A special project has been launched to celebrate the first anniversary of the TV anime The Summer Hikaru Died, based on the manga by Mokumokuren.
As part of this celebration, the series’ first-ever music event, titled “TV Anime The Summer Hikaru Died – 1st Anniversary Thanksgiving Festival Spun with Sound and Video” will take place on July 5 at Bunkyo Civic Hall (Large Hall) in Tokyo.
To mark its first anniversary, the project will also include various collaborations and exclusive merchandise releases. Further details about the music event and additional activities will be announced soon on the official website and official X (formerly Twitter) account.
Key Visual:

CAST:
Yoshiki Tsujinaka: Chiaki Kobayashi
Hikaru: Shuichiro Umeda
Asako Yamagishi: Yumiri Hanamori
Rie Kurebayashi: Wakana Kowaka
Tanaka: Chikahiro Kobayashi
Yuta Maki: Yoshiki Nakajima
Yuki Tadokoro: Shion Wakayama
STAFF:
Original story: Based on the comic “The Summer Hikaru Died” by Mokumokuren, originally serialized in the YOUNG ACE UP published by KADOKAWA
Director/Series Composition: Ryohei Takeshita
Character Design/Chief Animation Director: Yuichi Takahashi
DORODORO Animator: Masanobu Hiraoka
Prop Design: Ryunosuke Oji
Sub Character Design: Mai Watanabe, Hiroko Seigan, Shoko Nagasawa
Art Setting: Shuhei Tada, Takeshi Takahashi, Yoshihiro Sono
Art Director: Kohei Honda
Color Design: Naomi Nakano
Assistant Color Design: Yuko Koshida
3D Supervisor: Yoshinori Nakano
Director of Photography: Tomohiro Maeda
2D Design: Yusuke Nagara, Yuri Tsue
Editing: Kashiko Kimura
Sound Direction: Koji Kasamatsu
Sound Production: dugout
Music: Taro Umebayashi
Animation Production: CygamesPictures
The Summer Hikaru Died is available on Netflix, featuring dubbing in 11 languages, making it accessible to audiences worldwide. Season one of the series aired during the Summer 2025 anime season, running for 12 episodes from July to September. A second season was announced at the end of September 2025.
Yen Press publishes an official English version of the manga and describes the story:
It has Hikaru’s face. It has Hikaru’s voice. It even has Hikaru’s memories. But whatever came down from the mountains six months ago isn’t Yoshiki’s best friend. Whatever it is, it’s dangerous. Carrying on at school and hanging out as if nothing has changed—as if Hikaru isn’t gone—would be crazy…but when it looks so very like Hikaru…and acts so very like Hikaru…
Source: Comic Natalie
©Mokumokuren/KADOKAWA/The Summer Hikaru Died Partners
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