On May 24, 2024, the anime adaptation of the manga “The Summer Hikaru Died” was announced through author Mokumokuren's X account. However, the announcement did not specify whether the adaptation will be a television series, an OVA series, or a movie.
The manga “The Summer Hikaru Died” began publishing in August 2021 and has published 5 volumes so far. The series received various awards and even inspired a light novel adaptation written by Mio Nukaga, with Mokumokuren serving as the novel's illustrator.
The Summer Hikaru Died was adapted into an Anime
The announcement tweet featured a short video showing the series' main cast sitting around a table. The video was initially monotonous but transformed into a colorful display when the announcement of the anime adaptation was made. The tweet was captioned: “'The Summer Hikaru Died' is being adapted into an anime. Thank you for your cooperation.”
The manga series, written and illustrated by Mokumokuren, began as a webcomic on Kadokawa's Young Ace Up website in August 2021. It was later published as physical volumes, with five volumes currently available in English. Japan. Yen Press has acquired the rights to publish the series in English and has released three volumes, with the fourth volume scheduled for release on August 20, 2024.
“The Summer When Light Died” will be adapted into an anime!
Thank you for your understanding. pic.twitter.com/nCcj6hnQyV
— Mokmok Len (@mokmok_len) May 24, 2024
The series won the Traditional China Global Special Award at the 2022 Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Awards and was nominated for the Manga Taisho Award in 2023. The series also achieved significant commercial success , with 2.1 million copies sold from volumes 1 to 4.
“The Summer Hikaru Died” is a horror-mystery manga revolving around two main male characters, Yoshiki and Hikaru. These two best friends live in a small village where they find comfort in each other's company. Their deep bond often causes others to question the authenticity of their friendship.
The story takes a dark turn when Yoshiki begins to notice changes in Hikaru after a mysterious incident one summer. Hikaru's personality and appearance begin to change in disturbing ways, and whenever Yoshiki tries to discuss these changes, Hikaru becomes threatening, insisting that Yoshiki accept reality. new. Hikaru even declares that 'it' loves Yoshiki.
Yoshiki finds himself trapped in a situation where he has to pretend to be close friends with someone who may no longer be the friend he once knew. The horror mystery deepens as Yoshiki grapples with the question of whether Hikaru is still the same person or if something much more sinister has possessed his friend.
