'The Summer Hikaru Died' Set to Bring Eerie Anime Thrills on July 5

The long-awaited anime adaptation of award-winning author Mokumokuren's hit manga "The Summer Hikaru Died" (published by KADOKAWA) is set to premiere on July 5. A chilling blend of slice of life and the supernatural, Yoshiki's life is thrown upside down when his best friend Hikaru Indou is replaced by "something" that looks and acts just like him. The key art and main trailer offer 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 series stars Chiaki Kobayashi as Yoshiki Tsujinaka, Shuichiro Umeda as Hikaru,Yumiri Hanamori as Asako Yamagishi, Wakana Kowaka as Rie Kurebayashi, Chikahiro Kobayashi as Tanaka, Yoshiki Nakajima as Yuta Maki, and Shion Wakayama as Yuki Tadokoro.

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."

Explore a world where the boundaries between friendship and fear blur in this anime adaptation. The Summer Hikaru Died streams on July 5, only on Netflix.

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
Cast:
Yoshiki Tsujinaka: Chiaki Kobayashi
Hikaru: Shuichiro Umeda
Asako Yamagishi: Yumiri Hanamori
Rie Kurebayashi: Wakana Kowaka
Tanaka: Chikahiro Kobayashi
Yuta Maki: Yoshiki Nakajima
Yuki Tadokoro: Shion Wakayama

Staff:
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
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

©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