A review by syinhui
The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 1 by Mokumokuren

dark emotional mysterious sad tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

17 Chapters and 3 full volumes out. Mokumokuren got a new fan here. Or should I say umbrella?

This is actually really good. One of the best seinen manga I’ve read this year. Not much on the bl side since the shounen-ai category was scrapped from the official release. 

The art style is great and I really appreciate the hard work and effort put into creating each chapter which is evident in the skillful shading and incredibly detailed background. I, in particular, love the fish-eye lens effect incorporated in some panels. The colored pages and extra art are both stunning and expressive. There’s even a nod to Junji Ito’s Uzumaki in one of the art featuring Yoshiki and Hikaru. A parallel to the mysterious and disturbing events happening around the town, the distortions, and the inevitable spiral descent to madness if things continue as it is.  

Mokumokuren also effectively uses the unique medium of manga in enhancing the narrative. In the very first chapter, the buzzing of insects depicted in text as repetitive sfx, builds up the atmosphere of the countryside in summer but as it progressively becomes more prominent almost taking up a whole panel and then abruptly ceasing altogether. You can tell that something is not quite right at that moment. A presence. Enough to drown the surrounding noises. 

Yoshiki knows it’s not Hikaru. I’m glad that it’s made very clear from the start, straying from the usual trope of brooding over/slowly finding out whether my friend who came back different is a monster or not. So instead, what’s left is Yoshiki's internal struggles - how he would process the turmoil of emotions that came from that confirmation. Yoshiki is tottering at the very edge of the precipice torn between longing, love, guilt and fear while this Hikaru desperately clings to him, the only person who accepts him for who and what he is.
 
A refreshing take on body possession, combined with the yokai of Japanese folklore, hints of homoeroticism and coming to terms with loss at the same time working out your feelings for an entity similar to those in Eldtrich horror. With all of these elements rolled up into one manga, I think this going to be a personal favorite. 
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