wolftendo
Shiny hunter wolf
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Disclaimer: I know there is a manga thread, but after discovering this -I apologize for the cheesiness of this cringe-inducing expression:- "hidden gem™", I feel like it's my new mission in life to tell about it to as much people as I can, and I think with such an unique take on two well-established genres, it deserves a moment in the spotlight. So I'll be brief, I promise.
"Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu (光が死んだ夏), The summer hikaru died" is far from being your average cutesy boy's love story. It's weird, and dark, but that kind of darkness where, no matter if you're stuck in a frightening storm, you will always see a sliver of sunlight crossing beneath the clouds, hitting you in the face and making you feel warm inside.
The plot revolves around two boys, Yoshiki and Hikaru, who are childhood friends living in a small rural town in Japan. Both boys are always together, and it is implied that before the events of the story, they might already have feelings for each other. However, they never talked about it because again, talking about your feelings in a small Japanese town where literally every villager knows each other and rumors spread like wildfire might not be the brightest idea.
One day, Hikaru tells Yoshiki that he won't be able to hang out with him because he has to climb a mountain that borders the village. He knows he can't tell Yoshiki that said trip is part of a mission that all members of his family have to undertake starting around his age, and that he had to take part of it, now that his father is no longer with them. However, something happens, and he goes missing for a week, making Yoshiki afraid that the worst had happened. Nonetheless, a week later, he comes back in one piece, to Yoshiki's surprise, and for a brief moment, relief.
6 months passes, to the beggining of our story. The two boys are enjoying a summer afternoon, enjoying popsicles to pass the heat, when suddenly, Yoshiki asks Hikaru if he can make a quite intrusive question. He then asks: "What happened with the real Hikaru?".
At that moment, "Hikaru"'s face starts to deform, while some unknown fluids start leeking from his insides. He starts looking deeply at Yoshiki, frightening him. But in a twist I WAS GENUINELY NOT EXPECTING, he hugs Yoshiki, asking him that he likes living as a human, not being alone, and confessing (his ?) feelings to the black haired boy. "Hikaru" asks panicked to keep his secret, and that he genuinely doesn't want to do any harm to Yoshiki. He also reveals that the real Hikaru died in the mountains, and that "it" found Hikaru already at death's door in the mountain. In fact, "it" reveals that Hikaru asked him, moments before his death, to take his body, to protect Yoshiki and to never leave it alone...
Even knowing the truth, Yoshiki accepts "Hikaru"'s embrace. He can't let Hikaru go no matter what, so while grieving for the loss of the real Hikaru he accepts the fake one.... However, is this really a wise decision? Why does Yoshiki want to give a chance to this... thing, that is using his late friend's corpse? Why did "Hikaru" confess his feelings? Are these really "his" feelings? How far is "Hikaru" going to go to protect Yoshiki? How much will "Hikaru" give up to keep living as a human? How much will Yoshiki give up to stay close to "Hikaru"? Is the town going to be safe with "it" being around them?
It might be because I'm a gay man, but this story resonated with me like no other BL story before. In all, it's a horror manga that deal with topics such as death, grief, grudges, keeping your true nature hidden, and about what does it mean to be someone, what does it mean to be human. The writing is extremely well done, and I'm pleased to announce that, whatever tired tropes are appearing in your mind right now, this work is free of them. Its art direction reminds me of junji itto, and it's in a way, a sad story, but with a silver lining. This is the kind of story that makes me nostalgic for the past, for when I was a teenage boy, having a crush for my best friend, a crush that went unrequited. Of course, My friend was not possessed by an elditch creature mimicking him, but still...
The first two volumes of the Manga are available in Spanish and English, and the most recent Japanese version it's being published weekly on Young Ace Up. It has 17 chapters so far, but they are meatier than a regular manga chapter. If you want to read it in unofficial channels is OK, just be mindful of supporting the official release. I know I said it was going to be short but I'm genuinely so excited about this that I couldn't contain myself, so I apologize.
Again, please give it a chance, I promise you will not regret it.
