The Summer Hikaru Died (anime) (2024)

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This article is about the anime.

For other uses, see Disambiguation.

The Summer Hikaru Died (光 (ひかる) が死 (し) んだ夏 (なつ) , Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu^?) is a Japanese anime adaptation of the manga by Mokumokuren.

1 Synopsis
2 Production
3 Staff
- 3.1 Cast
4 Episodes
5 Gallery
6 Comments
7 Official Media
8 References

Synopsis[]

Best friends Yoshiki and Hikaru have been stuck together like glue for most of their lives. Living in a small village and being the only children their age, the two boys find solace in each other's company. Their friendship seems picturesque at first glance, but Yoshiki has noticed a shift in Hikaru's demeanor ever since one fateful summer.

The "Hikaru" that sits beside him now is nothing like his friend. Despite his physical appearance and memories remaining exactly the same, Yoshiki knows something is amiss and that the Hikaru he once knew is gone. When he brings this up, Hikaru partially transforms into an otherworldly being, threatening to kill Yoshiki if he cannot accept it—while also professing its love for him.

Wracked with grief and unable to let go of his best friend, Yoshiki struggles to move on with his life as he finds himself getting closer to the new Hikaru. At the same time, strange occurrences begin to plague their village, bringing unsettling chaos.

Production[]

The Summer Hikaru Died's anime adaptation was announced on Twitter by the manga's author, Mokumokuren, on May 24, 2024.^[1] On November 25, 2024, the anime's official Twitter account became active and posted a link to the anime's official website. The website contained a 24-hour countdown to the release of new information regarding the anime adaptation.^[2] The first PV was posted at the completion of the countdown on November 26th. It was drawn by character designer Yuichi Takahashi; the "dorodoro" ("Hikaru"'s insides) animation was drawn by Masanobu Hiraoka.^[3]

The anime will premiere on Nippon TV in the summer of 2025. Abema will stream the series for free in Japan. Netflix will stream the series globally.^[4]

Staff[]

Director, series composition – Ryohei Takeshita
Character design, chief animation director – Yuichi Takahashi
Dorodoro animator – Masanobu Hiraoka

Cast[]

Tsujinaka Yoshiki – Chiaki Kobayashi
"Hikaru" – Shūichirō Umeda

Episodes[]

Main article: List of Episodes

Gallery[]

Promotional Materials

Promotional Videos
Promotional Images

TVアニメ「光が死んだ夏」ティザーPV【2025年夏放送・配信開始】

First official teaser

Anime Announcement

Key Visual (JP)

Key Visual (EN)

Comments[]

“	When I first read the original work, I remember being excited as I read through the pages, wondering how I could express these frames in anime. All of our staff are working diligently on the original work to skillfully animate not only the delicate emotional nuances of the characters, but also the beautiful and innovative manga structure. We are working as hard as we can to beautifully animate the struggles of Yoshiki and Hikaru, two young men, as they try to understand each other, so please look forward to the broadcast.	”
—Director Ryohei Takeshita^[5]

“	From the audition, I was tossed around by a jumble of emotions: I shouldn't be with him, but I want him to be, it's scary but it feels good. I will use all my blood, flesh and bones to do my best to bring out all of Yoshiki's feelings and sorrow. In today's society where various values coexist, this is a work that I would like many people to see, so please look forward to the broadcast. Thank you.	”
—Chiaki Kobayashi, voice of Tsujinaka Yoshiki^[5]

“	Playing the role of "Hikaru" was a new experience for me, and at the same time, it felt like peering into the darkness. There are many uncertainties in both his mind and body, but the one thing that is certain is his desire to be with Yoshiki, so I tried to play him while fully feeling that feeling. That's what I thought when I went to the audition. I will do my best to play the role.	”
—Shūichirō Umeda, voice of "Hikaru"^[5]