Unsettling, creepy and a damn good read. The Summer Hikaru Died Volume 1 kept me engage from start to finish with beautiful artwork, compelling characters and a nice pay off.

I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I thought this was an interesting concept for a manga. It seems like it would be a one volume horror story, but it sounds like there is more going on than meets the eye. At first, I thought this would be about a boy figuring out slowly that this thing was not his best friend, but he found out right away. To me that changed the whole idea of the story from suspense of is he or is he not Hikaru to should I accept this new Hikaru or should I run in terror. The idea of not being able to let go of the past even though it appears to be right in front of you.

I think the story really starts to pick up when Hikaru opens up and begins to really show the main character who he is as a being rather than his friend. How he is attached and doesn't want to let go either. I would be interested in seeing where this story goes as I did not see this direction. It reminds me a lot of Junji Ito's supernatural works. Where there is a lot of supernatural and human elements involved in the horror.

3.5 stars

Such an eerie and atmospheric manga!

I do wish there was a bit more of the horror element but it is the first book in a series so hopefully it gets more horror filled in the next volumes.

I really enjoyed the art style it fit the vibe of the manga really well!

the only thing I wasnt a huge fan of was the writing, I'm not sure if it was because it was an arc or just the translation but a lot of sentences didnt seem complete.

but other than that its a great start to a manga!

I will 100% be checking out the rest of the series!

thank you Netgalley, and the publishers for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

C'est vraiment rare que j'abandonne des mangas en cours de route mais après des jours de lutte pour tenter de terminer celui-ci, j'ai decidé d'arrêter. Je ne sais pas si c'est l'histoire que je n'ai pas comprise ou bien le language très familier qui m'a énormément déranger mais je n'ai absolument pas accroché. C'est dommage car le titre m'avait attiré...ça arrive ! :)

When Yoshiki’s best friend Hikaru went missing in the mountains, everyone assumed the worst, so when he reappeared, his family was just relieved that he was alive. Only . . . he's not quite the same kid he used to be. Something dark now dwells inside Hikaru, and only Yoshiki knows the truth.

I found this one to be almost unbearably creepy. There's something so disturbing about the unnatural hovering around as we try to get on with our mundane everyday lives. I'm interested to see what happens next, though I'd prefer this series not drag on for too long.

Yoshiki's best friend Hikaru went missing for a week in the mountains. When he returned, he soundes, looked and talked like Hikau. It was not hikaru who returned. Everyone thinks it is Hikaru other than Yoshiki. Yoshiki knows the truth. I really enjoyed this manga and I can't wait to read the next volume.

The Summer Hikaru Died centers on a couple boys, one of whom has been replaced by an unknown dark creature. In digital format, this title wows readers with jump scares and impressive changing visuals that may not translate to a physical book. Despite this, the illustrations are detailed and easy to follow. Its plot is suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat. Both characters are sympathetic, and the mystery of who "Hikaru" is will bring me back to the series for the next book. I recommend this for readers who want a good mystery that goes darker than the usual form allows.

Rating: 3.83 leaves out of 5
Characters: 4/5
Cover (plus art): 3.75/5
Story: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Horror, Boys Love, LGBT, Paranormal, Seinen, Supernatural
-Horror: 1/5
-Boys Love: 3.75/5
-LGBT: 3.75/5
-Paranormal: 5/5
-Seinen: 2.5/5
-Supernatural: 5/5
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yeah

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

If you like Junji Ito but with more story then you will love this. I was creeped out, sick, and rooting for the main two. I didn't really get much answers to my questions but I know for a fact they will be found in the upcoming volumes. They way it left off had me itching for more!

Wow, this was such a weird read. I'd give it a 3.75. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Going into it, the plot is totally the opposite of what I thought it'd be. The art style perfectly matches the story and really hit home some of the "otherness" of everything happening. Volume 1 was a solid entry to the story and I'm really curious as to how volume 2 will turn out after that ending.

It's really hard to summarize the plot without giving spoilers-- but all I have to say is...what are you really, Hikaru?

I've been eyeing this series since the first time I heard about it and it didn't disappoint! Following Yoshiki, who's bestfriend and love interest Hikaru went missing in the forest for a month and then returned like nothing happened. Only Yoshiki quickly realized that "Hikaru" is not Hikaru. It depicted grief, loss, and uncertainty really well- Yoshiki liked Hikaru, but never had the chance to tell him that and even without the romantic feelings, the fact that they have been together made his death hits really hard. We never know how Hikaru felt for Yoshiki, but "Hikaru" definitely liked Yoshiki (either on his own or leftover from real Hikaru's feelings). Despite that, "Hikaru" could also be cruel towards Yoshiki, hurting him on several instances.

The story started out immediately, which I appreciated and took me off guard. It established the relationship and setting really well within the first 3 pages of the manga, and I truly got jumped lol. The mysteries are also intriguing- on how hikaru died, how yoshiki realized "hikaru" is not hikaru, what is "hikaru" and weird things happening around the village. I'm really looking forward for its sequel!

This was such an interesting story! I am definitely interested in learning more, especially what will happen next and what happened to Hikaru in the forest, and his dad before. The only issue I had with this was the way they spoke. I’m a southerner… and I couldn’t tell if it was genuine or mocking, but regardless everything else was great, especially enjoyed the art style.

I went into this almost blind, and I was blown away.

