Book (Manga): The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren, Chapters 27 – 30

The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren, covers of serial Chapters 27 - 30

The Summer Hikaru Died
by Mokumokuren
published by Yen Press (ongoing, this is about Chapters 27 – 30)
2024 – present

My favorite horror series about body-part-collecting-beings from ‘the other side’ continues! The story is well-paced, and builds upon earlier revelations. As noted earlier, do not read these out of order! And don’t read further if you haven’t started the series.

Chapter 27: Yoshiki and new Hikaru hear a novel explanation of what’s happening in their town from the stranger in sunglasses, who asks new Hikaru to try to fix the rift between worlds. Yoshiki wrestles with his feelings for new Hikaru. The sky has weird lines in it. Also: there is a very attractive drawing of pancakes.

Chapter 28: Kurebayashi rejoins the boys. This chapter contains the creepiest social media post EVAH, posted by a kid who is OVER IT. (I respect his impatience with ghosts!)

Chapter 29: New Hikaru shows off some of his cleansing powers at a classmate’s house in Ashidori, a village where they may have something to fix. That classmate’s occult-obsessed brother recommends an upcoming festival.

Chapter 30: The Houku Festival is cheerful, aside from the creepy little dolls people make as an offering. Asako feels like she isn’t helping to protect the village, so she goes off on her own (!) to a forlorn, abandoned house (!!) that has sounds coming out of it (!!!). (GIRL – nooo!)

There is something that moves the story forward in every chapter – this tight pacing is fantastic. (You’ve read me complaining about the many manhwa stories that veer off onto tangents about agriculture… This has the most agricultural setting of any story I’ve read, yet Mokumokuren STAYS. ON. THEME.) The way Yoshiki wrestles with his attachment to new Hikaru feels authentic. The increasing creepiness and limited timeline for preventing something awful from happening build tension well. I continue to love this series!

Book (Manhwa) Update: I Tamed My Ex-husband’s Mad Dog By: CMJM, Jagae, Jkyum – now Complete

This story is 92 chapters of revenge, self-denying-relationship-dynamics, and a fear that a loving couple has no future because of flaws within each of their characters.

I endorsed this comic at chapter 71, and I endorse it still. It is suspenseful all the way through!

I’ve already described it, but can add that devoting one’s second-chance at life solely to revenge is not sensible. Also, self-loathing about the decisions one makes to have revenge can sabotage a relationship even more than stealing and mutilating a body together does. (Does this sound like a lesson that applies to you? If so, let’s NOT hang out!)

Beyond avoiding self-loathing, the story suggests that honesty, open communication, avoiding saddling your love with army-borrowing-related-debt, and perhaps even admitting to bearing your loved one’s children rather than hiding in another territory could all improve your love life. This… feels like solid general relationship advice. Fringe, yet accurate. While this story is marked with the “romance” tag of Tappytoon, such stories are usually more upbeat and don’t involve as many years of not speaking to each other or even being in the same region as this story does. (There is some realism in this, however.)

It is suspenseful – a character coming close to using magic to erase their life, inconveniently located cliffs, inconveniently deadly monsters, attempted assassinations, children running away with armies, a man bullying a younger man who may seek to avenge himself later, and the very real risk of a murder breaking a fragile, restored trust continue through the penultimate chapter. (Penultimate: a good name for a fountain pen shop, especially if it is second-to-last on a block.)

I truly enjoyed this violent, suspenseful, revenge-centric fantasy. This is a riveting adventure story of good people doing gory / bad things and suffering for it for many years before admitting their faults and choosing love. I continue to recommend it.

Life: I Love Autumn Sunrises

I know I’m more likely to see them because it is so darned dark when I get out of bed, but… STILL.

THE COLORS ARE AMAZING. I get the warm fuzzies just for being alive and having color vision to see this.

Language Study: Feeling Less Than Literate

Duolingo graphic in Japanese and English for "Naomi sometimes watches anime."
Naomi wa tokidoki anime o miru… but… but… Tokidoki is one of my favorite words, at least.

I feel like I’m somehow both succeeding (because I’m really good at multiple choice) and failing (because I am mentally exhausted from work and can’t communicate basic concepts coherently). This isn’t anyone’s fault but my tired brain’s.

I appreciate Duolingo for giving my language anxiety an outlet, and for making me practice my weakest alphabet, Katakana.

Book News: Han Kang Won the Nobel Prize for Literature

I’m excited to read that Han Kang has won the Nobel for her writing! I’m so delighted that this talented writer has been recognized.

(The article above is one of the most thoughtful articles to come out about her work, how other writers feel about her books, and more.)

South Korea is very proud of her – she is the first South Korean to win this prize – and it is great that her books are selling out there with this good news (also theguardian.com).

I’ve only read one of her books so far, but enjoyed it – it was disturbing, but also quite beautifully written. My brief description is below.

Language Study: 1900 Days of Duolingo

Duolingo graphic: I'm on a 1900 day learning streak!
1900 days…

I have some plans that may keep me from being able to maintain this streak through the end of the year, but in the meantime, here’s to celebrating my language obsession! [clinking of virtual glasses]

Yes, I’m back to Japanese. No, I’m not very good at it.

