I am a big fan of the manga of The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren. I’ve read up to volume five and am eagerly awaiting the next book to come out. It’s a bittersweet, weird, and dark story that crosses over many genres, making it a highly original work that encourages an emotional response.

I was ecstatic to learn that the manga was going to be animated! From studio Cygames Pictures, the series debuted July 5 on Netflix and the streamer is releasing episodes weekly. Here’s the trailer:

One summer in a rural town, Hikaru goes into the mountains and disappears. Three weeks later or so, he returns from the mountains, with no memory of what happened there.

Only…what’s returned isn’t Hikaru.

Yoshiki, Hikaru’s best friend, has been devastated by the loss, and while he is grateful Hikaru is back, he’s able to tell that something is off about him and is the first to tell him, “You’re not Hikaru.” But Yoshiki decides that a Hikaru is better than no Hikaru, so he keeps his discovery a secret and tries to live his life as if Hikaru’s actual death never happened.

This kind of works for a while. The strange new Hikaru inherited the deceased Hikaru’s memories (and yes, the real Hikaru is confirmed dead) and shares a lot of the same mannerisms, but something always reminds Yoshiki that the real Hikaru is gone. He can’t shake the grief from the loss, and lives in a sort of tortured state trying to move forward with something that resembles his beloved best friend, but isn’t.

Meanwhile, all sorts of strange things are happening in the village. People are dying. Old folks whisper of an ancient god. And there are creepy things in the mountain forests waiting to latch onto anyone who passes by.

Yoshiki wonders if this all points to Hikaru somehow. And there’s some creepiness that Hikaru can’t quite hide from Yoshiki, either. Check out this scene from episode 2:

I tried to find a YouTube video but they were all lame “react” videos, so this gif was the best I could do. Anyway, yes, that is Yoshiki reaching inside a slit Hikaru’s body. And for Hikaru, it’s a highly pleasurable action– “like a loving pat on the head” he says, but surely it means more than that.

The queer subtext is there. I always knew this series (thanks to the manga) leaned closer to the BL genre, even though this is horror and suspense. I’ve seen it classified as such by online bookstores, too. And you can see that these two characters feel something beyond friendship from time to time, and Yoshiki’s grief could be for more than a friendship lost.

No matter what these two feel for each other, genuine friendship is there. The false Hikaru is drawn to Yoshiki and desires his companionship, and Yoshiki will settle for him as long as Hikaru will never leave him again.

This show is a unique meditation on grief in addition to being a unique horror story. While there are supernatural elements to this horror, there’s something cosmic and weird about the entity inside of Hikaru. And yet, it has desires and wants to enjoy being human.

The series is only two episodes in, but it’s worth a watch and the mysteries are worth exploring. The main cast of characters (at least up to manga volume 5) are already introduced, and the foundations have been laid for what will prove to be a truly memorable experience for viewers.

I highly recommend you give it a watch, but also, give the manga a go too-especially if you’re impatient to find out what’s happening! It’s an excellent, creepy story no matter the medium, but this anime is something special.