The Summer Hikaru Died

1

March 4, 2022

mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- } }978-4-04-112273-0

July 18, 2023

978-1-9753-6054-2

Chapters 1–6 Bonus (特別編, Tokubetsu-hen)

2

October 4, 2022

978-4-04-112960-9

October 17, 2023

978-1-9753-7103-6

Chapters 7–11 Extra (特別編, Tokubetsu-hen)

3

June 2, 2023

978-4-04-113700-0

April 16, 2024

978-1-9753-9276-5

Chapters 12–16 Extra (特別編, Tokubetsu-hen) Q&A (質問コーナー, Shitsumon Kōnā)

4

December 4, 2023

978-4-04-114339-1

August 20, 2024

978-1-9753-9862-0

Chapters 17–21 Extra (特別編, Tokubetsu-hen)

5

June 4, 2024

978-4-04-114997-3

March 25, 2025

979-8-8554-1459-2

Chapters 22–26 Extra (特別編, Tokubetsu-hen) Q&A (質問コーナー, Shitsumon Kōnā)

6

December 4, 2024

978-4-04-115608-7

October 28, 2025

979-8-8554-1975-7

Chapters 27–31 Extra (特別編, Tokubetsu-hen) Q&A (質問コーナー, Shitsumon Kōnā)

7

July 4, 2025

978-4-04-115682-7

April 28, 2026

979-8-8554-3064-6

Chapters 32–36 Extra (特別編, Tokubetsu-hen)

8

December 27, 2025

978-4-04-116903-2

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1

"Replacement"Transliteration: "Daitaihin" (Japanese: 代替品)

Ryōhei Takeshita

Ryōhei Takeshita

Ryōhei Takeshita

Yūichi Takahashi

July 6, 2025 (2025-07-06)

After his mysterious disappearance on Mount Nisayama during the winter, Hikaru Indo seemingly returns to his rural village months later. However, his childhood friend Yoshiki Tsujinaka begins to notice strange inconsistencies in Hikaru's behavior, memories, and reactions. Confronting him, Yoshiki discovers that the real Hikaru is dead, and the one before him is a supernatural entity that has taken over Hikaru's body and mind. Despite his fear and grief, Yoshiki chooses to keep this secret, unwilling to let go of the person he loved. Meanwhile, ominous events begin to unfold around the village, as an elderly woman, Ms Matsuura, recognizes Hikaru as a being of local legend and dies shortly after. A mysterious investigator named Tanaka takes interest in the village's disturbance, hinting at larger threats to come.

2

"Suspicion"Transliteration: "Giwaku" (Japanese: 疑惑)

Mitsuhiro Osako

Oki Maruyama

Mitsuhiro Osako

Mai Watanabe & Ryunosuke Ouchi

July 13, 2025 (2025-07-13)

Tanaka arrives to investigate the elderly woman's death, and surmises that an entity from the mountains has found its way into the village, and has found a way to hide in plain sight. Hikaru and Yoshiki, along with their friends Maki, Yuki and Asako, take a frightening shortcut through the woods to reach Maki's house, and Yoshiki and Hikaru become separated from the other two on their way back. Yoshiki catches sight of a strange entity with an elongated neck that seeks to latch onto him, but is protected by Hikaru at the last moment who "devours" it. Asako questions what happened, having heard the struggle, causing Hikaru to briefly consider killing her. The following day at school, Yoshiki inquires about what happened to the spirit. Hikaru allows Yoshiki to reach within his skin and feel what he really is within. Later, Yoshiki is confronted by a local, Rie Kurebayashi, who has the ability to sense supernatural occurrences; she recognizes that Yoshiki is spending time around something supernatural, but is unaware that the source is Hikaru, and warns him about staying close to such phenomena, stating that doing so will result in him becoming "mixed".

