I don’t often dabble in horror, especially with anime or manga. I just never found a series that kept me engaged. That being said, I can’t lie, I’m a sucker for psychological horror mixed with the supernatural. For example, a movie like “Perfect Blue” is right up my alley, with the horrors of identity and uncertainty really grounding the story. 

“The Summer Hikaru Died” is the latest entry in psychological horror with themes of identity, and it delivers on that and then some! This coming-of-age fright fest follows Yoshiki, a high school boy, who must deal with the fact that his best friend, Hikaru, isn’t the person he knew. What do I mean by this? After dying on a mountain trip, Hikaru is possessed by a supernatural entity, and this fact haunts Yoshiki to his core. Still, he goes along with the new Hikaru, burying the fact that his real best friend died and is essentially being puppetted by something non-human. 

This monster-boy narrative is all I could ask for in a genre that I don’t typically seek out. I love the ambiguity of it all: the fact that we don’t exactly know who/what is possessing Hikaru’s body, and on top of that, it’s a supernatural entity that can conjure human emotions for some unknown reason. The mystery haunts Yoshiki, who not only has to act like his real best friend didn’t die, but also must confront his feelings about him.

You don’t even get to see much of Yoshiki’s relationship with the old Hikaru, so you are only privy to this new paranormal version. I think that just adds to the psychological mystery while also sneaking in some not-so-subtle themes of identity and queerness. 

Undoubtedly, their relationship is what makes the series endlessly intriguing. I could go on and on about the subtext laden within their interactions, but to keep it short, I think their dynamics represent not only queerness but the fluidity of identity. From my perspective, Yoshiki might be closeted, with some flashback scenes suggesting he struggles with his identity. Just as he struggles with his queerness, monster-Hikaru struggles to be among the living by possessing someone’s body. It’s this mirrored cycle of depersonalization that makes their vastly different experiences weirdly similar. 

What adds even more complexity to their dynamic is their feelings for each other. Yoshiki, even when he is horrified by this possessed version of his best friend, is drawn to the new entity, and it adds a psychological dilemma to their interactions. I mean, how would you feel if you had to interact with the possessed version of your best friend, whom you’re secretly in love with?

And, these feelings aren’t entirely one-sided either! Monster-Hikaru is unabashedly captivated by Yoshiki and, as I interpret it, learns how to act human from him. And it works! His boyish mannerisms and humor make me momentarily forget that he is an eerie being within – that is, until his eyes start glowing red or we see the more grotesque parts of him. 

This series does such a great job of balancing the sweetness of the boys’ relationship with the tried-and-true psychological horror elements. Rather than relying on gore and excessive blood, it creates an out-of-body experience through the unsettling ambience, darker color palettes, and the eerie lore of Kibogayama: the rural town where the story takes place. Occasionally, you’ll get some body horror scene with monster-Hikaru, but those scenes are mainly meant to establish some semblance of understanding between him and Yoshiki. 

The backstory of Hikaru’s death is, in itself, a perfect example of the “fear of the unknown” element that many psychological horror stories play off of. Hikaru originally travels up a mountain to complete an obligatory apology ritual and repent for the sins of his family lineage. His family, the Indou family, was known to cause chaos since the 1700s, so every five years, a man must go and complete a ritual to the mountain deity, Nounuki. However, Hikaru fatally wounds himself, and as he’s dying, he makes a wish that would ultimately be fulfilled: for someone (or something) to keep Yoshiki safe. 

Upon first watch, I expected this series to be a casual binge watch for me; instead, it intrigued me so much from start to finish with its lore, disquieting atmosphere, and dynamic main characters, that I found myself enveloped in the storytelling. 

And that’s not even mentioning how masterfully it explores identity and grief through Yoshiki and Hikaru! Their dynamic and complex attraction to one another is the crux that makes the story work. It may not be a love story, but it is most definitely a queer story. 

Check it out if queer, psychological horror is up your alley (or if you have some hidden feelings for your best friend)!