The Summer Hikaru Died or Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu (光が死んだ夏) is making headlines, and it is achieving those milestones for all the right reasons. You expect to see a graphic horror story that will spook you with deformed ghosts and jump scares, but what you get is rather a psychological exploration of the human mind.
The anime makes it clear that Hikaru, one of the protagonists, has died right off the bat. It does not sensationalise his demise, nor does it let the audience contemplate it for long.
No, instead, his death becomes a starting point from where the story begins, and that right away proves how death or horror is not the central element to this story. In place of that, what gets explored is the inability to face loss and refusal to move on for those who are left behind.
Denial and Emotional Repression Around Hikaru’s Death
In the very first episode, we see Yoshiki confronting the fake Hikaru by outright telling him he is not the Hikaru he knows. However, even after Hikaru confirms Yoshiki’s suspicions and showcases his demonic appearance to him, Yoshiki shockingly accepts the new Hikaru.
Yes, Yoshiki was shaken, and we see him struggle with the idea of losing his beloved friend. Nevertheless, we also see him unwillingly swallow the bitter pill and trying to live with the monster Hikaru, who reminds him of the man he once loved so much.
This is an exceptionally realistic scenario, where we often suppress our feelings and refuse to see the truth because it is too painful. Thus, the story essentially becomes a metaphor for clinging to memory and not accepting reality, something that Yoshiki does in almost all the episodes that we have witnessed until now.
Yoshiki knows very well that this monster is not his friend, but at least, he is something that still reminds him of the real Hikaru and perhaps that is enough for Yoshiki.
We Get Horror, but as a Vessel for Grief in The Summer Hikaru Died
In The Summer Hikaru Died, the horror elements are very much there, but it’s not in your face. You do not see grotesque monsters that make you lose sleep at night, but rather, the horror is the emotional struggle that Yoshiki and others who lose their loved ones go through.
We do get some very creepy elements, like the ghost in the forest that tried to attack Yoshiki. But I am much more terrified about the mental well-being of Yoshiki, who I believe is very close to an emotional and psychological breakdown. Things are too much for Yoshiki to handle, and that can be felt in his constant battle with himself over the acceptance of Hikaru’s death.
Hikaru the monster doesn’t want to kill Yoshiki and just wants to be with him, a feeling that is responsible for making Yoshiki conflicted. The ghost is also lonely and is not shy of portraying his feelings for Yoshiki, clinging to him more than the real Hikaru ever did.
The Summer Hikaru Died Is a Tragic Love Story
The Summer Hikaru Died is more of a tragic love story disguised as horror. Here, two boys who are very much in love and come from a conservative and quiet village struggle with not just ghosts, but unspoken feelings.
Yoshiki and Hikaru clearly shared a bond that went beyond friendship, but now that Hikaru is not here, the love story becomes way more tragic than anything. It’s not just the absence of love that hurts here, but the way it lingers unfinished and now in a monstrous form of Hikaru.
Must Read: The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 3 Review: An Outright Confession Of Love