‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 7 Review: As Tense as a Climactic Chapter

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

“Sometime, somehow, winter melts into spring. That night sky will become dawn tomorrow. Pour all your wishes onto a flock of clouds. And send it away to an unknown future. Without a sound… keep dreaming that dream. And secretly… keep seeking what you seek…”

There are five more episodes left in ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’, yet episode 7 feels like an emotionally charged climax. It features a beautiful choir performance by Yoshiki’s class, while he skips school with Hikaru, clearly intending it as a final goodbye. You’re not sure what his plan is, but the moment he suggests they skip school together, there’s a sense of foreboding, a premonition that he wants to bid farewell to the entity pretending to be his best friend.

Quick Recap of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 6: Hikaru invites a few classmates over for a sleepover, Yoshiki among them. Things take a dark turn when he steps out with Asako to buy something, and she voices doubts about his identity. Flashbacks show Asako’s sensitivity to the supernatural, so she voices her suspicion that Hikaru returned from the mountains changed.

Fearing its secret might be exposed, the entity tries to kill her, only to be stopped just in time by Yoshiki, who had followed them. Asako faints and later apologizes for asking a “weird” question, unaware that her instincts were right or that she could’ve been dead. Yoshiki, however, begins to grasp the full danger of the entity, especially after it casually admits it sees little difference between the living and the dead.

Back to Episode 7 of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’

This edition was such an emotional punch to the gut! It starts off with Hikaru drowning in anxiety over Yoshiki hating him for what he tried to pull with Asako. The entity realizes it cannot grasp the value of human life, but also understands that Yoshiki might be upset with its lack of empathy. However, Yoshiki turns outside his house as usual before school and then suggests they play hooky.

I wish I could write a longer critique about the animation style of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died‘, but I find myself so emotionally absorbed in the protagonists’ psychological struggles that I rarely notice the artistic details. That said, the visuals are engaging enough to complement the intensity of the plot and its eerie supernatural atmosphere.

What stood out most in episode 7 was the class song sung at school, a nostalgic piece, intercut with Yoshiki’s day out with Hikaru. The two catch a train to watch a movie, spend the day together, and later return to Yoshiki’s home, where an unsettling confrontation unfolds between the two of them. “Confrontation” isn’t quite the right word, but I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoilers for anyone reading before watching the episode.

From sunlit summer moments that capture carefree youth, like Hikaru and Yoshiki riding the train, to the shadow of their darker encounters, this chapter of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ carries the weight of a climactic finale. Each time I watch this anime, I find myself thinking, “I hope this show never ends,” because its world-building is that gripping. Rather than growing repetitive or overbearing, Yoshiki’s grief over the absence of the “real” Hikaru only deepens, keeping the story profoundly moving. On the other hand, his growing bond with the entity (I feel like maybe it should be referred to as ‘Hikaru E’ or something?) only complicates things further.

Watch ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ on Netflix.

Read Next: The Village of Eight Graves Review: Wickedly Rich (Audio Version Below)