The Summer Hikaru Died
Japanese manga series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Summer Hikaru Died (Japanese: 光が死んだ夏, Hepburn: Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mokumokuren. It began serialization on Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace Up website in August 2021. As of December 2025, the series' individual chapters have been collected in eight tankōbon volumes. It follows the story of Yoshiki Tsujinaka, a teenager in rural Japan who discovers that his friend Hikaru Indo has been possessed by an otherworldly entity, forcing him to navigate their changed relationship amid supernatural dangers.
| The Summer Hikaru Died | |
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Hikaru Indo | |
| 光が死んだ夏 (Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Mokumokuren |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Young Ace Up |
| Original run | August 31, 2021 – present |
| Volumes | 10 (on going) |
| Novel series | |
| Written by | Mio Nukaga |
| Illustrated by | Mokumokuren |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| English publisher | |
| Original run | December 4, 2023 – present |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Ryōhei Takeshita |
| Written by | Ryōhei Takeshita |
| Music by | Taro Umebayashi |
| Studio | Cypic |
| Licensed by | Netflix (streaming rights) |
| Original network | NNS (Nippon TV) |
| Original run | July 6, 2025 – present |
| Episodes | 12 |
Mokumokuren first conceived of the series while studying for exams and later began posting drawings on Twitter, which led to the Young Ace Up editorial department approaching Mokumokuren to serialize the manga via the Young Ace Up website. An anime television series adaptation produced by Cypic aired from July to September 2025. A second season has been announced.
Upon release of the first volume, the series became a critical and commercial success, with the first volume selling 200,000 copies in three months and receiving critical praise for the story, artwork, and characters.
Plot
Yoshiki Tsujinaka and Hikaru Indo are two teenage boys and childhood friends living in a small town in rural Japan. Despite having opposite personalities and different hobbies, the two maintain a close friendship. However, on a winter day, Hikaru is fatally injured while hiking in the mountains alone. Before he dies, a mysterious eldritch being comes across him and consumes him, becoming him physically in the process. This "Hikaru" has all the feelings and memories of the original, yet remains a separate being, something Yoshiki realizes rather quickly. Yoshiki still wants to stay with "Hikaru"; however, his alien nature, along with other eldritch beings and hunters of said beings, may make that impossible.
Characters
- Hikaru Indo (忌堂 光, Indō Hikaru)
- Voiced by: Yōtarō Negishi (audio drama, PV1),[2] Hiro Shimono (PV2),[3] KENN (PV3),[4] Junya Enoki (PV4),[5], Shūichirō Umeda (anime),[6] Yūki Urushiyama[a] (young) (Japanese); Paul Castro Jr. (anime), Giselle Fernandez (young)[7] (English)
- Yoshiki Tsujinaka (辻中 佳紀, Tsujinaka Yoshiki)
- Voiced by: Tomohiro Ōno (audio drama, PV1),[2] Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (PV2),[3] Tomoaki Maeno (PV3),[4] Koki Uchiyama (PV4),[5] Chiaki Kobayashi (anime),[6] Natsumi Kawaida[a] (young) (Japanese); Kyle McCarley (anime), Abby Trott (young)[7] (English)
- Asako Yamagishi (山岸朝子, Yamagishi Asako)
- Voiced by: Yumiri Hanamori[8] (Japanese); Jennifer Losi[7] (English)
- Rie Kurebayashi (暮林理恵, Kurebayashi Rie)
- Voiced by: Wakana Kowaka[8] (Japanese); Dorothy Fahn[7] (English)
- Tanaka (田中)
- Voiced by: Chikahiro Kobayashi[8] (Japanese); Daman Mills[7] (English)
- Yūta Maki (巻ゆうた, Maki Yūta)
- Voiced by: Yoshiki Nakajima[9] (Japanese); Jacob Hopkins[7] (English)
- Yuki Tadokoro (田所結希, Tadokoro Yuki)
- Voiced by: Shion Wakayama[9] (Japanese); Valerie Rose Lohman[7] (English)
Production
Mokumokuren first conceived the series while studying for high school entrance exams. After graduating, they began posting drawings on Twitter in their spare time in January 2021.[10] They were later approached by the Young Ace Up editorial department to serialize the manga in Young Ace Up, which they accepted.[10] Mokumokuren is a fan of action manga from Weekly Shōnen Jump and Weekly Young Jump, particularly Tokyo Ghoul.[10]