3

"Denial"Transliteration: "Kyozetsu" (Japanese: 拒絶)

Asaka Yokoyama, Kohei Kido, & Ayumu Uwano

Ryōhei Takeshita

Asaka Yokoyama

Saori Yanaga, Guonian Wang, Akane Kasasagi & Hiroko Seigan

July 20, 2025 (2025-07-20)

Yoshiki eventually begins texting Rie for help, with her revealing that she went through something similar. Her late husband returned to her life somehow, and while she was initially happy, it resulted in her son being wounded, which made her realize the gravity of being involved with the supernatural and that humans were not meant to stay in close proximity with such beings. She further reveals that she can sense a distortion affecting the village and local areas, and believes that the being within Hikaru was once responsible for keeping this distortion trapped upon the mountain it lived on and without its presence, the distortion is spreading. Yoshiki attempts to distance himself from Hikaru, but in doing so, the two end up in an argument, which ends with Hikaru accidentally suffocating Yoshiki for a moment and marking a permanent bruise on his arm with his grip. Hikaru retreats in regret, as Yoshiki comes to recognize that Hikaru is not the person he used to know, but someone new to the world, akin to a child. The two eventually make up, apologizing to each other, and Yoshiki resolves to help and support Hikaru.

4

"Summer Festival"Transliteration: "Natsumatsuri" (Japanese: 夏祭り)

Yoshiyuki Shirahata

Oki Maruyama

Yoshiyuki Shirahata

Akira Okazaki, Aoi Maekawa, Reia Nihei, Guonian Wang & Studio Mindo

July 27, 2025 (2025-07-27)

Yoshiki's friend Asako Yamagishi correctly detects a spirit near some local train tracks that Rie later removes. Yoshiki and Hikaru attend the Summer Festival alongside Yoshiki's younger sister Kaoru, where the villagers gossip about their parents' unhappy marriage and Kaoru's continued absence from school. Tanaka continues his investigation of the town, and his pet hamster detects Hikaru's presence at the festival. Members of the village worry about a ritual Hikaru was supposed to perform in the woods that only the male members of his family can enact. Hikaru is prevented from entering the local shrine by a mysterious barrier. Yoshiki reminisces about the original Hikaru, before breaking down in grief. He reveals that he discovered Hikaru's corpse, and Hikaru comforts him. A post-credit scene depicts Hikaru slipping and fatally wounding himself in the forest, and as he dies, he imagines Yoshiki and begs the spirits to make sure he will not be left alone.

5

"Wig Ghost"Transliteration: "Katsura no Obake" (Japanese: カツラのオバケ)

Wang Chihsia & Ryūta Kawahara

Ryōhei Takeshita

Wang Chihsia & Ryūta Kawahara

Guonian Wang, Mai Watanabe, Reia Nihei, Akira Okazaki & Chika Nōmi

August 3, 2025 (2025-08-03)

Yoshiki's little sister Kaoru becomes terrified after encountering a sentient clump of hair in the bathroom. Hikaru invites Yoshiki to stick his hand in his chest again, who enjoys it at first, but rejects Hikaru after he attempts to feel back. Later, whilst out with their friend Maki, Hikaru agrees to exorcise the Tsujinaka bathroom. After Hikaru has remained in the bathroom for a long time, Yoshiki discovers him seemingly drowned before being pulled through the bath by the spirits. Yoshiki finds himself in a strange reality full of giant brains which mock him with insults he received throughout his life, and then relives a childhood memory where he and Hikaru got into a physical fight over the death of their pet bird Crowly. In reality, Yoshiki begins drowning Hikaru in the bath, biting his arm and leaving a mark, before Hikaru manages to remove the Wig Ghost from Yoshiki's mind. The pair then eat dinner with Kaoru and their mom, where Yoshiki considers the damage he could have caused. In a post credit scene, Tanaka summons an impurity to track down Hikaru.

