Searching for Your Next Netflix Anime? The First Trailer of a Captivating Manga Adaptation Blending Slice of Life and Horror Will Hook You

You might not have stumbled across The Summer Hikaru Died yet, but once you catch a glimpse of the first trailer, I’m pretty sure it’ll make its way onto your Netflix watchlist.

The blend of slice of life with horror isn’t something you come across every day, but that’s precisely the unique twist The Summer Hikaru Died offers. This manga, which began its serialization in 2021 and continues to release fresh chapters, spins a tale around Yoshiki and Hikaru, a pair residing in a quaint Japanese town. Their routine life takes a dark turn when Hikaru dies, only to be substituted by an unearthly entity, leaving Yoshiki grappling with the unsettling truth about his deceased best friend. It’s a spine-chilling concept and, after quite the anticipation, the anime adaptation’s first trailer has dropped, encapsulating the eerie atmosphere fans have been hoping for.

The trailer, which you can watch above, doesn’t give away too much just yet but successfully sets the mood. Ryohei Takeshita is steering the direction of this adaptation. You might recognize him from his directorial work on Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night. In the casting department, Chiaki Kobayashi, known for leading roles in projects like Hell’s Paradise and Reynatis, takes on the character of Yoshiki. Meanwhile, Shuichiro Umeda, whom you’ll recognize from titles like Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, lends his voice to Hikaru.

In a statement, Takeshita expressed his enthusiasm about the project, saying, “Diving into the original work was thrilling, and I spent considerable thought on how to bring its panels to life in animation. The team was committed to portraying the subtle emotions between Yoshiki and Hikaru while doing justice to the manga’s stunning and original design. We can’t wait to share it with you all.”

As for when you can catch this intriguing series, there’s no exact release date on the calendar yet. However, it’s slated for the latter half of 2025, so thankfully, the wait isn’t too unbearable.