Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
strqwbrrygirl
if it werent for homophobia, the summer hikaru died wouldve been a much more popular anime. the ratings make it pretty clear that people who actually went into it with an open mind found it incredible, but the fact that the story is heavily centered around an analogy for repressed homosexuality and the pressure to conform to societal norms clearly turned a lot of people off.
i also really loved the horror aspect of it. you dont usually see horror in anime being done this well. TSHD genuinely had me hooked. i loved the characters and how well written they are, especially the way their emotions are portrayed. even the cute scenes were something i really enjoyed. the anime just grips you from the beginning and keeps you interested the entire time, and i just felt like watching the next episo…
Read at the sourceReikonm
When I started The Summer Hikaru Died, I was super hyped and excited. The premise was interesting right away, and the mysterious atmosphere really gave me chills. The show does a great job at pulling you in at the beginning with its unsettling tone and intriguing setup.
That said, while the story is still good, it starts to feel a bit inconsistent as it goes on. There are a lot of unanswered questions and plot holes that make parts of the story feel unfinished. The pacing is also very slow, and sometimes it feels like the story keeps circling around the same ideas without moving forward, which became frustrating at times.
Visually and audibly, the anime is fantastic. The sound design and the overall atmosphere are mesmerizing and really help build the eerie feeling the show is going for.…
Read at the sourceOtaku_Senpai
This is no doubt one of the best horror show of 2025. And the best horror show of Summer 2025. The show has excellent art and animation. The ghost and monsters are very creepy. And it all felt original.
In summary, if you like slow-burn horror, creepy supernatural vibes and character focused story telling, this show is for you. Only thing that I think some will be put off by is some adult themes added to the show. Some
I look forward to season two. I had thought the show would end in season one but by the end things were not resolved and I expect another season.
My Rating : 8/10 (Great)
Read at the sourceUpholder
This is a difficult show to sum up.
On the positive side, the production quality, atmosphere and writing in each scene are solid and well done. On the negative, the broader story is meandering and slowly paced, and provides nothing in the way of build-up, pay-off or satisfaction. After a very long 12 episodes, the viewer's only reward is the wait for the second season. On its own merits, this first season simply doesn't have an arc; at least, not one with a beginning, middle and end. Up until the final episode, I was curious to see how they intended to end the season. The answer? They didn't. They just rolled the credits on the last episode.
The result is a show that isn't bad by any stretch. Indeed, you can tell after only the first episode what you're watching is objectively good. But…
Read at the sourcekatahdn
*TL;DR available.
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(CAUTION: Lots of I and Me statements below. I believe personal opinion is an extremely important topic to touch on during reviews, but nonetheless, you have been warned.)
Hypothetically, this show couldn't have been better. It's a mystery/psychological horror with some good ol' homoeroticism sprinkled in for flavor, because why not? That sounds absolutely sick. You've maybe read the manga, and enjoyed it enough to be interested in an anime adaptation (personally, I had to force myself to enjoy it because everyone around me did, but fill this scenario in for YOU). You watch the trailer. The art style is on par with the manga, and…
Read at the sourceBlueEmbers
Despite being 12 episodes along, the entire season goes nowhere quickly. Despite being in the horror genre, the horror sense is extremely mild. In comparison to other horror animes that have set the bar, this one doesn’t come near in sense of suspense, horror plots, or anything that would make it seem terrifying.
In terms of character development, as others have noted, it prinarily revolves around an awkward Bromance, which also doesn’t seem to identify itself very well. The worse part is that Hikarucisnt the MC’s friend, so a romance would be inherantly flawed anyways. Even the friendship is consistently problematic.
In terms of music, it is average and nothing more or less.
At the end of the day, there isn’t a lot that stood about it to me, and the anime really doesn’t demonstrate mu…
Read at the sourceCanvas1
As a straight man, i can understand fujoshi's now.
The entire cast have their own mystery and personal motivations.
I NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT TOWN.
The art style is brave, they have no fear in doing something weird, and they do it right.
The work knows how to present something very difficult to achieve: to create a non-human thinking being and to transcribe the complexity of the communication that exists in the transcription process. Here you will not find non-human beings converted into exactly the same as humans in a weird skin. The plot dances around the paranormal, the supernatural, eldritch horror, as well as the characters' psychology and goals, grief after a loss, fear, love, and death, all at the same time.
