New Trailer for The Summer Hikaru Died Confirms Release Date!
The wait is almost over! The Summer Hikaru Died, the highly anticipated anime adaptation of Mokumokuren’s popular manga, has just released a brand-new trailer. And with it comes big news — the anime will premiere exclusively on Netflix on July 5, 2025.
The second trailer gives fans a deeper look into the eerie and emotional atmosphere of the series, while also previewing the opening theme song “Saikai”, performed by the famous Japanese artist Vaundy. Known for his emotional voice and unique musical style, Vaundy brings a haunting energy to the track, perfectly capturing the unsettling mood of the story.
Vaundy shared a special message along with the trailer. He said that when he read the original manga, he constantly felt uneasy — never knowing what would happen next. He turned that exact feeling into “Saikai,” hoping the song would push the boundaries of what anime music can be. His final thought was touching:
“If you could meet someone again, who would you want to see?”
The trailer also introduced two new cast members:
Yoshiki Nakajima as Yuta Maki
Shion Wakayama as Yuki Tadokoro
They join an already impressive voice cast, including:
Chiaki Kobayashi as Yoshiki Tsujinaka
Shuichiro Umeda as Hikaru Indou
Yumiri Hanamori as Asako Yamagishi
Wakana Kowaka as Rie Kurebayashi
Chikahiro Kobayashi as Tanaka
Behind the scenes, Ryohei Takeshita is directing the series at CygamesPictures and also handling scriptwriting. Yuichi Takahashi will design the characters and serve as the chief animation director, while Masanobu Hiraoka is credited as the "Dorodoro" animator!
The Summer Hikaru Died originally began as a manga in August 2021 on Kadokawa Shoten’s Young Ace Up website. Created by Mokumokuren, the story blends horror, mystery, and emotion. Interestingly, Mokumokuren first came up with the idea while studying for exams and began sharing artwork on Twitter. This eventually caught the attention of Young Ace Up’s editors and led to the manga’s serialization.
With its emotional storytelling, mysterious plot, and stunning visuals, The Summer Hikaru Died is shaping up to be one of the standout anime of 2025. Don’t miss it on Netflix this July!