{"id":2287,"date":"2025-08-10T12:49:04","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T12:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/2025\/08\/10\/the-summer-hikaru-died-is-just-as-much-about-grief-as-it-is-about-the-supernatural\/"},"modified":"2025-08-10T12:49:05","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T12:49:05","slug":"the-summer-hikaru-died-is-just-as-much-about-grief-as-it-is-about-the-supernatural","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/2025\/08\/10\/the-summer-hikaru-died-is-just-as-much-about-grief-as-it-is-about-the-supernatural\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018The Summer Hikaru Died\u2019 is just as much about grief as it is about the supernatural"},"content":{"rendered":"

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During its North American premiere at Anime Expo, I was sold on \u201cThe Summer Hikaru Died\u201d by the second scene of the show. As Hikaru (Sh\u016bichir\u014d Umeda, \u201cThe Dawn of the Witch\u201d) and Yoshiki (Chiaki Kobayashi, \u201cJigokurraku\u201d) banter on a sweltering summer day, Yoshiki works up the courage to ask, \u201cYou ain\u2019t the real Hikaru, are you?\u201d Hikaru\u2019s<\/em> human guise slips, revealing a grotesque monster underneath,\u00a0and he tearfully begs Yoshiki not to tell anyone else about his true identity. Shockingly, Yoshiki accepts, deciding that even if the person in front of him isn\u2019t really Hikaru, Yoshiki still needs Hikaru<\/em> by his side. What could be the dramatic climax of one or multiple episodes is instead the inciting incident of the pilot. In the first few minutes, this scene perfectly conveys the major themes of the story; \u201cThe Summer Hikaru Died\u201d seamlessly blends genres to tell a tale of tender love and heart-wrenching grief.<\/p>\n

Set in a small town in the Mie Prefecture of Japan, \u201cThe Summer Hikaru Died\u201d follows Yoshiki and Hikaru as they navigate their daily lives while unnatural forces begin to coalesce around their town. The real Hikaru is long dead \u2014 his last moments are shown to us in the first minute of the show \u2014 and in his place is Hikaru<\/em>, whose unnatural presence in the town sets off a chain of events involving both human and inhuman actors. <\/p>\n

Ghosts are real in the show, yet much of what happens in the first episode occurs within Yoshiki\u2019s internal world. Rattled by the revelation of Hikaru\u2019s fate, Yoshiki struggles against his conscience, unsure about what he should do concerning Hikaru<\/em>. This internal conflict allows for psychological horror to seep into the paranormal; Yoshiki is unwell, and keeping Hikaru<\/em>\u2019s identity a secret while also mourning his friend is taking a toll on his mind. When Yoshiki begins to see red and hear voices, how do we know what is real and what isn\u2019t? Is he being assaulted by a spirit, or just faltering under the weight of his guilt and grief? Even when the paranormal aspects are front and center, the show does not resort to cheap jumpscares. Instead, the horror elements are subdued and eerie, creating an oppressive atmosphere. At times, these supernatural elements almost become a relief from Yoshiki\u2019s unraveling psyche.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The horror in \u201cThe Summer Hikaru Died\u201d doesn\u2019t just come from the existence of ghosts or Yoshiki\u2019s deteriorating mental state; Hikaru<\/em>\u2019s relationship with Yoshiki forces us to grapple with the implications of the supernatural on an interpersonal level. Hikaru and Yoshiki share a tender and warm bond, which can be read as romantic. The two boys explore intimacy with each other, both platonic and physical. But Yoshiki knows that the person he liked is dead, gone forever. He\u2019s frozen in his grief, unable to process Hikaru\u2019s death healthily \u2014\u00a0 his doppelg\u00e4nger haunts Yoshiki day-in-day-out. In many ways, Yoshiki is stuck in life \u2014 trapped in a decaying rural town, forced to live with parents who hate each other and saddled with chronic illness.<\/p>\n