6

"Asako" (Japanese: 朝子)

Fumiaki Kataoka & Shinya Kawabe

Oki Maruyama

Fumiaki Kataoka

KAGO, Saori Yanaga, Gorō Taki, Akane Kasasagi, Aoi Maekawa, Hiroko Seigan, Renta Inoue & Chen Zitu

August 10, 2025 (2025-08-10)

At his friend's prompting, Hikaru decides to host a sleepover at his house with Yoshiki, Asako, Maki and Yuki. Meanwhile, Tanaka's impurity begins its search. At the sleepover, Yoshiki discovers Hikaru's father's hat, as well as a mysterious note in Hikaru's bedroom, which he pockets. The group play with sparklers, but their lighter breaks, so Asako volunteers to go and buy a new one with Hikaru. As they are walking together, she asks Hikaru who he really is. In her childhood, she heard a spirit warning her about a speeding car, saving Yuki's life, whereupon Asako's grandmother explained that their family can often sense the spirit world, and spirits can be good and bad. In the present, Hikaru attempts to kill Asako, but is interrupted by Yoshiki, causing her to simply pass out. Yoshiki confronts Hikaru, who reveals his lack of understanding about the difference between life and death and admits to having murdered Ms Matsuura, a revelation that causes Yoshiki to throw up. Asako awakens and accuses Hikaru of having been possessed by a ghost, but understands he is protective of Yoshiki. Yoshiki comforts Asako before coldly leaving for his home. The following morning, Hikaru privately ponders the meaning of life and his feelings towards Yoshiki. To his shock, Yoshiki is arrives to pick him up for school as usual.

7

"Determination"Transliteration: "Ketsui" (Japanese: 決意)

Yuka Hashimoto

Ryōhei Takeshita

Ryōhei Takeshita

Kyoko Niimura & Renta Inoue

August 17, 2025 (2025-08-17)

On the day of the school choir competition, Yoshiki suggests to Hikaru that they skip school together. The two spend the day doing activities such as going to the movies, although Hikaru is unnerved by Yoshiki's insistence that he is not upset about the previous night. Meanwhile, their classmates notice their absence but have a successful performance regardless. Yoshiki makes a phone call to his mother where he acts strangely, asking them to take care. Later, they return to Yoshiki's house to relax from the heat. As Hikaru watches a video of their class's choir from earlier that day, Yoshiki produces a knife and stabs Hikaru in the chest. Realising that Hikaru has not been fatally injured by this, Yoshiki asks that Hikaru turn the knife on him, admitting that he had been planning this from the start and wanted to make Hikaru's last day full of happy memories. Hikaru is conflicted by the request and chooses not to adhere to it; instead, he reaches into his chest and removes what he describes as "half of his insides" and offers the flesh to Yoshiki, explaining that this has made him weaker and less dangerous. He tells Yoshiki that he has felt accepted by him and is starting to learn the value of human life thanks to their friendship. Yoshiki takes the offering and says he wants to do research to learn more about what Hikaru really is.

8

"Contact"Transliteration: "Sesshoku" (Japanese: 接触)

Ryo Ando

Oki Maruyama

Ryo Ando

Ryunosuke Ouchi, Mai Watanabe, Reia Nihei, Yuka Hashimoto, Akira Okazaki & Saori Yanaga

August 24, 2025 (2025-08-24)

Yoshiki cleans Hikaru's clothes and shares the note he took from Hikaru's bedroom. It mentions a "nuki-sama" that they theorize to be the same as the "Nonuki-sama" that Ms Matsuura spoke of. Hikaru's grandfather recognizes the note, asking them where "Hichi-san" has gone, and mentioning a "murder village" before abruptly falling asleep. At school, Yoshiki feels guilty when he learns that Asako has become almost entirely deaf in her right ear due to Hikaru's attempt on her life. In class, Yoshiki and the rest of the class witness a naked man wander through the schoolyard and then commit suicide with a knife, with Asako sensing the man was possessed. She again accuses Hikaru of being possessed, and notes that supernatural occurrences are becoming more common. Yoshiki and Hikaru visit the library to study an old map of the area, realising that the villages correspond to body parts. The librarian is Ms Matsuura's daughter, who recognizes the name Nonuki-sama; she describes it as a god that used to bless people, but became a curse God after a famine. She reveals that her sister's disappearance years ago led her mother to fear the involvement of a supernatural being. Tanaka and Yoshiki pass each other on the street, with Tanaka's hamster sensing the latter. Tanaka approaches Yoshiki under false pretences, and the pair bond over their love for hamsters. Tanaka notices the markings on Yoshiki's arm and concluded he has "mixed" with the entity, ultimately letting him leave. At a diner, Hikaru reveals the piece of himself he gave to Yoshiki could kill Hikaru if broken. The pair are approached by Tanaka's long-necked impurity, which Hikaru cannot defeat in his weakened state. He collapses, and Yoshiki is unable to escape the building. As the monster attacks, Rie saves them and cheerfully greets Yoshiki.

