I still think that the genre of "The Summer Hikaru Died" is something that readers are free to think about, but I describe it as "coming-of-age horror" because I think it should be a story that also empathizes with people who have been left behind about romance and sexuality. That's why I describe it as "youth horror."
I think the key is the fear of not being "normal" and not having a place to belong, which is shared by people of all walks of life, regardless of demographic. I believe it’s okay for there to be queer stories that are not about romance.
That's why, from the beginning, I tried not to position it as a love story. - Mokumoku sensei (on bluesky)
I still think that the genre of "The Summer Hikaru Died" is something that readers are free to think about, but I describe it as "coming-of-age horror" because I think it should be a story that also empathizes with people who have been left behind about romance and sexuality. That's why I describe it as "youth horror."
I think the key is the fear of not being "normal" and not having a place to belong, which is shared by people of all walks of life, regardless of demographic. I believe it’s okay for there to be queer stories that are not about romance.
That's why, from the beginning, I tried not to position it as a love story. - Mokumoku sensei (on bluesky)
光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。
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。