The Summer Hikaru Died Manga Volume 4 Unites Characters

A lot of the earlier volumes of The Summer Hikaru Died manga are about developing characters and relationships. The first one sets up the premise and really helps us get to know Yoshiki as he grieves Hikaru and gets to know “Hikaru.” The second volume deals with him coming to terms with the situation and accepting what’s going on. The third installment started to ramp up the tension and danger. However, what’s fantastic about volume 4 of The Summer Hikaru Died is that now that we do know all of these things and are getting familiar, Mokumokuren can finally use the manga to start giving us answers and bring characters together.

Editor’s Note: There will be minor spoilers for part of volume 4 of The Summer Hikaru Died manga.

In all of the volumes leading up to volume 4 of The Summer Hikaru Died manga, we’ve seen characters discuss or hint at the role the Indou family performs in the Kubitachi Mountains. We know the original Hikaru died while doing this task. However, “Hikaru” doesn’t know what it is, Kouhei Indou is dead, and Hikaru’s grandfather doesn’t seem to recall. This installment begins with the two realizing that discovering what that job was and the truth about their hometown could also lead to understanding what “Hikaru” is and helping with the things coming down from the mountain and causing impurities.

Honestly, I loved the fact that now we see Yoshiki and “Hikaru” bonding over a goal. There’s a sense of greater acceptance about what “Hikaru” is and what’s going on, and a decision to finally stop reacting or trying to ignore things. They’re facing it and ready to come to terms with what that knowledge might mean for them. While this doesn’t mean immediate answers for them or us, it does offer some fascinating hints. For example, the relation of their town of Kubitachi to a handful of other towns in the area is fascinating and offered a hint about what’s going on. 

Likewise, this investigation is acting as the impetus for characters to interact in The Summer Hikaru Died. Following the events of volume 3, Asako is being more vocal in her interactions with Yoshiki. We’re more aware of what she can do and what happened, especially as another incident happened near the school. We see Tanaka, the investigator summoned to Kubitachi, meet and interact with Yoshiki. The reaction of his “hunting dog” to things going on and people he meets offers more insight into his purpose. I was concerned about what his appearance might mean for Yoshiki and “Hikaru,” and now these even more definitive interactions make it better.

But perhaps the best part is seeing the housewife who could tell Yoshiki was dealing with something otherworldly at a glance meet “Hikaru.” Because we not only get more insight into him, but learn about her history and how she might get involved in events as they continue. We learn why she’s so aware of the impurities and supernatural entities around her. Plus, it’s also just fun to see someone who looks so typical and motherly be such a strong and imposing individual. 

We don’t have all the answers as volume 4 of The Summer Hikaru Died comes to a close, but everything that does come up as we watch Yoshiki and “Hikaru”’s interactions with other characters is incredibly helpful. For the first time since the series started, I felt like I was finally getting answers. By the time I got to the cliffhanger at the end, I felt confident about who Yoshiki could and couldn’t trust for the first time. In fact, even though “Hikaru” is still quite a mystery, I also felt like maybe I could believe in that character a bit more too.

Volumes 1-4 of The Summer Hikaru Died are available now via Yen Press, and there’s no release date for volume 5 yet.