The long-awaited anime adaptation of Mokumokuren’s The Summer Hikaru Died is coming soon to Netflix. A chilling blend of slice of life and the supernatural, Yoshiki’s life is thrown upside down when his best friend Hikaru is replaced by a mysterious otherworldly entity that looks and acts just like him, forcing him to navigate their changed relationship amid supernatural dangers.
Author Mokumokuren first came up with the series while studying for their exams and later began posting drawings on Twitter, which led to its official serialisation on Kadokawa Shoten’s Young Ace Up website in August 2021. The first volume went on to sell 200,000 copies in three months, and received critical praise for its story, artwork, and characters.
The anime adaptation will be produced by Cygames Pictures and is set to premiere in Q3 2025. It will be directed by Ryohei Takeshita, who is best known for his work on Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night.
The teaser art and trailer provide the first look at the anime, which stars Chiaki Kobayashi as Yoshiki Tsujinaka and Shuichiro Umeda as Hikaru Indou.
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.”
