The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 12 is a fantastic finale for a great first season. It was a sweet, cathartic goodbye for a season full of chaos. CygamesPictures foreshadowed the beach episode throughout the entire season in the finale, and I tip my hat off to them for that. In a brilliant movie, it was staring us right in the face the entire time without us realizing it. They might not have been the first ones to do the easter egg ending, but they did it exceptionally well.
Out of all the arguments Yoshiki (Chiaki Kobayashi) and Hikaru (Shūichirō Umeda) have struggled through, the beach argument is the most intense. Up until now, Yoshiki has been relatively soft spoken, even with Hikaru. Seeing him get desperate enough to shove Hikaru into the water and argue with him is riveting.
Not only that, it was surprising to see Hikaru so set in his decision to go back to the mountains. Hikaru has always wanted to live, and now that he finally has, he realizes his choice might not have been the best one. So, in an attempt to free Yoshiki, he actually ended up hurting him. The entire time they’re arguing with each other, the care they hold for one another is obvious. At the end of the day, they want what’s best for each other, even if that means hashing it out at the beach and losing an inflatable salamander.
The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 12 allows Hikaru to grow.
Asako and Hikaru’s friendship is also a highlight in the episode. The two of them were clearly at odds when Hikaru first came back, to the point of him harming her; the reason why was unbeknownst to Asako until this episode. But, as they discuss the original Hikaru and scratch the surface of Asako’s grief, they come to an understanding. She can mourn for her friend while Hikaru comes to a full realization of the consequences of his actions. It’s a learning moment for both of them as they stand alone together in their classroom.
It’s not just Asako whose character is expanded on in the finale. Tanaka’s approach to the boys seems to indicate a focus on his intentions while in town. He knows who Hikaru is, how to find him, and who is important to him. As far as the audience is aware, this is a lot more information than Hikaru knows about Tanaka. Season two is already confirmed, so at the very minimum, watchers won’t have to live with that cliffhanger for years to come. But that doesn’t mean the progress Yoshiki and Hikaru made in their conversation at the beach will continue.
The queer tropes in the finale don’t bother trying to hide themselves. Yoshiki’s inner monologue while they’re at the beach makes it clear that his own “monstrous” thoughts and feelings toward Hikaru are anything but “normal” in the eyes of the small town they live in. His feelings about both old and new Hikaru are akin to romance. Say what you want, but Yoshiki is clearly going through a gay awakening as his determination to keep Hikaru by his side hits a crescendo.
Yoshiki’s heart breaks in the most pivotal moment of the series to date.
His desperation crosses the line of love for a friend and delves into a more profound, more intimate love that one might feel for a partner. Additionally, he almost berates himself for not being “normal” — a classic fear that closeted people in the LGBTQ+ community often struggle with when coming to terms with their sexuality. Additionally, the start of the argument between Yoshiki and Hikaru feels like it was a breakup. Nothing about that screamed platonic with the way Yoshiki was reacting to what Hikaru was saying. His heart was breaking in real time.
The switch in aesthetic styles when Yoshiki and Hikaru are on the train is something that shouldn’t work, but does. It creates this almost romantic vibe for the two of them, like they’re on a date. The mix of animation and real-world footage creates an ambient vibe that makes you want to step into the world yourself, impurities be damned.
The combination of the two flowed well together, with no weird or awkward sequences between them. Kudos to the entire team that worked on this sequence because it’s going to set a new standard for animation.
The voice acting shines in the emotional standoff.
A small, but mighty, thing in Episode 12 is the voice acting. As someone who watches the dub, I can clearly see that the Japanese voice actors put their all into this episode. Shūichirō Umeda nails it as Hikaru, showing all of the different sides of him that exist in such a small body. It might be a small thing in the grand scheme of the episode, but his voice acting stood out above all else for me.
The Summer Hikaru Died ends perfectly, with a bow wrapped on top of an astounding debut season. Episode 12 is the best finishing note I could have wanted for a series like this.
Even as someone who has read the manga, it was easy to get caught up in the twists around every corner. CygamesPictures knew what they were doing when they animated the season, making the news of a Season 2 all the more thrilling – we can’t wait to see what’s in store.
The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 12 is now streaming on Netflix.
Images courtesy of CygamesPictures.
REVIEW RATING
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The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 12 - 10/10
10/10
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