| Overview |
Hotarubi no Tomoru Koro ni (蛍火の灯る頃に When the Fireflies Glow) is a manga written by Ryukishi07 and illustrated by Nokuto Koike. It was serialized in Gekkan Action from December 25, 2015 to February 24, 2018 and was later collected into four volumes.
Chapter 0 of the manga was published in the December 25, 2015 issue of Gekkan Action; while it wasn't included in the book volumes, it is available for free on the official site.
A prologue story named The First and the Last Gift, which features characters from Umineko When They Cry, was included in the book Umineko no Naku Koro ni: The First and the Last Gift published on December 18, 2015. Notably, this title was called the "latest work in the '~Koro ni' series", its logo is in the same format as those of the main titles in the When They Cry franchise, and the dust jacket of the second volume features Bernkastel. On this basis, this wiki considers this title as a spin-off of the Umineko series.
Synopsis
Yukito Tadamura, who has been leading a self-absorbed life without working, visits his father's hometown Hirasaka Village for his grandmother's funeral.
He is reunited with his cousins and uncles in this depopulated village, and the funeral seems to have gone off without a hitch. That night however, his grandmother's body goes missing.
This is only the beginning of the "mysterious events" to occur in this village.
(Translated from the official website.)
Plot Summary
- Main article: Hotarubi no Tomoru Koro ni/Plot Summary
In 2016, the Tadamura family heads to their home village of Hirasaka to attend their grandmother's funeral. Though there's some animosity between the family members because of issues with Grandmother's lottery winnings, they pay their respects regardless. Yukito Tadamura and his half-sister Yue Tadamura especially are not doing so well since their father used up his share.
Late at night, while appreciating the glowing fireflies, Yue witnesses her grandmother's body being dragged out into the wilderness by some unseen force. When the family awakes in the morning, they discover that not only has Grandmother's body disappeared, but two suns shine in the sky, none of the electricity or water works, and a strange fog has begun to gather around the area. They soon find themselves trapped in a hellish landscape and struggle to survive.
Concept and Development
Hotarubi was a revived version of Natsu no Kagerou, a cancelled video game project Ryukishi worked on.[1]
Characters
- Yue Tadamura
- Yukito Tadamura
- Masashi Tadamura
- Terumi Tadamura
- Teruya Tadamura
- Nobuteru Tadamura
- Tsunemasa Tadamura
- Chiharu Nakamura
- Miyoko Takano
Chapters
| Chapter Number | Magazine | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Gekkan Action February 2016 | December 25, 2015 |
| 1 | Gekkan Action May 2016 | March 25, 2016 |
| 2 | Gekkan Action June 2016 | April 25, 2016 |
| 3 | Gekkan Action July 2016 | May 25, 2016 |
| 4 | Gekkan Action August 2016 | June 25, 2016 |
| 5 | Gekkan Action September 2016 | July 25, 2016 |
| 6 | Gekkan Action November 2016 | September 25, 2016 |
| 7 | Gekkan Action December 2016 | October 25, 2016 |
| 8 | Gekkan Action January 2017 | November 25, 2016 |
| 9 | Gekkan Action February 2017 | December 25, 2016 |
| 10 | Gekkan Action March 2017 | January 25, 2017 |
| 11 | Gekkan Action May 2017 | March 25, 2017 |
| 12 | Gekkan Action June 2017 | April 25, 2017 |
| 13 | Gekkan Action July 2017 | May 25, 2017 |
| 14 | Gekkan Action August 2017 | June 25, 2017 |
| 15 | Gekkan Action October 2017 | August 25, 2017 |
| 16 | Gekkan Action November 2017 | September 25, 2017 |
| 17 | Gekkan Action December 2017 | October 25, 2017 |
| 18 | Gekkan Action January 2018 | November 25, 2017 |
| 19 | Gekkan Action February 2018 | December 25, 2017 |
| 20 | Gekkan Action March 2018 | January 25, 2018 |
| 21 | Gekkan Action April 2018 | February 25, 2018 |
Volume List
| Vol. | Cover | Release Date | Chapters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
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September 12, 2016 |
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| 2 | 
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March 11, 2017 |
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| 3 | 
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September 12, 2017 |
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| 4 | 
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April 12, 2018 |
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Gallery
External Links
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