Here’s to a new year! Here’s my first mega try (also first time posting in a while due to reasons) but heya! Admittedly struggled a fair bit with self doubt and anxiety on this one as put it off for a while/other things caught up with me but I figure I’ll be glad I did it once I’ve done it. It’s kinda being done last minute though, so admittedly there’s that…

I’d been intending to make the mega about something else originally when I signed up, but that would require more time on my part (and I just binge read this recently, so it all works out). Anyways, my subject of the week is The Summer Hikaru Died; it’s a queer (BL) horror manga which is currently also scheduled for anime release next year (2025).

Content warnings naturally follow and further details will be spoilered.

CONTENT WARNINGS

Grief, body horror and (very debatably IMO) mild gore, supernatural horror (ghosts/“impurities”, otherworldly entities), death I suppose though that one’s a given

Premise

The titular Hikaru went for a walk in the woods, died, and something came back wearing his body, something that doesn’t quite know how to be human or mortal; “Hikaru” returned, to ensure that his best friend, Yoshiki, would not be lonely. Romantic tension (and tension of a less pleasant kind) ensues.

The plot/things I like about it thus far (light spoilers)

Yoshiki and “Hikaru” have an absolutely great dynamic- their relationship may not be fully healthy, but their intentions seem to both be in the right place, as are their deep feelings (Yoshiki’s for Hikaru and increasingly for “Hikaru,” and Hikaru and “Hikaru’s” own true feelings) and honesty in this regard, despite the latter “Hikaru” being effectively an imposter of sorts. (it’s complicated, but these are increasingly distinguished separately and I really like that process as well)

“Hikaru” is, while not quite a blank slate, extremely new to the concept of even just “being” in the sense that mortal creatures and individual organisms(?) do. They’ve had to learn (and Yoshiki has had to confront them about) the value and significance of life and death; they’ve increasingly established boundaries, and they approach the world with a liveliness and curiousity that is really cute (the original Hikaru was also lively FWIW, but “Hikaru” is experiencing everything anew even if they retain the memories).

Yoshiki, on the other hand, is both grappling with his grief and loss of Hikaru, while finding comfort (and discomfort alike) in his imposter, and in guiding them through a new world or state of being. He’s finding his resolve and moral/ethical backbone interacting with “Hikaru” (very blue-and-orange morality dynamics, though they’re learning), he’s experiencing what could be described as a rocky but determined romance and queer experimentation at the same time “Hikaru” is being introduced to notions of attraction and desire (beyond instinctual desire to consume).

Their pairing in so many ways should not work (or rather would be usually destined for a tragic end). From the start, there have been several points where by all means it should have met such an end. But their determination and willingness to meet the other where they’re at and gradually be understanding with the other is both fascinating and something I’d feel optimistic for (and interested in seeing play out further).

Anyways, I should cut myself short at this (and make sure to have something properly written beforehand for next time). But anyways, thus far it’s a strong recommend (if you feel alright with the content warnings) from me.

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As a reminder, please do not discuss current struggle sessions in the mega. We want this to be a little oasis for all of us and the best way to do that is not to feed into existing conflict on the site.

Also, be sure to properly give content warnings and put sensitive subjects behind proper spoiler tags. It’s for the mental health of not just your comrades, but yourself as well.

Here is a screenshot of where to find the spoiler button.

  • ashinadash [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
    9·
    4 days ago

    Aw man I think @Cromalin@hexbear.net recommended me this manga but now I can’t yap to her abt it…

    the manga

    So I like the Sakaomi Yuzaki food manga pretty okay, I mean it’s decent, the leads are fine and it’s low and slow, it’s chill. It even has a few jokes that are actually funny. But then

    Oh yeah?

    Is that so? Look at that, my japanese mangas are getting “woke”. They even have PRONOUNS now:

    Just like me, fr fr.

    Woah, it even has Beautiful Girltwink?!? With fluffy lil gay hair?? (I have a type, involving short fluffy hair and glasses) Waow, incredible technology…

    and a CW for eating disorder stuff. Damn susie-heh

    I’m pretty pleased after digging in a few chapters deep, happy to have my expectations proven wrong. Asexual Lesbians Manga

    EDIT:

    Isn’t there something satisfying about ladies appropriating a tradition focused on hetero folks? As lesbians, I mean!

    Wow, Yako-san… also this is why Lesbian is also a gender. But uh, yeah, for sure makima-think I was an enthusiastic user of the term “wife” right? Straights think they can have their sanctity of marriage, well too fuckin bad! I dunno how much of that I actually want, though. A lot of het traditions I find weird or unpleasant. Part of me wants our own, special, debauched, original traditions to have. Idk.

  • ashinadash [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
    18·
    4 days ago
    incredibly nsfw, absolute filth, there ought to be a law

    lea-think Actually no, that’s way too dirty to post, don’t subject people to that.

    I will say though, seriously, even if you don’t have any terms for your body that you like, (which is very understandable honestly) you should internally jettison all the bad and nasty and cisnormative terms from your brain. It helps, the difference is startling.

    On the one hand this shouldn’t be surprising at all - like, of course automatically referring to myself and my body with terms in the framework of “man” is deeply unpleasant, right? But it takes a long time to dig that shit out, so I hadn’t really. My internal monologue and thought processes would just kinda stop whenever certain subjects came up… but now it’s like Well, my brain is so much goddamn happier not selecting from a vocabulary of terms that pigeonholes my body as “male”. Seriously, thank fuck! catgirl-heart

    I know not everyone puts that much stock into terminology, and if the standard issue terms work then don’t let anyone stop you brandishing them. If you find things distressing the way I did though, you should consider some alternatives.

    (Yes I know this is like the fifth time I post about this, but the good vibes from it continue to surprise me)

  • Moss [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    21·
    4 days ago

    There is a decent amount of evidence to suggest that Jesse Pinkman is a transgender man

    He’s called Jesse (a gender ambiguous, but typically feminine name) PINKman (as of to highlight his conscious choice in gender presentation; he does not harbor toxic masculinity in thinking that pink emasculates him). He wears baggy clothing even when weather inappropriate due to gender dysphoria. He is on shaky conditions with his parents who clearly don’t accept him, but his little brother does.

    Due to a lack of parental support, he had to start cooking meth to make ends meet, and also learned to make DIY HRT with his chemistry skills. He dates Jane, who is also trans (obviously). Most people are supportive of him, except for Mike, who is transphobic (you are not the guy).

    Jesse Pinkman is trans, this is one transillion percent true and canon

  • EstraDoll [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
    15·
    4 days ago

    alright. time to once again try my hand at not being the most terminally single removed on earth, just bought a ticket to a queer speed dating night

  • EstraDoll [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
    6·
    4 days ago

    things i learned transitioning #81237: so not only do a lot of women’s clothes just look a lot nicer too a lot of them are actually really fucking comfortable too? So not only are cardigans super fucking cozy but calf boots are the most unexpectedly comfortable thing I’ve ever worn. I didn’t expect my calves basically getting a hug to be so nice but it really is