While writing the story, Mokumokuren tried to keep the horror to a minimum by trying to appeal to people's emotions rather than just being scary. They also felt that the theme of the story added to the horror based on the suspension bridge effect, which states that it is easier to fall in love when feeling anxious or fearful.[10] For the artwork, they tried to include onomatopoeia that are not often used, while also having stayed cautious to make sure it worked properly in the context of the story.[10]
Mokumokuren initially introduced The Summer Hikaru Died in 2021 as a boys' love story.[11] They later specified that the manga was never serialized as a boys' love story, instead describing the series as a "coming-of-age horror" with queer themes.[12][13][14]
Setting
Mokumokuren used their grandmother's hometown as model, where the houses were all packed tightly together and it was normal for the neighbors to come and go without permission. They got the inspiration during their visit to the region. As they wanted the characters to speak in a distinctive dialect, they looked for one that was "slightly different from Kansai dialect" and decided the setting based on place that is located in "mountainous area of Tokai region." As a result, the fictional rural town located between mountains in Mie Prefecture became the setting of the series and some characters are speaking in Mie dialect.[15]
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Mokumokuren, the series began serialization on Kadokawa Shoten's Young Ace Up website on August 31, 2021.[16] As of December 2025, the series' individual chapters have been collected in eight tankōbon volumes.[17]
In September 2022, Yen Press announced that they licensed the series for English publication.[18]
Volumes
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 4, 2022[19] | 978-4-04-112273-0 | July 18, 2023[20] | 978-1-9753-6054-2 | |
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| 2 | October 4, 2022[21] | 978-4-04-112960-9 | October 17, 2023[22] | 978-1-9753-7103-6 | |
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| 3 | June 2, 2023[23] | 978-4-04-113700-0 | April 16, 2024[24] | 978-1-9753-9276-5 | |
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| 4 | December 4, 2023[25] | 978-4-04-114339-1 | August 20, 2024[26] | 978-1-9753-9862-0 | |
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| 5 | June 4, 2024[27] | 978-4-04-114997-3 | March 25, 2025[28] | 979-8-8554-1459-2 | |
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| 6 | December 4, 2024[29] | 978-4-04-115608-7 | October 28, 2025[30] | 979-8-8554-1975-7 | |
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| 7 | July 4, 2025[31] | 978-4-04-115682-7 | April 28, 2026[32] | 979-8-8554-3064-6 | |
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| 8 | December 27, 2025[17] | 978-4-04-116903-2 | October 27, 2026[33] | 979-8-8554-3779-9 | |
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| 9 | June 4, 2026[34] | 978-4-04-117480-7 | — | — | |
Novel
A novelization of the manga series, written by Mio Nukaga, was published by Kadokawa Shoten on December 4, 2023.[35][36] As of July 2025, two volumes have been released.[37] At New York Comic Con 2024, Yen Press announced that they also licensed the novel for English publication.[38]
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | December 4, 2023[36][39] | 978-4-04-075085-9 978-4-04-075092-7 (SE) | April 15, 2025[40] | 979-8-8554-1057-0 | ||
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| 2 | July 4, 2025[37][41] | 978-4-04-075086-6 978-4-04-075991-3 (SE) | May 12, 2026[42] | 979-8-8554-3403-3 | ||
Anime
An anime adaptation was announced on May 24, 2024.[43] It was later revealed to be a television series produced by Cypic and directed by Ryōhei Takeshita with him also handling series composition, character designs and chief animation direction handled by Yuichi Takahashi, and "Dorodoro" animation handled by Masanobu Hiraoka. It premiered on July 6, 2025, on Nippon TV and its affiliates.[6][b] The opening theme song is "Saikai" (再会; "Reunion") by Vaundy, while the ending theme song is "Anata wa Kaibutsu" (あなたはかいぶつ; "You Are My Monster") by Tooboe.[9][8] Netflix is streaming the series globally, while Abema is streaming it inside Japan for free.[6][45]
