The Summer Hikaru Died First Impressions

Written by Ross Locksley on 16 Jul 2025

The Summer Hikaru died follows rural Japanese teenager Yoshiki Tsujinaka who discovers that his best friend Hikaru, who was recovered from a forest accident, never really came back at all. In the early minutes of the episode the two sit quietly on a bench together and Yoshiki simply asks; "You're not Hikaru, are you?"

This wonderfully understated accusation is met with total honesty by "Hikaru", who exclaims with mild frustration that he thought he'd copied the youth exactly. He asks Yoshiki not to reveal him to others as he would "hate to have to kill him", the factual nature of this statement, spoken softly, makes the prospect of their friendship seem unhealthy at best. But such is Yoshiki's loneliness that he agrees to keep the stranger's secret, because having Hikaru around in any way is better than being without him.

So the scene is set for a wonderfully eerie countryside horror, the lack of modern city culture making the quiet fields and forests all the more threatening. The episode isn't slow in setting out its stall however, as we're introduced to a number of individuals that will be drawn into the mystery. Chief amongst these, we have a private paranormal investigator who is on his way to look into the reports leaking from the town (after brutally disposing of a disturbing ghoul that keeps asking for "Mommy") and the elderly locals that seem to be scared of something that is coming from them.

Indeed, the final moments of one particular resident is a masterclass in fear, as a nameless shape yells the old lady's name in a deafening, distorted din while banging on her door, only for the noise to stop suddenly with a voice now quietly exclaiming "I'm already inside". Ooh, chills!

Throughout this event, Yoshiki lays on his bed crying, as his parents argue downstairs. It's implied that his tears are linked to the murder, but whether the perpetrator is Hikaru or something else has yet to be explained, but in a show that's already shown multiple ghoulish apparitions, anything is possible. 

The art direction is fantastic - the subtly menacing duality of Hikaru is often hinted at visually

Any normal teenager would recoil at the creepy nature of Hikaru and the figure he saw in the woods, but given the glimpse into Yoshiki's home life you can understand why he would desperately cling on to any friendship that made him feel valued.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the show going in, in fact I was a bit baffled by how understated the show was in the first half (even after Hikaru's confession) but once the other supernatural elements started filtering in, it was clear that the show was going to take its time, the incredible direction of Ryōhei Takeshita (who also wrote the anime adaptation) is pitch-perfect. There are elements of David Lynch's Twin Peaks in the mystery and investigative elements, not to mention the absolutely off-the-wall design of the creatures, so fans of such esoteric horror should check this out, I think it'll be right up your alley.

I recommend watching this one late at night with the lights off. It'll get under your skin...

The Summer Hikaru Died is simulcasting Saturday's on Netflix.