The Summer Hikaru Died · review
7
/10
I went into this with pretty high hopes, especially for the horror aspect. The first few episodes delivered on that promise, but unfortunately things went downhill after that. Instead of maintaining the tension, the story shifts into more of a coming-of-age narrative—and even then, it feels dragged out and unfocused. That said, the animation and character designs are definite highlights. Visually, it’s a treat, and I really enjoyed the artistic direction. I just wish the narrative had kept up the same level of strength and consistency. Overall, a very meh experience: great potential, great visuals, but ultimately lacking in execution.