The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 4 Review: Yoshiki’s Forbidden Love And A Dead Friend

The 4th episode of The Summer Hikaru Died is here, and this was again a breathtakingly beautiful episode. Let’s discover how this episode plays out.

The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 3 Recap

The episode opens with a gentle memory from the past where Yoshiki and the original Hikaru enjoy watermelon together during their carefree childhood days. Hikaru’s father catches them in the act, and the scene radiates warmth and innocence. In the present, Yoshiki arrives at Hikaru’s home carrying a watermelon, only to find him napping. Upon waking, Hikaru lights up with joy at the sight of the fruit, claiming it’s his favourite. Yet for Yoshiki, this moment feels eerily normal, given the circumstances.

Beneath this calm surface, Yoshiki is quietly unravelling. He’s still haunted by the grief of losing his real friend and is tormented by the fact that he’s grown used to the creature now wearing Hikaru’s face. Instead of lashing out or rejecting it, he finds himself numbly going along with it, and he hates himself for it. This internal conflict finally pushes him to seek out Rie, the woman who once warned him about the entity living in the mountains.

Through their conversation, Yoshiki learns that strange events have plagued their village and that balance can only be restored if the creature inside Hikaru returns to the mountain from which it came. This talk offers Yoshiki the clarity he lacked, as he realises he cannot continue living alongside the impostor. But with that clarity comes heartbreak. When Yoshiki confronts Hikaru about the truth, the situation escalates.

The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 4 Review

The episode begins with Hikaru trying his best to make a cat warm up to him by making it eat out of his hands. Yoshiki sees this and realises how Hikaru is trying his best to be human and let go of his monstrous tendencies.

Subsequently, we see Asako and Yuuki share a hearty chat amongst themselves, and this is where Asako showcases her strange powers. Apparently, she has always been intuitive and, based on certain creepy voices only she could hear, Asako tells Yuuki to take a detour to reach home. This certainly added another layer of mystery to this series.

Later, Hikaru and Yoshiki chill at Yoshiki’s house, where Hikaru gets the urge to go to the Summer festival. In a very warm scene, we see Yoshiki, his sister, Kaoru and Hikaru all visit the festival and enjoy themselves. But that is not all, in the backdrop, we see the elders of the village talking about the ritual with Hikatu, which resulted in a failure. They suggest doing the ritual again, but also acknowledge that only the people of Hikaru’s family can participate. Through their conversation, we learn more secrets about the village and the deity they pray to.

However, the defining moment of this episode was when Tanaka set up a barrier, and Hikaru got caught in it. This makes Tanaka realise the presence of the supernatural being, and he sets out to hunt for it or Hikaru.

Verdict

This episode again blended the horror elements with the emotional ones very deftly. There are some scenes that are sure to haunt you, but you also get some very sentimental parts. I am very certain that Yoshiki was gay, and the fact that his village is not willing to accept him for who he is is the reason he wanted to leave. But he only found solace in Hikaru, who accepted him with open arms, and now that he is dead, even that respite is gone.

Must Read: The Summer Hikaru Died Season 1 Review