In a scenario where your best friend’s body is taken over by a monster who starts living their life for them, some people might face the monster head-on. Others might try to cling to what’s left of their friend.
The Summer Hikaru Died is a coming-of-age horror that explores themes of grief, identity, and “otherness.” Set in a quiet rural village, the anime follows Tsujinaka Yoshiki as he struggles to accept his friend’s death while facing supernatural forces, unexplained deaths in the town, and the eerie unraveling of everyday life.
The story immediately starts with a calm scene between Yoshiki and Hikaru where they’re having ice cream on a hot summer day. The scene paints the picture of a typical friendship only to be shattered when Yoshiki hesitantly says, “You’re not Hikaru, are you?”
The mood turns to quiet suspense and horror – a tone shift that occurs often throughout the rest of the anime. The fake Hikaru expresses confusion and distress at being caught, but ultimately decides to keep Yoshiki alive because he has grown attached to the idea of having a friend.
The two main characters spend the rest of the anime trying to adjust to this new development.
Yoshiki is forced to grieve in silence. He has to think about what it is that makes up a person and whether memories alone are the basis of identity. He, along with viewers, are also forced to consider what makes something a monster.
While never explicitly stated, many fans interpret the story as a metaphor for internalized homophobia and the experience of growing up in an environment hostile to anything unfamiliar or nonconforming.
The Summer Hikaru Died dissects these themes through a medium of disturbing horror that is filled with suspense, mystery, and old Japanese folklore. The anime is streaming on Netflix.
