的事件都還滿無藥可救的，完全不是那種說教完之後給你救贖的故事。不過其實我並不討厭啦，雖然中途有一段描述受到丈夫暴力的妻子，因為深愛丈夫而覺得「就算在地獄，只要對方在自己身邊就夠了」的情節實在是讓我不懂到底想表達什麼？？？這段我覺得可能作者想表達的是妻子對丈夫的愛，還有丈夫受傷後無法控制自己的痛苦，但我還是覺得這真是一段一點都不萌而且還很噁心的夫妻關係。
不過主角青兒跟雇主皓之間的對話互動其實還挺可愛的，雖然我不太懂青兒到底有什麼皓不惜幫他去處理債務的魅力，但倒是不排斥繼續讀下去。
故事描述主角遠島青兒既無工作又無住處，整天都在網咖過夜生活，窮途末路的青兒在一次迷路時，踏進了一間洋房，結識了一名美少年西條皓，還被西條雇用成為對方的助手。青兒之所以被皓看上的原因，是因為他特殊的能力，青兒能夠看出人的罪行，並將對方的罪行反映成適合的妖怪，在青兒眼中的犯罪者都以妖怪的姿態顯現出來（不過與其說是助手，青兒其實更像是皓的寵物（？），只是跟一般寵物比起來，至少他是有領薪水的www）。
而皓這個神秘的美少年的工作是「代課服務」，洋房會自動引導犯罪者前來，而皓則是試著去了解上門的客人藏在內心深處的罪行，若是毫無悔意的人，就由皓執行送對方下地獄的待客服務……認真說這到底哪裡是代客服務了啊？這單純只是閻王那邊的臨時打工吧？？？
本來以為這類型的故事大概就是日本最擅長充滿說教教訓的類型，結果意外地第一集收錄的事件都還滿無藥可救的，完全不是那種說教完之後給你救贖的故事。不過其實我並不討厭啦，雖然中途有一段描述受到丈夫暴力的妻子，因為深愛丈夫而覺得「就算在地獄，只要對方在自己身邊就夠了」的情節實在是讓我不懂到底想表達什麼？？？這段我覺得可能作者想表達的是妻子對丈夫的愛，還有丈夫受傷後無法控制自己的痛苦，但我還是覺得這真是一段一點都不萌而且還很噁心的夫妻關係。
不過主角青兒跟雇主皓之間的對話互動其實還挺可愛的，雖然我不太懂青兒到底有什麼皓不惜幫他去處理債務的魅力，但倒是不排斥繼續讀下去。
April 6, 2021
絶対好きな系統の話だと思って読んだ。
罪に対する裁きが容赦ない。まあ地獄だしね。2話目の鵺の話は悲しかった。
続き読むの楽しみ。
罪に対する裁きが容赦ない。まあ地獄だしね。2話目の鵺の話は悲しかった。
続き読むの楽しみ。
September 14, 2024
Reminds me a ton of
The Contract Between a Specter and a Servant
, although while that one has strong BL undertones, this is more of a yokai/human pet scenario. It has a similar story structure, though, with a supernatural being and a down-and-out struggling human living together and partnering up to solve a variety of supernatural crimes/mysteries over the course of each volume.
I dropped a couple stars (more like 1.5?) mostly because some of the mystery reveals seemed kind of flimsy. Particularly in the second one, where a character was somehow supposedly taking a bunch of photos and sending them to the police department...while the phone was hidden in his pocket the entire time. If you make a point of that being the case, then how exactly was he snapping all those photos? Magically, through the cloth? And the path of the "stolen" incense burner was unnecessarily confusing and ultimately didn't make any sense. Why substitute a counterfeit one at all? I kept trying to slow down and trace its steps properly, but it never made any sense, so I gave up.
Otherwise, I am enjoying the overall worldbuilding of the story, and its characters. It reminds me a bit, too, of Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki's Conjecture , which reminded me of the fully human but still partners-in-mysteries structure of The Case Files of Jeweler Richard. So. I may have a pretty distinct genre preference.
The Seiji of this series is a NEET (not in education, employment or training) in his 20s who doesn't have friends or family to fall back on to make up for his lack of jobs or funds.
His parents seem to have been somewhat abusive, and certainly not people who would understand his current life path. I'm not exactly sure why he doesn't have any social network through his school years - while he's shy and awkward, he seems like a pretty decent guy who's easy to get along with - but that's a common trope in this genre. It makes it easier to explain how someone would fall that easily into a codependent relationship with someone who's not exactly human and not exactly good but who still provides the security of companionship, employment, and a home.
It's unclear how old Shiroshi actually is; while he has a younger appearance, he's also an immortal (?) son of the king of Hell and consistently demonstrates a wealth of lived experience that far exceeds Seiji's. And, for some reason, he's very fond of the rather dumb but quite sweet human who wandered into his home.
