The Summer Hikaru Died - Season 1 (2025) - REVIEW
"I've been thinking about this ever since you went missing and came back...you're not Hikaru, are you?"
The Summer Hikaru Died is an anime adaption that was animated by Cybergames Pictures, who had also previously done Apocalypse Hotel Brave Bang Bravern!. The director, Ryöhei Takeshita, who also serves as the series writer, had previously directed single episodes from shows like Flip Flappers, Jujutsu Kaisen, and The Heike Story.
The premise of the story thrusts us right into motion as we find out that Hikaru, who was the best friend of the main character, Yoshiki, went missing in the woods for a week and was presumed dead, until one day, with no explanation, Hikaru came back and continued his daily routine. Then, Yoshiki opens up and admits his suspicion that Hikaru isn't really Hikaru, but something else entirely.
It's simultaneously a slice of life, coming of age story and an unsettling horror story. In the same breath, due to the nature of the plot vehicle being a town infested by spirits, it's able to tell one coherent story of Hikaru and his friends while ALSO being an anthology story of the people in the town and the different spirits they're haunted by.
It has breathtaking animation, with wonderful direction that splices real-life imagery in the most effective moments to amp up the horror and tension. Splashed throughout this unnerving horror story are moments of two boys coming to terms with their feelings for one another, managing to be an incredibly gentle romance story broaching the subject of homosexuality and internalized homophobia. It's a story that encapsulates all of the feelings of nostalgia, grief, horror and small-town and familial pressures.
While this was only season 1, and the story isn't complete yet, technically - even as it stands, season 1 is such a compelling piece of media that on its own it cements a solid place on the Definitive Top 100 Anime of All Time list, and may even rank its way up the list depending on how the studio lands season 2.
My Current MAL Rating: 8/10
Top 100 Contender: Yes
Current Top 100 Ranking: 21/100
