Even if youre not Hikaru... I still want to stay by your side The anime version of The Summer Hikaru Died is a horrifically silent movie a movie that does not yell at its own terrors but exudes them like a heatwave on a summer afternoon. It narrates the life of a boy Yoshiki who has discovered that the best friend he has grown up with laughed with and even had countless memories with is substituted by something different. There is something that resembles Hikaru speaks like Hikaru even smiles like him but it is not Hikaru. The thing that I found most interesting about this adaptation is that it is tender. The anime is not hasty as every moment is allowed to breathe. The camera is lingering over the streets when they are not busy over the grass and the humming of cicadae all that makes summer so nostalgic and so short. This peaceful environment turns out to be the ideal background of the emotional conflict of Yoshiki. The Hikaru we observe is not a monster in the classic sense of this word. It is somehow more human than situation permits. It appears to take care of Yoshiki want to be near him and there is where the horror indeed is. The love here is not articulated but cannot be ignored. Yoshiki is not only afraid or in denial by remaining with Hikaru but rather loving him. He is aware that something has gone wrong that the actual Hikaru is gone but he opts to hold onto this new him however uncanny it is. This is best portrayed in the anime with little glances little touches and long silences that can communicate more than words could ever communicate. This is not a love story in the usual sense of the word it is more complex more hurtful. It poses the question of whether love is able to endure when the person that you are in love with has essentially changed. The sound design takes everything to a new level the natural environment makes the silence itself so heavy the music does not appear much but it is so gentle and almost sorrowful like a memory that you cannot keep. The plotting maintains a slow and intimate pace giving attention to the inner world of Yoshiki instead of jump scares and flashy horror. It is not attempting to frighten you off the chair it is attempting to sink into your flesh to make you wonder what you would do in the position of Yoshiki. This anime isnt for everyone. You may get frustrated going in and expecting a fastpaced action and a classic supernatural fight. However when you need something spooky silent and very human this is one of the most emotionally resonant series of recent years. It is a tale of sorrow romance and suffering of not letting go of something that is already lost. Towards the end I was both cold and empty like I experienced the summer of Yoshiki with him. The Summer Hikaru Died is not merely horror it is a reflection on maturing losing a loved one and making a decision to love despite the pain. And that is why it is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking anime of the year.