You might not have stumbled across “The Summer Hikaru Died” yet, but I’m betting that once you see the first trailer, it’ll be a quick addition to your Netflix playlist.
Typically, you wouldn’t expect slice of life and horror to intertwine, yet this is precisely the unusual mix that defines “The Summer Hikaru Died.” This manga series kicked off in 2021 and continues to deliver new chapters, bringing us into the lives of Yoshiki and Hikaru in their quiet Japanese town. However, things take a chilling turn when Hikaru dies and is replaced by an unsettling, otherworldly entity. Yoshiki suddenly has to grapple with the disturbing truth that his real best friend is gone. It’s a spine-tingling premise, and the newly released anime trailer captures all of the expected eerie tones.
You can catch the trailer on YouTube—it might not dive deep into the plot, but it certainly sets the atmosphere right. The anime adaptation is directed by Ryohei Takeshita, known for his work on “Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night.” Lending their voices to bring the characters to life, Chiaki Kobayashi, familiar from his lead roles in “Hell’s Paradise” and “Reynatis,” will play Yoshiki, while Shuichiro Umeda, known from “Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead” and “Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth,” takes on the role of Hikaru.
Director Takeshita shared his thoughts, saying, “Reading the original work was exhilarating. I found myself deeply contemplating how to translate its frames into animation. Our team put in a lot of effort to capture the nuanced emotions of Yoshiki and Hikaru and to honor the manga’s beautiful structure. We’re eager to share it with everyone.”
We’re still waiting on an exact release date, but look forward to it airing in the second half of 2025. Luckily, that means we don’t have to wait too long to experience this intriguing blend of genres on screen.
