The long-awaited anime adaptation of award-winning author Mokumokuren’s hit manga “The Summer Hikaru Died” (published by KADOKAWA) is set to premiere on July 5. A chilling blend of slice of life and the supernatural, Yoshiki’s life is thrown upside down when his best friend Hikaru Indou is replaced by “something” that looks and acts just like him. The key art and main trailer offer a glimpse into Yoshiki and Hikaru’s eerie world. Directed by Ryohei Takeshita, known for Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night, the animation is produced by CygamesPictures. The series stars Chiaki Kobayashi as Yoshiki Tsujinaka, Shuichiro Umeda as Hikaru,Yumiri Hanamori as Asako Yamagishi, Wakana Kowaka as Rie Kurebayashi, Chikahiro Kobayashi as Tanaka, Yoshiki Nakajima as Yuta Maki, and Shion Wakayama as Yuki Tadokoro. Chiaki Kobayashi expresses his excitement about playing Yoshiki and the complex emotions involved: “I’m thrilled to voice Yoshiki. From the audition, I felt a whirlwind of emotions — fear, comfort, and uncertainty. My goal was to capture all of Yoshiki’s feelings and melancholy.” Shuichiro Umeda, voicing Hikaru, describes the role as a new experience: “Playing Hikaru was like peering into darkness. Despite uncertainties, my desire to stay connected with Yoshiki was clear, and I [...]