The Summer time Hikaru Died shouldn’t be a loud, boisterous, level-up-til-infinity, rock ’em sock ’em robots sort affair. Truthfully, it’s as quiet, sleepy, slow-paced, and understated because the village it’s set in; precisely what you’d count on from an artwork home or Reminiscences of Homicide model movie. In fact, it has it’s personal sci-fi/fantasy twist, however not in the best way you’d count on.
Primarily based on Mokumokuren’s web-based manga, the sequence follows youngsters Yoshiki and Hikaru within the aftermath of the latter’s mysterious week-long disappearance on a neighborhood mountain. When Hikaru claims to haven’t any reminiscence of what occurred, Yoshiki realizes his “good friend” can’t be the actual Hikaru, and his imposter reveals himself to be a magical entity that has possessed his good friend’s physique.
The faux-Hikaru begs Yoshiki to not reveal the reality to anybody, saying he doesn’t wish to should kill him as a result of he has developed a real affection for him. In the meantime, Yoshiki faces interior turmoil over the invention, and shamefully admits to preferring having a shell of his former good friend to nothing in any respect.
We get a way from a sequence of flash backs, interspersed with scenes of the 2 boys going a couple of “regular” day in school, that Yoshiki’s true emotions for Hikaru prolong past the purely platonic. Realizing that the “entity” has entry to all of Hikaru’s authentic reminiscences, Yoshiki asks if he likes him in an ungainly exchanges stuffed with pregnant pauses. When the faux-Hikaru responds, “Sure”, Yoshiki confirms what had seemingly gone unstated between the 2 for his or her whole friendship.
Whereas there are a great deal of blanks that have to be crammed in (Yoshiki’s troubled residence life, a lady who appeared shocked to see Hikaru alive, and a “firm” that seems to be looking for no matter this faux-Hikaru is), we do know that as the actual Hikaru lay injured within the woods, he known as out for Yoshiki, even when it was simply in a whisper. The “entity” does verify that he didn’t hurt Hikaru, quite he found the boy when he was already near loss of life. How or why he obtained there, nonetheless stays a thriller.
Whereas we gained’t get any extra significant solutions till subsequent Saturday’s episode, the pilot did a tremendous job of pulling us in with a novel premise, lovely artistry, cinematic montages and storytelling. That is undoubtedly a go-to sequence for lunch breaks, subway commutes, or that one final fast present proper earlier than mattress. It’s an espresso shot of high quality tv for individuals who don’t have time to sip an entire cappuccino.
You’ll be able to watch The Summer time Hikaru Died on Netflix, with new episodes premiering Saturdays at 12 a.m. PT/ 3 a.m. ET.