The final chapter is probably the best part of this volume, so I won't spoil it by pulling back the curtain too far. It loops back on a lot of unanswered questions and things I didn't even realize I should've had questions about earlier on - providing a lot more context about how Seiji ended up in this situation to begin with, and why exactly his life had gone so far off the rails.
While Shiroshi initially hires Seiji as an "assistant" - because of his ability to see the "true forms" of people who have sinned, thanks to a childhood accident with a shard of a magical mirror - it quickly becomes clear to everyone, even the highly gullible Seiji, that Shiroshi doesn't need him at all and is simply keeping him around because he's lonely and likes the company.
There's some good stuff, too, with the other king of Hell's heir, Odoro, who's engaged in a "send 100 sinners to Hell" competition passed down to them from their fathers. Shiroshi is currently rather far behind, having dispatched fewer than 30, mostly because he actually values human life and sees the capacity for forgiveness in those sinners who aren't too far gone. Odoro doesn't care; it sounds like he'd killed his twelve brothers, or at least his twin, in order to fulfill his father's task of becoming the sole heir, so why would he waste a moment's thought on the fates of some useless humans?
He sneers at Seiji, too, and Shiroshi's weakness in keeping a dumb, useless human so close by his side. Does Shiroshi's half-human blood really impact him that much, or is he just a better person? I guess that will be shown more over the rest of the series.
I do very much enjoy the idea behind this series, even with the very creepy and very depressing sins being dealt with so far. I just hope the actual mystery pieces are written a little more thoughtfully in future installments.
I dropped a couple stars (more like 1.5?) mostly because some of the mystery reveals seemed kind of flimsy. Particularly in the second one, where a character was somehow supposedly taking a bunch of photos and sending them to the police department...while the phone was hidden in his pocket the entire time. If you make a point of that being the case, then how exactly was he snapping all those photos? Magically, through the cloth? And the path of the "stolen" incense burner was unnecessarily confusing and ultimately didn't make any sense. Why substitute a counterfeit one at all? I kept trying to slow down and trace its steps properly, but it never made any sense, so I gave up.
Otherwise, I am enjoying the overall worldbuilding of the story, and its characters. It reminds me a bit, too, of Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki's Conjecture , which reminded me of the fully human but still partners-in-mysteries structure of The Case Files of Jeweler Richard. So. I may have a pretty distinct genre preference.
The Seiji of this series is a NEET (not in education, employment or training) in his 20s who doesn't have friends or family to fall back on to make up for his lack of jobs or funds.
His parents seem to have been somewhat abusive, and certainly not people who would understand his current life path. I'm not exactly sure why he doesn't have any social network through his school years - while he's shy and awkward, he seems like a pretty decent guy who's easy to get along with - but that's a common trope in this genre. It makes it easier to explain how someone would fall that easily into a codependent relationship with someone who's not exactly human and not exactly good but who still provides the security of companionship, employment, and a home.
It's unclear how old Shiroshi actually is; while he has a younger appearance, he's also an immortal (?) son of the king of Hell and consistently demonstrates a wealth of lived experience that far exceeds Seiji's. And, for some reason, he's very fond of the rather dumb but quite sweet human who wandered into his home.
The final chapter is probably the best part of this volume, so I won't spoil it by pulling back the curtain too far. It loops back on a lot of unanswered questions and things I didn't even realize I should've had questions about earlier on - providing a lot more context about how Seiji ended up in this situation to begin with, and why exactly his life had gone so far off the rails.
While Shiroshi initially hires Seiji as an "assistant" - because of his ability to see the "true forms" of people who have sinned, thanks to a childhood accident with a shard of a magical mirror - it quickly becomes clear to everyone, even the highly gullible Seiji, that Shiroshi doesn't need him at all and is simply keeping him around because he's lonely and likes the company.
There's some good stuff, too, with the other king of Hell's heir, Odoro, who's engaged in a "send 100 sinners to Hell" competition passed down to them from their fathers. Shiroshi is currently rather far behind, having dispatched fewer than 30, mostly because he actually values human life and sees the capacity for forgiveness in those sinners who aren't too far gone. Odoro doesn't care; it sounds like he'd killed his twelve brothers, or at least his twin, in order to fulfill his father's task of becoming the sole heir, so why would he waste a moment's thought on the fates of some useless humans?
He sneers at Seiji, too, and Shiroshi's weakness in keeping a dumb, useless human so close by his side. Does Shiroshi's half-human blood really impact him that much, or is he just a better person? I guess that will be shown more over the rest of the series.
I do very much enjoy the idea behind this series, even with the very creepy and very depressing sins being dealt with so far. I just hope the actual mystery pieces are written a little more thoughtfully in future installments.
