Horror anime fans are in for quite the treat this year, as the popular horror manga The Summer Hikaru Died will be getting an anime adaptation this year. There aren’t many anime that belong to this genre, and the last pure horror anime that was released was Uzumaki, which was last year, so the announcement of this anime means a lot.
In this article, we’ll discuss the cast and the plot of the upcoming Netflix anime “The Summer Hikaru Died”, so you can figure out if this anime is a good fit for you. This article is mostly spoiler-free, so feel free to read on with no qualms.
The Summer Hikaru Died Anime Announced
The anime adaptation of the popular horror manga “The Summer Hikaru Died” has been confirmed to be released in the Summer 2025 anime season. The exact release date of the anime is yet to be revealed. The anime will be aired on Nippon TV in Japan, and it will also be streamed on Netflix.
Subsequent this this announcement, the Trailer for the series was also released on YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and other platforms.
The Summer Hikaru Died: Visual and Cast
The visual for the anime “The Summer Hikaru Died” was released on the 19th of March, 2025. It features the two main characters: Hikaru and Yoshiki. The visual also portrays the presence of something sinister between them, perfectly capturing the theme of the anime.
The following is the main cast of the anime, The Summer Hikaru Died:
| Role | Cast | Other Popular Works |
| Hikaru Indou | Umeda Shuichiro | Koichi Haimawari (My Hero Academia: Vigilantes) |
| Yoshiki Tsujinaka | Kobayashi Chiyaki | Stark (Sousou no Frieren) |
| Yamagishi Asako | Hanamori Yumiri | Hayasaka (Kaguya Sama Love Is War) |
| Kurebayashi Rie | Kowaka Wakana | – |
| Tanaka | Kobayashi Chikahiro | Legoshi (BEASTARS) |
The Summer Hikaru Died Plot
The Summer Hikaru Died follows the life of Yoshiki Tsujinaka and Hikaru Indou, two boys from a rural Japanese village. Something was terribly off about Hikaru after he returned from the mountains. Not many could tell, but Yoshiki, being Hikaru’s best friend for life, definitely knew that “Hikaru” wasn’t Hikaru. Six months after the incident, after Hikaru’s return from the mountains, Yoshiki confronted “Hikaru” about his identity, to which he responded by revealing his true identity: an otherworldly creature who had taken over Hikaru’s body.
“Hikaru” gave Yoshiki two things: a confession of love and a death threat. Yoshiki, who was unable to process his friend’s death, decided to accept “Hikaru”, even if it meant harm to himself and others around him. Things would’ve been a lot easier for Yoshiki if “Hikaru” wasn’t a threat to humans around him though!
Is The Summer Hikaru Died A BL?
Although the anime may appear to have a few themes that would make one assume that the anime has BL themes, this is not true. “Hikaru”, who confessed to Yoshiki, isn’t a human, but an otherworldly creature, which means Hikaru isn’t a boy anymore.
Later in the manga, “Hikaru” has also mentioned that he doesn’t know what the nature of his love is, so it isn’t confirmed if the love he feels for Yoshiki is romantic.
About The Summer Hikaru Died
Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu (The Summer Hikaru Died) is a manga series written and illustrated by Mokumokuren.
Living in a small village and being the only children their age, Yoshiki and Hikaru 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.
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.
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