The Summer Hikaru Died anime has received a teaser trailer and teaser visual. It’s also been revealed that Netflix will stream the horror-drama globally, and that its TV broadcast in Japan will begin in summer 2025.
The main staff and cast were announced as well. Ryohei Takeshita (director of Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night and Eromanga Sensei) is directing and handling the series composition at CygamesPictures. The character designs and chief animation direction are under the purview of Yuichi Takahashi (Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song- and Mononoke The Movie: The Phantom in the Rain character designer), while Masanobu Hiraoka (Chainsaw Man Ending 9 storyboard artist, unit director, animator, and editor) is credited as Dorodoro animator.
Chiaki Kobayashi is voicing protagonist Yoshiki Tsujinaka, while Shuichiro Umeda is the titular Hikaru Indou.
The Summer Hikaru Died is based on the KADOKAWA-published manga by Mokumokuren. The manga began serialization on the Young Ace Up website in August 2021 and will release its sixth tankoubon volume on December 4 JST.
Yen Press describes its premise as:
It has Hikaru’s face. It has Hikaru’s voice. It even has Hikaru’s memories. But whatever came down from the mountains six months ago isn’t Yoshiki’s best friend. Whatever it is, it’s dangerous. Carrying on at school and hanging out as if nothing has changed—as if Hikaru isn’t gone—would be crazy…but when it looks so very like Hikaru…and acts so very like Hikaru…
Source: Press release
