Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu

The Summer Hikaru Died lingers long after you put it down. What begins as a quiet, almost nostalgic slice-of-life about two boys in a rural town slowly unravels into a deeply unsettling, emotionally charged horror story that cuts straight to the heart.

The horror here isn't just supernatural - it's existential. The dread builds not from jump scares, but from the unbearable question: what if someone you loved came back... but wasn't them anymore? Yoshiki's inner conflict, his denial, his grief, and his quiet desperation are portrayed with haunting subtlety.

The art is beautiful and atmospheric, often sparse but loaded with feeling. Every shadow feels intentional. Every panel carries weight. And the pacing is masterful - slow, deliberate, with a constant sense of something not quite right.

This isn't just a horror manga. It's a meditation on identity, attachment, and the quiet horrors of change. It's intimate. It's terrifying. It's tender. A must-read for anyone who wants more than just gore and monsters - this is horror with a soul.

Just beautiful. Until now (first two episodes), the mystery and the horror aspects are both great. Also the relationship between "Hikaru" and yoshiki is very interesting. I wonder where the story, their relationship and the horror and mystery aspects go. Other than that, the visuals are STUNNING, animation wise and in terms of style. It reminds me of high budget anime movies like your name by makoto shinkai a little bit. But what I enjoy about the visuals are two things. 1: the characters and 2: the atmosphere. All characters look unique and different without looking unrealistic like in most animes with weird hair colors and weird proportions. And the summer atmosphere is just spot an as well. Perfect.

The Summer Hikaru Died is one of the most captivating anime debuts I've seen in years. From the first episode, it grips you with its eerie atmosphere, emotional weight, and beautiful direction. The story blends supernatural horror with slice of ife moments and an intense, slow-burning relationship between the two main characters, Yoshiki and "Hikaru."

The animation is stunning not flashy, but subtle and haunting. The voice acting is top-notch, and the sound design adds to the chilling yet tender tone of the show. What really stands out, though, is the emotional core. The tension between grief, fear, and longing is portrayed so naturally. You feel Yoshiki's confusion and heartbreak.

This anime doesn't shy away from its queer themes either. The bond between Yoshiki and the "thing" that took Hikaru's form is complex and layered, making it feel more human than most traditional romances. It's refreshing and raw.

With an unsettling and chilling atmosphere, The Summer Hikaru Died delivers a gripping tale of horror, friendship, grief and sins based in a small town.

The plot follows Hikaru who got lost in the mountains and back after 6 months. His return brings abnormal anomalies into the town. Hikaru is gone and an entity possesses his body and his friend Yoshiki who doesn't want to believe that his friend is gone.

The horror element on this is amazing and how they create tension is well thought out and executed effectively, with everything connected as we go further. The animation is visually striking and characters are well-drawn. And the mix with hyper realistic elements within some episodes was such a brilliant touch on their end.

Overall, The Summer Hikaru Died is a creepy horror anime with elements of absurdity, emotions as well as mystery that works well to give a tense atmosphere. Waiting for the next season to see more.

My Rating : 3.5/5.

Technically speaking, 3 episodes isn't enough to proclaim this is a masterpiece, but as a big fan of body horror mixed with queer subtext (and straight up text, I mean-) this is really everything I've ever wished for in a beautifully animated package. Sound design? Amazing. Voice acting? Stellar. You can't ask for much more perfection, really - the complexity is well captured even if the content is undoubtedly less lengthy than the manga. I wonder what emotions they'll be able to pull out of me in the next episodes but so far, this is beautiful and should already be scheduled for a second season.