After the airing of the final episode of the first season, a second season was announced.[46]
Episodes
| No. | Title [47] | Directed by [47] | Written by [47] | Storyboarded by [47] | Animation directed by [47] | Original release date [b] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Replacement" Transliteration: "Daitaihin" (Japanese: 代替品) | Ryōhei Takeshita | Ryōhei Takeshita | Ryōhei Takeshita | Yūichi Takahashi | July 6, 2025 | |
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After his mysterious disappearance on Mount Nisayama during the winter, Hikaru Indo seemingly returns to his rural village months later. However, his childhood friend Yoshiki Tsujinaka begins to notice strange inconsistencies in Hikaru's behavior, memories, and reactions. Confronting him, Yoshiki discovers that the real Hikaru is dead, and the one before him is a supernatural entity that has taken over Hikaru's body and mind. Despite his fear and grief, Yoshiki chooses to keep this secret, unwilling to let go of the person he loved. Meanwhile, ominous events begin to unfold around the village, as an elderly woman, Ms. Matsuura, recognizes Hikaru as a being of local legend; she violently accosts him and Yoshiki yelling about 'Nonuki-sama'. She is tormented by an unknown figure, and is later found dead, seemingly by suicide. A mysterious investigator named Tanaka takes interest in the village's disturbance, hinting at larger threats to come. | |||||||
| 2 | "Suspicion" Transliteration: "Giwaku" (Japanese: 疑惑) | Mitsuhiro Osako | Oki Maruyama | Mitsuhiro Osako | Mai Watanabe & Ryunosuke Ouchi | July 13, 2025 | |
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Tanaka arrives to investigate the elderly woman's death, and surmises that an entity from the mountains has found its way into the village, and has found a way to hide in plain sight. Hikaru and Yoshiki, along with their friends Maki, Yuki and Asako, take a frightening shortcut through the woods to reach Maki's house, and Yoshiki and Hikaru become separated from the other two on their way back. Yoshiki catches sight of a strange entity with an elongated neck that seeks to latch onto him, but is protected by Hikaru at the last moment who "devours" it. Asako questions what happened, having heard the struggle, causing Hikaru to briefly consider killing her. The following day at school, Yoshiki inquires about what happened to the spirit. Hikaru allows Yoshiki to reach within his skin and feel what he really is within. Later, Yoshiki is confronted by a local, Rie Kurebayashi, who has the ability to sense supernatural occurrences; she recognizes that Yoshiki is spending time around something supernatural, but is unaware that the source is Hikaru, and warns him about staying close to such phenomena, stating that doing so will result in him becoming "mixed". | |||||||
| 3 | "Denial" Transliteration: "Kyozetsu" (Japanese: 拒絶) | Asaka Yokoyama, Kohei Kido, & Ayumu Uwano | Ryōhei Takeshita | Asaka Yokoyama | Saori Yanaga, Guonian Wang, Akane Kasasagi & Hiroko Seigan | July 20, 2025 | |
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Yoshiki eventually begins texting Rie for help, with her revealing that she went through something similar. Her late husband returned to her life somehow, and while she was initially happy, it resulted in her son being wounded, which made her realize the gravity of being involved with the supernatural and that humans were not meant to stay in close proximity with such beings. She further reveals that she can sense a distortion affecting the village and local areas, and believes that the being within Hikaru was once responsible for keeping this distortion trapped upon the mountain it lived on and without its presence, the distortion is spreading. Yoshiki attempts to distance himself from Hikaru, but in doing so, the two end up in an argument, which ends with Hikaru accidentally suffocating Yoshiki for a moment and marking a permanent bruise on his arm with his grip. Hikaru retreats in regret, as Yoshiki comes to recognize that Hikaru is not the person he used to know, but someone new to the world, akin to a child. The two eventually make up, apologizing to each other, and Yoshiki resolves to help and support Hikaru. | |||||||
