Interviews with Mokumokuren:
from Diving In The Summer Hikaru Died With Mokumokuren-sensei
How did you come up with the concept for The Summer Hikaru Died?
Mokumokuren-sensei: Ever since I was a child, I’ve always found myself empathizing with the monsters in stories. However, monsters who have taken on the form of a human — like Hikaru — always end up as the enemy or vanish in the end. That’s how I came up with this story: I wanted to portray the inner conflict and the possibility of salvation for monsters who have assumed human identities.
What’s the appeal of the horror genre for you?
Mokumokuren-sensei: What I love is not simply scaring people but exploring elements that appeal to human psychology and can be intertwined with social themes. In reality, the world is already full of things far more terrifying than fiction, but horror allows us to convey those fears to a wide audience in a clear, visceral way. I feel that portraying “what is frightening” rather than “what is happiness” results in a story that is equal for everyone, leaving no one behind. In that sense, horror is actually a very compassionate genre.
The relationship between Hikaru and Yoshiki is a centerpoint to this manga. How did you go about crafting this relationship?
Mokumokuren-sensei: First, I created Yoshiki’s character so that there would be no inconsistencies in portraying someone who “accepts a monster that has taken the place of his best friend.” Since I had already worked out the plot beforehand, the story took shape by developing character settings that would fit that plot.
Between writing and drawing the manga, which would you say is more challenging for The Summer Hikaru Died and why?
Mokumokuren-sensei: In creating the story, as I had to think carefully about how to make readers grow attached to the characters — especially since, in a sense, the protagonist’s side occupies the position of “socially in the wrong.” At the same time, if I made Hikaru too harmless, the story would lose its appeal, so striking that balance was by far the most difficult part.
When creators work on anything, it is said that they leave a part of themselves into their work. What part of yourself do you feel was left in The Summer Hikaru Died?
Mokumokuren-sensei: Perhaps the part of me that likes non-human beings. Because of that, I prefer the monster Hikaru to the Hikaru from when he was alive. I think this aspect will continue to be a common theme in my future works.
from Small-town Horror: Interview with The Summer Hikaru Died Creator Mokumokuren
Part of what makes The Summer Hikaru Died so intriguing is the characters' emotional vulnerability. What do you see as the emotional core of Yoshiki and "Hikaru" and their relationship?
MOKUMOKUREN: When we interact with people who are different from us, we tend to have preconceptions. We fit them into our existing values and lose sight of their true nature. Yoshiki is the same. At the beginning of the story, he interacts with the monster "Hikaru" with many preconceptions. However, as the story progresses, he realizes his preconceptions were wrong and needs to see the true nature of things.
“Hikaru,” who's a non-human, is very different from the human Hikaru. In fact, he doesn't understand emotions and logic that come naturally to humans. As he interacts with “Hikaru,” Yoshiki becomes aware of the preconceptions he has inside himself. The relationship between Yoshiki and Hikaru is very complicated. However, a major theme of this work is how to deal with complex things without being trapped by preconceptions. I don't know if this is the answer to "the emotional core," but I think it's an important theme in their relationship.
If you could give advice to teenagers who may have feelings similar to Yoshiki, what would you like to share?
MOKUMOKUREN: Yoshiki grew up in a secluded rural town and has many difficulties in life. His mother's an outsider, his sister doesn't go to school, his parents fight, and the way people around him look at him. He's also concerned about his gender. He's by no means a particularly unfortunate character but a protagonist with problems that can be found anywhere. And when Yoshiki faces the monster called "Hikaru," he must also face himself.
There comes a time when almost every teenager, no matter where they live, must face themselves. They need to confront the parts they don't want to acknowledge and the contradictions within themselves. I'm sure that's the same for adults as well. I don't want Yoshiki to be an ideal hero, but a protagonist who is close to those kinds of realistic concerns.
from Natalie Comics Special Feature Interview: "The Summer Hikaru Died" Mokumoku Ren x Vaundy Discussion (machine translated using Google Translate and DeepL)
First off, when you were creating “The Summer Light Died,” Mokumokuren, what aspect did you most want to depict?
