'The Summer Hikaru Died' Set to Bring Eerie Anime Thrills to Netflix

The long-awaited anime adaptation of award-winning author Mokumokuren's hit manga "The Summer Hikaru Died" (published by KADOKAWA) is coming soon to Netflix. A chilling blend of slice of life and the supernatural, Yoshiki's life is thrown upside down when his best friend Hikaru is replaced by "something" that looks and acts just like him. The newly released teaser trailer offers a glimpse into Yoshiki and Hikaru's eerie world.

Directed by Ryohei Takeshita, known for Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night, the animation is produced by CygamesPictures.

The teaser art and trailer provide the first look at the anime, which stars Chiaki Kobayashi as Yoshiki Tsujinaka and Shuichiro Umeda as Hikaru Indou.

Chiaki Kobayashi expresses his excitement about playing Yoshiki and the complex emotions involved: "I'm thrilled to voice Yoshiki. From the audition, I felt a whirlwind of emotions - fear, comfort, and uncertainty. My goal was to capture all of Yoshiki's feelings and melancholy."

Shuichiro Umeda, voicing Hikaru, describes the role as a new experience: "Playing Hikaru was like peering into darkness. Despite uncertainties, my desire to stay connected with Yoshiki was clear, and I approached the role with that strong feeling."

Director Ryohei Takeshita reflects on the adaptation process: "Reading the original work was exciting, and I pondered how to express its frames in animation. Our team was very dedicated to capturing the delicate emotions of Yoshiki and Hikaru, as well as the manga's beautiful and innovative structure. We look forward to sharing it with you."

Stay tuned for the release of The Summer Hikaru Died on Netflix, where the boundaries between friendship and fear blur in this anime adaptation.

STORY:

Two best friends living in a rural Japanese village: Yoshiki and Hikaru. Growing up together, they were inseparable... until the day Hikaru came back from the mountains, and was no longer himself. "Something" has taken over Hikaru's body, memories, feelings... and everything they know begins to unravel.

About The Summer Hikaru Died

Original story: Based on the comic "The Summer Hikaru Died" by Mokumokuren, originally serialized in the YOUNG ACE UP published by KADOKAWA

Director/Series Composition: Ryohei Takeshita

Character Design/Chief Animation Director : Yuichi Takahashi

DORODORO Animator: Masanobu Hiraoka

Animation Production: CygamesPictures

©Mokumokuren/KADOKAWA/The Summer Hikaru Died Partners

*Copyrights must be indicated when posting or using the image materials.

Original Work Information

Title: 'The Summer Hikaru Died'　

Author: Mokumokuren

Previously published: Volumes 1-5 (Kadokawa Comics A)

Available on YenPress: https://yenpress.com/series/the-summer-hikaru-died