The Summer Hikaru Died
•Horror, Mystery, PsychologicalYoshiki and Hikaru are best friends. They're the same age and have grown up together in a small village. But one day, Yoshiki notices that "something else" has taken Hikaru's place. Even after learning of this, Yoshiki wants them to stay together. And so, his life with the "something" that looks like his friend begins.
Thoughts
The Summer Hikaru Died is a beautiful yet mysterious story about a high schooler whose friend has been replaced by “something”. It focuses on these two boys’ relationship, but also dives into the mysteries surrounding the replacement of Hikaru and a number of incidents that have begun to take place in their small village.
I have actually been following this manga since before an official translation existed, and it made its way into my top 5 even before its conclusion. The art style is beautiful and haunting, and combined with genius use of comic panels it does a great job of giving shape to complex emotions such as grief and anxiety. I was also immediately drawn to the core mystery surrounding the supernatural replacement of Hikaru. The story makes use of a “brand” of horror that is unique to Japanese culture, both in its visual presentation and underlying logic. I personally found that very interesting.
The Summer Hikaru Died is also a very touching queer story. Rather than focusing on romance like most other queer manga do, this one is innovative in the sense that it is first and foremost a horror comic. Yet, for those who understand what being queer might look like in a very small rural village, there is a lot more meaning to it. Queerness is integral to the story, just not in the way you might expect. It is quite refreshing, and I would love to see this approach being taken more often in LGBT+ representation.
Sneak peek
