Hello everyone~! I'm Saori from Otaku Republic!

Now that we're heading into June, the Spring 2025 anime are approaching their climaxes...... But if you haven't decided which Summer 2025 anime to watch yet, why not check out this suspenseful and intriguing title?

【Summer 2025 Anime】Suspense? Bromance? There's “something” inside the dead best friend. A gripping and eerie mystery anime, “The Summer Hikaru Died” (Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu), starts airing in July!

A best friend who disappeared six months ago. What came back...... was “something” that wasn't him. The much-talked-about suspense × bromance story gets an anime adaptation in July 2025!

This series has been a hot topic in Japan for being 'too eerie' and 'so mysterious you just need to know the answer,' so I'm seriously excited for the anime adaptation!

To briefly explain the story...... It's set in a rural village. A black-haired boy named Yoshiki lives there with his best friend, Hikaru. They grew up together as childhood friends. But one day, Hikaru enters a forbidden forest and goes missing.

Six months later, Hikaru returns to Yoshiki. But Yoshiki instinctively realizes something is wrong and ends up asking...... 'You're not Hikaru. What are you?'

The thing that looks like Hikaru tells him. It may look like Hikaru, but it's actually something else entirely. And...... the real Hikaru is already dead.

Yoshiki is devastated. His best friend, who he had always been with, really is dead. But at the same time...... he can't help but think, 'Hikaru is right in front of me.'

The thing in Hikaru’s form begs Yoshiki to keep the secret, and Yoshiki agrees. Even though he knows it's not really Hikaru, he convinces himself that Hikaru has come back.

What exactly is the entity inside Hikaru? Why did Hikaru die? And what is the secret hidden in the village where they live......? The manga version is also currently being well-received, and many readers are closely following this incredibly eerie story! I’m super curious too!!!

Personally, I hope it ends happily...... but honestly, it already feels like a happy ending is going to be tough from the very start. That’s exactly why I can’t help but keep watching—it’s that kind of story! The manga version is currently up to volume 6, so be sure to check out this talked-about suspense series, “The Summer Hikaru Died”, before the anime airs!