| 4 | "Summer Festival" Transliteration: "Natsumatsuri" (Japanese: 夏祭り) | Yoshiyuki Shirahata | Oki Maruyama | Yoshiyuki Shirahata | Akira Okazaki, Aoi Maekawa, Reia Nihei, Guonian Wang & Studio Mindo | July 27, 2025 | |
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Yoshiki's friend Asako Yamagishi correctly detects a spirit near some local train tracks that Rie later removes. Yoshiki and Hikaru attend the Summer Festival alongside Yoshiki's younger sister Kaoru, where the villagers gossip about their parents' unhappy marriage and Kaoru's continued absence from school. Tanaka continues his investigation of the town, and his pet hamster detects Hikaru's presence at the festival. Members of the village worry about a ritual Hikaru was supposed to perform in the woods that only the male members of his family can enact. Hikaru is prevented from entering the local shrine by a mysterious barrier that was erected by Tanaka. Yoshiki reminisces about the original Hikaru, before breaking down in grief. He reveals that he discovered Hikaru's corpse, and Hikaru comforts him. A post-credit scene depicts Hikaru slipping and fatally wounding himself in the forest, and as he dies, he imagines Yoshiki and begs the spirits to make sure he will not be left alone. | |||||||
| 5 | "Wig Ghost" Transliteration: "Katsura no Obake" (Japanese: カツラのオバケ) | Wang Chihsia & Ryūta Kawahara | Ryōhei Takeshita | Wang Chihsia & Ryūta Kawahara | Guonian Wang, Mai Watanabe, Reia Nihei, Akira Okazaki & Chika Nōmi | August 3, 2025 | |
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Yoshiki's little sister Kaoru becomes terrified after encountering a sentient clump of hair in the bathroom. Hikaru invites Yoshiki to stick his hand in his chest again, who enjoys it at first, but rejects Hikaru after he attempts to feel back. Later, whilst out with their friend Maki, Hikaru agrees to exorcise the Tsujinaka bathroom. After Hikaru has remained in the bathroom for a long time, Yoshiki discovers him seemingly drowned before being pulled through the bath by the spirits. Yoshiki finds himself in a strange reality full of giant brains which mock him with insults he received throughout his life, and then relives a childhood memory where he and Hikaru got into a physical fight over the death of their pet bird Crowly. In reality, Yoshiki begins drowning Hikaru in the bath, biting his arm and leaving a mark, before Hikaru manages to remove the Wig Ghost from Yoshiki's mind. The pair then eat dinner with Kaoru and their mom, where Yoshiki considers the damage he could have caused. In a post credit scene, Tanaka summons an impurity to track down Hikaru. | |||||||
| 6 | "Asako" (Japanese: 朝子) | Fumiaki Kataoka & Shinya Kawabe | Oki Maruyama | Fumiaki Kataoka | KAGO, Saori Yanaga, Gorō Taki, Akane Kasasagi, Aoi Maekawa, Hiroko Seigan, Renta Inoue & Chen Zitu | August 10, 2025 | |
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At his friend's prompting, Hikaru hosts a sleepover at his house with Yoshiki, Asako, Maki and Yuki. Meanwhile, Tanaka's impurity begins its search. At the sleepover, Yoshiki discovers a mysterious note in Hikaru's bedroom and takes it with him. The group plays with sparklers, but their lighter breaks, so Asako volunteers to go and buy a new one with Hikaru. Like other members of her family, Asako has been able to sense the spirit world since childhood, with her special ability being her hearing; as she and Hikaru are walking together, she asks him who he really is. In response, Hikaru attempts to kill Asako but is interrupted by Yoshiki, causing her to simply pass out. Yoshiki confronts Hikaru, who reveals his lack of understanding about the difference between life and death. Hikaru also admits that he murdered Ms. Matsuura, causing Yoshiki to vomit. Asako awakens and accuses Hikaru of having been possessed by a ghost, but understands he is protective of Yoshiki. Yoshiki comforts Asako before coldly leaving for his home. The following morning, Hikaru privately ponders the meaning of life and his feelings towards Yoshiki. To his shock, Yoshiki arrives to pick him up for school as usual. | |||||||
| 7 | "Determination" Transliteration: "Ketsui" (Japanese: 決意) | Yuka Hashimoto | Ryōhei Takeshita | Ryōhei Takeshita | Kyoko Niimura & Renta Inoue | August 17, 2025 | |
