Why you should read The Summer Hikaru Died manga before the anime begins, explained

Modified Nov 27, 2024 19:39 GMT

Why you should read The Summer Hikaru Died manga before the anime begins, explained (Image via Cygames Pictures)

After several months of rumors, a television anime adaptation of author and illustrator Mokumokuren’s The Summer Hikaru Died manga series has been officially announced. While the release information for the series is confusingly presented, it seems that the anime’s streaming premiere on Netflix worldwide is “coming soon.”

Likewise, fans are curious whether it’s worth reading The Summer Hikaru Died manga before the series premieres on Netflix, especially if it really is “coming soon.” Without a doubt, Mokumokuren’s original manga is worth reading before the anime, serving as exciting, informative, and well-drawn source material that will enthrall viewers from chapter 1.

The Summer Hikaru Died manga is a must-read before the television anime adaptation premieres

Expand Tweet

Mokumokuren’s The Summer Hikaru Died manga series follows main characters Yoshiki Tsujinaka and Hikaru Indou. However, Hikaru isn’t actually Hikaru, but some sort of Eldritch, otherworldly entity that took over Hikaru’s body after he died. This is apparent in the opening pages of the first chapter, with Yoshiki flat-out asking Hikaru whether or not he’s the Hikaru he once knew.

From here, the series takes a unique approach, blending slice-of-life elements with horror and suspenseful narrative reveals. The manga’s plot is actually one of its most notable aspects in the sense of Mokumokuren’s approach. Rather than making the manga outright scary, it appeals to the reader’s emotions to elicit certain feelings. Mokumokuren also uses the story’s central themes to add to the horror via the suspension bridge effect.

The suspension bridge effect says it’s easier to fall in love when feeling anxious or fearful, which is certainly present in the series. This is best evidenced when Mokumokuren first categorized their The Summer Hikaru Died manga as a Boys’ Love story. While this categorization was attributed only to the original web manga Mokumokuren posted to their X (formerly Twitter) account, this influence is overtly apparent in the manga’s current form.

Expand Tweet

The series also takes an exciting approach to worldbuilding and lore, especially in its early stages when the answers aren’t quite as clear as they later become. Likewise, those who read the manga now will have the opportunity to view beginning events in a new light with later knowledge in mind. As always, this is one of the biggest benefits of reading a manga before its anime adaptation premieres.

Yet even in general, The Summer Hikaru Died manga is a satisfying enough read that it can be generally recommended as worth perusing before the anime. The series masterfully blends horror and slice-of-life elements, with no stretch of the series feeling like it has too much of one or the other. The artwork is also incredible, especially regarding the characters' expressiveness and general creature/spirit design.

The narrative is also both intriguing and masterfully unfolded as well. Despite having roughly 30 chapters as of this article’s writing, fans have a significant amount of information on the events that frame the story. Likewise, that which fans still don’t know is large enough to be kept on the back burner justifiably. In other words, fans' most burning questions are typically answered relatively quickly, making for a wholly satisfying yet enthralling read.

In summation

The Summer Hikaru Died is set to become one of 2025's biggest anime hits (Image via Cygames Pictures)

Mokumokuren’s The Summer Hikaru Died manga is worth reading before its anime adaptation's premiere for several reasons. The general writing is one major strength, especially when it comes to character writing and the masterful blending of slice-of-life and horror genres. The series also does a good job of unfurling its narrative, quickly giving fans answers to the most burning questions while slowly expanding on larger mysteries.