Hello everyone~! This is Saori from Otaku Republic!

Now then! Among all the first episodes of summer anime currently airing, I’d like to introduce one that’s especially well-done! After all, horror is all about sound and direction! Let me introduce this work that has further refined the appeal of the original manga!

【Episode 1】The Best and Easiest-to-Enjoy Japanese Horror This Summer! The anime enhances the manga’s appeal with direction and sound! Spotlight on Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu!

Even more chilling for those who haven’t read the manga......! The quiet eeriness is fully unleashed in the anime—Episode 1 of Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu has begun airing!

Just by watching the first two minutes of Episode 1, you’ll understand what kind of story this is, and feel the dread of an eerily unsettling everyday life starting. Simply put, Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu is about two childhood friends living in a rural village. One day, one of the boys goes missing in the mountains, but returns a few weeks later. While the adults feel relieved, only his best friend realizes something—this is not his friend, but a different being wearing his friend’s face.

The other being pleads—please don’t tell anyone. The boy struggles. His dear friend really did die, and yet...... something that is not his friend has 'returned' as if it were. Unable to accept his friend’s death, the boy tries to go about his daily life as requested by the being. But...... among the elders in the village, some begin to sense its true identity......

Unable to accept the death of a loved one—that 'natural' feeling is something reality and the villagers won’t allow. A boy falling apart and an unsettling world make Episode 1 absolutely captivating.

In conclusion, the anime adds fantastic sound effects, direction, and eerie atmosphere to the manga’s key scenes! How should I put it...... the scenes that instinctively make you feel, ‘Ah, it’s dangerous if I go any further,’ are especially well done! Episode 1 conveys the charm of Japanese horror—quiet, eerie, creeping fear—and I think it left a big impact on those who hadn’t read the manga!

The manga isn’t finished yet either, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how the story ends~! Episode 1 was really well done, so if you haven’t watched it yet, please check it out! I highly recommend it personally!