Voice Actor Shūichirō Umeda, Who Plays Hikaru in the Anime "The Summer Hikaru Died," Makes an Appearance! What Are His Favorite Scenes and the Biggest Challenges During Recording? “ShibuAni” #60

He also discussed the scene in episode seven where Yoshiki stabs Hikaru with a kitchen knife: “When it came to pulling out the knife, the entity that is Hikaru doesn’t feel pain, so I discussed it with the director. There’s a fear and uncertainty about carrying out an act you’ve never done before—which is ambiguous in itself—while physically, the body is still human and breath grows ragged. I remember doing many different takes to capture that messy, complicated feeling.” Voice actress Sora Tokui and MC Yūki Iwai of Haraichi sympathized with Umeda’s struggles, commenting, “That’s really difficult...”

“The Summer Hikaru Died” is currently streaming exclusively and for free at the fastest release on the ABEMA Anime Channel every Saturday at 1:55 a.m. The latest episodes are available for free with an exclusive one-week window, and the final episode will air on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at 1:55 a.m. on the ABEMA Anime Channel.

Additionally, ShibuAni unveiled a short movie created to commemorate the 25th anniversary of “Ojamajo Carnival!!: Yuru Tabi-hen,” which depicts a journey taken by the grown-up Doremi and her friends. Sora Tokui, from the “Ojamajo Doremi” generation, was visibly moved and shared, “It brought tears to my eyes,” while Umeda also commented emotionally, “Since Aichan wanted that outfit in the toy section...”