Yoshiki and Hikaru are childhood friends, and they share a strong bond even to this day. But after Hikaru visits a near mountain something is different and Yoshiki can't ignore it anymore, he asks his friend “You are not real Hikaru, are you?” and after a heavy silence Hikaru's response is “I'm supposed to be a perfect copy of him. Please don't tell anyone.” and that is the beginning of a new reality for Yoshiki, his best friend is dead and in his place it's an ominous thing, that fills him with terror and pleads to him not to be exposed because it is enjoying this, and it doesn't want to kill Yoshiki.

All that is just the first chapter of this story!! It is brilliant and so heavy and dark that I can't help but be fascinated by it. I absolutely love the heavy atmosphere and the constant dread Yoshiki fells. It's oppressive and transfixing at the same time.

"I may be borrowing this body and personality, but my feelings for you are real... so please, I don't want to kill you."

This is the first volume of The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren, a story focusing around two teenagers, Yoshiki and Hikaru, and the summer Hikaru disappeared and was presumed dead. He returns alive, shocking everybody in their small town, but Yoshiki believes something is intrinsically wrong with Hikaru upon his return.

The Summer Hikaru Died is the beginning of a coming of age story fraught with desire for companionship and pain, and the metaphor for death and rebirth through horror to represent what comes with the feeling of being "othered" for being queer in a rural town where that is misunderstood. It is a story about love and companionship, and all those messy, strong feelings in between. It is a story of grief. Of mourning.

Mokumokuren blends tension with powerful, surreal illustration to draw the reader in and keep them immersed in this world where monsters are real, and sometimes they are not the true evil. Sometimes, this is ambiguous, grey, and confusing. Above all, The Summer Hikaru Died showcases horrific imagery in terrifying situations to make a statement about vulnerability and intimacy. In this translation by Yen Press, Ajani Oloye masterfully blends this text's localization with a recognizable accent, showcasing the "country" aspect inherent to the story.

It is on the weird side, but that makes it interesting. The artwork is awesome too! Yoshiki's best friend disappeared into the mountains six months ago. Someone (or something) that looked like him, behaved like him and had the same memories come back. But it isn't the same Hikaru.

That doesn't stop Yoshiki from being pulled towards him.

It took a bit of time for me to get oriented to what was happening. The start is all over the place and I couldn't figure out who was who and what was going on. But once I got sucked in, I couldn't stop reading. And those last few chapters were so intense, I can't wait to read what happens next. :)

Thank you for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review like always!
This series has hooked me in! I need to know what's going to happen next. I want to know the truth behind Hikaru and what happen to him, but also I am terrified to know as well. It is a beautifully written and drawn volume of a story that makes you want to know from the first chapter. I love horror manga and this one does not disappoint in the slightest.

Actual Rating 3.5 stars

I'm so intrigued by this premise. But I didn't think that it was going to happen this way.

Spoiler? We are told within the first couple of pages that this being is not Hikaru. Not spoiler?

I was really expecting more of a question surrounding the summer Hikaru died and what came back instead. But it's not so much a question about what happened as if our main character can learn to live with it.

Don't get me wrong, there are still questions, but I think that the bigger part of this revolves around our main character (subtly) being LGBTQ. I'm just not sure how I feel about the fact that he doesn't seem concerned about what happened to his best friend.

I will pick up the next volume, but I'm going to really need some character progression.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic first book in a manga series. It combines poignant and emotional moments and elements of horror, exploring themes of loneliness and attachment. I can't wait to read more; would recommend this for fans of Shuzo Oshimi.

Thank you to Netgalley and Yen Press for this egalley in exchange for a review.

That thing that came down from the mountain... it's not Hikaru. It looks like Hikaru, sounds like him and acts like him, but Yoshiki knows better.

Haunting and mysterious, we are taken on Yoshiki's journey of founding out just exactly Hikaru has become. Missing his bestfriend, he's forced to act like Hikaru is the same. That doesn't stop Yoshiki from confronting him about it. What happens when the village people begin to go missing? Or even worse- dying under the most mysterious circumstances? Is it somehow related to who Hikaru is?

Overall I was captivated and really enjoyed these characters. The story itself is a shonen that meets a Junji Ito story. The art is detailed and macabre, & I look forward to the next installment!

I’d seen a few scenes from this and was super interested to read it after being officially translated. Very creepy and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

"The Summer Hikaru Died" (Volume 1) from Mokumokuren and published by Yen Press is a surprise. I like that it comes right out of the gate with premise. Yoshiki, a high schooler in a small town, knows that his friend, Hikaru, is not the one that he has always known. There is no mincing words or actions. Something happened to Hikaru on the summer day that he went into the mountain forest because the Hikaru that came back is something that inhabits his body and knows his memories.

The point of view jumps around and I'm not as keen on that but it doesn't detract from the tension-filled story. There's a lot going on here. There is mystery of what happened to Hikaru; what is going on with his family; a recent murder; and general tension in this small countryside town.

It is the first volume and I'm very intrigued. It isn't a high school romance although there are the complicated feelings that Yoshiki has for Hikaru and perhaps Hikaru had for Yoshiki. The current Hikaru is unsure whether its feelings are memories or unique. That is just is one of the mysteries.

The pacing is very good. The characters have shading when needed. The premise has a solid hook that intrigues. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of this series.