‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 6 review: “Asako”

The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 6 is a masterpiece. Between the worldbuilding, the focus on Asako (Yumiri Hanamori), and the question of Hikaru’s (Shūichirō Umeda) feelings, it was a whirlwind of an episode. Each moment left me sitting on the edge of my seat for the full twenty minutes and beyond.

The Summer Hikaru Died relies heavily on the atmosphere created in each episode, and Episode 6 is no different. The soundtrack is the biggest reason for this. It uses the natural sounds of cicadas to create that overwhelming, near-oppressive feeling that comes with summertime. This goes hand in hand with the beautiful storytelling and animation that CygamesPictures continues to deploy throughout the season. The combination of the two makes Episode 6 shine even more.

“Asako” allows the titular character the primary focus. By now, the audience knows she has some sort of connection to spirits and yōkai. Episode 6 explores just how deep that connection runs. Her ability to hear spirits rather than see them is a unique take on the trope and is a great storytelling device to further the narrative. Asako’s grandmother explains to her that their family is sensitive to these sorts of spirits, that she shouldn’t assume whether they’re “good” or “bad,” but that she should still be careful. Because of this, she reaches out in an attempt to help her friends with the spirits around town.

The oppressive heat sink its claws into the story.

One of the best parts about the focus on Asako is that it shows how integral a character she is moving forward. While she’s not the only one who can see or connect with spirits, the fact that she’s so close to Hikaru foreshadows that she’ll play a bigger role later down the line. Whether this is good or bad is yet to be determined.

Asako’s connection to that world is precisely what threatens the fragile relationship between Yoshiki (Chiaki Kobayashi) and Hikaru. Asako is good-natured and she simply wants to help Hikaru by asking him a pivotal question while their group of friends enjoy a sleepover. This throws Hiakru for a loop. He realizes that he’s been found out and reacts in, quite possibly, the worst way, only for Yoshiki to see and abruptly go back home, leaving the sleepover under the guise of a stomachache.

The overlap of Hikaru’s feelings for Yoshiki comes to a head in this episode. He questions whether they’re his own or if they stem from the original Hikaru’s memory. This internal battle has woven itself into the series before, but nothing as explicit as this episode.

Asako’s kindness leads to trouble.

Episode 6 is heavy-handed with the queer themes, whether or not audience members can pick up on them. Growing up in a small town and questioning your feelings toward a friend of the same gender can be a traumatizing experience. Circling back to Asako’s conversation with Hikaru, we can easily compare it to her finding out Hikaru has romantic feelings toward other boys. His reaction is exactly how someone would act if their biggest secret were found out, and the harm that ensues is a manifestation of Hikaru’s fear.

The Swampman Paradox is another perfect example of these themes. It spells out, quite literally, the duality one might face when hiding their queer identity from the ones around them. On the outside, they’re the same person they always were, but the internal makeup isn’t. This duality is only intensified with Hikaru’s identity issues that are fueled by the original Hikaru’s memories.

The Summer Hikaru Died is easily one of the best-written anime of the year. Episode 6 is just another in a line of brilliantly animated episodes for a premiere season. The eerie atmosphere and build-up pay off in spades, exposing more of the worldbuilding that makes the anime so unique. I can’t wait to see how far down the rabbit hole we go this season.

The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 6 is available now on Netflix. 

Images courtesy of CygamesPictures.

Kayla Chu

Made up of feminism, sports, and cheap wine.
Questions, comments, inquries please be sent to kaylamchu@gmail.com