The Summer Hikaru Died Explained

Ja Kanji:光が死んだ夏
Ja Romaji:Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu
Type:manga
Author:Mokumokuren
Publisher:Kadokawa Shoten
Demographic:Seinen
Magazine:Young Ace Up
First:August 31, 2021
Volumes:5
Type:anime

is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mokumokuren. It began serialization on Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace Up website in August 2021. Mokumokuren first conceived of the series while studying for exams and later began posting drawings on Twitter, which led to the Young Ace Up editorial department approaching Mokumokuren to serialize the manga via the Young Ace Up website. As of June 2024, the series' individual chapters have been collected in five tankōbon volumes. An anime adaptation has been announced.

Upon release of the first volume, the series became a critical and commercial success, with the first volume selling 200,000 copies in three months, and received critical praise for story, artwork, and characters.

Plot

Yoshiki and Hikaru are two teenage boys living in a small town in rural Japan. Despite having opposite personalities and different hobbies, the two maintain a close friendship. However, on one winter day, Hikaru is fatally injured while hiking in the mountains alone. Before dying, a mysterious eldritch being comes across him and consumes him, becoming him physically in the process. This "Hikaru" has all the feelings and memories of the original, yet remains a separate being, something Yoshiki realizes rather quickly. Yoshiki still wants to stay with "Hikaru", however his alien nature, along with other eldritch beings and hunters of said beings may make that impossible.

Production

Mokumokuren first conceived the series while studying for high school entrance exams. After graduating, Mokumokuren began posting drawings on Twitter in their spare time in January 2021. Mokumokuren was later approached by the Young Ace Up editorial department to serialize the manga in Young Ace Up, which they accepted.[1] Mokumokuren is a fan of action manga from Weekly Shōnen Jump and Weekly Young Jump, particularly Tokyo Ghoul.[1]

While writing the story, Mokumokuren tries to keep the horror to a minimum by trying to appeal to people's emotions rather than just being scary. Mokumokuren also feels the theme of the story adds to the horror based on the suspension bridge effect, which states that it is easier to fall in love when feeling anxious or fearful.[1] For the artwork, Mokumokuren tries to use onomatopoeia that are not often used, while also staying cautious to make sure it works properly in the context of the story.[1]

Mokumokuren introduced this manga in 2021 as the Boys' Love genre,[2] but did not specify the genre of this manga in 2022.[3]

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Mokumokuren, the series began serialization on Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace Up website on August 31, 2021.[4] As of June 2024, the series' individual chapters have been collected in five tankōbon volumes.

In September 2022, Yen Press announced that they licensed the series for English publication.[5]

Volumes

Novel

A novelization of the manga series, written by Mio Nukaga, was published by Kadokawa Shoten on December 4, 2023.[6]

Anime

An anime adaptation was announced on May 24, 2024.[7]

Reception

In the 2022 Next Manga Award, The Summer Hikaru Died ranked 11th in the web manga category. It was also the most popular choice among traditional Chinese voters.[8] The series topped the 2023 edition of Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga for male readers.[9] It was also nominated for the 16th Manga Taishō.[10] The series ranked fifth in the Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2023.[11] This series also ranked 7th in the 7th Tsutaya Comic Awards.[12] In 2023, the series was listed by the New York Public Library among its Best Books for Teens that year.[13] It ranked 29th on the 2023 "Book of the Year" list by Da Vinci magazine.[14] In 2024, the first volume and series author Mokumokuren were nominated for the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia and for Best Writer/Artist respectively.[15] The series has also been nominated for Harvey Awards in the Best Manga category in the same year.[16]

The first volume received three times more orders than copies available in the first print run. The volume was reprinted six times in three months, having over 200,000 copies in circulation.[17] By October 2022, the series had 550,000 copies in circulation.[18] By June 2023, the series had 1.4 million copies in circulation.[19] By December 2023, the series had 1.9 million copies in circulation.[20] By May 24, 2024, the series had 2.1 million copies in circulation.[21]

