Netflix releases first trailer for latest manga adaptation of a hit psychological horror

The Summer Hikaru Died trailer — (Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix has released the first teaser trailer for its upcoming psychological horror anime The Summer Hikaru Died, and it looks just as creepy as the manga it's based on.

The trailer, which you can watch below, opens with two friends talking about what they are going to do when they graduate high school as shots of a peaceful town show. But before we know it, the friends’ conversation distorts and the once tranquil town is plagued with mindbending scenes that look quite demonic and scary. "Can I ask you something strange?" asks one friend, "You’re not Hikaru are you?" Then, a boy with black hair appears to be crying whilst his friend holds him. "Don’t tell anyone," replies Hikaru, or whoever is pretending to be Hikaru.

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The upcoming anime is based on the highly popular comic of the same name by Mokumokuren. The manga follows a teenager who discovers that his best friend Hikaru has been possessed by an otherworldly entity, which in turn, forces him to face supernatural dangers.

Similarly, The Summer Hikaru Died series follows two best friends Yoshiki and Hikaru, both from a rural Japanese village. The official synopsis from Netflix reads: "Growing up together, they were inseparable... until the day Hikaru came back from the mountains, and was no longer himself. ‘Something’ has taken over Hikaru’s body, memories, feelings... and everything they know begins to unravel."

The series is directed by Ryohei Takeshita and stars Chiaki Kobayashi as Yoshiki and Shuichiro Umeda as Hikaru. Although it does not yet have an official release date, The Summer Hikaru Died is expected to land on Netflix worldwide and join the streamer’s already long list of the best anime on Netflix in 2025.

For more, explore the best anime to start watching right now, or if you’re new to this genre, check out our guide to the best anime for beginners.