I think you nail what makes "Hikaru" (the monster) work so well at first, and it's interesting that even though we get more information about it later on and what/who it is stops being so blurry, the monster still works in another direction. Knowing that "Hikaru" is struggling to find its own identity just as Yoshiki struggles to categorize "Hikaru" makes the monster work because it's own monstrosity/otherness scares *it*. "Hikaru" wants to be part of Yoshikis life and live as the real Hikaru, yet fears that his own nature won't allow it. It also works so well as a metaphor for queerness.
Yes! I love the dynamic of “Hikaru” wanting to be Hikaru, and the whole notion of a monster’s form having intent that enriches the story’s meaning. It’s fascinating and there are so many ways it can go from here. Part of why this comment inspired my next Hikaru post, so thank you for commenting!
This was an excellent breakdown - it's great seeing such a thorough analysis specifically focused on the tone of a series, which can be something difficult to articulate. Comparing/contrasting with action orientated manga and horror movies provides a solid frame of reference. All around incredible work, you've given me a lot to think about
Thanks so much for the kind words! Tone is really, really hard to capture, I agree. I've been thinking about it more with reading JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, which is like... 99% tone. So many manga, and stories in general, just don't have a clear and obvious tone. Not a deal breaker, but as Hikaru shows--and JoJo for that matter--when a tone is really firing, it's practically intoxicating.
I think you nail what makes "Hikaru" (the monster) work so well at first, and it's interesting that even though we get more information about it later on and what/who it is stops being so blurry, the monster still works in another direction. Knowing that "Hikaru" is struggling to find its own identity just as Yoshiki struggles to categorize "Hikaru" makes the monster work because it's own monstrosity/otherness scares *it*. "Hikaru" wants to be part of Yoshikis life and live as the real Hikaru, yet fears that his own nature won't allow it. It also works so well as a metaphor for queerness.
Yes! I love the dynamic of “Hikaru” wanting to be Hikaru, and the whole notion of a monster’s form having intent that enriches the story’s meaning. It’s fascinating and there are so many ways it can go from here. Part of why this comment inspired my next Hikaru post, so thank you for commenting!
This was an excellent breakdown - it's great seeing such a thorough analysis specifically focused on the tone of a series, which can be something difficult to articulate. Comparing/contrasting with action orientated manga and horror movies provides a solid frame of reference. All around incredible work, you've given me a lot to think about
Thanks so much for the kind words! Tone is really, really hard to capture, I agree. I've been thinking about it more with reading JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, which is like... 99% tone. So many manga, and stories in general, just don't have a clear and obvious tone. Not a deal breaker, but as Hikaru shows--and JoJo for that matter--when a tone is really firing, it's practically intoxicating.
I am forever in your debt for making me aware of this manga, it’s become one of my favorite discoveries of 2024! ❤️
I'm so glad to hear this! The anime is coming in 2025 too, and it's gonna be amazing. The more Hikaru the better!
YES!! I didn’t know there was an anime coming, that’s awesome news!
Learned so much reading this 😊