Why you should be reading “The summer that Hikaru died”
I am not one to usually read a large amount of manga but recently I have been getting into the art form. I always liked to keep my anime and reading separate, if I was going to read it would have to be a book as I saw manga as a waste of time. Quickly, I have come to realize there is a lot that I'm missing out on.
I came across this manga when looking for psychological horror recommendations and quickly fell in love with the artstyle and interesting premise. The terrifying idea that your friend died and is taken over by something that isn't them but resembles them in almost every way captured me as soon as I read the synopsys.
It won first place in the “Kono Manga ga Sugoi!” (This Manga is Amazing!) 2023 annual magazine and this reward is deserved. The mind behind this manga is the new rising mangaka Mokmok Len and from the quality of this story you would think that they are incredibly prolific. However, this their second manga, their first being period which is a one shot bl. I can't wait to see what they create in the future as “The Summer that Hikaru died” is slowly becoming one of my favorite mangas.
The story:
If you're someone who likes a story that is obvious and lays the facts out for you to see, you will most lightly not enjoy this manga. However, if you are like me and love it when the writer keeps things from you, the plot may be more to your taste. The constant wonder that this manga elicits brings me immense joy as I try to figure out what Hikaru is. The only problem I have is with the recent chapters. The introduction of a new character has confused me but hopefully all will be revealed soon.
Another element of the plot is the beginnings of a romance between Hikaru and Yoshiki. I won't delve too deeply into this element of the story as it will spoil the plot. Just be aware that it's not something that has been explored in extreme detail as of yet. If you saw the tag of “boys love” and you expect a romance this manga will probably not be for you. I hope that the manga goes into this more in the future as elements of Hikaru and Yoshikis past get revealed. What I like about this relationship is that you rarely see LGBT themes being explored in manga (or in any media) that is plot heavy. For example, recently heart stopper has gained great success. While it is good representation, I feel like if it was about a straight couple people would just see it as another boring romance that follows tropes. This manga however, is a great example of how LGBT themes can be used to enhance a plot in creative ways. Not just to give the CEO of a company brownie points.
Overall, I think the plot definitely has its flaws and some untapped potential but with the way things are going I assume everything that I'm pondering will be revealed.
No matter what, the ending cannot be pleasant. It is a tragedy after all.
Characters:
Yoshiki:
Yoshiki is the straight man out of him and Hikaru. He is incredibly insecure and over thinks all of the time. The prospect that this new Hikaru could be a replacement constantly plays on his mind. The manga does an excellent job of conveying his emotions through art (I will go into this later on) as he spirals and questions his morals. I think Momok Len definitely used this character as a device to showcase the psychological elements of the story because as a reader I can deeply relate to the feeling of having a thought that won't stop spiraling out of control.
Despite the Sci Fi elements of this story I think the real horror is the way in which the events of the story play on the human mind.
There is nothing more terrifying than the way in which your mind plays tricks on you.
Hikaru:
Hikaru is a playful character who acts as a foil to Yoshiki's serious demeanor. Despite him often adding light hearted moments to the story, everything that he does is tainted by the fact we don't know what he is.
He could be viewed as being a leech who has become attached to Yoshiki's leg. However, Yoshiki refuses to remove him because he is a replacement for the old Hikaru.
I'm intrigued to find out if the new Hikaru is actually an evil being or just a lonely spirit who needed a vessel to occupy. Will he be misunderstood or rotten at his core?
Hikaru is another well written character and I would say that him and Hikaru's relationship is definitely a highlight of the manga for me.
Side characters: The group of friends add some more light hearted moments to the manga but I think they need more development. I can't wait to see more of them as the story goes on.
Art:
By far my favorite thing about this manga is the art. Mokmok Len does not rely on gore to show horror but instead uses patterns and swirls. This leads to some amazing visuals that are reminiscent of Junji ito's work.
The characters themselves are drawn beautifully and the artist perfectly captures their emotions and personality through the vibrant drawings. I think the slightly rounder, innocent faces of the characters add to the tragedy of it all as i'm constantly reminded that they are only in high school.
Yoshiki's emotions are conveyed masterfully. The art itself speaks louder than words as metaphorical representations of his overthinking almost jump out at you.__Conclusion:
__If you are a fan of psychological horror or are looking for something with LGBT themes that isn't the normal story you would come across I would recommend this manga to you. Since it isn't incredibly long it doesn't take too long to read and it would be a shame if you were to miss out on a manga that I believe will soon become incredibly popular.
For now, I rate this an 8/10 but I believe this score may get bigger as the story continues.