The much-anticipated “The Summer Hikaru Died” anime is set to exclusively release on Netflix this Summer 2025. To keep up with the hype, the voice cast shared their thoughts and experiences working on the series during the anime’s stage event on March 22, at AnimeJapan 2025. The anime adaptation is directed by Ryohei Takeshita (Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night) at studio CygamesPictures.

Describing the “Coming-of-Age Drama & Spine-Chilling Horror” Anime

The Summer Hikaru Died is a manga series about an ordinary high school boy, Yoshiki, who experiences various mysterious incidents in his life with Hikaru, a mysterious being who imitates his best friend Hikaru Indo. During the anime’s stage event, voice actors Chiaki Kobayashi and Shuichiro Umeda both appeared in costumes inspired by their respective characters.

Chiaki also brought a doll of the stray cat Mince-Aniki, which was reportedly recreated and supervised by author Mokumokuren themself, while Shuichiro Umeda carried a card shaped like the mysterious entity, “DORODORO.” The Summer Hikaru Died stage event continued with a lively atmosphere as Nippon TV announcer Rina Sato, the voice actors, and the audience all discussed the plot of the unique anime.

“Coming-of-age horror” is a fitting term, as it’s balanced in a way that both fans and those
who aren’t fond of horror can enjoy it, and there’s a dramatic aspect within it. I always feel
that it is a work that many people can enjoy,” said Chiaki Kobayashi, who plays Yoshiki Tsujinaka, the protagonist who accepts that his childhood friend Hikaru Indo has been replaced by “something else.” When asked about this, Chiaki continued:

“In Kubitachi Village, where Yoshiki and the others live, the population is about the same as the number of people on this stage right now, which means there are very few people. Because of that, he’s often talked about, whether it’s the length of his hair or his family environment, wherever he is. While he’s frustrated with the village’s narrow-minded nature, he can’t express those feelings. He’s a realistic character who you can imagine exists in any village.”

Meanwhile, Hikaru is a mysterious entity that appeared in place of “Hikaru Indo”, who went missing in the forbidden mountain area six months ago, with the same voice and appearance, but isn’t Hikaru. Shuichiro Umeda explained their strange relationship, “Hikaru is an important friend to Yoshiki. Though an enigmatic presence, one thing I can say is that he’s a boy who strongly wants to be by Yoshiki’s side. His ability to find joy in new things, feel different emotions, and have questions makes him a fascinating character, I think.”

Chiaki also mentions an interesting detail about the key visual. “In the key visual, Hikaru seems to be reflected behind Yoshiki’s back. Hikaru is in the sunlight, and Yoshiki is in the shadow. Just looking at this expands so many images. It’s a truly excellent key visual. The scenery depicted is beautiful, but conversely, it accentuates the horror aspect.” Shuichiro Umeda agreed and added, “You can feel the horror in the tiny incongruities within the village’s everyday life. But the way it’s depicted as being normal is somewhat terrifying. I think the key visual captures that tension well.”

The Summer Hikaru Died stage event also introduced three additional cast members at the AnimeJapan event: Yumiri Hanamori Asako Yamagishi, Wakaakana Waka as Rie Kurebayashi, and Chikahiro Kobayashi as Tanaka.

• Asako Yamagishi – a classmate of Yoshiki who has been able to “hear” things that ordinary people cannot since she was a child.
• Asako – a housewife who can “see” things that ordinary people cannot.
• Tanaka – a man who seems to belong to a certain company and is investigating something. He’s always nonchalant and hard to pin down. He has a hamster as his partner.

The Summer Hikaru Died cast members continued to chat about the recording sessions, purification rituals, learning the Mie dialect from a dialect coach, and the attention to the unique expressions possible in animation, such as the beautiful visuals, the commitment to sound, and the individuality of the characters. Aside from Yoshiki’s bangs, the cast also highlights how fans must watch the series with earphones to deeply enjoy the fear and excitement of the sounds in the anime.

Why You Should Watch The Summer Hikaru Died – Heartfelt Messages From the Cast

Chikahiro Kobayashi: “This work truly has a serene and somewhat relaxed atmosphere. It’s a story where a subtle fear slowly creeps into a leisurely village. However, it’s not merely about fear; it also portrays warmth between people and a subtle sense of ‘human love.’ It’s absolutely a work that should be watched in the summer, so I’m very glad that it will be broadcast and streamed in summer. I’ll continue to do my best with the voice recording, so please look forward to it.”

Wakaana: “I have really been looking forward to this day! Both the actors and the characters are struggling and striving hard! Just a little bit more until this summer, so please look forward to it.”

Yumiri Hanamori: “The artwork is very beautiful, and especially the blue stands out to me. Not just Tanaka, but Tanaka is also working hard with the hamster (laughs). I believe we can deliver a wonderful ‘blue’ this summer, so please look forward to it!”

Shuichiro Umeda: “This work is cherished by many people. I approach the voice recording
with the thought of cherishing the existence of Hikaru. Please look forward to the summer broadcast!”

Chiaki Kobayashi: “At the first event stage for this work, I’m filled with joy to have been able to get excited together with everyone. It’s not only scary as a horror piece but also a drama that makes you think about friends, family, and even your own existence. Since the original work isn’t complete yet, I believe many are looking forward to how the anime will conclude. Please immerse yourself in “The Summer Hikaru Died” this summer.”

The Summer Hikaru Died is set to release this Summer 2025 on Netflix. The exact release date is yet to be announced. Follow the official website and the Japanese and English X (formerly Twitter) accounts for more updates.

The Summer Hikaru Died (Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu) is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Mokumokuren.  It began serialization on Kadokawa Shoten’s Young Ace Up website in August 2021, while Yen Press publishes the manga in English. CygamesPictures is animating the series, and they describe the plot:

In a certain village
Since their childhood, they have grown up together.
Yoshiki and Hikaru, childhood friends.
The sun shining down on them
The chirping sound of a crypto tympana facialis
Ice cream on the way home
Laughing over trivial things
One day in summer, no different from any other day
…… You’re not Hikaru after all, are you?
Half a year ago, Hikaru went missing in the mountains.
A week later, he came back on a whim.
The voice, the figure, the thing that looked like Hikaru
What was stirring inside…
“Hikaru is no longer with us. …… if that’s the case.”
Starting the days with “something” in the form of a friend,
The “same as usual” everyday life.
But at the same time…
Strange incidents begin to plague the village.
Falling into the unknown “something”
The curtain rises on a coming-of-age horror story.

Source: Press Release
©Mokumokuren/KADOKAWA/The Summer Hikaru Died Partners