Summer Hikaru is dead is one of those manga that sticks with you, especially as we learn more about the situations and characters. This always makes us nervous, and we keep seeing Mokumokuren add these little details that suggest things could get worse. However, with the third episode, it’s clearer than ever that everything is wrong and may make one wonder if the characters can accept and live with everything that’s going on.
Editor’s note: There will be spoilers for the first two volumes of the series. Summer Hikaru is dead story.
First episode of Summer Hikaru is dead involves Yoshiki discovering that his friend “Hikaru” is no longer Hikaru. While the real person was going up the mountain to complete a supernatural ritual left for his family to protect the town, he died. An entity took over his body, became “Hikaru” and continued his life. We see Yoshiki coming to terms with his pain, especially due to his love for his friend, and having to deal with this new creature who seems completely devoted to him.
With second episode, we saw the impact of “Hikaru” leaving the mountains and coming to town. Everything is not okay. More supernatural elements are being drawn into their world. We start to see many people, like Yoshiki’s family, in danger because of that. The second episode even ends with Yoshiki, after easily accepting his new relationship with “Hikaru,” succumbing to another entity’s attack in some way. All of this is interspersed with deeper insights into what Hikaru and his family have been involved in.
The result is volume 3 of Summer Hikaru is dead began to be filled with anxiety and danger. We see the aftermath of Yoshiki’s encounter with that entity in the previous episode. It puts not only him but perhaps even “Hikaru” in danger. We see Asako, who has been shown to have a sixth sense, hinting that there are more creatures lurking around and potentially causing trouble for friends like their classmate Yuuki. Rie, the housewife who warned Yoshiki about his encounters with the supernatural, is said to be dealing with another incident.
Colder are the encounters involving “Hikaru”. I feel like the second episode of Summer Hikaru is dead lulled me into a false sense of security. It seemed like Yoshiki and “Hikaru” had understood something. The fact that the two worked together at the end of the episode for Kaoru’s sake also reassured me. And then we run into… this problem. It’s a shocking reminder of how otherworldly things are. That even when a group of teenagers are clearly getting along and enjoying time with friends, things are still not normal. They will never be normal again. It makes things more tense, especially given the reactions of characters like Yoshiki and “Hikaru” to the incident.
But I feel like what really makes episode 3 of Summer Hikaru is dead Showing that the manga is picking up speed is the introduction of Tanaka. More people know about what’s going on, especially after the Indou family incident. An expert is being called in. As a result, we have seen him make some revelations. With what we have seen through the first two volumes and this third volume, it may leave readers feeling conflicted. He is not a villain, but he could end up being a villain for Yoshiki and “Hikaru”. More importantly, his appearance and actions made things even more heated.
It really feels like things are coming to an end in volume 3 of the series. Summer Hikaru is dead, and the manga characters can no longer ignore the effects of “Hikaru” coming to town. Yoshiki begins to realize the danger everyone is in, although this one is concerned for him and shares the face of his beloved. People in the community begin to encounter both direct and indirect dangers caused by the presence of “Hikaru”. Mokumokuren knows how to leave readers wanting more and I can’t wait to see what happens in volumes 4 and 5 as it builds to what comes next.
Volume 3 of Summer Hikaru is dead To be available through Yen Baoand volume 4 of the manga is out August 20, 2024.
