The Summer Hikaru Died horror TV anime revealed a main trailer, additional cast, and ending theme song following yesterday’s key & character visuals. Yumiri Hanamori, Wakana Kowaka, and Chikahiro Kobayashi have joined the voice cast.
Studio CygamesPictures (Princess Connect! Re:Dive) is handling the animation, while Netflix will exclusively stream the anime worldwide in 2025. The new voice cast and their characters include:
- Yumiri Hanamori as Asako Yamagishi
- Wakana Kowaka as Rie Kurebayashi
- Chikahiro Kobayashi as Tanaka
You can also see their character designs and comments from the new voice actors below:
Yumiri Hanamori (Asako Yamagishi)
Character description: A classmate of Yoshiki. Since childhood, she has been able to “hear” things that ordinary people cannot. She is tall, lively, and intelligent.
Yumiri Hanamori’s comment:
I’m Yumiri Hanamori, who will be playing the role of Asako Yamagishi in The Summer Hikaru Died. The first time I read this work, I was greatly shocked that the story begins from the point where it didn’t make it in time. In a place that shouldn’t have existed. What if “something” very close to what didn’t make it appears in front of us? What choice would we choose? What will be awaiting them at the end of their summer? I will do my best to play the role so that you can feel the atmosphere that sticks to your skin. Thank you very much.
Also check out our full AnimeJapan 2025 Announcements coverage
Wakana Kowaka (Rie Kurebayashi)
Character description: A housewife who can “see” things that ordinary people cannot. She worries about Yoshiki, who is with a dangerous and terrifying presence, and warns him to stay away.
Wakana Kowaka‘s comment:
I’m Wakana Kowaka, who will be playing the role of Rie Kurebayashi. I’m looking forward to seeing how this work, which is filled with various emotions, how it will be visualized. And the Mie dialect! We are all working so hard to record it! I want to do my best to play Rie Kurebayashi, who is close to Yoshiki and Hikaru and has kindness in her sternness.
Chikahiro Kobayashi (Tanaka)
Character description: A man who seems to be investigating something for a certain company. He is always carefree and elusive. He has a hamster as his partner.
Chikahiro Kobayashi’s comment:
When I read the original story, my heart was firmly grasped from the beginning! The scene of “Summer” that everyone feels nostalgic for is mixed with the fear and wonder of not knowing what is happening. It’s really interesting. I’m very happy to be able to mix in with the atmosphere of this work…! Let’s watch it together when summer comes!
The ending theme “Anata wa Kaibutsu (youare my monster)” is performed by TOOBOE. You can hear it in the new trailer below.
TOOBOE also left a comment regarding the song:
Hello, I’m TOOBOE, and I will be in charge of the ending theme song. In creating this piece, I delved deeply into the original story, contemplating how one might savor memories and promises upon realizing that the neighbor the one believed to be true isn’t actually who the one thought. The more I tried to understand Yoshiki’s feelings, the more pure, sorrowful, and cruel they became. The resulting song, “Anata wa Kaibutsu(you are my monster)” became a kind of forgiveness that I extended to the characters. I hope it can add a vibrant touch to this wonderful story. Thank you for your support.
The main voice cast for the anime includes:
- Shuichiro Umeda as Hikaru Indo
- Chiaki Kobayashi as Yoshiki Tsujinaka
An ominous figure known as “DORODORO” was teased alongside the two in the recent visual, which you can see below.
The Summer Hikaru Died appeared at a special booth at the AnimeJapan 2025, which will be taking place through March 22-23 and feature the latest information on a lot of differentanime. The booth will be held at the KADOKAWA booth titled “KADOKAWA ANIME CARNIVAL,” where visitors were also able to buy original goods.
The anime will also appear on the GREEN STAGE on March 23, which will feature the main voice cast of Chiaki Kobayashi (Yoshiki Tsujinaka) and Shuichiro Umeda (Hikaru Indo).
The Summer Hikaru Died anime staff:
- Director and Series Composition: Ryohei Takeshita
- Character Design and Chief Animation Director: Yuichi Takahashi
- DORODORO Animator: Masanobu Hiraoka
- Studio: CygamesPictures
Official synopsis:
In a certain village
Since their childhood, they have grown up together.
Yoshiki and Hikaru, childhood friends.
The sun shining down on them
The chirping sound of a crypto tympana facialis
Ice cream on the way home
Laughing over trivial things
One day in summer, no different from any other day
…… You’re not Hikaru after all, are you?
Half a year ago, Hikaru went missing in the mountains.
A week later, he came back on a whim.
The voice, the figure, the thing that looked like Hikaru
What was stirring inside…
“Hikaru is no longer with us. …… if that’s the case.”
Starting the days with “something” in the form of a friend,
The “same as usual” everyday life.
But at the same time…
Strange incidents begin to plague the village.
Falling into the unknown “something”
The curtain rises on a coming-of-age horror story.
The Summer Hikaru Died (Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mokumokuren. It began serialization on Kadokawa Shoten’s Young Ace Up website in August 2021 and has been compiled into 6 volumes as of December 4, 2024. The manga topped the 2023 edition of Takarajimasha’s Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga for male readers, and it was also nominated for the 16th Manga Taisho. Yen Press licensed the manga in English, and they describe the story:
Source: The Summer Hikaru Died Official Website and Official X, AnimeJapan 2025
©Mokumokuren/KADOKAWA/The Summer Hikaru Died Partners
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