Review by Ian Keogh

The Summer Hikaru Died is an atypical Japanese series, being a leisurely exploration of horror where there’s a constant underlying tone of menace that very rarely erupts. Yoshiki knows his best friend Hikaru died, that knowledge more personal than previously revealed, yet Vol. 1 pretty well opened with the revelation that the Hikaru who returned after being lost in the mountains wasn’t the Hikaru who left a week beforehand.

Yoshiki’s conclusion was he’s better off having someone who’s almost the same as his friend than not having his friend at all. We’re not exactly sure what Hikaru is now, yet in times of stress his form shifts, and there’s a literal strange darkness from within. Yoshiki has also been told by a friendly older town resident that consorting with the dead can’t continue indefinitely and there’ll be a personal price paid unless he lets Hikaru go.

Mokumokuren is a subtle storyteller who’ll let the art tell the story where possible. While it’s not known exactly what Hikaru now is, there’s a scene where others enter a holy shrine and he’s unable to go through the gate. They also ensure we question the process of grief Yoshiki is experiencing, and how difficult it must be for him to let go, which is skilfully understated, the art revealing more than the occasional sensationalised caption.

Having set up the scenario in Vol. 1, a fair few disclosures are supplied here. Comments are made by Yoshiki and others about how small their rural town is, and a brilliant revelatory scene has a meeting explaining the town’s purpose. Hikaru’s death is revisited from two different perspectives, and Yoshiki continues to explain boundaries to the current Hiraku. There’s a perpetual simmering tension between them, created via Mokumokuren’s awkward dialogue punctuated by panels of expressions with none, yet cleverly, whether the true feelings extend beyond friendship is open to interpretation.

So is the main story’s ending, although as before a bonus chapter features. What would happen if a girl asked Hikaru out? While Mokomokuren’s bonus chapters have a greater gravitas than the trivia most Japanese creators supply, it’s inessential. Going forward to Vol. 3, readers know more and there’s danger in the air.