May 12, 2025
Seiji Tohno, an unemployed and soon-to-be-homeless young man with the supernatural ability to see peoples' crimes manifested as demons ends up as the assistant/pet of Shiroshi Saijou, an enigmatic teenager who investigates the problems of lost souls who stumble into his home … although they rarely benefit from his attention [I don't know why I'm being so coy, the person who wrote the book description gives away what's going on, but it's a mystery until the end of the first story, and it goes against my grain to spoil mysteries in a review]. Partly it might just be genre preferences, but this is clearly a cut above most of the light novels I've sampled recently, and translator Taylor Engel similarly stands out from most of his peers.
It's unfortunate, then, that the first story reads like an MRA manifesto; there are three female characters in it, not counting Shiroshi's rather colorless receptionist(?), and each of them is uniquely vile in extremely gendered ways; I'd be embarrassed to recommend it to a female friend. The second story manages to be more normal, and introduces what I assume is the overall antagonist of the series, genius detective Odoro Rindou, who's in a sort of competition with Shiroshi.
Although there are moments of grime and some explicitly nasty gore, this is much more light-hearted than I'd assumed it would be from the title, because of the seemingly genuine affection Shiroshi feels towards Seiji, and because putting Shiroshi in contrast with Odoro gives him a clear moral core that he might otherwise lack—even though they're aiming for the same thing, and have basically similar methods, Shiroshi is willing to handicap himself for humanitarian reasons, while Odoro couldn't imagine such a thing.
It's unfortunate, then, that the first story reads like an MRA manifesto; there are three female characters in it, not counting Shiroshi's rather colorless receptionist(?), and each of them is uniquely vile in extremely gendered ways; I'd be embarrassed to recommend it to a female friend. The second story manages to be more normal, and introduces what I assume is the overall antagonist of the series, genius detective Odoro Rindou, who's in a sort of competition with Shiroshi.
Although there are moments of grime and some explicitly nasty gore, this is much more light-hearted than I'd assumed it would be from the title, because of the seemingly genuine affection Shiroshi feels towards Seiji, and because putting Shiroshi in contrast with Odoro gives him a clear moral core that he might otherwise lack—even though they're aiming for the same thing, and have basically similar methods, Shiroshi is willing to handicap himself for humanitarian reasons, while Odoro couldn't imagine such a thing.
September 4, 2024
This was hilariously dark but also full of comedic moments. I do feel bad that Seiji is the cause of those comedic moments but it seems to all be in good jest. Shiroshi is taking care of him.
The ending had me on the edge of my seat! I kept wondering how exactly Seiji found his way to the house and now we finally know. I also really like the idea that Shiroshi was "lonely" so that's why he brought Seiji in as his "assistant". I wonder if there will be a budding friendship or just pet and owner type of relationship.
I'm really intrigued to see where vol. 2 goes (I read online that there were originally 4 but it was so popular the author wrote four more aka sequels).
Thanks to Yen On and Edelweiss for the ARC!
The ending had me on the edge of my seat! I kept wondering how exactly Seiji found his way to the house and now we finally know. I also really like the idea that Shiroshi was "lonely" so that's why he brought Seiji in as his "assistant". I wonder if there will be a budding friendship or just pet and owner type of relationship.
I'm really intrigued to see where vol. 2 goes (I read online that there were originally 4 but it was so popular the author wrote four more aka sequels).
Thanks to Yen On and Edelweiss for the ARC!
September 16, 2024
I'm unsure how to feel about this volume. I think the concept is very interesting, kind of like a Death Note-esque world where "sinners" are punished and the story invites the reader to ponder whether it is ethical for one person -- though in this case, it's not exactly a "person" -- to judge the actions of others and brutally dispose of them.
But the way the story unfolded was way more shockingly (and kind of needlessly) grotesque than I expected and I felt the characters and their motivations, especially the protagonist, lacked a lot of necessary depth and characterization. Next to nothing is revealed about Seiji except that he's a NEET and a bit of how he ended up at the mansion in the final chapter, and the relationship between him and Saijou is just really... strange. The mysteries themselves also unravel very chaotically without anything to really conclude them in a satisfying way.
I may pick up the second volume just to see if this unique premise is developed in a better way, but as of this first volume, it didn't live up to my expectations.
But the way the story unfolded was way more shockingly (and kind of needlessly) grotesque than I expected and I felt the characters and their motivations, especially the protagonist, lacked a lot of necessary depth and characterization. Next to nothing is revealed about Seiji except that he's a NEET and a bit of how he ended up at the mansion in the final chapter, and the relationship between him and Saijou is just really... strange. The mysteries themselves also unravel very chaotically without anything to really conclude them in a satisfying way.
I may pick up the second volume just to see if this unique premise is developed in a better way, but as of this first volume, it didn't live up to my expectations.
