The Summer Hikaru Died: Aroace rep?
I saw a post circulating that claimed Mokumokuren (author) explicitly confirmed Hikaru is aroace. This particular tumblr post had screenshots and translations. I have also seen a similar claim from twitter, from presumably a different user. Naturally, I got really excited and went looking for the post. Folks, I have found zero evidence that the post exists.
HOWEVER, there IS explicit evidence that Mokumokuren intended this story to be queer 🎉. I have compiled the bluesky posts below. I've also included the original content of each message and english translations in the body of this post in case anyone wants to do their own translation. If there is a major error in the translation please let me know and I will be happy to fix it. (note: I compared the in-app translation with the google translation. They were similar, and I used it as confirmation the content wasn't completely off base, but the in-app translation was less understandable).
Final interpretation I leave up to you 💚🖤🤍💜
This thread is pinned on Mokumokuren's bluesky account as of the day this is posted. (I have also selectively included only parts of the thread where Mokumokuren talks about their intention behind the story).
See source tag for link to post
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@mokmok-len.bsky.social, Pinned post: Nov 7, 2024
が死んだ夏のジャンルについては読んだ人が自由に考えるものという意見は変わっていないですが、恋愛や性の話から取り残された人たちにも寄り添う話であるべきだと思っているので私は「青春ホラー」と説明してます。 属性を問わず様々な人に共通する「"普通"になれない、居場所がない恐怖」が肝だと思ってます。
While I maintain the view that the genre of The Summer Hikaru Died is ultimately up to the reader's interpretation, I describe it as "coming-of-age horror" because I believe the story should resonate with those who feel left out of narratives centered on romance or sexuality. At its core, I believe the story captures a fear shared by all kinds of people—regardless of their background—of being unable to be "normal" or having nowhere to truly belong.
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@mokmok-len.bsky.social, Reply: Nov 7, 2024
ロマンスではないクィアの話が存在しても良いと思います。
だから公式としては、当初から恋愛物語として位置付けないように心がけています。
I believe there is room for queer stories that aren't romances.
That is why, from the very beginning, we have made a conscious effort not to frame it as a love story.
@mokmok-len.bsky.social, Reply: Dec 1, 2024
それと、「恋愛感情や性欲がわからない」というのもクィアの話として大事な設定だと思っています。
誤解を招きやすい部分なのもわかっていますが…
Also, the idea of "not understanding romantic or sexual attraction" is, I believe, an important element of the queer narrative here.
I realize it’s a point that can easily be misunderstood, though...
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@mokmok-len.bsky.social, Reply: March 19, 2025
[Note: this post links previous post from Nov 19, 2024]
公式サイトのジャンルタグや宣伝の方向性は連載当初から変更したことは無いです。公式の手の届く範囲では最初から一貫して「青春ホラー」として宣伝しています。（公式の手の届く範囲がとても狭いのも事実ですが…）
ジャンルタグがなんであれ、そしてこの話がロマンスで無かったとしても、クィアの話であることは作者として保証します。
The genre tags and promotional direction on the official site haven't changed since the series began. Within the scope of our official reach, we have consistently promoted it as "youth horror" from the start (though it is also true that our reach is quite limited...).
Regardless of the genre tags—and even if this story isn't a romance—I can guarantee as the author that it is a queer story.
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@gomano1rigoto.bsky.social, Reply: Nov 19, 2024 I’ve seen several instances where Mokumokuren sensei got rude feedbacks, that hgsn was queer baiting because it was first categorized as BL (iirc) and the tag was removed later.
@mokmok-len.bsky.social, Reply: Nov 19, 2024 返信ありがとうございます。 実は、公式サイトのタグには一度もBLとついていたことはないので、私の手の届く範囲の場所でタグが変更された事は無いんです。 連載の前段階のプロトタイプはBLとして描いていたので、誤解を招いたのだろうかと考えてはいるのですが… Thank you for your reply. Actually, the "BL" tag has never been applied on the official site, so the tag hasn't been changed anywhere within my reach. I did draw the prototype—the version created before the actual serialization—as a BL story, so I do wonder if that might have caused the misunderstanding...
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@gomano1rigoto.bsky.social, Reply: Nov 19, 2024
あ、そうだったのですね！クィアベイトだと騒いでいた人達の言い分には最初はBL明記してあったのに途中で消された〜と見たことがあって…もしかしたら1人が勘違いして、それが広まって勘違いが加速してしまったのかもしれませんね💦
Oh, I see! I had actually seen people claiming it was "queerbaiting" because they thought the "BL" label—which was supposedly there at first—had been removed later on... It’s possible that one person misunderstood the situation, and that misconception just snowballed as it spread. 💦
@mokmok-len.bsky.social, Reply: Nov 19, 2024
海外ファンダムでどこからかそういった話が出回っていると認識しております。実際誤解されやすい作品ではあると思うので、難しいなと日々感じています。
I am aware that such talk is circulating somewhere within the overseas fandom. I find the situation challenging on a daily basis, as I do think it is a work that is easily misunderstood.
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@shuyinna.bsky.social, Reply: Nov 28, 2024
Sensei I've a question. I started to read the manga when some told me that it had BL vibes and possibly gay characters (I'm gay and Would love to see gay characters here). You said fans are free to view it as whatever genre themselves and it's a queer story, but in your opinion, what makes it queer?
@mokmok-len.bsky.social, Reply: Nov 28, 2024
Thank you for starting to read. I hope you will forgive me for not explaining too much because it may limit the reader's interpretation, but I think you will understand as you continue reading.
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@shuyinna.bsky.social, Reply: Dec 3, 2024
Thank you for replying to me, sensei.
I just wanted to say that I've caught up to volume 5 (it was released in Italy a month ago), but I still don't understand what exactly makes it queer (unless there will be some development in future). Is it the theme of "homoeroticism/homosexuality"?
@mokmok-len.bsky.social, Reply: Dec 4, 2025
I don't think that only works that explicitly depict homosexuality are queer works. I want readers to think about what queer means when they read. Either way, I thought it was important to have information that the author is depicting the work as queer.
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@blmasitda.bsky.social, Reply: Apr 20, 2025
申し訳ありません…。私は韓国人ですが、翻訳がうまくいかなかったため、先生の文章をきちんと理解することができませんでした。結論として、『光が死んだ夏』はクィアの物語ということでしょうか？
I apologize... I am Korean, but the translation didn't work out well, so I wasn't able to fully understand your writing. To sum up, is The Summer Hikaru Died a queer story?
@mokmok-len.bsky.social, Reply: Apr 20, 2025
「빛이 죽은 여름」은 퀴어의 요소가 있는 이야기입니다만, 연애 이야기는 아닙니다. 그것은 연애를 할 수 없거나 연애를 하지 않는 것도 중요한 이야기의 일부이기 때문입니다. 그리고 이 이야기를 어떻게 파악하는지는 사람의 자유입니다만, 공식에서는 처음부터 「청춘 공포」로서 선전하고 있습니다. 전해졌는지 모르겠지만, 이런 내용입니다.
The Summer Hikaru Died is a story containing queer elements, but it is not a romance. This is because the inability—or choice—not to engage in a romantic relationship is a crucial part of the narrative. While readers are free to interpret the story however they wish, the official marketing has billed it from the start as "youth horror." I hope this conveys the nature of the work.