Read at the sourceRoscatuu
It seriously disappointed me, a promising start the first 2 episodes, they were really great and they really made me feel that this anime has great potential, the anime is popular, people consider it great and good, it was popular on networks like Instagram or TikTok, but after episode 2 and a little bit of 3 everything goes downhill, it's just about the love between them, I'm not homophobic but I don't appreciate that the anime continued like this, it had great and brilliant potential and it was reduced to having romantic tendencies, instead of all those tags like what genre the anime is, it would have been better if it had been directly called "romantic" that's my personal opinion, this anime doesn't necessarily bother me because of the "love" but it bothers me because it had greater pot…
Read at the sourceFITBOYX
ANTI VILLAGE PROPAGANDA! In a country like japan where villages are getting empty and everyone is going to cities to collect cash and make capitalists rich and destroy there traditions which was followed for thousands of years, series like this are one of the reasons for it.
Villagers are shown dumb, selfish, homophobic, patriarchal, superstitious, demon worshiping and human sacrificing people, seriously fells like manga author is some sort of missionary or something, he even added that in ancient time people who didn't like all of above mentioned stuff converted to Christianity.
Taking about technical stuff, brilliant animation and music, the only reason i could complete this series, screenplay falls flat after first 2 episodes there nothing but timepass till episode 7 or 8, series is o…
Read at the sourceWho8MahPudden
The summer Hikaru died is a stressful and messy show about the messy relationship between messy people. Get a bucket and a mop because there's slop all about!
The show excels best when it crafts an unsettling atmosphere with eerie music and making the watcher feel Yoshiki's pain and grief. Both of which are a lot to deal with and asks a lot of the watcher. An easy, light show this is not, even if it slips light-hearted and comedic moments in here and there.
But the plot within the whole 12 episodes and within each episode is messy, loosely structured and lacks strong arcs. There are a few plot holes and threads that are introduced and left dangling. The show puts its full focus on the two leads and their toxic relationship and the things that happen all take a back seat to the boys.
The…
Read at the sourceTurtezin
Story
Before writing each review I always ask myself what this anime is about, what it tried to be, and what it really ended up being. In this case even the anime itself doesn’t seem to know. The Summer Hikaru Died is advertised as a horror mystery with supernatural elements, but honestly none of those feel like the main focus. The real focus is the relationship between the two male characters, which at times feels like friendship and at other times something more.
That’s where most of the controversy came from. If the anime had been marketed as a story about two close friends or even a gay romance with horror elements in the background, that would’ve been fine. But instead it was pushed as a dark horror story and then turned into something completely different. Many viewers felt misled b…
Read at the sourceHERMIT_PAIMON
"Horror to represent internalized homophobia"
It is a hauntingly beautiful blend of horror and emotional depth. The story explores grief, identity, and love in a small-town setting where something isn't quite right.It's a unique show that balances supernatural dread with heartbreaking intimacy. The pacing is perfect-quiet but tense-and each episode leaves you unsettled yet emotionally invested. The way it portrays human emotion, memory, and denial is raw and unforgettable.
I liked the use of metaphors too , if you are enough smart and takes interest in psychology /philosphy then , you can catch hidden details easily otherwise it's hard to get in psychological tropes .
This is the kind of series that lingers with you long after you finish a episode , making you reflect on connection, identi…
Read at the sourceNunoPhilipp
Hikanatsu is a fairly good anime that I believe finds its quality compromised by wanting to be too many things at once.
There is a horror aspect right at the start of the story that soon just turns into this permanent dread. To call this series an horror anime just feels incorrect; it's a story about grief and to some extent abuse. There also happens to be a mystery that is shrouding the entire setting but we rarely care for it, we are as viewers given only the perspective of Hikaru and Yoshiki at all times, and huh - those two are kinda busy with their friendship turned abusive situationship.
