‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 4 Review: Festivities and Secrets

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

‘I might not be able to replace him. But I’ll always keep you safe.’

At this point of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’, non-manga readers still do not know much about the exact nature of the supernatural entity inhabiting Hikaru’s body. But one thing is clear beyond doubt: it has grown attached to Yoshiki.

Quick Recap of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 3

Yoshiki meets Rie, the perceptive woman who senses he’s nearing something dangerous and warns him to be careful. Shaken by the encounter, Yoshiki begins to distance himself from Hikaru, grappling with the unsettling truth that this isn’t his childhood best friend, but something uncanny wearing his face. Hikaru soon picks up on Yoshiki’s coldness and confronts him, triggering an intense, out-of-body exchange between the two. The episode closes with Hikaru in tears, desperately pleading for Yoshiki to stay by his side, confessing that the line between itself and the real Hikaru has blurred, and that it cannot exist without him.

Episode 4 of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’

Titled “Summer Festival,” episode 4 opens with a comical scene of Hikaru luring a cat with some treats so that he can pet it, while Yoshiki looks on. The episode focuses on Hikaru attending a village festival with Yoshiki and his younger sister, emphasizing their reconciliation. Meanwhile the elders of the community worry about the supernatural events plaguing their lives, including a recent death. They villagers turn to consult Tanaka, the guy from ‘the company’ to investigate the eerie happenings.

The conversation between Tanaka and the locals sheds more light on the Indo family’s tradition of going to the cursed mountains to perform a mysterious ritual. There’s a cult-like sense of kinship, secrecy, and shared understanding among the locals, who clearly know more about the strange happenings in the region than they’re willing to admit. The slow-burn suspense of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ is going to be a challenge for impatient viewers, but I am thoroughly enjoying the pace and intrigue.

The bits that feature Yoshiki and Hikaru in this episode are largely light-hearted and comical, filled with warm scenes of festivities and the teenage friends trying out local food. But toward the end, Yoshiki reveals a major secret that forces both Hikaru and viewers to see his grief and denial in a new light.

Be sure to stick around after the end credits for a haunting flashback of Hikaru’s final moments in the mountains. While the animation feels a bit off in a few scenes, the anime continues to be thoroughly engaging.

Watch ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ on Netflix.

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