‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 6 Review: Identity Doubts & Danger

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

More ghosts, shadows, and dangers lurk in The Summer Hikaru Died, where the growing friendship between Yoshiki and the entity inhabiting his childhood best friend’s body is evidently starting to potentially put more lives at risk. The sleepy Kubitachi village is now restless, haunted, and brimming with secrets….

Quick Recap of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 5: Yoshiki’s sister claims a “Wig Ghost” is haunting the Tsujinaka household, prompting Hikaru to investigate. In the bathroom, the boys search for the spirit as flashbacks reveal a childhood fight over the death of a pet bird they had agreed to raise together. A young Yoshiki is unfazed, telling little Hikaru that every living being is meant to die, it’s nothing to fuss about. The memory is striking, as present-day Yoshiki, once the more practical of the two, now struggles to cope with loss. The episode closes with a hint that Tanaka is drawing closer to uncovering the truth behind Kubitachi village’s supernatural events.

Episode 6 of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’

This edition of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ wasn’t even that emotional, even though it gets some spook factor in, and yet, I felt like I might’ve cried. I didn’t. But you know that uncomfortable swelling of emotions in your chest? That happened.

Yoshiki’s confusion, angst, grief, should’ve become familiar, maybe even a little boring by now in the anime, but it still feels raw, relatable, and heart-breaking. And it seems, Yoshiki isn’t the only one who noticed almost immediately that something was amiss about the Hikaru that came back after going missing in the mountains for days.

Titled “Asako”, the episode opens at school, where Yoshiki and his classmates discuss a story assigned to them for reading, one that, to Yoshiki, eerily resonates with Hikaru’s situation. Even though he constantly spends time with the entity, his inner emotional turmoil persists over how to feel about someone who looks like Hikaru, talks like Hikaru, and even possesses his memories.

Most of the focus is on a sleepover a group of friends agree to have at Hikaru’s house. While it’s a fun night out, that’s where Asako, a classmate with heightened sensitivity to the supernatural world, voices her doubts about Hikaru’s identity. Her awareness of the world of the dead is briefly highlighted in an earlier episode of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’, and now viewers get an interesting childhood flashback to shed more light on her abilities. But her sharp sense also puts her in harm’s way.

The episode explores youth, friendship, and the essence of being human. While the entity posing as Hikaru may appear harmless, Yoshiki is starting to grasp its darker, more malevolent side. Their fragile bond is tested once again, and it’s becoming clear that the entity is facing an identity crisis of its own.

Watch ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ on Netflix.

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