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dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
“Either way, Hikaru is already gone. So even if it's fake, I still want him to be with me.”
➽ Oh my god this book was fantastic! I was intrigued by the premise but didn't expect to get this invested in the story. We follow Yoshiki, whose best friend Hikaru died in the woods ... except that something came back wearing his face and no one else has noticed. It has been 6 months since the incident and we start when Yoshiki finally confronts Hikaru about this. From the very beginning I was hooked, as the Fake Hikaru made me feel all the things. He's literally like 'Please don't tell anyone, I don't want to kill you' and hugging Yoshiki in the very beginning. Hikaru doesn't even know what he is, only that he took over the real Hikaru's body. He still has all the original memories and feelings, which is why he badly wants to be friends with Yoshiki. The real Hikaru and him were childhood friends, so Yoshiki has a hard time dealing with this situation. He knows it isn't right but can't help but want to stay with Hikaru, even though he isn't the real one!
➽ The complicated emotions and creepy atmosphere were SO well executed! The art style and panel composition were creative and I loved the creepy body horror moments, as there is something inside Hikaru that almost feels like an eldritch horror. Hikaru might look human, but he can't feel things normally and is eager to truly experience life since he only has his host body's memories. Meanwhile, Yoshiki lets Hikaru hang out with him like back in the day. However, once in a while we see his complicated feelings and how terrified he is of the situation. He knows Hikaru isn't human and might even be very dangerous, but can't help but hang on to the image of his friend. The real Hikaru is dead, so this is the only thing Yoshiki has left! The tension between them was SO good, the author really managed to portray the horror but also the friendship so well! There is just something about Hikaru wanting to be with and protect Yoshiki even though he's an undefined horror that gets me!
➽ I also wanted to mention that this isn't categorized as a BL (Boys Love) novel even though it shows up this way on Goodreads and I've seen it recommended as such. After finishing this volume, I did some research; the BL tag isn't official. From what I can tell there will be queer representation, but an explicit romantic relationship between Hikaru and Yoshiki isn't planned. It looks more like a queerplatonic, codependent dynamic that'll be integral to the book. The official Reddit thread has some information! I'm still not entirely sure about where the story is going, but I wanted to mention this here as I expected that there would be a central romance from how I saw this recommended online!
- https://www.reddit.com/r/HikarugaShindaNatsu/comments/1d3k44a/faq_where_to_read_genre_and_more/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Murder
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Blood, Grief
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Death
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
a great manga to read after an extended reading break!! the art style is so beautiful, something i really strive for to be honest
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Death
Minor: Homophobia, Abortion
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Summer Hikaru Died is a stunning combination of horror and a coming-of-age narrative. What would you do if your best friend died and was replaced by something that looks and acts exactly like him? Yoshiki tries to act as though nothing has changed, despite knowing the truth, but the town is getting stranger and people are dying. From the gorgeous art to the haunting story, this manga is something unique. I can't wait to see where it goes from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death
dark
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Not really sure what to think about this yet. The horror aspect is great, but some of the mystery is muddled and doesn't add up. Maybe the next volume will tell more?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
amazing artwork. very creepy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Minor: Death