Hotaru no Hikari

Description

27-year-old Hotaru would rather sleep at home than seek romance, but due to unforeseen circumstances, suddenly she's living with her boss, Takano. What's more is that she now has a budding relationship with Makoto, who's younger than she is. Like a dried fish thrown back into the ocean, can she learn to swim again and rediscover the ways of romance?

Official English Translation: INKR, Azuki

Type

Manga

Related Series

Hotaru no Hikari SP (Sequel)

Associated Names

Glow of the Fireflies

Hotaru's Light

Hotaru's Way

Мерцание светлячков

Свет Хотару

ホタルノヒカリ

小莹的青春

호타루의 빛

Groups Scanlating

J-SiS

ShoujoHearts

Latest Release(s)

v.11 c.65 by ShoujoHearts 3 years ago

v.11 c.64 by ShoujoHearts 3 years ago

v.11 c.63 by ShoujoHearts 3 years ago

Search for all releases of this series

Status in Country of Origin

15 Volumes (Complete)
7 Volumes (Bunkoban, Complete)

Completely Scanlated?

Yes

Anime Start/End Chapter

N/A

User Reviews

N/A

Forum

7 topics, 18 posts

Click here to view the forum

User Rating

Average: 7.9 / 10.0 (278 votes)

Bayesian Average: 7.74 / 10.0

24%

20%

23%

15%

Last Updated

April 14th, 2025 9:19am PDT - 2 weeks ago

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Genre

Comedy Josei Romance Slice of Life
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Categories

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Category Recommendations

35-Sai no Maigotachi ~ Onna no Shiawasettenandakke?

Kimi wa Pet

Omiai ni Sugoi Komyushou ga Kita

Cool na Otto wo Koi ni Otosu Houhou

Futarigurashi no Amai Wana

Recommendations

Author(s)

Artist(s)

Year

Original Publisher

Kodansha (2004; 2012)

Serialized In (magazine)

Kiss (Kodansha)

Licensed (in English)

Yes

English Publisher

Azuki (digital)

INKR Comics

Kodansha USA (15 Volumes - Complete; digital)

Activity Stats (vs. other series)

Weekly Pos #677

(-9)

Monthly Pos #1924 (No change)

3 Month Pos #3258

(-89)

6 Month Pos #4483

(+60)

Year Pos #5613

(+1470)

List Stats

On 1302 reading lists

On 1089 wish lists

On 156 completed lists

On 100 unfinished lists

On 404 custom lists

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Forum Posts Click to view the forum

Releases on hold.

13 years ago

Hotaru no Hikari Picked Up Again!

14 years ago

Hotaru no Hikari

14 years ago

The end

14 years ago

Where/how to buy Hotaru no Hikari

14 years ago

User Comments [ Order by usefulness ]

Keeping a "spare" boyfriend/Having your cake and eating too

by Rozzak
9 years ago

Rating: N/A

This manga has a huge case of gender-bias resultant from the author's own POV. It's seriously a little messed up from my (a male's) perspective. This selfish bottom-feeder woman attaches herself to her boss and essentially steals his home. She uses him for the emotional aspects of a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship all while having sex and going on dates with her "public" boyfriend. They're really just each being 1/2 of a boyfriend and any rational mind would see what she's doing is two-timing. Not to mention, that the relationship she develops by sponging off her boss basically fucks up his marriage, without any benefits whatsoever for him. It's pure altruism bordering on masochism. It's pretty pathetic in my opinion. On more than one occasions her boss has to vacate his own home so she can fuck her boyfriend in it.

It's just a very typical selfish female state of mind and reading it is very uncomfortable.

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I enjoy it

by jackalan
13 years ago

Rating: N/A

Cause its scanlation has yet to finish. However, I can guess the ending already.

It is somewhat typical and cliched like other comments have mentioned. But I think that does not really get me off. Like when I watch movies, there are of course some outstandingly magnificient originals that set trend and be heralded upon generations to generations. On the other hand, it's not that bad to go for the less original ones. After all, would you prefer a really really bad, unauthentic movie or one you can see oh this would be what the ending like but still continue because you want that development, that gradual build-ups, then that somehow foreseen ending? I prefer the latter cause you have Dark Knight, you still can have heart for Batman Begins or Dark Knight Rises rather than Batman Forever right?

Oh man, this is kind of offish, rather miles away from the topic. But I would like to see how Hotaru finally turns out. At first, it would be so tough choosing between the younger boyfriend and the geezer Buchou. In time, it is more vivid to me that Buchou is the one to repeat again and again the line: "I'm back!"

