The heartfelt exchange, in which Yoshiki and Hikaru reveal their true feelings amid a heated argument, evoked an outpouring of emotion online, with viewers writing, "I can't... the tears won't stop already..." and "I can watch it over and over, and I'll cry every time..."

Additionally, the performances of Chiaki Kobayashi as Yoshiki and Shūichirō Umeda as Hikaru were highly praised: "Kobayashi-kun's acting when Yoshiki reveals his feelings was so realistic I was glued to the screen," and "Umeda-san's and Chiaki-kun's performances pulled me in even more—I couldn't stop crying." The announcement that a second season of the anime is in production also drew comments such as "The best!!" and "I'm just too happy," generating much excitement.

"The Summer Hikaru Died" is based on a popular manga by Mokumokuren that has sold over 3.5 million copies. It's a coming-of-age horror story surrounding high school boy Yoshiki and a "something" that has taken the form of his friend Hikaru.

Episode 12 "A Place to Belong"
[Synopsis]
While the end-of-term ceremony is being held in the gym, Hikaru walks through the empty school building, as if tracing fun past memories. Then Asako arrives and asks him, "You're not really 'Hikaru,' are you?" She had witnessed the moment when Hikaru attacked Yoshiki that day. Meanwhile, Tanaka is telling Takeda, "The Nounuki-sama—it's never existed from the start..."

(C)Mokumokuren/KADOKAWA/The Summer Hikaru Died Partners

English