You may not have heard of The Summer Hikaru Died yet, but I think the first trailer will have you adding it to your Netflix watchlist.
I’m not sure that slice of life and horror are two genres that are usually lumped together, and yet that’s exactly what The Summer of Hikaru Died is. Beginning serialization in 2021 and continuing to release modern chapters up to the present, this particular manga follows Yoshiki and Hikaru as they live in a miniature town in Japan on a daily basis – except for one day when Hikaru dies and is replaced by some weirdo being, leaving Yoshiki unsure of what to do with the knowledge that his true best friend was dead. It’s an amazing concept, and after a long wait, the first trailer for the anime adaptation has arrived, and it’s every bit as ominous as you’d expect.
You can check out the trailer above, which doesn’t show off much, but at least the vibes are there. This anime adaptation is directed by Ryohei Takeshita, who is also a director best known for his work on Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night. Chiaki Kobayashi, who you’ll hear starring in Hell’s Paradise and Reynatis, plays Yoshiki, and Shuichiro Umeda (Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth) will be his opposite in Hikaru.
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Takeshita – wrote in the statement“It was exciting to read the original work and I wondered 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 beautiful and innovative structure of the manga. We can’t wait to share it with you.”
Unfortunately, there’s no release date for this movie yet, although it’s scheduled to air in the second half of 2025, so at least you won’t have to wait that long for it.
