The horror BL anime also revealed its main cast.
The Summer Hikaru Died is likely one of the most-anticipated anime releases of this year. Although we don’t know when the series will premiere yet, it’s set to be released in Summer 2025. Fans are hyped to find out more about the anime, which will begin in a few months. On 20 March, 2025, the series revealed a visual for its key characters.
The Summer Hikaru Died cast and staff details
The official website and X (formerly Twitter) account of the series revealed a beautiful illustration of Hikaru and Yoshiki. It features the two boys standing under the clear blue skies of their village with an ominous face appearing on Yoshiki’s back. The horror element of the manga is captured very well in the visual. The main cast of the anime series are:
- Hikaru Indo voiced by Shūichirō Umeda (Milo Genius in Mashle, Kazuhiro Nukumizu in Too Many Losing Heroines!)
- Yoshiki Tsujinaka voiced by Chiaki Kobayashi (Langa Hasegawa in Sk8 The Infinity, Stark in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End)
On Saturday, 22 March, more details about the anime will be unveiled at the Anime Japan Green Stage. You can watch the live stream of the event on the official YouTube account of KADOKAWAanime.
The anime series is being produced by CygamesPictures, with Ryōhei Takeshita (Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night, one episode of Jujutsu Kaisen) writing and directing it. Yuichi Takahashi (Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain, Bubble) is the character designer and chief animation director. Masanobu Hiraoka (one episode of Chainsaw Man, Land short film) is the ‘Dorodoro’ animator. The anime is set to air on Netflix worldwide.
The Summer Hikaru Died story and other details
Written and illustrated by Mokumokuren, The Summer Hikaru Died manga first started serialising in August 2021 in the Young Ace Up website of Kadokawa Shoten. Despite being relatively new, the series has earned a place as one of the cult classic horror manga with its twisted visuals and amazing storyline and lore.
The story of The Summer Hikaru Died takes place in a small town in rural Japan. Yoshiki and Hikaru, two teenage boys with vastly different personalities, are very close friends. One day, Hikaru vanishes into the woods surrounding the town, and is fatally wounded. When he comes back, Yoshiki realises that something entirely different and sinister has taken his friend’s place. Although it looks and talks like Hikaru, the eldritch being is not him. Yoshiki confronts the creature and learns the truth behind the switch. However, with the horrific being taking a liking to him, his life will never be the same again.
