The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 1 Review: The 1st episode of The Summer Hikaru Died is here, and the mood is as grim as it was supposed to be. Let’s discover how this episode plays out.
-
The Summer Hikaru Died Directors
-
The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 1 Release Date
-
AKA
Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu (光が死んだ夏)
The Summer Hikaru Died Overview
The Summer Hikaru Died is a supernatural manga series by Mokumokuren that blends rural mystery with emotional tension. The story centres on Yoshiki, a teenager from a quiet countryside town, who faces a harrowing truth. His best friend Hikaru, once full of life and mischief, has been overtaken by a mysterious, otherworldly being. As their bond is tested, Yoshiki must confront unsettling changes in their relationship.
Originally born from Mokumokuren’s doodles shared on Twitter, the series caught the attention of Kadokawa Shoten’s Young Ace Up editorial team and officially began serialisation in August 2021. Since then, it has garnered both critical acclaim and commercial success, with the first volume selling over 200,000 copies within its first three months.
An anime adaptation produced by CygamesPictures is set to air on July 6, 2025, across Nippon TV and affiliated channels. The series is directed and composed by Ryōhei Takeshita, with Yuichi Takahashi handling character designs and animation direction, while Masanobu Hiraoka takes charge of the haunting “Dorodoro” sequences. The opening theme, “Saikai” (Reunion), is performed by Vaundy, and the ending theme, “Anata wa Kaibutsu” (You Are My Monster), is by Tooboe.
Streaming will be handled by Netflix for global audiences, while viewers in Japan can watch it for free via Abema.
The Summer Hikaru Died Episode 1 Review
This anime starts just the way it should, and it effectively hooks you to the premise within 5 minutes. The story revolves around 2 boys, Yoshiki and Hikaru, who are inseparable. They both live in a sleepy town where nothing much goes on, but one summer, something happens to Hikaru when he goes to a mountain. He disappears for almost a week and later comes back with only his memory of that time gone.
However, Yoshiki knows that something is not right. Not just that, he also confronts his friend and outright tells him that he is not the Hikaru he knows. But rather than denying this claim, the creature that is acting as Hikaru confesses that he is something else and requests Yoshiki to stay quiet about it. The reason? The creature loves Yoshiki and doesn’t want to kill him.
Though at first it becomes very difficult for Yoshiki to accept the obvious death of his friend, he kind of agrees to live with whatever is provided to him. What I mean is, he realises that something has taken his friend’s body, but at least his presence is still with Yoshiki, and he will not have to live alone. For Yoshiki, this is better than Hikaru completely dying and not being with him at all. In a way, this is certainly a very twisted thought process, but this also made me realise just how much Yoshiki treasured and loved Hikaru.
However, their peaceful days are not going to last for long and a glimpse of that we saw in this very first episode. There are already people who recognise Hikaru as something non-human and pose a threat to his existence. Hence, it did not shock me when I saw how Hikaru decided to deal with such a hazard.
Verdict
The horror and supernatural elements are not the only thing that intrigued me. I am also thrilled with the psychological part of the show.
This episode was absolutely brilliant, and I think it is definitely going to be one of the highest-rated anime of this season. The animation was breathtaking, and so was the overall vibe. If you are still debating whether you should watch this or not, and do not think much, and just start it.
Must Read: Explore all our Dandadan articles here!