So yea, the Horror is fleeting and the Mystery is barely visible, but boy is the Drama really fucking good. Yoshiki can't let go of Hikaru, and Hikaru is back as a rabid dog that just wants to kil…
Read at the sourcemeomeobeou
The Summer Hikaru Died wraps up its first season with a heartbreaking confession on a lonely beach. This 12-episode journey into folk horror has set itself apart as a standout series, telling a story that is both unsettling and deeply human. What makes this series remarkable is how it builds its atmosphere. It skips cheap jump scares in favor of a slow, creeping dread that seeps into every scene. It dives into nature human aspect has both "good" and "evil" at the same time without favor one and the other. It make you experience the real "rural" town, with neighbors constantly eyeing and judging you and your family, the elders outdate way of thinking for example girl do not need to go to school, just married? or the excessive gossip of the cashier, i said some come from rural town may find…
Read at the source5iv3_
This was such a phenomenal adaption. Cygames proves once again that they don't play. I couldn't be happier with this series as a manga reader and they did it so much justice.
The animation on this alone is absolutely gorgeous. The colors, the fluidity of everything, absolutely amazing production overall. And the mix with hyper realistic elements within some episodes was such a brilliant touch on their end.
Obviously plot is banging. That's what makes this series so good. The horror element on this is amazing and how they create tension is well thought out and executed great. As well as how everything connects together as it gets further into the plot is brilliant. Absolutely no complaints whatsoever.
Overall, i think this summer season may be the one season where I have 2 anime of th…
Read at the sourcealezzzlf
This is my first time ever writing a review on MAL, and I just had to because this anime was something else, it was a masterpiece from beginning to the end. The combined quality of the animation with the depth represented in this story was what made this anime so outstanding to me.
The animation: 10/10
I loved the stylistic choices, the colour contrasts that gives a visual representation of the horror the characters experience. The interpolation with real word scenes work so well in giving both depth and eeriness to the story. Nothing feels out of place, the animators deserve so much credit for both the fluidity and for their choices that worked so well with the story.
The story: 10/10
The story alone deserves a whole essay. This is the midsommar type of situation where horror is used…
Read at the sourceDazai_supremacy
My personal AOTS, words can't begin to describe how satisfied I am with this adaptation as a manga reader, props to cygames pictures and everyone involved. Everything from the animation, direction, OST, characters and story are beyond impressive, would highly recommend this to anyone that is into slow burn mystery and romance.
There are so many stand out episodes that I'd be put on the spot if I had to list my favorites, but episodes 3, 7 and 12 are ones that I constantly think back on and probably will continue to do so for a while. The finale could not be more satisfying, and I love the anime original scenes and dialogue that were added.
Read at the sourceallancalderini12
Honestly this was the best series this summer season, while I was planning to watch I was really cautious after what happen with Uzumaki but thought about giving it a chance and I am glad I did. never thought it would hook me as much as it did. The storyline, the characterization, the setting, the music are all spot on. Hikaru´s and Yoshiki´s are two characters that are so fascinating as how they are portrait and how they evolved. Seeing Yoshiki´s breakdowns about Hikaru and morality is something that can be related to any person who is having issues with his sexuality and don´t know what to do about their feelings. Seeing the journey of discovery and part acceptance about who he is, it's an experience. I could feel Yoshiki´s and Hikaru´s fear, love, acceptance like if I was feeling it too…
Read at the sourcetenntenn
Summer Hikaru Dies – my rollercoaster of feelings 🌞💀
Episodes 1–3 had me thinking this was a solid 10/10 – the start is so haunting and beautiful that I was completely hooked. But as I kept watching… my score slowly slipped down to around 7/8.
It’s not bad at all – there are genuinely moving moments that almost make you cry and remind you why you started watching. But then there are stretches that feel a bit draggy and slow. (I kind of expected that after reading reviews of the manga – people did warn it can feel a bit meandering.)
Some scenes really hit; others feel like they just… drift. It’s this mix of “wow that’s gorgeous and emotional” and “hmm okay can we move on now?”
Overall, I’d say about a 7.5/10
Read at the sourceMarinate1016
There’s no question in my mind that if not for homophobia, The Summer Hikaru Died would’ve been much more popular and in anime of the year discussions. The ratings show that for people who did go in with an open mind, this was incredible, but the fact the story is an analogy for repressed homosexuality and conforming to societal norms turned a lot of people off. Sadly, we as a society have began to accept yuri stories much more, but there’s still a stigma about a love story with two boys, especially one that acts as a social commentary like TSHD does. It’s a shame because if people gave this a fair shake, they’d see it’s also one of the best horror stories in anime history. Anime is a medium where it’s just difficult to make genuinely scary stuff happen and TSHD does it consistently in nea…
Read at the source