The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 3 Review: An Outright Confession Of Love

The 3rd episode of The Summer Hikaru Died is here, and I am impressed with the level of complexity. Let’s discover how this episode plays out.

The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 2 Recap

Here, the elderly woman who had screamed upon seeing the altered Hikaru has now passed away, and under extremely disturbing circumstances. It’s revealed that she apparently took her own life by forcing her hand down her throat. Understandably, Yoshiki is shaken by this. After all, she was the one who immediately sensed something was off about him, that he wasn’t human.

We also witness Hikaru willingly venture into the eerie forest with his friends, a place he previously would have avoided. This part of the episode is genuinely chilling, and the horror elements are executed brilliantly. The forest exudes an unsettling atmosphere that perfectly aligns with the show’s tone.

Meanwhile, the enigmatic man from the last episode makes a reappearance, this time investigating the scene of the old woman’s death. It’s here that we learn more about the mysterious entity known as Nonuki-sama, a being that takes people out of loneliness.

What’s particularly intriguing is that Hikaru’s family seems to have a pact with this entity. While it doesn’t harm the family directly, it does go after those close to them.

The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 3 Review

This episode starts with a memory where Yoshiki and the original Hikaru are feasting on a watermelon and living their childhood lives. Hikaru’s father comes and witnesses their escapades, and it’s a tender moment between them. In the current timeline, Yoshiki comes with a watermelon to Hikaru’s house, and there he finds his friend asleep. Upon waking up, he quickly exclaims how happy he is that Yoshi brought him a watermelon, a fruit that he apparently loves. Now, this entire segment is something Yoshiki can not digest because it feels far too normal.

It is no mystery that he has been constantly battling depression with the thought that his best friend has died, and his willingness to be okay with a monster taking Hikaru’s place. Yoshiki is self-criticalizing that he is not losing his calm, and he’s just accepting whatever is happening around him without any remorse. Finally, after being unable to hold his emotions, he reaches out to Rie, the woman who talked to him about a monster residing in the mountain.

Here, the woman tells Yoshiki some very important things. From her, we get to know that there have been many abnormalities in the village, and the monster that is residing within Hikaru should go back to its mountain for everything to become normal. However, the conversation really gave Yoshiki a clarity that he did not have before. He cannot stay with this monster. But this realisation comes with a bitter confrontation that happens between Yoshiki and Hikaru, whose results turn nasty.

Verdict

Today’s episode was again breathtakingly beautiful and deeply psychologically disturbing. We get to witness the inner conflicts of Hikaru and Yoshiki, where both of them are struggling. I like that in this episode, the new Hikaru is dealing with everything as well. It is undoubtedly true that he has never been in love before, and now that he is with Yoshiki, he cannot let him go.

The conclusion is one of the best I have ever seen because it very subtly implies that Hikaru might not be the only one who is obsessed.  

Must Read: The Summer Hikaru Died Season 1 Review