February 25, 2025
here's the thing, i actually quite enjoy the manga which based itself on this light novel series, but i find the way the novel is written a little odd in places, sometimes i think the grammar was flat out wrong too which may just make a lot of my issues a translation issue?
i would have no idea and no way to tell, the writing style isn't really my thing though i suppose that's taste, but it also often had odd moments where seiji would be thinking something, and it wasn't detonated as something he said out loud, and then shirashi or other characters would respond to the thoughts he had, or other odd jumps in conversation
despite all that, i still think the premise is fun and since i have read a good chunk of the manga series, i still think reading it like this is kind of refreshing in its own way purely for seiji's more in depth perspective
but if i'm being honest, and you only wanted to pick one, i think you're better off reading the manga than reading the novel, or at least not in this form, since i don't think you're missing anything if you don't read the novel so far
i would have no idea and no way to tell, the writing style isn't really my thing though i suppose that's taste, but it also often had odd moments where seiji would be thinking something, and it wasn't detonated as something he said out loud, and then shirashi or other characters would respond to the thoughts he had, or other odd jumps in conversation
despite all that, i still think the premise is fun and since i have read a good chunk of the manga series, i still think reading it like this is kind of refreshing in its own way purely for seiji's more in depth perspective
but if i'm being honest, and you only wanted to pick one, i think you're better off reading the manga than reading the novel, or at least not in this form, since i don't think you're missing anything if you don't read the novel so far
January 10, 2025
Between the allusions to traditional stories of the yokai, the dark imagery, and the mysteries of the human heart, Hell is Dark with No Flowers is really fascinating. While mystery one is a little slow at the start, once it gets going, it refuses to let up. I love how everything is tangled together as the curtain slowly gets pulled back for protagonist Seiji - regarding both the individual mysteries and the horrifying truths about the people he has gotten involved with.
I can’t wait to pick up the next volume!
I can’t wait to pick up the next volume!
October 21, 2024
Although Hell Is Dark With No Flowers started out strong with it's first mystery by the second half the story kind of fizzle out. I really wanted to enjoy reading this light novel more as it reminds so much of The Phantom Tales Of The Night with a little bit of light gore.
Only I did not find the connection of being a unemployed Neet and a servant very amusing it became a regular distasteful joke at the main character expense which did not needed to be added to the plot so heavy handed.
Only I did not find the connection of being a unemployed Neet and a servant very amusing it became a regular distasteful joke at the main character expense which did not needed to be added to the plot so heavy handed.
August 7, 2025
A very interesting take on supernatural mystery. You definitely get the feeling that there's more to it and that it will be given in bits, and so far that's held true. Fans of Clamp's xxxhoLic and of Mononoke will particularly enjoy this, I believe.
Would have loved a warning for the mention of sexual assault in Nue, but it wasn't detailed thankfully and smarter readers than I had likely figured it out long before.
Eagerly waiting to get my hands on the second volume!
Would have loved a warning for the mention of sexual assault in Nue, but it wasn't detailed thankfully and smarter readers than I had likely figured it out long before.
Eagerly waiting to get my hands on the second volume!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2024
Becoming the pet of a beautiful, enigmatic boy with a big mansion - who wouldn't want that? Well, Seiji doesn't really, but it's not like he has much of a choice. That's the set-up for delightfully creepy supernatural detective stories.
September 6, 2024
A good beginning for the series! Dark, violent, unsettling, yet also hilarious. Looking forward to more stories from these two scions of Hell competing for the ruler title of the demon realm (+ a helpless NEET turning into an assistant/pet of one of them).
October 12, 2024
Hmm hmm. I liked the supernatural elements and the sins and overall the setting. Dropping some stars for kinda rushed set up (of how Seiji came to stay with Shiroshi) and not giving us more of Seiji's thoughts/processing of things happening to and around him. Give the guy some depth, please.
February 23, 2025
Was very good. Im not one for horror as i get easily creeped out. But this was worth it. Was horribly boring to start off though. Got very interesting after thr slow start. And was a little too descriptive about the deaths for my liking. But i really enjoyed it over all.
August 16, 2025
Loved the anthology and how mythological creatures were attached to a specific kind of sin. Soshiro and Senji are pretty amusing together and I found myself flying through the pages as the mysteries unfolded.
October 26, 2025
I have to say-this was a lot more mind bending than I was originally expecting. The last few lines from the forward-talking about humans and their masks and how that underneath them they are demons and monsters. That’s the most powerful statement in this book-loved it.
November 4, 2025
Two part story. The first is a bit much, be sure to read trigger warnings first. The second pulls more from folk lore and historical documentation.
November 29, 2021
I really like this book. I love horror and supernatural stories but this is also quite funny. I love the protagonist, Seiji, for his self-deprecation. Looking forward to the volume 2-5 (I already have them).
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