The highly
anticipated anime adaptation of Mokumokuren's manga The Summer Hikaru Died
(Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu) has revealed new details that have fans on the edge of
their seats. A new promotional trailer confirmed that the anime will premiere
worldwide on Netflix on July 5th, with simultaneous broadcasts in Japan on NTV
and ABEMA.
The second
promotional video also revealed that the opening theme song will be titled
"Saikai" ("Reunion") and will be performed by popular
artist Vaundy. The ending theme song will be "Anata wa Kaibutsu"
("You Are My Monster") by TOOBOE.
Additionally,
Yoshiki Nakajima joins the cast as Yūta Maki and Shion Wakayama as Yūki
Tadokoro, expanding the cast list alongside:
Chiaki
Kobayashi as Yoshiki Tsujinaka
Shūichirō
Umeda as Hikaru Indou
Yumiri
Hanamori as Asako Yamagishi
Wakana
Kowaka as Rie Kurebayashi
Chikahiro
Kobayashi as Tanaka
Special
Preview and International Event
An
exclusive event will take place on July 5 at TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku, where the
first episode will be screened with the main cast and crew members in
attendance. It will also be broadcast live on ABEMA in Japan that same day.
Additionally,
the anime will have its international premiere on July 4 at 7:00 PM (Los
Angeles time) during Anime Expo 2025. The event will be attended by Chiaki
Kobayashi, author of Mokumokuren, and producers Chiaki Kurakane and Manami
Kabashima.
Behind the
Production
The series
is directed by Ryohei Takeshita (Eromanga Sensei, Jellyfish Can't Swim in the
Night) and produced by Cygames Pictures. The character designs and animation
direction are by Yūichi Takahashi (Vivy - Fluorite Eye's Song), while Masanobu
Hiraoka is in charge of the special animation titled "Dorodoro."
An
Award-Winning Manga That Continues to Grow
Published
since 2021 on Kadokawa's Young Ace Up website, The Summer Hikaru Died manga has
already surpassed 3 million copies in circulation. The publisher will publish
its seventh volume on July 4th, while the Western license is held by Yen Press,
which released the fifth volume in March.
The work
has received numerous accolades, including nominations for the Manga Taisho
Awards and the prestigious Eisner Awards. It has also been included on
recommended lists by the New York Public Library and the American Library
Association.
