by The sixth episode of the TV anime “The Summer Where Light Died,” titled “Asako,” aired, and immediately following its broadcast, social media erupted with comments such as “This is the most tense episode” and “Asako is so cool.
“The Summer Where Light Died” is a coming-of-age horror story based on the manga by Mokumoku Ren. It depicts the interactions between high school student Yoshiki and a mysterious “something” in the form of his best friend, Hikaru. It won the Global Special Award in the Web Manga category of the “Next Manga Awards 2022” and was ranked first in the Men’s Edition of “This Manga is Amazing! 2023.” Yoshiki and Hikaru are childhood friends of the same age, growing up in a particular village.
The scorching sun, the hum of cicadas that lingers in their ears, the ice cream they eat on the way home, and laughter over trivial things make for an ordinary summer. However, Hikaru, who went missing in the mountains six months ago, returns one week later. The voice and figure of something resembling light, and within it, lurks something. A strange daily life begins with “Something” disguised as a friend, and at the same time, bizarre incidents begin to plague the village. Due to the nature of this theme, the following text contains spoilers for those who have not yet seen the series. Please be careful when reading.
Episode 6 begins with the “Swamp Man” thought experiment, posed by philosopher Donald Davidson: Can someone who looks and acts identical to another person, despite having no memories or experiences, be considered “the same person”? The underlying theme of the story thus far, “Is Hikaru Light?”, is confronted more directly this time. Before the choir competition, Yoshiki stays overnight at Hikaru’s house with Maki, Asako, and Yuki.
The fireworks scene depicted there is said to have been a particular focus of the production team. The meticulous depiction of the sparks and the flickering smoke garnered rave reviews, with comments like, “The fireworks are so realistic,” and “They’ve still got more to offer in terms of depicting summer!” The sight of Yoshiki and Hikaru laughing happily amid the summery visuals is reassuring, especially considering the horror-filled nature of this series. The impact of the wig-wearing ghost in episode 5 was so strong that many viewers likely felt a sense of relief at this brief, everyday episode.
However, that relief didn’t last long. This was because Asako’s past, whose behavior had previously suggested psychic powers, was revealed. Raised on stories of reincarnation, Asako had lived her life seeing and hearing things invisible to others, and knew that this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. That’s why, when alone with Hikaru, Asako asks him directly: “Who are you?” Viewers responded with mixed excitement, saying, “It’s finally here,” and “So brave!” However, when Hikaru’s identity is revealed, he attempts to kill Asako. Yoshiki, upon seeing her, does not hide his contempt. To Hikaru, life and death are merely different forms. That’s why life has no weight…or so it should. Yet, Yoshiki is the only one he doesn’t want to die. The time he spent with Yoshiki was literally “special,” and he longed to be by his side and wish for his happiness. This huge contradiction is heartbreaking. The sight of the two passing each other without even exchanging glances prompted many to lament, “It’s so heartbreaking,” and “It can’t be helped, since he tried to kill Asako, but it’s still painful.” In the special ending, a shot is inserted of a young Hikaru gazing at Yoshiki from the side as he watches fireworks.
The heartbreaking voice of Umeda Shuichiro, who plays Hikaru, calling out, “Yoshiki…” is depressing. While Yoshiki is gazing at Hikaru in the regular ending, this time the perspective is reversed. Comments such as “It was like they cared about each other, and it made me cry,” and “The perspective composition was effective” were common. Because fireworks were featured in the calm and joyous scenes of the first half, the repetition of these fireworks in this scene in the second half strongly reinforced Hikaru’s powerful feelings for Yoshiki.
Furthermore, the scene in which Hikaru’s “inner self” bursts out of Yoshiki’s arm as he reaches out for him has been described as “perfect horror” and “gives me goosebumps.” Hikaru struggles to decide whether his desire not to lose Yoshiki stems from Hikaru’s memories or his feelings.
This is the conflict brewing within him. Episode 6 was dense, combining the sparkle of youth with ominous shadows and philosophical questions. It generated a buzz after the episode aired, with many commenting that it’s “my favorite summer anime right now” and “I watch it live every week.”The heartbreaking distance between Yoshiki and Hikaru continues to move viewers. The summer anime “The Summer When Light Died” will air every Saturday at 12:55 AM on Nippon TV and other channels. It will also be exclusively distributed worldwide on Netflix and will be available for free on ABEMA.
TV anime “The Summer When Light Died” Broadcasting information TV anime broadcast starts from July 5th (Sat) Nationwide broadcast every Saturday from 24:55 on Nippon TV affiliates Netflix worldwide exclusive and ABEMA free exclusive distribution starts Staff: Original work: Mokumoku Ren (serialized in KADOKAWA’s “Young Ace UP”) Director / Series composition: Takeshita Ryohei Character design / Chief animation director: Takahashi Yuichi Dorodoro animator: Hiraoka Masanobu Prop design: Oji Ryunosuke Sub-character design: Watanabe Mai, Nishigan Hiroko, Nagasawa Shoko Art setting: Tada Shuhei, Takahashi Takeyuki, Sono Yudai Art director: Honda Kohei Color design: Nakano Naomi Color design assistant: Koshida Yuko 3D director: Nakano Yoshinori Director of photography: Maeda Tomohiro 2D design: Nagara Yusuke, Tsue Yuri Editing: Kimura Yoshiko Sound direction: Kasamatsu Koji Sound production: dugout Music: Umebayashi Taro Opening theme song: “Reunion” by Vaundy Ending theme song: “You are a monster” by TOOBOE Animation production: Cygames Pictures Cast: Yoshinori Tsujinaka: Chiaki Kobayashi Hikaru: Shuichiro Umeda Tanaka: Chikahiro Kobayashi Rie Kurebayashi: Ikuna Kowaka Asako Yamagishi: Yumiri Hanamori Yuta Maki: Yoshiki Nakajima Yuki Tadokoro: Shion Wakayama (C) Mokumoku Ren / KADOKAWA / “The Summer When the Light Died” Production Committee
