The staff for the Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu (The Summer Hikaru Died/ 光が死んだ夏) anime have released a web preview video of the anime’s first episode titled Substitute. The anime will premiere on July 5th, 2025, on the NTV channel, and it will be streamed worldwide on Netflix and on the ABEMA streaming service in Japan.
[https://x.com/hikanatsu_anime/status/1939609870313168911]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn2SSPA66Cw]
Takeshita Ryohei is directing the anime at Cygames Pictures, and the anime will star:
- Kobayashi Chiaki as Yoshita Tsujinaka
- Umeda Shuuichirou as Hikaru Indou
- Hanamori Yumiri as Asako Yamagashi
- Kowaka Wakana as Rei Kurebayashi
- Kobayashi Chikahiro as Tanaka
- Nakajima Yoshiki as Yuta Maki
- Wakayama Shion as Yuki Tadokoro
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFaO07LwAVg]
The anime is based on Mokumokuren’s Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu manga. The horror manga was launched by Mokumokuren on Kadokawa’s Young Ace Up website in August 2021, and Kadokawa released the manga’s first tankoubon volume in March 2022. The manga’s seventh volume will be released on July 4th, 2025.
Yen Press releases the manga in English under the name The Summer Hikaru Died, and it will release the sixth volume on October 28th, 2025. It describes the manga’s first volume below:
“It has Hikaru’s face. It has Hikaru’s voice. It even has Hikaru’s memories. But whatever came down from the mountains six months ago isn’t Yoshiki’s best friend. Whatever it is, it’s dangerous. Carrying on at school and hanging out as if nothing has changed—as if Hikaru isn’t gone—would be crazy…but when it looks so very like Hikaru…and acts so very like Hikaru…”
We’ve previously covered Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu on NamiComi News. Check it out here.
