The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 1

In a small, rural village, Yoshiki’s best friend Hikaru went missing in the mountains, only to return a week later looking and acting exactly like himself. However, Yoshiki quickly realizes that the entity inhabiting his friend’s body is an otherworldly being that has merely “consumed” Hikaru’s form and memories. Despite the chilling realization and the entity’s hidden, dangerous nature, Yoshiki’s grief and longing are so intense that he chooses to keep the secret and stay by this doppelgänger’s side. This award-winning manga is a haunting blend of cosmic horror and a melancholy coming-of-age story, set against the oppressive heat of a Japanese summer.