Chanmei from Real Sound praised the story and characters as emotional. Chanmei also praised the artwork, believing it complemented the story well.[22] Tensako Miura from An An praised the story, main characters, and artwork, positively noting the artwork's use of shades of black.[23]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ja:話題の青春ホラー漫画『光が死んだ夏』作者が明かす、"恐怖"を表現するためのこだわり 「記号ではなく、行動で感情を描く」. https://realsound.jp/book/2022/07/post-1067327.html. Real Sound. July 5, 2022. September 24, 2022. ja. September 21, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220921034711/https://realsound.jp/book/2022/07/post-1067327.html. live.
  2. Web site: https://blnews.chil-chil.net/newsDetail/27384/ . ja:ホラーな人外BL『光が死んだ夏』がヤングエースUpにて連載開始！. ちるちる. 2021-09-02. 2024-07-22. ja. 2023-01-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20230115045407/https://blnews.chil-chil.net/newsDetail/27384/.
  3. Web site: https://x.com/mokmok_len/status/1545046872410443777?t=02eqS8qqa_349DYOWr6qzw&s=19. ja:光が死んだ夏は何のジャンルの漫画なのか？と混乱している人をよく見かけるのですが、私もよく分からないで描いています。読んだ人それぞれに好きに受け取って貰えたら嬉しいと思っています。. Twitter. 2022-07-07. 2024-07-22. ja. July 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240726070925/https://x.com/mokmok_len/status/1545046872410443777?t=02eqS8qqa_349DYOWr6qzw&s=19. live.
  4. Web site: ja:山で行方不明になり、戻ってきた少年に友人は違和感が…新連載「光が死んだ夏」. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/443237. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc. August 31, 2021. September 24, 2022. ja. September 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220922114636/https://natalie.mu/comic/news/443237. live.
  5. Web site: Yen Press Licenses Mokumokuren's The Summer Hikaru Died Manga. Anime News Network. Hazra. Adriana. September 15, 2022. September 24, 2022. September 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220924092619/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-09-15/yen-press-licenses-mokumokuren-the-summer-hikaru-died-manga/.189621. live.
  6. ja:人気コミック「光が死んだ夏」ノベライズ 2023年12月発売！. https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000013597.000007006.html. Kadokawa Corporation. November 10, 2023. November 11, 2023. Chiyoda, Tokyo. PR Times. ja. November 11, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231111013023/https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000013597.000007006.html. live.
  7. Web site: The Summer Hikaru Died Horror Manga Gets Anime. Anime News Network. Pineda. Rafael Antonio. May 23, 2024. May 24, 2024. May 24, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240524035122/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-05-23/the-summer-hikaru-died-horror-manga-gets-anime/.211129. live.
  8. Web site: Medalist, WITCH WATCH, Akane-banashi Win Next Manga Awards 2022 Results. Anime News Network. Loveridge. Lynzee. August 31, 2022. September 24, 2022. August 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220831130106/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2022-08-31/medalist-witch-watch-akane-banashi-win-next-manga-awards-2022-results/.188752. live.
  9. Web site: Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Editors Unveil 2023 Rankings. Anime News Network. Pineda. Rafael Antonio. December 12, 2022. December 12, 2022. December 14, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221214161123/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-12-12/kono-manga-ga-sugoi-editors-unveil-2023-rankings/.192823. live.
  10. Web site: 16th Manga Taisho Awards Nominate 11 Titles. Anime News Network. Cayanan. Joanna. January 24, 2023. January 24, 2023. January 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230124081846/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-01-24/16th-manga-taisho-awards-nominate-11-titles/.194135. live.
  11. Web site: Harding. Daryl. RuriDragon is Japanese Bookstores No. 1 Manga Recommendation of 2023. Crunchyroll. February 2, 2023. February 2, 2023. February 2, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230202092434/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2023/02/01/ruridragon-is-japanese-bookstores-no-1-manga-recommendation-of-2023. live.
