Sound, Immersion... Chiaki Kobayashi, Shūichirō Umeda, and Chikahiro Kobayashi Enthusiastically Discuss Their Favorite Highlights of This Summer's Must-Watch Teen Horror Anime "The Summer Hikaru Died"!

A special television program, "TV Anime ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Pre-Broadcast Special Live," aired on ABEMA on June 29 (Sunday).

The program featured Chiaki Kobayashi (as Yoshiki Tsujinaka), Shūichirō Umeda (as Hikaru), and Chikahiro Kobayashi (as Tanaka), who discussed the highlights and characters of the upcoming TV anime, including behind-the-scenes stories from the recording sessions.

■What Are the Cast’s Recommended Highlights of "The Summer Hikaru Died"?

"The Summer Hikaru Died" (nicknamed "Hikanatsu") is a teen horror work depicting strange incidents that unfold as ordinary high school student Yoshiki begins living with and accepting Hikaru—a mysterious “something” that is imitating his childhood friend who went missing six months prior. With the series starting its first TV anime broadcast soon, the three cast members shared their recommended highlights during the program.

First, Chikahiro Kobayashi selected the use of “sound” as a standout feature, commenting, “The production deliberately excludes background music at certain moments, using only natural sounds or silence. This sharply contrasts the darkness between Hikaru and Yoshiki with the brightness of their classmates, giving each scene great nuance—I found it really wonderful.” He also added, “The director mentioned that if you listen with headphones, you’ll pick up all sorts of details in the sound,” and encouraged viewers not to miss even the smallest sounds.

Umeda highlighted “Hikaru,” the character he plays. He pointed out how both the mysterious Hikaru and the real Hikaru before passing are depicted, saying, “You can really tell the difference between the two Hikaru—how Yoshiki perceives both of them—so I hope viewers will listen carefully and compare the two characters.”

Chiaki Kobayashi answered with “immersion.” Even though he hasn’t been exposed much to the horror genre, he admitted he was so drawn into the deep drama while reading the original manga that “I couldn’t stop turning the pages.” He said, “Accepting a best friend who has changed into something different and living together with them… If we were in Yoshiki’s shoes, could we make the same choice? If someone next to us changed, what would make us consider them the real person? Before I knew it, I found myself thinking about ‘The Summer Hikaru Died.’ That sense of immersion is incredible, and I hope viewers enjoy pondering the work's open-ended elements as well.”