Parents' Guide to The Summer Hikaru Died

TV Netflix Anime 2025
The Summer Hikaru Died TV poster: Yoshiki, in shadow, looks over his shoulder. Hikaru, in light, smiles. Monster Hikaru's face covers Yoshiki's back.

Common Sense Media Review

By Danae Stahlnecker , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Coming-of-age horror story tackles queer themes and grief.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

  • The Summer Hikaru Died: Yoshiki and Hikaru sit on a bench outside at a sweet shop in a small town.
  • The Summer Hikaru Died: Close up of Hikaru's face. He looks sad. Half his face is melting into supernatural horror goo.
  • The Summer Hikaru Died: Close up of Yoshiki's eyes. He looks very frightened. Sun beats on him, casting half his face in shadow.
  • The Summer Hikaru Died: Yoshiki, Hikaru, and three classmates stand at the entrance of a dark path through the woods.
  • The Summer Hikaru Died: Ground-up shot of Yoshiki and Hikaru sitting at a table in a dark room. The door opens behind them to a bright summer day.

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 2 parent reviews

 

 

See all 2 parent reviews
age 13+

Based on 6 kid reviews

 

 

See all 6 kid reviews

What's the Story?

THE SUMMER HIKARU DIED covers the friendship and tension between high schooler Yoshiki Tsujinaka (voiced by Chiaki Kobayashi) and the otherworldly entity that possessed his best friend, Hikaru (voiced by Shūichirō Umeda). Yoshiki knows the real Hikaru is gone, but he can't give up on the "Hikaru" who remains—despite the dangers surrounding them.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 2 ):
Kids say ( 6 ):

This anime teen drama does what horror does best: take something unfamiliar and make you confront your fears about it. The Summer Hikaru Died does just that with puberty, identity, and the intimacy of same-sex friendships. The show is a beautiful metaphor for coming-of-age in a small town where who you are and what you want might not be accepted by society. It's also a thoughtful discussion of grief, loss, and deciding how or when to let go of the past.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about grief and intimacy. What type of relationship do Yoshiki and Hikaru have? Why is it so hard for Yoshiki to separate himself from Hikaru even though it hurts him to stay?

  • Families can talk about identity and coming of age. What is Yoshiki learning about himself?

  • Horror as a genre tries to shock or frighten people, but that fear and repulsion can teach us things about our discomfort. What are the scary things in this story? What can they teach us about ourselves and the world around us?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

The Summer Hikaru Died TV poster: Yoshiki, in shadow, looks over his shoulder. Hikaru, in light, smiles. Monster Hikaru's face covers Yoshiki's back.

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