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A review by liyyah_bee
The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 2 by Mokumokuren
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Rewriting this again because my last review didn't save ðŸ˜
We pick up from where we left off in the previous volume with "Hikaru" losing control over his form and attacking Yoshiki in the classroom. There a dozen ways to interpret this scene (I personally see it as Yoshiki lashing out both in grief AND internalized homophobia as well as a form of assault since "Hikaru" is attacking Yoshiki with something they deemed intimate). I absolutely love the way that the anime conveyed this scene. Both mediums contribute to the palpable horror and stress and heavy emotion that comes with this scene.
It's interesting to see Yoshiki and "Hikaru's" relationship develop. This is only the second volume and so much has happened in what I assume to be a short amount of time. It's a budding codependency with a surprising amount of communication as Yoshiki and "Hikaru" both often disscuss their situation and try to figure out where they go from there. It's mind boggling to me that the queerness is so heavily debated but it isn't even subtext anymore it's the TEXT.
Another thing I absolutely love is the commitment to the setting. The conservatism of the village explains a lot about Yoshiki as a character and why he's so repressed. There's a lack of privacy and an overabundance of familiarity that's grating. It doesn't help that the people are so nosy and voice their well-intentioned but honestly mean-spirited opinions. There's no real escape for Yoshiki and he is constantly carrying the weight of their perception of him.
I can't help but be drawn to Kaoru because she looks so vulnerable every time we see her. I genuinely wonder if there's a genetic predisposition to depression amongst the family. The arguing between their parents is clearly hitting her hard too. Maybe that's why she isn't going to school? :((
It's insane that the volume ends with a possessed Yoshiki drowning "Hikaru" but that just makes me more excited to pick up the next volume 👀
(The bonus story....."Hikaru" being in awe of life, Yoshiki realizing he probably shouldn't take "Hikaru's" 'like' seriously, the comphet, "Hikaru" being 'weird' and accepting it and determined to understand what kind of love he feels for Yoshiki......they make me so emo)
We pick up from where we left off in the previous volume with "Hikaru" losing control over his form and attacking Yoshiki in the classroom. There a dozen ways to interpret this scene (I personally see it as Yoshiki lashing out both in grief AND internalized homophobia as well as a form of assault since "Hikaru" is attacking Yoshiki with something they deemed intimate). I absolutely love the way that the anime conveyed this scene. Both mediums contribute to the palpable horror and stress and heavy emotion that comes with this scene.
It's interesting to see Yoshiki and "Hikaru's" relationship develop. This is only the second volume and so much has happened in what I assume to be a short amount of time. It's a budding codependency with a surprising amount of communication as Yoshiki and "Hikaru" both often disscuss their situation and try to figure out where they go from there. It's mind boggling to me that the queerness is so heavily debated but it isn't even subtext anymore it's the TEXT.
Another thing I absolutely love is the commitment to the setting. The conservatism of the village explains a lot about Yoshiki as a character and why he's so repressed. There's a lack of privacy and an overabundance of familiarity that's grating. It doesn't help that the people are so nosy and voice their well-intentioned but honestly mean-spirited opinions. There's no real escape for Yoshiki and he is constantly carrying the weight of their perception of him.
I can't help but be drawn to Kaoru because she looks so vulnerable every time we see her. I genuinely wonder if there's a genetic predisposition to depression amongst the family. The arguing between their parents is clearly hitting her hard too. Maybe that's why she isn't going to school? :((
It's insane that the volume ends with a possessed Yoshiki drowning "Hikaru" but that just makes me more excited to pick up the next volume 👀
(The bonus story....."Hikaru" being in awe of life, Yoshiki realizing he probably shouldn't take "Hikaru's" 'like' seriously, the comphet, "Hikaru" being 'weird' and accepting it and determined to understand what kind of love he feels for Yoshiki......they make me so emo)