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On the day of the school choir competition, Yoshiki suggests to Hikaru that they skip school together. The two spend the day doing activities such as going to the movies, although Hikaru is unnerved by Yoshiki's strange behavior and insistence that he is not upset about the previous night. Later, they return to Yoshiki's house. As Hikaru watches a video of their class's choir from earlier that day, Yoshiki produces a knife and stabs Hikaru in the chest. Realising that Hikaru has not been fatally injured by this, Yoshiki asks that Hikaru turn the knife on him, admitting that he had been planning this from the start and wanted to make Hikaru's last day full of happy memories. Hikaru is conflicted by the request and chooses not to adhere to it; instead, he reaches into his chest and removes what he describes as "half of his insides" and offers the flesh to Yoshiki, explaining that this has made him weaker and less dangerous. He tells Yoshiki that he has felt accepted by him and is starting to learn the value of human life thanks to their friendship. Yoshiki takes the offering and says he wants to do research to learn more about what Hikaru really is. | |||||||
| 8 | "Contact" Transliteration: "Sesshoku" (Japanese: 接触) | Ryo Ando | Oki Maruyama | Ryo Ando | Ryunosuke Ouchi, Mai Watanabe, Reia Nihei, Yuka Hashimoto, Akira Okazaki & Saori Yanaga | August 24, 2025 | |
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Yoshiki shows Hikaru the note he took from his bedroom. It mentions a "nuki-sama" that they theorize to be the "Nonuki-sama" that Ms. Matsuura spoke of. Hikaru's grandfather recognizes the note, asking them where "Hichi-san" has gone and mentioning a "murder village". At school, a guilty Yoshiki learns that Asako is experiencing hearing loss due to Hikaru's attempt on her life. Later, Yoshiki’s class witnesses a naked man commit suicide in the schoolyard; Asako senses he was possessed and continues to accuse Hikaru of also being possessed. Yoshiki and Hikaru visit the library to study an old map of the area and realise that the villages correspond to body parts. The librarian is Ms. Matsuura's daughter, who recognizes the name Nonuki-sama; she describes it as a god that used to bless people, but became a "curse god" after a famine. She reveals that her sister's disappearance in the mountain led her mother to fear a supernatural being. Later, Tanaka approaches Yoshiki under false pretences; he notices the markings on Yoshiki's arm and privately concludes that Yoshiki has "mixed" with the entity. At a diner, Hikaru reveals the piece of himself he gave to Yoshiki could kill Hikaru if broken. Tanaka's impurity threatens the pair and Hikaru cannot defeat it in his weakened state, but Rie saves them. | |||||||
| 9 | "Old Man Takeda" Transliteration: "Takeda no Jīsan" (Japanese: 武田の爺さん) | Mitsuhiro Osako & Ayumu Uwano | Oki Maruyama | Mitsuhiro Osako, Wang Chihsia & Shu Manzawa | Studio Mindo | September 7, 2025[c] | |
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Rie takes Yoshiki and Hikaru to her house; she describes impurities as ghostly spirits that she sends back to their own world. Rie believes that Hikaru is attracting impurities, and explains how her husband came back from the dead like Hikaru: when he attacked their son, she realised he was little more than an impurity. Hikaru declares his resolve to protect the place he now feels at home in, and Yoshiki says he will stand by him. Meanwhile, Tanaka's impurity gives him its memories of Yoshiki and Hikaru at the diner. Rie speaks to Hikaru alone, warning him that if Yoshiki continues to mix, he will be unable to return to the human world. Yoshiki makes a grave for the real Hikaru, and Hikaru asks if he had romantic feelings for him. They discuss the differences between the two Hikarus, and Yoshiki muses that he doesn't want to force Hikaru to fit into human norms. Hikaru considers returning to the mountain to protect the village, but Yoshiki insists the impurities are at fault. The two visit Old Man Takeda, who tells them that the attacking impurities stem from a blasphemous act committed by the Indo family generations ago. Hikaru's lack of understanding about his family history angers the man, who blames his failure for the recent tragedies. Suddenly, Takeda transforms and attacks the pair with a sword. Tanaka arrives and saves them, only to take the sword and cut off Hikaru's head. | |||||||
