The first main PV for the TV anime " The Summer Hikaru Died, " based on the popular manga by Mokumokuren , which was also chosen as the No. 1 manga for men in " This Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2023" (Takarajimasha), has been released on YouTube. The main characters Yoshiki Tsujinaka and Hikaru appear, and the world view is woven with refreshing youth drama and spine-chilling horror. It was also announced that music creator john's solo project "TOOBOE" will be in charge of the ending theme "You Are a Monster," and the song was unveiled in the PV.
It was also announced that Yumiri Hanamori, Kazuna Kowaka, and Chikahiro Kobayashi will appear as additional cast members. Hanamori will play Asako Yamagishi, a classmate of Yoshiki, Kowaka will play Rie Kurebayashi, a housewife who can "see" things that normal people can't, and Kobayashi will play Tanaka, a man who works at a certain company and seems to be investigating something.
Hanamori commented, "When I first read this work, I was shocked by the fact that it is a story that begins at the point where things just weren't in time. Somewhere beyond that point that shouldn't exist. What if something incredibly similar to what they just couldn't make it appears before our eyes? What will we choose? What awaits them at the end of their summer? I will do my best to act so that you can feel the air slowly clinging to your skin. I hope you will enjoy the role."
Kowaka said, "I am really looking forward to seeing how this work, which is full of a swirl of various emotions, will be portrayed on screen. And the Mie dialect! We are all working hard on recording it! She is close to the two of them, and even though she is strict, she has a kind side to her. That is the kind of character I would like to play."
Kobayashi commented, "When I read the original work, I was completely captivated from the very beginning, wondering what was going to happen! The 'summer' scenes that everyone will find familiar are mixed with a sense of fear and mystery, making you wonder what is going to happen next. It's incredibly interesting. I'm really happy to be able to be a part of the atmosphere of this work...! Let's all watch it together when summer comes!"
TOOBOE said, "In making this song, I read the original work deeply and thought about how I would come to terms with the memories and promises when I found out that my current neighbor was not the 'real' neighbor I believed him to be. The more I tried to understand Yoshiki's feelings, the more pure, sad and cruel they became, and the song I finished, 'You Are a Monster', became a song that seems to offer forgiveness from me to the characters. I hope I can add a little bit of color to this wonderful story. Thank you for your support."
The work is currently being serialized on the manga site "Young Ace UP" (KADOKAWA). It is a "youth horror" about the madness of a boy and "something" that appears to be his best friend. Two boys, Yoshiki and Hikaru, who live in a certain village, have grown up together, but one day, what Yoshiki thought was Hikaru has been replaced by another "something"...
The anime will be directed by Ryohei Takeshita, director of "Jellyfish Can't Swim at Night," and produced by Cygames Pictures. Chiaki Kobayashi will play Yoshiki and Shuichiro Umeda will play Hikaru. It will be broadcast on Nippon Television in the summer of 2025.
◇Staff (titles omitted)
Director and Series Composition: Takeshita Ryohei▽Character Designer and Chief Animation Director: Takahashi Yuichi▽Drool Animator: Hiraoka Masanobu▽Prop Designer: Ochi Ryunosuke▽Sub-Character Designers: Watanabe Mai, Nishigane Hiroko, Nagasawa Shoko▽Art Setting: Tada Shuhei, Takahashi Takeyuki, Sono Yudai▽Art Director: Honda Kohei▽Color Designer: Nakano Naomi▽Assistant Color Designer: Koshida Yuko▽3D Director: Nakano Yoshinori▽Director of Photography: Maeda Tomohiro▽2D Designer: Nagara Yusuke, Tsue Yuri▽Editor: Kimura Yoshiko▽Sound Director: Kasamatsu Koji▽Sound Production: dugout▽Music: Umebayashi Taro▽Animation Production: CygamesPictures
◇Cast (titles omitted)
Yoshiki Tsujinaka: Chiaki Kobayashi ▽Hikaru: Shuichiro Umeda ▽Asako Yamagishi: Yumiri Hanamori▽Rie Kurebayashi: Ikuna Kowaka▽Tanaka: Chikahiro Kobayashi
