“I tried not to position it as a love story”: ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Used a Horror Story to Write Phenomenal Queer Characters
- The Summer Haikaru Died is a psychological horror series gaining widespread attention for its eerie body horror and exploration of death and identity.
- Fans often label the series as a Boys' Love (BL) due to its emotional bond between characters, though the creator doesn’t see it as a romance-focused tale.
- The creator, Mokumokuren, clarifies that the series is not a love story, but a coming-of-age horror with queerplatonic themes, emphasizing grief and sexuality.
While Netflix is still finding its place as an anime streaming service, the year 2025 seems promising as it slowly inches its way toward competing with Crunchyroll. With its robust lineup including Sakamoto Days and My Happy Marriage, the most popular title at the moment is The Summer Hikaru Died.
Netflix just dropped a visual teaser for its upcoming psychological horror manga adaptation, which has sent the anime world abuzz.
While the series has an outstanding plot and chilling horror scenes, most of the fans wrongly label the series as a Boys’ Love series. To their surprise, the creator once explained that romance was never the central theme in the series.
The Summer Hikaru Died creator has debunked the rumor of romance
The Boys’ Love (BL) genre has not been immune to controversy, with heated debates and vocal criticism from all sides. Its popularity has spread beyond Japan, gaining a strong place in the global culture.
The genre has undergone changes over the years, with major developments in embracing a plethora of narrative themes. The latest addition to this genre, The Summer Hikaru Died, brings the ferocity of Japanese horror to the classic BL themes, ending in a chilling yet fascinating experience.
The Summer Hikaru Died, an award-winning horror novel by Mokumokuren, is the story of two boys, Hikaru Indou and Yoshiki Tsujinaka.
The series is unlike the rest in that it includes a claustrophobic atmosphere, providing an experience unlike the rest for fans and new readers alike.
With its ominous atmosphere, bone-chilling body horror, and deconstruction of the complex relationship between the two protagonists, the series engages readers from the very start.
In a Japanese interview with The Summer Hikaru Died creator, Mokumokuren, translated by Reddit user HikarugaShindaNatsu, the mangaka shared their thoughts on the series.
The mangaka was firm in his view of creating a story out of conventional horror, even as some readers accused it of being a BL title. Whatever the reason, he was not deterred by such opinions. He said:
I still think that the genre of “The Summer Hikaru Died” is something that readers are free to think about, but I describe it as “coming-of-age-horror” because I think it should be a story that also empathizes with people who have been left behind about romance and sexuality. That’s why I describe it as “youth horror”.
The Summer Hikaru Died creates a good and foreboding atmosphere, well able to marry horror with complicated feelings, well exemplified in Hikaru’s eerily unsettling need to share a relationship with Yoshiki.
“From the beginning, The Summer Hikaru Died was never a Boys Love (BL).”
byu/Rainr3i inHikarugaShindaNatsu
Mokumokuren didn’t have any negative views on fans referring to the series as a BL; instead, he saw it as a compliment and supported fans’ affection for the two characters. He further added:
I believe it’s okay for there to be queer stories that are not about romance. That’s why, from the beginning, I tried not to position it as a love story.
As for the genre, while The Summer Hikaru Died can be classified as a BL on platforms like Goodreads, it is better described by a queerplatonic and codependent relationship rather than a simple romance, thus creating an additional layer of mystery to its appeal.
Netflix’s trailer amplifies The Summer Hikaru Died’s growing hype
The teaser for The Summer Hikaru Died showcases breathtaking visuals paired with promises of dark twists and psychological horror, leaving the entire anime community eagerly awaiting its Netflix release.
Yoshiki has known Hikaru since they were kids. So when his friend returns after being missing, he knows this is not Hikaru but 'something else'…
— Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) November 27, 2024
The Summer Hikaru Died coming soon, only on Netflix! pic.twitter.com/5wWiHyG7Qe
Modern anime continues to embrace the tradition of toying with layered imagery—a tradition that has been bathed in so much love and admiration by fans for titles like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen. The Summer Hikaru Died prides itself in keeping with tradition.
The Summer Hikaru Died is a psychological horror manga that explores death, grieving, and identity. The manga’s artwork is a part of this tension, focusing on the repulsive body horror and otherworldly quality of Hikaru’s return.
It explores themes of hidden nature and humanity perfectly, combining horrific artwork inspired by Junji Ito with an original story that goes out of its way to avoid typical BL tropes.
The story is deeply emotional and somber, especially for those who are thinking about unrequited love, making it a nostalgic but creepy experience. The mix of horror, friendship, and psychological complexity makes it stand out, making it a must-watch for fans of the genre and anime lovers in general.
The Summer Hikaru Died manga is available to read on Viz Media, while the anime will premiere on Netflix.
