The horror genre never seems to get a fair shake in the anime world. While there have been plenty of Junji Ito anime adaptations in the past, there are quite a few spooky manga series that are never brought to life in the same way as most shonen series are. Luckily, Netflix recently took a risk with a major campfire story this year and said gamble has paid off for the streaming service. With the Cygames production already confirmed to return for a second season in the future, the Netflix anime adaptation has helped the source material hit new heights.
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The Summer Hikaru Died premiered on Netflix earlier this summer, based on the original manga from creator Mokumokuren. Focusing on protagonist Yoshiki Tsujinaka as he deals with his lifelong friend returning from the grave, the series does an amazing job of both getting into the heads of its characters while introducing some truly creepy elements into this world. Thanks to the success of the anime adaptation, the manga recently announced that it has 4.5 million copies in circulation, going a long way to prove that The Summer Hikaru Died has become one of the most popular horror manga to date. With the manga still releasing new chapters to this day, the sky is the limit for Hikaru and company.
Why You Should Be Creeped Out by Hikaru
Creating scary anime moments is no easy feat, which is probably why anime enthusiasts don’t see nearly as many horror anime as action and romantic comedy series. Luckily, The Summer Hikaru Died has seemingly made this look easy, as each episode has managed to find new ways to make your skin crawl. Yoshiki Tsujinaka is a tragic protagonist, dealing with the fact that his friend is no longer what he used to be, while also dealing with severe depression and loneliness himself. On top of the excellent characterization, the horror anime introduces some truly spooky characters that make good use of the show’s animation.
Audiences might wonder why Yoshiki doesn’t simply get as far away from Hikaru as possible in the first season, considering the latter is revealed to be an otherworldly spirit, but therein lies the excellent characterization. As a viewer, you witness the main character truly go back and forth when it comes to the spooky details surrounding his best friend. On the scary side of the aisle, Hikaru and the creatures that are finding their way into the small mountain town are unlike anything seen in anime before. There’s a level of unease and tension that fills every scene, even when supernatural beings aren’t populating the screen. When Netflix does return to this creepy world for a season two, expect even more skin-crawling moments to take place on the streaming service.
What do you think of The Summer Hikaru Died smashing through various sales numbers due to the Netflix anime success? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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