Writing: Fountain Pens (Pale Blue Theme)

A collage of my TWSBI fountain pen and a writing sample in Diamine Glacier ink
Finally out of the box: my first TWSBI fountain pen; its stub nib; a writing sample in Diamine’s Glacier ink. (It is too full of sparkles – I had to clean out the pen afterward, when it started to clog.)

My writing hand is in a mood to write, so I unpacked my TWSBI Diamond 580AL Fountain Pen in Iceberg Blue to start a new volume of my journals.

It’s lovely! It feels well made, is comfortable to hold, and the angle makes sense. I am switching to another Diamine ink (with fewer sparkles, so it will flow more evenly) for the rest of today’s writing.

Yes, every autumn I do gush about autumn. Yes, there are pages listing all the foods I love to eat. No, I don’t have to hold back – I’m writing for my own satisfaction, and there’s no such thing as too much gushy enthusiasm in a private journal.

I anticipate this pen will go into heavy rotation for letter writing, when I need a large pen I can hold comfortably for long letters.

Book (Manga): The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren, Chapters 22-26 (Volume 5-ish)

Covers for chapters 22 through 26 of The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren.

The Summer Hikaru Died
by Mokumokuren
published by Yen Press (ongoing, this is about Chapters 22-26)
2024 – present

I learned yesterday that the TSHD Volume 5 tankōbon won’t come out until March 2025. But the chapters published in Japan and translated into English already go up to Chapter 30! I am not willing to wait, so I’m buying the available digital chapters individually (from the Apple Books app). I’ll reread the entire series once it is complete.

This horror series is one continuous story (NOT an episodic collection of standalone adventures!). You should start with Chapter 1. I highly recommend this series – it is an impressive, creepy, humid, summer night story of things that go bump in the forest above a cursed village with a debt to repay.

I’m trying not to post spoilers, but rather a map of the series, so I can find parts I want to emphasize to others when I talk them into reading this. :). But you should skip this review if you haven’t started reading.

Chapter 22 begins seconds after Chapter 21’s last slash. Yoshiki tries to save his dearest friend, and then… wakes in the hospital, with his worried mother telling him that the events at the house were all hushed up. Kurebayashi visits and assures Yoshiki of his friend’s… durability. The out of town ‘scholar’ (who resembles Hikaru) reveals to a local that his centuries-old employer has an interest in specific <beings> from the other side of the rift, but won’t disclose his personal agenda.

Chapter 23 continues in the hospital with an astute observation by concerned Kurebayashi. A classmate tells the boys local mines supplied abortifacients to get the village through times of scarcity, which led to the worship of the local mountain god, which also led a decrease in local epidemics?

There is a pencil sketch of Hikaru destabilizing in Chapter 23 that is SUPERB.

Chapter 24 continues that the destabilizing theme, and Yoshiki realizes that he isn’t purely human anymore… A visit to the Indou family shrine reveals what the village’s dire offerings to the mountain god were, and how they have been memorialized by Hikaru’s family. New Hikaru feels pangs of guilt about how original Hikaru’s friends miss him.

Chapter 25 introduces Yoshiki’s father, who was dear friends with Hikaru’s father. He tells Yoshiki exactly how the Indous brought calamity to their village and the curse upon themselves. New Hikaru goes to Kurebayashi while trying to figure out how to save his friend – from himself. And Yoshiki finds a sketch of the thing new Hikaru really is – from Europe in 1519. (Aren’t art books great?!)

Chapter 26 is summer vacation. No, really. The boys get to go to the beach! I love this cover – there is a nice panorama in the issue. It ends with a revelation or trick, it’s too early to say which.

Cover for Chapter 26 of The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren.
A lovely, non-spooky cover!

I continue to love love love this series. So creepy. Action-packed, but with steady progress as the boys uncover so much dark local history. Their friendship and love for each other – indifferent to the fact that one of them isn’t human – is deep and sweet. The village landscapes, the details in the houses, the chirping of cicadas – it is all so atmospheric. This is a compelling, well executed story!

Coffee: Yes, hot please. No, just the drink.

view from above of a Blue Bottle black cardamom almond milk latte on a red picnic bench
Mmmmmmm. It turns out that, even in hot weather, I want my espresso drinks hot. There are exceptions. (Lavender lattes are pretty pleasant iced…)

Other parts of the country are setting records for high numbers of consecutive days with temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but here in SF, where people like me were raised under a friendly, fluffy blanket of fog, the health and safety warnings warn us about temperatures over 90.

Screenshot of NWS heat warning for San Francisco on October 5, 2024
I feel seen.

I stepped out of my house briefly this morning, only to discover that it is at least 8 degrees warmer out there, likely in the high 70s! I’ll be hiding from the sun all day, if I can help it.

This is the rare type of week where people who are allowed to work remotely go into the office – because offices have AIR CONDITIONING. (Finally, a good reason!)