Hell × Construction Site!
Mizuchi, once human, finds himself reborn as an oni after death, working as a foreman on hell’s construction site. From supervising crews and fighting monsters to managing his rowdy subordinates, every day is full throttle. With mountain hags, vengeful gods, and even lofty officials from heaven barging in, the site is always in chaos. A slapstick hell comedy where laughter and battles collide in the afterlife workplace!
And yet—
Hell is not only a workplace but part of the grand system of reincarnation. The struggles of living as an oni outside that cycle, along with the richly detailed worldbuilding, are highlights of the story. Woven together across manga, short stories, illustrations, and even tanka poetry, this is a multilayered narrative of many expressions.
CHARACTER
MIZUCHI FOREMAN
The foreman of hell’s construction site. Once human, he inexplicably became an oni after death. Though his true strength rivals the mightiest in hell, few recognize it. He easily takes down the monsters that attack his site—but struggles daily with unruly subordinates and his own worldly desires. Despite his toughness, he’s never dated a woman.
MIZUCHI FOREMAN
The foreman of hell’s construction site. Once human, he inexplicably became an oni after death. Though his true strength rivals the mightiest in hell, few recognize it. He easily takes down the monsters that attack his site—but struggles daily with unruly subordinates and his own worldly desires. Despite his toughness, he’s never dated a woman.
HIRO
Handles the heavy lifting. Cheerful and easygoing, he’s the team’s mood maker. With a goofy look that makes it hard to tell, he’s actually handsome.
(sigh)
Exy
In charge of machinery. A bit twisted, but still holds the values of a boy. A hornless oni.
Gramps
Handles general assistance at the hell construction site. The most loyal to Mizuchi among the crew, yet quick to slack off and fall asleep on the job.
Tatsumi
A high-ranking official of the three Realms Government. In truth, he is a colossal white dragon god stretching 10,000 meters in length. Usually, he conceals his horns and fangs to walk among others in human form.
Terms & Worldbuilding
ZIGOKU
One of the realms of the afterlife rooted in Buddhism. Unlike the Christian concept of hell, which centers on judgment and punishment, the Buddhist view is founded on causality and purification.
ZIGOKU'S Constoruction site
Mizuchi is in charge of ZIGOKU’s Construction Site, where the outer walls of hell are maintained. His duties include repelling monsters that intrude from outside and protecting lost souls.
Yobaremon
“Yobaremon” refers to humans who, after death, are reborn as oni. The term means “those summoned to hell,” distinguishing them from ordinary oni.
Foreman
The leader of the construction site crew. Responsible for overseeing site progress, maintaining fuel for heavy machinery, filing daily reports, and countless other tasks.
Onis'Horns
Every oni bears horns with unique shapes, though certain patterns exist. Red horns like Mizuchi’s are said to embody deep grudges and are often found on oni of great power.
Cursed Blade "Gaitsu"
A Japanese sword wielded by Mizuchi. Most of the time it exists as light, resting in his left eye. How does that even work? It's a manga—best not to think too hard about it.
Virgin Power
A mysterious force said to dwell in men who have never dated. For Mizuchi, it springs from regrets like "I wish I could have experienced love." His teammates teasingly call this formidable strength his "Virgin Power."
Books
ZIGOKU's FOREMAN VOL.01
English version. Published in July 2025
88p(Manga*5+Novels*3)
ZIGOKU's FOREMAN VOL.01
English version. Published in July 2025
88p(Manga*5+Novels*3)
The Origin of the Work
It’s been about four years since we began creating ZIGOKU’S FOREMAN.
The very first spark came from a character called “Foreman Mizuchi,” which I originally designed for a project with fellow followers on Twitter at the time. My collaborator, Kamishiro, really took a liking to him.
As we talked—“If it’s Mizuchi, he’d do this, right?”—the setting naturally began to form: hell as the stage, a construction site as his workplace. Kamishiro then wrote a prototype short story, and soon more characters—Mizuchi’s friends and subordinates—were born. From there, I (9banta) started drawing the manga.
Kamishiro tends toward the serious side, while I lean toward comedy. By bringing out each of our strengths, we’ve built ZIGOKU’S FOREMAN together. From here on, we want to keep packing our “favorites” into it, drawing with joy, and if that joy can bring someone else a little energy or laughter, nothing would make us happier.
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