Mokumokuren: I've always loved horror, so I had plenty of themes I wanted to explore creatively. But I felt horror alone could be a bit tricky. I think horror often relies heavily on anthologies, and the reason is simple: if you keep going, it just stops being scary. The protagonist doesn't die, and the more you develop characters, the more they become reassuring figures to readers—people who “will never die, who will overcome it.” Horror is scary precisely because the protagonists are ordinary people you see everywhere, people who could die at any moment.
Mokumokuren: But when I tried to draw horror manga and realized I needed a single, overarching storyline, I worried that an anthology format would just end up being about showing the scares. So… well, maybe I should call it “psychological horror.” You know how in games, there's this genre that mixes the player character's psychological state with horror to express the protagonist's inner world? I built my work around that image. I wanted to create a consistent thread centered on “horror that represents the protagonist's inner world.” Within that thread, there are stories where people genuinely grow, but the obstacles they must overcome, or the walls within themselves, manifest as horror.
You just said "protagonist," but in "The Summer Hikaru Died," there is a protagonist named Yoshiki, and while his inner thoughts are naturally depicted, the emotional changes and movements of "Something," the being inside Hikaru, are also depicted in a very delicate manner. The story is structured so that as you read, you begin to empathize with a being that is supposed to be non-human.
Mokumokuren: I've always been someone who basically takes sides with non-humans (laughs).
Mokumokuren: I think that, especially with beings like Hikaru that take over people, in stories they usually either become the enemy, disappear, or are able to rest in peace. I've always hated that, and wanting to read stories that put people outside of humanity was one of the starting points for this work. Even in "Beauty and the Beast," the Beast turning back into a human at the end was a huge shock to me as a child. I was like, "Wow, he's turned back into a human!" (laughs). It would have been better if he had stayed that way.
Mokumokuren: That's why I put a lot of effort into making readers empathize with the monster side within the story itself. It was tough, I have to say. Getting readers to empathize with a monster that's taken over a human body is pretty difficult, so you have to do all sorts of things to make it work. I made a lot of efforts to get readers to like Hikaru.
Well, generally speaking, the beast turns back into a prince and it's “happily ever after,” right?
Vaundy: So in Mokumokuren's mind, the story of “Beauty and the Beast” probably doesn't end there.
Mokumokuren: Yeah, there just weren't many works that let you empathize with the monster, so I wanted to draw that. Within what I've observed, there weren't many that really delved into that aspect. I'm a fan of Sui Ishida's Tokyo Ghoul, and that's exactly why I love it. It really delves into the conflicts faced by non-human beings. It portrays them not as enemies, but as beings caught between worlds, treating both humans and non-humans equally.
Vaundy also draws pictures and shoots videos, so it's quite possible that music wouldn't be your main job.
Vaundy: True, but in my case, it's like throwing a dart and just watching it sway back and forth forever. Music really has its season, you know? It constantly needs freshness. That's something I'll always have to keep thinking about. Music might have an even faster shelf life than manga. It feels like we're in an era where ordinary people suddenly get thrust into the spotlight with a “Hey, go for it!” kind of push. Being young makes you get criticized even more, so it's tough, right?
Mokumokuren: I still get called things like “amateurish” all the time. That's exactly why I feel like I can't endure it unless I find a greater purpose while drawing. Amidst all the criticism, if I don't believe there's a real meaning for the world in drawing this, I can't keep going. When I ask myself, “Why am I doing this?” it's not weird if the answer is money, fame, or a need for approval. But what matters most is that feeling of “This is necessary for society.”
In the original version of "The Summer When the Light Died," the story develops rapidly, and I'm really curious to see how it all ends.
Vaundy: That's right. That's the difficult part, and I struggled a lot when writing the lyrics for the theme song. I feel like there are more manga these days that allow you to predict how the story will unfold, but with "The Summer When the Light Died," I have no idea how it will all come together. Even when I read the manga, each chapter ends with me thinking, "Huh, what's going to happen?"
Mokumokuren: But for me, the ending has been decided since the serialization started.
Vaundy: You're hiding it. I've already imagined the final chapter in my head. I won't say what it is, but I definitely want to see it confirmed in the end (laughs).
