The Summer Hikaru DiedSix months ago, Hikaru vanished for a week. Now, as his best friend Yoshiki senses something amiss and confronts him, the harrowing truth emerges.
WritersRyohei Takeshita, Mokumokuren
Replacement
Jul 6, 2025
Yoshiki confronts Hikaru about his suspicions and discovers the terrifying truth. Even though they try to live normally, eerie incidents begin to occur.
Suspicion
Jul 13, 2025
While Yoshiki and Hikaru accompany their classmates to a creepy mountain trail, a mysterious man arrives at Kubitachi Village and begins investigating.
Denial
Jul 20, 2025
Recalling childhood memories with Hikaru, Yoshiki continues to struggle with his complex emotions. Desperate, he reaches out to Kurebayashi.
Summer Festival
Jul 27, 2025
As Yoshiki attends the summer festival with Hikaru, the village elders fret over the recent death and Tanaka ends up with more questions than answers.
Wig Ghost
Aug 3, 2025
When Yoshiki's sister spots a creepy clump of hair in the bathroom, Hikaru visits the Tsujinaka home to investigate — but things take a deadly turn.
Asako
Aug 10, 2025
Yoshiki and his classmates discuss a story their teacher assigned them. Later, at a sleepover, Asako's sharp observations put her in grave danger.
Determination
Aug 17, 2025
After the sobering realization that Hikaru is truly dangerous, Yoshiki decides that he must act and invites his best friend to skip school together.
Contact
Aug 24, 2025
Yoshiki and Hikaru investigate Nonuki-sama and its link to Kubitachi's history. While at the library, they get an important lead from a surprising source.
Old Man Takeda
Sep 7, 2025
Kurebayashi shares her knowledge about impurities with the boys. Later, the elder Takeda loses his temper over Hikaru's ignorance of the Indo's history.
Truth
Sep 14, 2025
The boys' surprise encounter with Tanaka lands them in the hospital. When they return to school, Yoshiki pieces together the truth behind Nonuki-sama.
Indo's Sin
Sep 21, 2025
Though hesitant, Yoshiki asks his father about the Indo family's murky past and secret ritual. Later, Hikaru loses control at school and feels deeply shaken.
Its Place
Sep 28, 2025
While everyone else attends the school assembly, Asako finds Hikaru wandering the halls. Alone at the beach, Hikaru reveals his final plans to Yoshiki.
Nick
@NSWMGN
the queer undertones go crazy, but i’m here for all of it! what really struck me about this show is how confidently it leans into the tension between personal intimacy and supernatural horror. the relationship dynamics never feel like window dressing—they’re baked into the unsettling atmosphere and make the eerie parts hit harder. that said, the pacing can be a double-edged sword. season one takes its time, sometimes too much time, leaving a lot of questions unanswered. instead of clarifying the lore, the show piles on mysteries, which is intriguing but also a little frustrating when you want more direct payoff. still, the way the narrative lingers actually makes the horror sequences stand out more—they feel like ruptures in an otherwise slow summer haze. the horror aspect itself is fantastic. i especially wish they’d shown more of the impurities, because every glimpse was visually striking and gave the story a heavier, more visceral weight. what’s also impressive is how grounded the series feels despite the supernatural premise. the use of real-world backdrops and small, everyday details adds an almost documentary quality that makes the eerie moments land with extra force. that attention to realism blends seamlessly with the strangeness and helps carve out a unique identity for the anime. score: 9 (4.5) – great, but not perfect.
