The new horror anime series The Summer Hikaru Died is quickly becoming a global phenomenon on Netflix. The series debuted as one of the most-watched non-English productions worldwide, racking up an impressive 2 million views in its first week alone and landing at No. 8 on Netflix’s non-English series chart. This achievement places it alongside high-performing titles like Dandadan Season 2, and if it maintains this momentum, it is poised to become one of the most-streamed anime of the year.
©Mokumokuren/KADOKAWA/The Summer Hikaru Died Project
‘The Summer Hikaru Died’: Facing the Horror of a “Something” Consuming a Best Friend
Based on the popular manga of the same name by Mokumokuren, serialized on Kadokawa’s “Young Ace Up” web manga site, the series is a coming-of-age horror story. It revolves around the relationship between protagonist Yoshiki Tsujinaka (voiced by Chiaki Kobayashi) and “Hikaru” (voiced by Shuichiro Umeda), a mysterious entity that has taken on the exact appearance of his childhood friend.
What makes the series particularly compelling is that Yoshiki immediately senses that something is wrong with his friend. This suggests that the anime will follow Yoshiki’s attempts to understand the true nature of the “something,” discover what happened to the real Hikaru, and explore the possibility of getting him back. The narrative also highlights the “something’s” cold-blooded brutality, keeping viewers constantly concerned for Yoshiki’s future and well-being.
Director Discusses His Commitment to a Horror That “Surpasses the Original”
One of the reasons The Summer Hikaru Died resonates with audiences is its fearless depiction of unsettling imagery. Director and screenwriter Ryohei Takeshita revealed last month that he aims to make the anime adaptation even more terrifying than Mokumokuren’s original manga.
“I felt that this atmosphere absolutely had to be replicated in the animation,” Takeshita stated. “Of course, the original manga is already fantastic, but I was always conscious that we needed to surpass it through the unique possibilities that animation offers.”
With only three episodes released so far, The Summer Hikaru Died is just beginning to build its terrifying momentum. If Takeshita’s vision comes to fruition, the series is set to become an ambitious and horrifying masterpiece that will attract not only anime fans but also horror aficionados who may not have previously followed the medium.
New episodes of The Summer Hikaru Died stream every Saturday on Netflix.