| 10 | "Truth" Transliteration: "Shinsō" (Japanese: 真相) | Wang Chihsia & Kōhei Kido | Oki Maruyama | Yutaka Uemura & Hiromi Taniguchi | Akira Okazaki, Mai Watanabe, Hiroko Seigan, Aoi Maekawa, Kyoko Niimura & Chen Zitu | September 14, 2025 | |
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The "Hikaru" entity swarms the room until Yoshiki forcibly reattaches Hikaru's head. Yoshiki falls unconscious and awakens in the hospital with Hikaru. Hikaru remains unconscious, with evidence of his decapitation barely visible. Meanwhile, Tanaka speaks with Takeda's son. Two days later, Yoshiki and Rie visit Hikaru; as he wakes, his spirit reaches to attack Yoshiki, but is stopped by Rie. They learn of a mysterious disappearance at a tunnel of human bones, where the heads of the skeletons were removed. When the boys return to school, Maki recognizes the name "Unuki" as being related to an abortion drug used in a time of famine, as it was the godly figure of the mountain where the villagers mined mercury. Yoshiki believes Nonuki is the same figure, with the original name only remembered because of the Indo family's sin. Yoshiki and Hikaru visit a shrine filled with wooden carvings of human faces, causing Hikaru to recall the original Hikaru's memories. He states that the carvings honor those whose heads were sacrificed, with the other body parts buried in specific areas around the village. He cannot remember the Indo family's sin, but Yoshiki knows who they can ask. In a post-credits scene, Hikaru considers devouring Yoshiki's soul and comes to his house at night; however, he resists the temptation and walks away, leaving Yoshiki bewildered. | |||||||
| 11 | "Indo's Sin" Transliteration: "Indō no Tobira" (Japanese: 忌堂の扉) | Aimi Yamauchi | Oki Maruyama | Aimi Yamauchi | Akami, Yui Ushio, Yuka Hashimoto, Michiko Makita, Saori Yanaga, KAGO, Mizuka Takahashi, Reia Nihei, kiki, Mai Watanabe & Shanghai Phantom Animation | September 21, 2025 | |
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Yoshiki visits his estranged father, who explains the past Indo leader's sin: when his wife died, he took her head to the mountain god to revive her, promising to sacrifice others' heads, at which point one-third of the village was supernaturally killed, with their heads being removed. His wife died again the next night, and her head became the family's protective talisman, "Hichi-san". Hikaru's father begged the elders to end the ritual, and died in a mysterious accident soon afterwards. Yoshiki later discovers a depiction of Hikaru's innards in a painting from the 1500s titled "Gehenna". At school, Yoshiki opens up to Hikaru about the real Hikaru's personality. Soon after, Hikaru is suddenly drawn to Yoshiki's soul and begins transforming into Nonuki. He corners Yoshiki in the stairwell and they begin mixing, before Hikaru suddenly breaks out of the trance and flees. Unbeknownst to either, this is witnessed by Asako. Hikaru visits Rie and cries, believing he is too dangerous to live among the humans he loves. Rie considers exorcising Nonuki, but cannot bring herself to do so. After Hikaru leaves, a mysterious woman visits Rie. Hikaru decides that he is a monster who has no home in the human world, and returns to the Indo house, greeting his mother at the door. | |||||||
| 12 | "Its Place" Transliteration: "Ibasho" (Japanese: 居場所) | Ryōhei Takeshita | Ryōhei Takeshita | Ryōhei Takeshita | Akira Okazaki & Mai Watanabe | September 28, 2025 | |
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Hikaru becomes avoidant and skips assembly, and is confronted by Asako in an empty classroom. She again accuses him of being possessed, and he admits that the real Hikaru is dead. Asako begins to cry, and Hikaru comforts her guiltily, envisioning the funeral Hikaru could have had and the closure his loved ones could have had if he had not intervened. Tanaka tells Takeda's son that Nonuki does not exist and the Indos' ritual is useless. Hikaru and Yoshiki decide to visit the beach that Yoshiki and the original Hikaru once visited. There, Yoshiki buys a float for his sister Kaoru, which he later loses in the sea. Hikaru tells Yoshiki he intends to return to the mountain, causing Yoshiki to panic. Hikaru declares that he loves Yoshiki, although neither romantically or platonically, and that he wants him to properly grieve; the pair fight as Yoshiki attempts to physically prevent him from leaving. Yoshiki expresses his belief that he is also a monster due to his feelings for the original Hikaru. The pair ultimately reconcile and decide that they do not have to be pretend to be normal. Later, as the pair watch the sunset, Tanaka approaches them and returns Kaoru's float. | |||||||
