The Summer Hikaru Died

The Summer Hikaru Died is a haunting and beautifully crafted manga that blends psychological horror with deep emotional themes. The story revolves around Yoshiki and his childhood friend Hikaru, who returns after a mysterious disappearance-but something is very wrong. The manga masterfully explores grief, identity, and love, with an unsettling atmosphere and striking, delicate art. It keeps readers on edge through its slow-burn pacing and eerie tension. The characters feel raw and genuine, making the supernatural elements even more impactful. A must-read for those who enjoy thoughtful, unsettling stories.

Underrated and amazing waiting for it for a year finally watching it giving me goosebumps I wish people be more open minded and appreciate art and story it's truly amazing feeling connection with mc and something big going to happen in future the animation style is amazing and realistic. This really explain the grif that we feel after losing someone and teach how to let go of loved one it's really emotionally. But its not getting the apprition that it deserves the opening seance give horrer to you and it's really emotional to watch it i could recommend it to everyone to watch it and appreciate the story.

It starts as a very strong, creepy show with the ambiguity and creativity of superior anime like Lain or Monogatari. The first episode gave me great hope about The Summer Hikaru Died as a successor of weird and visually polished anime.

The disappointment came from the fact that this season seemed to foreshadow important turning points but did nothing with them. The final episode is very flat. I understand that they are adapting a manga, so one season wouldn't have been enough, but it felt like this first season is just there to hype better seasons.

Hikaru is the best character, and his relationship with Yoshiki brings lots of questions and memorable, weird moments. There is a lot of gay subtext behind it, and I'm curious to see where they will go with that.

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.

The Summer Hikaru Died is the kind of story that creeps up on you - not just with its supernatural tension, but with a deeply human core that lingers long after the final page or scene. It's a quiet, eerie masterpiece that blends horror, grief, and love with incredible emotional precision.

Set in a small rural town wrapped in mist and isolation, the story follows Yoshiki, a teenage boy dealing with a terrifying realization: the friend he once knew, Hikaru, might no longer be human. What unfolds isn't your typical horror tale, but something far more nuanced - a melancholic coming-of-age wrapped in cosmic dread.

The writing (or adaptation, if you're reviewing the show) treats its characters with rare sensitivity. There's no rush to explain the mystery or force cheap scares. Instead, it focuses on building atmosphere, tension, and the fragile, complicated bond between two boys navigating love, fear, and loss. The ambiguity of their relationship - romantic? Platonic? Something more cosmic? - is part of the beauty. It invites interpretation without ever feeling coy or incomplete.

Fans of Mushishi, Shiki, or A Silent Voice will feel at home here, but Hikaru stands on its own as a rare piece of horror that dares to be gentle, even as it horrifies.

This is a story about grief, love, and the unknown. About how we cope when someone we love changes into something we can't quite understand - or when we change ourselves. It's not just one of the best horror titles of the year, it's one of the most emotionally resonant stories I've encountered in a long time. Absolutely essential.