We associate summer as a time where we can loosen up. Though we may not like the hot weather it brings, it refreshes us through festivals, food, and moments shared among friends (or even shared with a potential “someone”). And yet, in the case of our character, Yoshiki Tsujinaka (Chiaki Kobayashi), he doesn’t feel great, as he’s been feeling down in the dumps—despite the presence of Hikaru Indou (Shuichirou Umeda).

What we don’t often realize is that summer is also associated with the presence of spirits—or in this case, the presence of a mimic. It might not click at first, but the rest of this rural village has been feeling it lately: a sudden, dense, heavy feeling, a presence they couldn’t grasp until it was too late.

Suddenly, Yoshiki’s mind clicks—and he finds a revelation.

Hikaru’s dead. And whoever’s on my side isn’t Hikaru.

Yoshiki should be frightened by this revelation, and yet, he clings. Where everyone else should be afraid, he stays. And that heavy energy, which should have crushed Yoshiki’s heart, ultimately warms him more. ***

To get straight to the highlights of this anime: this is by far one of the most well-directed horror anime we’ve had in such a long time—if not ever in the anime scene. Its quiet, eerie ambiance, paired with the sound of cicadas, invokes both a calm feeling and a sense of the unknown within the anime’s rural setting. This is enhanced by suspenseful music that heightens the tension of its highly aesthetic visuals, and avant-garde editing that creates one of the most uncomfortable visual-audio horror experiences in anime—essentially unrivaled by others (excluding gore-focused anime, which belong to a different category altogether).

But as a horror anime, it goes even further. While the series mainly follows the daily lives of these characters in a rural town, along with the outsiders trying to uncover the anomalies within it, the lore implied in the background is one of the most intriguing of the season—despite often playing subtly in the shadows. After all, this is a horror series, but it pushes beyond the genre. It introduces a theme rarely explored in horror anime:

What if that “special” person, so dear to your life, died?

Aside from being a horror show with horror-esque progression, it is also a captivating drama behind its attractively creepy visuals. The show explores these themes of grief and loss and complicates Yoshiki’s circumstances with the presence of Hikaru’s mimic—a person who feels like he's there, but isn’t. Yoshiki battles conflicting feelings, knowing that the Hikaru he’s been with his entire life is no longer there. Despite the mimic in front of him bearing a resemblance to Hikaru’s traits, it is empty of Hikaru’s heart.

On some days, Yoshiki feels relieved that—despite the lack of heart in this mimic—it helps alleviate his guilt over the loss, his longing, and his unresolved grief over the realization that Hikaru is gone. Yet that exact comfort is also the source of Yoshiki’s pain. The more present the mimic is, the more his heart aches.

It’s a conflicting feeling that should have an obvious resolution—but that’s not how real life works. Or rather, that’s not how the human heart works. This series explores that emotional complexity, intertwined with a captivating, traditional, summer-themed rural yokai horror story. ***

The Summer Hikaru Died stands out as a horror anime that’s genuinely terrifying at times—something rare in 2025. It crafts a beautifully haunting atmosphere while delivering a coming-of-age—or rather, a coming-of-grief—story that deeply resonates with its audience. It’s a highly recommended watch amid the crowded lineup of Summer 2025. ***