Spoiler Alert !!!Spoilers for episode 8 of The Summer Hikaru Died

The Summer Hikaru Died episode 8 was information-heavy, yet it seems like not much has progressed in terms of plot. Several new roads have been opened towards solving the mystery, but with no end in sight. The episode showed a bunch of characters interacting with Hikaru and Yoshiki, but ultimately, the only impactful scene was in the final moments.

Most of the episode was spent with Hikaru and Yoshiki trying to figure out the history behind the villages. Here is a closer look at why the episode feels like a step forward but also at a standstill.

The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 8 Drags Its Feet

The Summer Hikaru Died episode 8 brought its focus back to the ongoing mystery. However, it crammed too many elements, all at once. First came the mysterious hint at Hichi-san, then Yoshiki confronted Hikaru about Asako’s condition, next a strange man killed himself in the school grounds, a scene at the library unearthing the village’s origins, the revelation about Matsuura’s daughter, Yoshiki‘s encounter with Tanaka, and finally the ghost at the diner.

On the surface, it looks like a lot has happened, but it’s almost too much at once, and at the same time, not a lot of development. The episode shows all the developments so haphazardly that it’s hard to keep track of all the info by the end of it. The revelations are also handed over unimaginatively, ignoring the ‘show, don’t tell’ technique.

By the time something actually interesting happens, the entire episode has already run out. And even the climax moment was quickly cleared as Rie Kurebayashi came to the boys’ rescue. The characters try to drag their feet as much as possible, and no real milestones are reached.

Yoshiki Is Back at Brushing Away the Danger Posed by Hikaru

Yoshiki is back to normal after trying to kill Hikaru | Credits: CygamesPictures

The Summer Hikaru Died has always shown how Yoshiki is reluctant to let Hikaru go. Even when he found out that he isn’t the real Hikaru, that the creature murders without remorse, can hurt his friends, and more, Hikaru is continuously turning a blind eye to the creature’s faults. The last episode might have shown Yoshiki’s attempt to get rid of Hikaru, but in episode 8, their friendship is back on track.

In fact, Yoshiki seems resolved not to let go of the creature in Hikaru’s body. On the other hand, the episode hinted that the creature might be slowly settling into the body of Hikaru, as he can suddenly feel sensations of pain, while he was unable to do so in the beginning. The latest episode makes fans wish that Hikaru had all his powers just so he could defend Yoshiki.

The animation itself seems uninspiring at times because most of the scenes show conversations between characters. The only emotionally spiked scene was no longer than a minute. Episode 8 seems to be a tedious one, which delivers details that might come in handy later, but at the end of the day, Yoshiki and Hikaru are back at square one.

What did you think of The Summer Hikaru Died episode 8? Did you infer any other details from it? Let us know in the comments below.

The Summer Hikaru Died anime is currently streaming on Netflix.
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