Stage play
A stage play adaptation of the manga was announced, and is set to run at Kinokuniya Hall in Tokyo from January 9 to 18, 2026, with Sōtarō Fujii directing and script writing the play while Mikihito Sano is composing the music.[49]
Reception
Manga
In the 2022 Next Manga Award, The Summer Hikaru Died ranked 11th in the web manga category. It was also the most popular choice among traditional Chinese voters.[50] The series topped the 2023 edition of Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga for male readers.[51] It was also nominated for the 16th Manga Taishō.[52] The series ranked fifth in the Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2023.[53] It also ranked seventh in the seventh Tsutaya Comic Award.[54] In 2023, the series was listed by the New York Public Library among its Best Books for Teens that year.[55] It ranked 29th on the 2023 "Book of the Year" list by Da Vinci magazine.[56] In 2024, the first volume and series author Mokumokuren were nominated for the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia and for Best Writer/Artist, respectively.[57] The series was also nominated at the Japan Society and Anime NYC's first American Manga Awards for Best Continuing Manga Series in 2024;[58] it was nominated in the same category in 2025.[59] The series was nominated for Harvey Awards in the Best Manga category in the same year;[60] it was nominated in the same category in 2025.[61] The series was listed by Yen Press as its top title for 2025.[62]
The first volume received three times more orders than copies available in the first print run.[63] The volume was reprinted six times in three months, having over 200,000 copies in circulation.[63] By October 2022, the series had 550,000 copies in circulation.[64] By June 2023, the series had 1.4 million copies in circulation.[65] By December 2023, the series had 1.9 million copies in circulation.[66] By May 24, 2024, the series had 2.1 million copies in circulation.[67] By June 4, 2024, the series had 2.3 million copies in circulation.[68] By November 4, 2024, the series had 3 million copies in circulation.[69] By July 4, 2025, the series had 3.5 million copies in circulation.[70] By September 26, 2025, the series had 4 million copies in circulation.[71] By December 26, 2025, the series had 4.5 million copies in circulation.[72]
Chanmei from Real Sound praised the story and characters as emotional. Chanmei also praised the artwork, believing it complemented the story well.[1] Tensako Miura from An An praised the story, main characters, and artwork, positively noting the artwork's use of shades of black.[73]
Anime
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12th Anime Trending Awards | Best in Adapted Screenplay | Ryōhei Takeshita | Nominated | [74] |
| Best in Sceneries and Visuals | The Summer Hikaru Died | Nominated | |||
| Best in Soundtrack | Taro Umebayashi | Nominated | |||
| Opening Theme Song of the Year | "Saikai" by Vaundy | Nominated | |||
| Mystery or Psychological Anime of the Year | The Summer Hikaru Died | Nominated | |||
| Supernatural Anime of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| Best Voice Acting Performance - Male | Chiaki Kobayashi as Yoshiki Tsujinaka | Nominated | |||
| 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards | Anime of the Year | The Summer Hikaru Died | Nominated | [75] | |
| Best New Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Drama | Nominated | ||||
| Best Background Art | Nominated | ||||
| Best Director | Ryōhei Takeshita | Nominated | |||
| Best Voice Artist Performance (Japanese) | Chiaki Kobayashi as Yoshiki Tsujinaka | Nominated | |||
| Best Voice Artist Performance (English) | Paul Castro Jr. as Hikaru Indo | Nominated | |||
| Best Voice Artist Performance (French) | Jonathan Gimbord as Hikaru Indo | Nominated | |||
| 21st AnimaniA Awards | Best TV Series: Online | The Summer Hikaru Died | Pending | [76] |