Which Original Anime Scene in "The Summer Hikaru Died" Does Voice Actor Chiaki Kobayashi Want You to Pay Attention To? [Interview]

The currently airing TV anime "The Summer Hikaru Died" is a coming-of-age horror story in which the protagonist's best friend returns after going missing, only to have been replaced by a non-human “something,” causing strange phenomena to begin in their rural village.

In this article, we present an interview with Chiaki Kobayashi, the voice actor for the protagonist, Yoshiki Tsujinaka.

——"The Summer Hikaru Died" is an anime adaptation based on the original manga of the same name. Did you know about the work before the anime adaptation was announced?

Kobayashi: Yes, I did know about it. The manga "The Summer Hikaru Died" was a big topic on social media, and I had read it before.

——What did you think after reading the manga?

Kobayashi: Up until then, I hadn’t actively sought out horror manga, but with this one, I felt a strong urge to keep reading it as a horror story.

It’s not just a straightforward horror; it has dramatic elements, like the suspenseful feeling of “What’s going to happen to Hikaru and Yoshiki?” As I read it, I realized it was a type of horror I hadn’t really encountered before.

——It’s one of those manga where you can’t stop turning the pages, right?

Kobayashi: That’s right. The unique yet beautiful artistic style by the original creator, Mokumokuren, also adds to its appeal. I thought it was a very captivating work.