  12. Web site: ja:『TSUTAYAコミック大賞』1位は『黄泉のツガイ』 『ハガレン』作者の最新作. https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2296284/full/. Oricon News. September 28, 2023 . September 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230928031154/https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2296284/full/. September 28, 2023. ja. live.
  13. Web site: Pineda. Rafael Antonio. Four Manga Make the NY Public Library's 2023 List of Best Books for Teens. Anime News Network. November 24, 2023. November 24, 2023. November 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231124161700/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-11-24/four-manga-make-the-ny-public-library-2023-list-of-best-books-for-teens/.204753. live.
  14. Web site: Tai. Anita. Tomoko Yamashita's Ikoku Nikki Tops Da Vinci Manga Ranking. Anime News Network. December 6, 2023. December 5, 2023. https://archive.today/20231206031031/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-12-05/tomoko-yamashita-ikoku-nikki-tops-da-vinci-manga-ranking/.205150. December 6, 2023. live.
  15. Web site: Timothy. Adams. 2024 Eisner Award Nominees Revealed. ComicBook.com. May 17, 2024. May 16, 2024. May 16, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240516221658/https://comicbook.com/comics/news/2024-eisner-award-nominees-revealed/. live.
  16. Web site: Pineda. Rafael Antonio. Harvey Awards Nominate Frieren, Delicious in Dungeon, The Summer Hikaru Died, More Manga. Anime News Network. August 15, 2024. August 15, 2024. August 15, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240815133354/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-08-15/harvey-awards-nominate-frieren-delicious-in-dungeon-the-summer-hikaru-died-more-manga/.214321. live.
  17. Web site: ja:SNSで話題沸騰中のホラー漫画『光が死んだ夏』、発売後わずか3か月で20万部突破. https://realsound.jp/book/2022/06/post-1048428.html. Real Sound. June 10, 2022. September 24, 2022. ja. September 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220922085247/https://realsound.jp/book/2022/06/post-1048428.html. live.
  18. ja:累計55万部（電子含む）突破！ 『光が死んだ夏』待望のコミックス2巻刊行を記念し、池袋に大型交通広告が出現！ さらに、”ヒカル”と”よしき”を異なる4組の声優が演じたコミックスPVを4週連続で公開！. https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000011156.000007006.html. Chiyoda, Tokyo. Kadokawa Corporation. October 3, 2022. May 2, 2023. ja. PR Times. March 14, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230314005308/https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000011156.000007006.html. live.
  19. June 2, 2023. ja:累計140万部（電子含む）突破！ 今、Z世代が熱狂する青春ホラー漫画『光が死んだ夏』の謎解き特設サイトが登場！ さらに、『光が死んだ夏』の情報がまとめて見れる公式.... https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000012753.000007006.html. June 13, 2023. Kadokawa Corporation. Chiyoda, Tokyo. PR Times. ja. June 13, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230613042131/https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000012753.000007006.html. live.
  20. June 2, 2023. ja:『光が死んだ夏』ノベライズを記念して、直筆サイン入りグッズが当たるキャンペーンを実施！. https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000013673.000007006.html. December 15, 2023. Kadokawa Corporation. Chiyoda, Tokyo. PR Times. ja. December 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231209074105/https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000013673.000007006.html. live.
  21. Web site: May 24, 2024 . ja:漫画『光が死んだ夏』アニメ化決定 親友の姿をした”ナニカ”と少年の狂気孕む青春ホラー . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240524042327/https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2328525/full/ . May 24, 2024 . May 24, 2024 . . ja.
  22. Web site: ja:幼馴染が全く別の”ナニカ”にすり替わってしまったら……？ SNSで話題沸騰『光が死んだ夏』の不気味な切なさ. https://realsound.jp/book/2022/03/post-982991.html. Real Sound. Chanmei. March 9, 2022. September 24, 2022. ja. September 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220922080104/https://realsound.jp/book/2022/03/post-982991.html. live.
  23. Web site: ja:行方不明の幼なじみが発見されるもその正体は…SNSでも話題の青春ホラーコミック. https://ananweb.jp/news/417090/. An An. Miura. Tensako. May 24, 2022. September 24, 2022. ja. September 23, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220923030342/https://ananweb.jp/news/417090/. live.

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