9

"Old Man Takeda"Transliteration: "Takeda no Jīsan" (Japanese: 武田の爺さん)

Mitsuhiro Osako & Ayumu Uwano

Oki Maruyama

Mitsuhiro Osako, Wang Chihsia & Shu Manzawa

Studio Mindo

September 7, 2025 (2025-09-07)

Rie takes Yoshiki and the unconscious Hikaru to her house; she describes the impurity as a ghostly spirit that exists in a world only separated from the normal one by a thin barrier, to which she can send them back temporarily. Rie believes that Hikaru is attracting more impurities, and describes how her husband came back from the dead like Hikaru: when he attacked their son, she realised he was little more than an impurity taking his form. In deciding how to proceed, Hikaru declares his resolve to protect the place he now feels at home in, and Yoshiki says he will stand by him in his efforts. Meanwhile, Tanaka is approached by his impurity, and it violently merges with him, giving him brief memories of Yoshiki and Hikaru at the diner. Rie speaks to Hikaru alone, warning him that if Yoshiki continues to mix, he will be unable to return to the human world. Yoshiki makes a grave for the real Hikaru, and Hikaru asks if he had romantic feelings for him. They discuss the differences between the two Hikarus, with Yoshiki stating he respects who this version of Hikaru is and doesn't want to force him to fit into what others might expect. Hikaru concludes that it could solve all their problems if he went back to the mountain, but Yoshiki rejects this plan and states they must get rid of the impurities. They visit the old man Takeda, who tells them that the attacking impurities stem from a blasphemous act committed by the Indo family generations ago. Hikaru's lack of understanding about his family history angers the man, who blames his failure for the recent tragedies. Suddenly, Takeda begins to change form and attacks the pair with a sword. He is halted by the appearance of Tanaka, who knocks him out, but Tanaka then takes the sword and abruptly uses it to cut off Hikaru's head. A stunned Yoshiki picks up the severed head, as the entity's spirit begins leaking out of it.

10

"Truth"Transliteration: "Shinsō" (Japanese: 真相)

Wang Chihsia & Kōhei Kido

Oki Maruyama

Yutaka Uemura & Hiromi Taniguchi

Akira Okazaki, Mai Watanabe, Hiroko Seigan, Aoi Maekawa, Kyoko Niimura & Chen Zitu

September 14, 2025 (2025-09-14)

mw- .mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- } }This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (September 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) The "Hikaru" entity swarms the room, attacking Tanaka and Yoshiki. Yoshiki forcibly reattaches the head before falling unconscious. Later, he awakens in the hospital, where his family believe he and Hikaru were attacked by a now deceased Takeda. Hikaru remains unconscious, with evidence of his decapitation barely visible. Tanaka speaks with Takeda's son, revealing he is blind without his sunglasses, and wants something from the impurities' world. Two days later, Yoshiki and Rie visit the unconscious Hikaru, and Rie talks about a recent disappearance at a road tunnel filled with human bones but without any skulls. Yoshiki notes that all the impurities have been deformed above the neck. Hikaru's spirit attacks Yoshiki, but is stopped by Rie, and he wakes up shocked by the scar on his neck, declaring that there was something special in Tanaka's sword. Hikaru later returns to school, where Maki recognizes the name "Unuki" as being related to a drug used for abortions in a time of famine, as it was the godly figure of the mountain where the villagers mined mercury. The figure was ultimately forgotten, but the curse remained and the area became a refuge for those facing religious persecution. Yoshiki believes Nonuki is the same figure, with the original name only remembered because of the Indo family's sin mentioned by Takeda. Yoshiki and Hikaru visit a temple where they discover wooden carvings of human faces, which awakens memories in Hikaru of the original Hikaru visiting. He recalls that the carvings were made to honor the dead whose heads were sacrificed, with all other parts of their body buried around the village separately according to their bodily position, as seen on the map. He is still unable to access any memories of the Indo family's sin, but Yoshiki states that he knows who they can ask. In a post-credits scene, Hikaru thinks about his emptiness and desire to devour souls. He enshrouds himself in darkness and appears at Yoshiki's house, envisioning Yoshiki's soul; however, he resists his temptation and walks away, leaving behind a bewildered Yoshiki.

