Yoshiki and Hikaru begin their investigation into Hikaru’s possible origins, going off the history of the village. Unlikely sources become their biggest clues; however, more and more spirits are revealing themselves, causing unease not only for Yoshiki but also for the villagers. Emotions are high and the dangers are rampant as Yoshiki and Hikaru’s research continues. Here is the eighth episode review of The Summer Hikaru Died.
Trigger Warning: Suicide and death. Please read with caution.
Overview
The hunt for answers is on as Yoshiki and Hikaru begin their investigation into what Hikaru’s origins are. Both boys head to school and run into Asako, who explains that her right ear isn’t working and doctors can’t figure out why. During class, a man sneaks into the school courtyard and kills himself with a knife, causing panic amongst the students and the staff. Asako mentions that the person was possessed by something scary inside of him and is worried about her friends. Later, Yoshiki and Hikaru stop by the library and find out that Matsuura’s daughter works as a librarian. She explains that her mother always talked about Nonuki growing up, and even more so when her sister disappeared on the mountain when she was younger. She also mentions another helpful resource: Old Man Takeda.
As night falls, Yoshiki meets Tanaka as he walks to Hikaru’s house. They chat for a moment; Tanaka offers Yoshiki his hamster to pet and explains that he’s here as an ethologist to study. As Yoshiki and Hikaru stop at a busy diner to go over all the information they gathered the next day, Yoshiki spots a headless spirit in the now-empty diner. Hikaru tries to kill the spirit, but is knocked out. Yoshiki panics and passes out, waking up back in the busy diner with Rie Kurebayashi standing over him.
Final Thoughts
This episode is building up to an intense confrontation, and I am nothing but excited to see it play out. Watching Yoshiki and Hikaru understand the history of the village had me on the edge of my seat, and it makes me wonder what secrets Old Man Takeda will spill. Yoshiki’s brief interaction with Tanaka left me with a slight feeling of dread, however. Tanaka is getting closer and closer to finding Hikaru, and with the rise in spirits, it’s only a matter of time before something or someone gets to our main characters.
The Summer Hikaru Died anime is available to stream on Netflix, and the manga is available for purchase on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble.
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