And actually, even though Hotaru is rather pathetic, other characters appears in the general of shoujo and josei mangas a lot, yet I found them rather relevant to the real world. It must be something (with the dialogue and development of each chapter) to get some readers like me going 😀 (I actually remembered it today, picking it up again after 4 years of leaving translation to J-Sis, they sure do take their time, no regrets!)

Oh wait, there's still Miyuki... Dang... Love in manga is complicated isn't it?

... Last updated 12 years ago

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bad

by kazehaja
13 years ago

Rating: 4.0 / 10.0

this is just..plain boring. the characters are not developed, the story is a cliche, and not that funny, and the art is mediocre, all males and females look like they are drawn from one character with different accessories..so if you value your time, skip this one.

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Love this!

by kebi
13 years ago

Rating: 8.0 / 10.0

I love this manga. It's very laidback and very true. It's got a heart and that's what makes it a very readable manga. I'm sure a lot agrees.

I just don't get the complaint about the art. I actually really like it. I remember choosing this manga because of the cover.

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I love it

by vvhime
13 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

I've just finished reading this manga yesterday up to the last volume. And I love it.
I'm pretty much the same age as Hotaru. Maybe that's the reason I can relate myself to Hotaru. She works as good as she can, but after works, she just wants to laze around.
I like the romance, slow but sure. At first I think 5 years is too long for Hotaru to grown up as a fine woman. But seeing how she is at first, 5 years is just right.
And I love how the mangaka ends this story. She leaves us with our own imagination, how Hotaru's life after that.
Oh I like the side story about Yuka and Kaname as well.
This manga is a recommended read if you like josei genre.

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all in the eye of the beholder

by nekoburo
13 years ago

Rating: N/A

I enjoy this series. Both the art and the plot. I do think the plot can be fleshed out more, given more depth, considering the triangles of relationships that occur and the length of the manga as a whole. There is plenty of time to do this. Sadly, unless another scanlator picks this series up, we won't be getting anymore chapters. Seems that J-Sis has become inactive.

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endearing & identifiable

by Caronroz
15 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

I disagree that Hotaru is a flat character. She's working hard to develop herself in her own way and she's stronger than she thinks she is. She's trying to change herself, but at the same time I think she's starting to realize that she should be liked for who she is and shouldn't have to drastically change herself for a guy.

The so called "theoretically real love" is shallowly developed for a reason. He's not the real "main character" of this series. He's shallowly developed because he represents a concept, an ideal of what women think they want, but can't feel comfortable being around.

There are many working women out there that look beautiful and poised at work and like to lounge around dressed like a slob at home. This manga nicely depict the differences between the work persona and the casual non-work persona.

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Pretty good.

by Alannaeowyn
15 years ago

Rating: N/A

The art improves as it progresses, and the characters are fun. What amuses me is the fact that it's kind of an inversion of Kimi wa Pet. 🤣 The overall quality of Kimi wa Pet may be somewhat better, but the setup here is a bit more to my taste, 'cause I like mature heroes. 😀

Anyway. I recommend it!

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addictive but dull

by fouloldron
15 years ago

Rating: 5.0 / 10.0

This manga has good elements and bad elements but not sufficient that I would recommend it to anyone except if they were writing an essay on gender depictions in the media.
The main character Hotaru is rather flat, about 2.3 dimensional. There are elements of a real personality but it never really ties together and stays as the cut out of a woman who lived as she liked and is now changing herself so that she can get a man.
The entire manga seems to be chapter after chapter of her discovering new insecurities, dealing with them in often extreme fashions and then being offered a sensible option by her boss and roommate, who is referred to at home and work as Bucho (professional title).
Bucho is in fact the most likeable and developed character in the story, He has a real personality beyond the token responsible parental-esque love interest.
The theoretically real love interest being more shallowly developed than Hotaru and getting much less screen time. How the character or relationship is to develop with so little attention in the story or in the art is partly the cause.
The only other endearing characters are the 2 dimensional father, who is a loving father stereotype, and nephews, who are at least entertainingly fanatical about trains.

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this is not shoujo

by ruthii9
16 years ago

Rating: 9.0 / 10.0

Please realize that this is intended for an older/mature female audience, not the type of audience shoujo tends to aim at, thus, the genre JOSEI. This turned out to be an amusing manga for me(although the live action was pretty enjoyable, too).

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