Summary

  • Netflix will release The Summer Hikaru Died internationally, but it is unclear if the debut will be simultaneous.
  • The anime, produced by Cygames Pictures, will feature Ryohei Tekashita as director.
  • The manga series follows the story of Yoshiki and Hikaru, nominated for the Manga Taisho Awards.

Kadokawa recently revealed a new trailer for The Summer Hikaru Died, which will be released internationally on Netflix. The Summer Hikaru Died will be broadcast in Japan next year, but it is unclear if Netflix will premiere the horror series simultaneously for audiences worldwide. Netflix seems to be investing more in simultaneous releases, but some series still hit the service a few months after the Japanese broadcast.

The new trailer reveals the main cast and staff and slates the series for Summer 2025. As a Netflix anime release, it is likely the anime will get a dub. The PV has been posted on Netflix's YouTube Channel.

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Best Horror Anime

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The Summer Hikaru Died Cast & Staff

hikaru scene

Cygames Pictures is in charge of the series' animation, and Ryohei Tekashita will direct and oversee the scripts. Takeshita previously worked as director for Pokemon: Paldean Winds. Other staff names include Yuichi Takahashi (Stars Align) as character designer and chief animation director and Masanobu Hiraoka as "dorodoro" animator (dorodoro means something like "mushy", "muddy"). Chiaki Kobayashi (Moriarty the Patriot) and Shuichiro Umeda (Senpai is an Otokonoko) are cast as Yoshiki Tsujinaka and Hikaru Indou, respectively.

What's the Series About?

The Summer Hikaru Died debuted on Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace Up online platform in 2021, and has been compiled into 5 volumes so far (it will have over 3 million copies in circulation when the next volume is launched, in December). The story is penned by Mokumokuren, who had previously stated they wanted to write a boys' love series, but since this manga is not officially marketed or tagged as BL, there are debates among fans if it could be considered a boys' love manga.

The story follows Yoshiki and Hikaru, two close friends living in the same village. The two are always by the other's side, but that changes one day when Hikaru suddenly changes. The manga was nominated for the 16th Manga Taisho Awards, a well-known manga prize in Japan. Several American library services have listed it as one of the best books or comic books for teen audiences. According to Mokumokuren, the series is planned to end in the 10th volume (but they could change their plans).

The Summer Hikaru Died manga is published in the US by Yen Press. The anime will be available to stream on Netflix.

Source: ANN