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Episode 4 “Summer Festival” Details
- Available On: Netflix (Link)
- Public Release Date: July 26, 2025
- Director(s): Yoshiyuki Shirane
- Writer(s): Okki Murayama
Episode 4 “Summer Festival” Recap (With Spoilers)
Call It Intuition: Asako, Yuki
It’s established, outside the main friend group, that Asako and Yuki are friends, and it seems Asako gets a minor but notable focus. Why? Well, not just because of her love life, which is non-existent, but also because she seems to have intuition regarding peculiarities. It isn’t clear if it is because she knows of one, and thus has learned to pick up on them, maybe has a gift like Tanaka, or if it is something a handful of people in the village are born into/require through their genes/lineage.
However, Yuki takes it seriously enough not to question when Asako tells her not to cross the train tracks, as something is calling out from the middle of them.
He Was My Safe Space: Hikaru, Yoshiki
While Hikaru is more than capable of having fun with Yoshiki, and it seemed they reconciled after the last episode, Yoshiki still struggles with Hikaru physically being that, but being possessed by a different entity. For one, Yoshiki saw Hikaru’s lifeless body, so he can’t just pretend Hikaru is being weirder than usual – he felt his cold skin and saw he wasn’t breathing.
Two, and perhaps the most important, while Yoshiki seemingly never came out, it does appear that he was figuring himself out; Hikaru presented himself as a safe place. Alongside that, with all that is going on in Yoshiki’s house between his parents and sister, Hikaru offered him somewhere quiet, peaceful, where he could escape and not need to go to the city. While the current Hikaru still offers that, it isn’t the same.
The Hunt Begins: Tanaka, Hikaru, Yoshiki, Kaoru
At a cultural festival, Hikaru and Yoshiki were just hanging out, with Yoshiki’s little sister, Kaoru, and things were okay. The usual rumors about Yoshiki’s family, like why Kaoru isn’t going to school, persisted, but Hikaru did what he always did and tried to distract Yoshiki from being so self-conscious.
Unfortunately, though, as they are trying to have fun, Tanaka is close by, hearing vague information about the ritual Hikaru was supposed to do, what may or may not have come from the mountain, and a lot of local superstitions. Tanaka humors this, questions this, but the way he handles it walks a fine line that sometimes veers towards insulting.
But, when his hamster squeals, shows signs the barrier he put up has been messed with, it is the first sign Tanaka has gotten that Hikaru is nearby, and while he doesn’t catch him this time, we saw what Tanaka does when he finds things that don’t belong amongst humanity.
New Cast and Characters
Kaoru (Hirose Seika)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: Kaoru is Yoshiki’s little sister who is going through a hard time and because of her struggles, has missed school for an extended amount of time – which is one of the major talking points of the village.
Links
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Review and Commentary
Highlights
Easing Into Yoshiki Coming Out [85/100]
Horror as a genre has long been about making difficult topics palatable and even showing the hypocrisy of how people will more easily accept violence and sex over topics like sexuality, race, and others, which are often more challenging to talk about. In my mind, The Summer Hikaru Died is treating Yoshiki’s sexuality as the topic, which is buried underneath a supernatural story, with potential horror elements.
But, with each episode, it eases into Yoshiki trying to see how this new Hikaru feels, both about his sexuality and maybe about him. Which leads to this whole other subject of whether the real Hikaru felt the same, and if he didn’t, if Yoshiki is taking advantage of this rather naïve supernatural being to perhaps not only fulfill his emotional desires, but carnal desires too.
There Is Something Awry and Special About This Village [83/100]
I’m not sure if it is because most are aware there is something supernatural about the mountain and woods, and maybe that is why some are more aware of what is going on, or if it is a case where certain families are given gifts or responsibilities. Either way, Asako sensing, or hearing an apparition, was a welcome reveal for it presents the idea these entities might be active threats, but there is a reason they are trapped in the woods or mountains and have caused as much havoc as they could.
They are aware that humans know they exist, and even if they don’t know what they look like, it is the threat of not being anonymous that creates hesitation and, for those like Hikaru’s body snatcher, hundreds of years in hiding. But, as shown, when opportunities present themselves, they can act, and that’s the threat I hope the show pursues more, alongside how, beyond the ritual Hikaru’s family has done, the village has found its way back.
On The Fence
The Desire For Battle Sequences [77/100]
With The Summer Hikaru Died being more weird than creepy, I feel like it creates a call to action. There is a need to see someone get attacked, stalked, or something that creates an active threat. So maybe asking for battle sequences is a bit much, but I would like to see some kind of threat or action taken to remind us these supernatural beings aren’t just lonely and wandering spirits, hoping to take a body like Hikaru’s body snatcher.
Overall
Our Overall Rating [81/100]
While four episodes can feel longer than most would want to finish the foundation of a show, and at this point, you’d think things would begin ramping up, The Summer Hikaru Died is earning the grace it needs to take its time. It is pursuing the delicate topic of what it means to be human, in a multitude of ways, and the pursuit even by those who may not be human in order to gain access to the feelings people take for granted.
Add in low-lying threats and pushing some characters, like Asako, to appear to be more than meets the eye, and you get something which maybe taking it slow, but seemingly will make it worth it.
Check Out Our Past Coverage Of This Series
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The Summer Hikaru Died: Season 1 Episode 6 – Recap and Review
Despite Asako’s name being the title of the episode, beyond briefly going into her backstory, it is more of the same.
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The Summer Hikaru Died: Season 1 Episode 5 – Recap and Review
As Yoshiki and Hikaru continue to experiment, a supernatural being stalks Yoshiki’s family – maybe in hopes of getting to Hikaru.
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The Summer Hikaru Died: Season 1 Episode 3 – Recap and Review
While Yoshiki is given a wake-up call regarding his relationship with Hikaru, whether or not he may hit snooze is a whole other story.
TV Shows We’re Covering This Season
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