3 Episode Review: The Summer Hikaru Died
Written by Vi-Anh Nguyen | August 13, 2025
Now, coming into the anime was an interesting experience for me. I read the first ten or so chapters of the manga a few years ago on a random website. The story stuck with me, so seeing it animated was truly surprising. This is a queer coming-of-age story with eldritch horror elements. And not just that—the horror elements in this series are often not gory, but more abstract. I initially assumed some of these more abstract scenes would get toned down in the anime because, in the manga, they worked so well by utilizing the medium to its advantage. But the anime pulled it off beautifully. I’ve enjoyed every bit of what I’ve seen so far. I’ll explain more once I get into SPOILER territory in the next paragraph.
The first horror element I would like to speak on is in Episode 1, when Yoshiki reveals to “Hikaru” that he knows he’s not the real one. At that very moment, what I can only describe as black goop filled with eyes shot out of “Hikaru’s” face. It looked just like in the manga—very two-dimensional but at the same time it could very well pass off as 3D, similarly to what we see in Gustav Klimt’s gold paintings. How both art pieces play with dimension makes them eye-catching to me. This made the shock of what went on in Episode 1 perfect. The added movement of the horrifying goop that oozed out of “Hikaru” felt so out of place next to the natural scenery around the two boys. The additional shots of the nearby bugs—some skittering about, some dying—and the eerie red light indicating the true entity within “Hikaru” contrasted with the serenity of the Japanese countryside. All of this made the atmosphere of the revelation so much more shocking compared to what I read in the manga.
When it comes to the more lighthearted scenes, the anime also enhances the manga well. Like in Episode 1, when “Hikaru” first tries a croquette of some sort, he has a dramatic reaction that included background effects just like in the manga. But what the anime adds is a long shot showing the background effects looking quite small in the distance, making them look like a background prop to a comedic bit. This, in turn, heightens the comedy of the scene compared to its original source material. Seeing those same effects with a classmate, Maki, served as a fun moment of levity in Episode 2, especially because of how much it focused on Yoshiki’s inner turmoil.
The anime also did justice to Episode 2’s more serious moments. Much of it was stills and static shots, but they added to the eerie atmosphere and the dynamic between Yoshiki and “Hikaru.” The shots of the bugs were not present in the manga, but they enhance the themes of the episode regarding Yoshiki’s relationship with Hikaru before, and with “Hikaru” now, taking the real one’s place. Throughout parts of Episodes 1 and 2, we saw interlaced cutaway shots of bugs—sometimes alive, sometimes dead, often close-ups. Because these shots were always present when Yoshiki was with “Hikaru,” or thinking about Hikaru from his memories, it made me wonder: is this the state of his relationship with Hikaru? Or are the bugs a representation of how Yoshiki sees the state of that relationship?
To further my point, I would also point to the especially striking bug shots at the end of Episode 2. The first shot showed a bug getting rid of its old shell and then dying as it fell off the plant stem. Right after, we saw a bug carcass devoured by ants, followed by the same bug from before rewinding and coming back into its shell and back onto the stem. Yoshiki’s position on his bed right after that shot was clearly intended to mirror the state of those bugs. Compared to the manga, I felt much more discomfort—not just from the atmosphere, but from the questions these shots posed. Where will Yoshiki and “Hikaru’s” decisions about their relationship take them? It feels like things will go down a dark road, but I’m still left unsure.
There were also distinctive shots from Yoshiki’s point of view with half his sight covered by his overgrown bangs throughout this episode. It put the viewers in Yoshiki’s perspective. Like most other shots in the episode, nothing was direct. But we got a better sense of his inner turmoil. From his point of view, we didn’t see much—if anything at all—of other people’s faces behind those overgrown bangs. Everything felt so distant because of it, like not even Yoshiki was really there.
Episode 3 marked an interesting turning point, going from Yoshiki’s depression and anger to a relative acceptance of the fact that the “Hikaru” in front of him isn’t the Hikaru he knew. But there’s a lingering tension in the air as we see this acceptance play out. Even when Yoshiki smiles (and this is significant), we as viewers feel uneasy. This is the first moment since the series began that we witness the current Yoshiki truly smiling. And yet, the situation itself feels so wrong. The sunlight hitting into the room gave the scene a very warm tone, and with Yoshiki smiling for the first time, everything feels right for a new start to his changing relationship. “Hikaru” being wrapped in a blanket reminds me of how Episode 2 ended—a bug escaping its cocoon. Something new was starting, but we are left wondering: are both boys making the right decision? They are both young and don’t know better, especially “Hikaru,” who is experiencing humanity for the first time. Will the path they decide to go down be the right one?
Overall, I saw a fascinating metaphor for change and a great story of coming of age in The Summer Hikaru Died. Yoshiki coping with the changes in his relationship with Hikaru and dealing with the new presence of “Hikaru” demonstrated something familiar in how, as teenagers, we feel any sort of change is like the world ending. With such a unique take on classic coming-of-age tropes, combined with interesting displays of horror, The Summer Hikaru Died makes me curious about where the anime will go. I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in queer stories, horror, and coming-of-age narratives.
