The Summer Hikaru Died: New horror anime premieres July 5
If you like puzzle mystery thrillers, small towns with dark secrets, or dark coming-of-age stories, the latest anime to hit this summer might just be the one for you.
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Tentatively named The Summer Hikaru Died, this new series is billed as a supernatural horror drama, blending coming-of-age emotion with chilling suspense, and will premiere on anime's biggest stage on July 5, 2025.
What is 'The Summer Hikaru Died' about?
Adapted from Mokumokuren's hit manga, this horror anime centers around two teenage boys—Yoshiki and Hikaru—who've been best friends since childhood. Once Hikaru goes missing in the local mountains and mysteriously returns a week later, something feels… wrong.
Then one summer day, as they eat lunch together, Yoshiki nervously ushers into the room what will become the heart of the story when he quietly asks, 'You're not Hikaru, right?
What remains, after all that noise and clatter, is a haunting, poignant tale of seeking one's true identity, losing all that is familiar and beloved, and fearing the unknown. Now, as Yoshiki gets to know this new 'Hikaru' under his family's roof and within the tapestry of their everyday lives—not to mention under the watchful eyes of village lore—cloaked in secret and confusion, bizarre happenings start to plague their peaceful hamlet.
Coming-of-age meets japanese horror
This anime is unlike any other ghost tale you've ever seen. Compared to The Other Side of Lost, The Summer Hikaru Died has a more adventurous tone, a blend of the joys and angst of teen friendship with emotional confusion and psychological horror, making it a story that fans of Stranger Things, The Outsider, or Dark would likely appreciate.
It's less about jump scares and more about quiet dread, and it foregrounds how grief and guilt can warp perception of reality itself.
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Anime directed by Jujutsu Kaisen's Ryohei Takeshita
The series is directed by Ryohei Takeshita, who previously worked on the smash hit series Jujutsu Kaisen. Animation is being directed by CygamesPictures, the studio responsible for the recent movie adaptation of Blade Runner: Image courtesy of Black Out 2022.
Takeshita was thrilled, stating:
'Reading the original manga was thrilling, and we worked hard to express its quiet tension in animation. We focused on the emotions of Yoshiki and Hikaru, and the manga's beautiful and creative structure.'
Voice cast for 'The Summer Hikaru Died'
The anime brings along a jewel-toned cast of mostly Japanese, acclaimed voice actors, including:
Chiaki Kobayashi Yoshiki Tsujinaka
Shuichiro Umeda as Hikaru .
Yumiri Hanamori as Asako Yamagishi
Wakana Kowaka as Rie Kurebayashi, anime voice actor
Chikahiro Kobayashi as Tanaka, Production I.G Input of the doge
Yoshiki Nakajima as Yuta Maki ⓒ2023 A24
Shion Wakayama as Yuki Tadokoro
Every unique character introduced serves to deepen the larger mystery at play in the village.
Where to watch
The Summer Hikaru Died will make its world premiere on July 5, 2025. Whether you're a veteran anime-lover or just taking your first steps into this vibrant world, this one has award-worthy emotional depth and slow-burning horror that everyone can connect with.
Here's why fans are understandably so hyped:
Adapted from a cult-hit manga, with a powerful emotional core
Strange unique horror tone that mixes sci-fi and teen drama
Wonderful hand-drawn art and nails-the-tapestry style spooky moody atmosphere
International streaming release, open to audiences worldwide
If you're seeking a new anime that's as beautiful, eerie, and intellectually stimulating as July is hot, The Summer Hikaru Died might just be your summer obsession.
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