11

"Indo's Sin"Transliteration: "Indō no Tobira" (Japanese: 忌堂の扉)

Aimi Yamauchi

Oki Maruyama

Aimi Yamauchi

Akami, Yui Ushio, Yuka Hashimoto, Michiko Makita, Saori Yanaga, KAGO, Mizuka Takahashi, Reia Nihei, kiki, Mai Watanabe & Shanghai Phantom Animation

September 21, 2025 (2025-09-21)

Yoshiki visits his estranged father, who explains the past Indo leader's sin: when his wife died, he begged the mountain god to revive her, promising to sacrifice others' heads, at which point one-third of the village all died in different supernatural ways with their heads all being removed. The reanimated head of the wife died again the next night, and has been kept as the protective talisman "Hichi-san". Hikaru's father, Kohei Indo, begged the elders to end the ritual, only to die in a mysterious accident soon afterwards. Yoshiki's father consoles his son, stating that he takes after his mother. Yoshiki later discovers a depiction of Hikaru's innards in a painting from the 1500s titled "Gehenna". At school, Yoshiki finally opens up to Hikaru more about the personality of the real Hikaru. In the corridor, Hikaru is suddenly drawn to the warmth of Yoshiki's soul and begins transforming into Nonuki before attacking him. Yoshiki flees but is cornered, and the pair begin mixing, before Hikaru suddenly breaks out of the trance and flees. Unbeknownst to either, this is witnessed by Asako. Hikaru visits Rie, and breaks down crying, believing he is too dangerous to live among the humans he loves. Rie considers exorcising Nonuki, but ultimately cannot bring herself to do so. After Hikaru leaves, a mysterious woman appears at Rie's house. Hikaru decides that he is a monster who has no home in the human world, although he still returns to the Indo house, greeting his mother at the door.

12

"Its Place"Transliteration: "Ibasho" (Japanese: 居場所)

Ryōhei Takeshita

Ryōhei Takeshita

Ryōhei Takeshita

Akira Okazaki & Mai Watanabe

September 28, 2025 (2025-09-28)

Hikaru becomes avoidant and skips assembly, and is confronted by Asako in an empty classroom. She again accuses him of being possessed, and he admits that the real Hikaru is dead. Asako begins to cry, and Hikaru comforts her guiltily, envisioning the funeral Hikaru could have had and the closure his loved ones could have had if he had not intervened. Tanaka tells Takeda's son that Nonuki does not exist and the Indos' ritual is useless. Hikaru and Yoshiki decide to visit the beach that Yoshiki and the original Hikaru once visited. There, Yoshiki buys a float for his sister Kaoru, which he later loses in the sea. Hikaru tells Yoshiki he intends to return to the mountain, causing Yoshiki to panic. Hikaru declares that he loves Yoshiki, although neither romantically or platonically, and that he wants him to properly grieve; the pair fight as Yoshiki attempts to physically prevent him from leaving. Yoshiki expresses his belief that he is also a monster due to his feelings for the original Hikaru. The pair ultimately reconcile and decide that they do not have to be pretend to be normal. Later, as the pair watch the sunset, Tanaka approaches them and returns Kaoru's float.