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Netflix announced that The Summer Hikaru Died will be released on July 5, 2025. It has been more than a year since the anime adaptation of Mokumokuren’s award-winning manga was first announced. The slice-of-life and horror genre anime will be directed by Ryouhei Takeshita and produced by Cygames Pictures.
Yuichi Takahashi and Masanobu Hiraoka will oversee the character designs and animation. The trailer featured the theme song and introduced the characters who will have a major impact in the upcoming eerie anime.
What is the story of The Summer Hikaru Died?
Yoshiki Tsujinaka and Hikaru Indou are childhood friends. One day, the latter decided to go on a mountain hike and went missing. However, after a week, he returned, and everything turned back to normal. While everyone seemed to accept Hikaru, Yoshiki knew that something was not right. The person who returned from the mountains resembled Hikaru in every aspect, but he was not the original one.
So, one day, while sitting beside a shop and having ice cream, Yoshiki confronted Hikaru and asked him to reveal his true identity. The former got the shock of his life when the imposter revealed himself to be a “not human,” with a close resemblance to an eldritch being. Soon after, the village started to experience strange things, and it all might be related to Hikaru’s return from the mountain hike.
Where To Watch The Summer Hikaru Died?
The Summer Hikaru Died can be exclusively streamed on Netflix from July 5, 2025. However, users will need to have a subscription to stream it. This applies to worldwide fans, as well as those in Japan, who can watch the anime on Nippon TV and stream it for free on ABEMA.
The Summer Hikaru Died Opening And Closing Themes Revealed
The Summer Hikaru Died’s opening and closing theme songs are out, with the second official trailer pretty much providing a taste of it. The opening theme, “saikai,” is performed by Vaundy, known for Strobo, Replica, New Gravity, etc. Vaundy won the Artist of the Year during the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards Japan.
The closing theme song is called “Anata wa Kaibutsu (you are my monster)” and is performed by TOOBOE. He was initially named John, but changed his name to TOOBOE after September 2020. His Stupid Dog album (released in 2024) earned him worldwide recognition.
Cast and Staff Of The Summer Hikaru Died
The cast and staff of The Summer Hikaru Died have been released, along with a statement from the director and a couple of voice actors. They are as follows:
Cast
- Yoshiki Tsujinaka: Chiaki Kobayashi
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.
- Hikaru: Shuichiro Umeda
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.
- Asako Yamagishi: Yumiri Hanamori
- Rie Kurebayashi: Wakana Kowaka
- Tanaka: Chikahiro Kobayashi
- Yuta Maki: Yoshiki Nakajima
- Yuki Tadokoro: Shion Wakayama
Staff
- Original story: Mokumokuren
- Director/Series Composition: Ryohei Takeshita
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.
- Character Design/Chief Animation Director: Yuichi Takahashi
- DORODORO Animator: Masanobu Hiraoka
- Prop Design: Ryunosuke Oji
- Sub Character Design: Mai Watanabe, Hiroko Seigan, Shoko Nagasawa
- Art Setting: Shuhei Tada, Takeshi Takahashi, Yoshihiro Sono
- Art Director: Kohei Honda
- Color Design: Naomi Nakano
- Assistant Color Design: Yuko Koshida
- 3D Supervisor: Yoshinori Nakano
- Director of Photography: Tomohiro Maeda
- 2D Design: Yusuke Nagara, Yuri Tsue
- Editing: Kashiko Kimura
- Sound Direction: Koji Kasamatsu
- Sound Production: dugout
- Music: Taro Umebayashi
- Opening Theme Song: “saikai” by Vaundy
- Ending Theme Song: “Anata wa Kaibutsu(you are my monster)” by TOOBOE
- Animation Production: CygamesPictures
Also Read: 5 Scariest Moments From The Summer Hikaru Died Manga
Source: Netflix
Priyanko is currently pursuing his Master’s in Economics. He loves to read manga or watch anime in his spare time. He is a massive fan of One Piece, Naruto, and Haikyu. Amidst the Great Pirating Era, he wishes to become the greatest Hokage, even though he is short.
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