Hello, readers of the Herald. Do you read manga? No? Well, it is my humble duty to try to change that. (You may have even heard of this up-and-coming piece of media, with its recent adaptation to an anime on Netflix.) I present to you: ‘The Summer Hikaru Died,’ by Mokumokuren.

As the chilling season of Halloween nears, I hope to recommend an equally horrifying piece of fiction. ‘The Summer Hikaru Died (TSHD)’ is a supernatural/psychological horror manga, exploring themes of death, grief, humanity, (queer) identity, and acceptance. This story is centered around Yoshiki and Hikaru — two schoolboys, best friends — as they live their day-to-day lives in their small, rural hometown. It is the summer when Yoshiki finally comes to the haunting realization that something is wrong. Hikaru, since disappearing in the mountains six months ago, has been acting… different. He looks the same and sounds the same, but his mannerisms are somehow more carefree, and he speaks with an uncharacteristic curiosity. 

All noise quiets, and under the pressure of a sweltering summer sun, Yoshiki confronts Hikaru. 

“You ain’t the real Hikaru, are ya?” 

This manga puts a new spin on the classic “came back wrong” trope, as we learn that Hikaru is, in fact, no longer Hikaru, and is instead inhabited by some eldritch monster who possesses Hikaru’s body and mind. Despite lacking any semblance of humanity, Not-Hikaru tries his absolute darnedest to do whatever it takes to remain by Yoshiki’s side, even if that means killing other residents of their town, or learning empathy and the value of human life. 

And that’s just the beginning! School starts. Everything is the same, and yet, nothing will ever be the same again. New characters, old friends, are introduced. Not-Hikaru’s presence in the town starts attracting malevolent creatures and spirits, and soon, Yoshiki and Not-Hikaru won’t be the only ones affected by the supernatural. You will watch as it gets harder and harder for Not-Hikaru (and Yoshiki?) to conceal their monstrous self.

With that being said, there’s nothing I love more than internal conflict. If you love watching/reading characters fight their own mind and/or heart, writhe as a result of their own actions, struggle to acknowledge themself, then this truly is the manga for you. This is relevant, though, because Hikaru (and Yoshiki?) is burdened with the weight of hiding his identity, hiding the fact that he is, indeed, a monster. He struggles to fit into society, appearances aside, mentally and as a person, as a human. How can he be like everyone else? How can he fit in if he is simply internally different? How could he ever be accepted if there is something fundamentally wrong with him? 

‘TSHD’ truly explores what it means to be human, and what it means to be a monster. Are you a monster because you are an incomprehensible, horrifying eldritch being from the mountains possessing the body of a schoolboy? Are you a monster because you have no concept of morality or empathy? Are you a monster because you simply are wrong, existing incorrectly, evilly? Are you a monster because you are hiding that evil? Are you a monster because you are hiding something, something no one in your small town could ever understand or accept, but something you cannot change? Is Not-Hikaru truly a monster? Is Yoshiki? There’s only one way to find out the truth about these boys (go read the manga!!), and what you discover might be less horrifying than you think.

‘TSHD’ is one of the most compelling pieces I have ever read. (I really must credit my friend who put me on. Ian Kim, this goes out to you.) Since I read it about a year ago, I have been absolutely obsessed. I am on the path to owning all the current printed volumes (I unfortunately only have two), I have cosplays planned for the characters, I’ve drawn fanart of these guys, my phone and laptop background are manga panels — I love ‘TDSH.’

Readers and future readers of this manga: hit me up. Let’s talk and bond over this peak media. 

TLDR: technically a BL manga (hey, if that’s what makes you read it, then I will do what it takes), amazing art and art style, queer themes, horror aspects, black/white haired duo, one of my favourite pieces of literature, is on Netflix if you don’t want to read.