The Summer Hikaru Died

8.5
202524m

Six months ago, Hikaru vanished for a week. Now, as his best friend Yoshiki senses something amiss and confronts him, the harrowing truth emerges.

Production

Logo for CygamesPictures
Logo for KADOKAWA
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Trailers & Videos

Thumbnail for video: Official Trailer 2 [Subtitled]

Official Trailer 2 [Subtitled]

Thumbnail for video: Official Trailer 1 [Subtitled]

Official Trailer 1 [Subtitled]

Thumbnail for video: Episode 7 ED | Shadow of Our Days (Hikaru and Yoshiki ver.) [Subtitled]

Episode 7 ED | Shadow of Our Days (Hikaru and Yoshiki ver.) [Subtitled]

Thumbnail for video: “Making-of” (Part 3) : Hikaru and Yoshiki [Subtitled]

“Making-of” (Part 3) : Hikaru and Yoshiki [Subtitled]

Thumbnail for video: “Making-of” Part 2 : The Voice-Over [Subtitled]

“Making-of” Part 2 : The Voice-Over [Subtitled]

Thumbnail for video: “Making-of” Part 1 [Subtitled]

“Making-of” Part 1 [Subtitled]

Thumbnail for video: Limited comments from Chiaki Kobayashi and Shuichiro Umeda [ENG SUB]

Limited comments from Chiaki Kobayashi and Shuichiro Umeda [ENG SUB]

Thumbnail for video: Official Teaser [Subtitled]

Official Teaser [Subtitled]

Seasons

12 Episodes • Premiered 2025

Six months ago, Hikaru vanished for a week. Now, as his best friend Yoshiki senses something amiss and confronts him, the harrowing truth emerges.

Still image for The Summer Hikaru Died season 1 episode 1: Replacement

1. Replacement

8.0

Yoshiki confronts Hikaru about his suspicions and discovers the terrifying truth. Even though they try to live normally, eerie incidents begin to occur.

Still image for The Summer Hikaru Died season 1 episode 2: Suspicion

2. Suspicion

7.7

While Yoshiki and Hikaru accompany their classmates to a creepy mountain trail, a mysterious man arrives at Kubitachi Village and begins investigating.

Still image for The Summer Hikaru Died season 1 episode 3: Denial

3. Denial

7.3

Recalling childhood memories with Hikaru, Yoshiki continues to struggle with his complex emotions. Desperate, he reaches out to Kurebayashi.

Still image for The Summer Hikaru Died season 1 episode 4: Summer Festival

4. Summer Festival

7.0

As Yoshiki attends the summer festival with Hikaru, the village elders fret over the recent death and Tanaka ends up with more questions than answers.

Still image for The Summer Hikaru Died season 1 episode 5: Wig Ghost

5. Wig Ghost

6.0

When Yoshiki's sister spots a creepy clump of hair in the bathroom, Hikaru visits the Tsujinaka home to investigate — but things take a deadly turn.

Still image for The Summer Hikaru Died season 1 episode 6: Asako

6. Asako

5.5

Yoshiki and his classmates discuss a story their teacher assigned them. Later, at a sleepover, Asako's sharp observations put her in grave danger.

Still image for The Summer Hikaru Died season 1 episode 7: Determination

7. Determination

7.5

After the sobering realization that Hikaru is truly dangerous, Yoshiki decides that he must act and invites his best friend to skip school together.

Still image for The Summer Hikaru Died season 1 episode 8: Contact

8. Contact

6.5

Yoshiki and Hikaru investigate Nonuki-sama and its link to Kubitachi's history. While at the library, they get an important lead from a surprising source.

Still image for The Summer Hikaru Died season 1 episode 9: Old Man Takeda

9. Old Man Takeda

7.5

Kurebayashi shares her knowledge about impurities with the boys. Later, the elder Takeda loses his temper over Hikaru's ignorance of the Indo's history.

Still image for The Summer Hikaru Died season 1 episode 10: Truth

10. Truth

7.0

The boys' surprise encounter with Tanaka lands them in the hospital. When they return to school, Yoshiki pieces together the truth behind Nonuki-sama.

Still image for The Summer Hikaru Died season 1 episode 11: Indo's Sin

11. Indo's Sin

7.5

Though hesitant, Yoshiki asks his father about the Indo family's murky past and secret ritual. Later, Hikaru loses control at school and feels deeply shaken.

Still image for The Summer Hikaru Died season 1 episode 12: Its Place

12. Its Place

7.0

While everyone else attends the school assembly, Asako finds Hikaru wandering the halls. Alone at the beach, Hikaru reveals his final plans to Yoshiki.

Cast

Photo of Chiaki Kobayashi

Chiaki Kobayashi

Yoshiki Tsujinaka (voice)

Photo of Shuichiro Umeda

Shuichiro Umeda

Hikaru Indo (voice)

Photo of Chikahiro Kobayashi

Chikahiro Kobayashi

Tanaka (voice)

Photo of Wakana Kowaka

Wakana Kowaka

Rie Kurebayashi (voice)

Photo of Yumiri Hanamori

Yumiri Hanamori

Asako Yamagishi (voice)

Photo of Yoshiki Nakajima

Yoshiki Nakajima

Yuta Maki (voice)

Photo of Shion Wakayama

Shion Wakayama

Yuki Tadokoro (voice)

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Reviews

N

Nick

9/10

the queer undertones go crazy, but i’m here for all of it! what really struck me about this show is how confidently it leans into the tension between personal intimacy and supernatural horror. the relationship dynamics never feel like window dressing—they’re baked into the unsettling atmosphere and make the eerie parts hit harder.

that said, the pacing can be a double-edged sword. season one takes its time, sometimes too much time, leaving a lot of questions unanswered. instead of clarifying the lore, the show piles on mysteries, which is intriguing but also a little frustrating when you want more direct payoff. still, the way the narrative lingers actually makes the horror sequences stand out more—they feel like ruptures in an otherwise slow summer haze.

the horror aspect itself is fantastic. i especially wish they’d shown more of the impurities, because every glimpse was visually striking and gave the story a heavier, more visceral weight. what’s also impressive is how grounded the series feels despite the supernatural premise. the use of real-world backdrops and small, everyday details adds an almost documentary quality that makes the eerie moments land with extra force. that attention to realism blends seamlessly with the strangeness and helps carve out a unique identity for the anime.

score: 9 (4.5) – great, but not perfect.

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