Vaundy is bringing his signature genre-melding sound to the screen with 'saikai', the opening theme for the upcoming anime The Summer Hikaru Died. The track made its debut in the anime’s second main trailer, offering a haunting preview of what’s to come when the series premieres on 5 July via Netflix.
"I made it into a song with the same uneasy feeling I got when reading the original manga, not knowing what would happen every time I turned the page. I hope it has become a song that challenges the music of anime in the future." the multi-talented Japanese artist shares.
The anime adapts the breakout supernatural manga by Mokumokuren. The story follows two boys — Yoshiki and Hikaru — who live in a quiet mountain village. But one day, Hikaru changes. There’s something not quite human about him, and Yoshiki finds himself torn between friendship and fear. The series dives into identity, grief, and what it means to hold on to someone who may no longer be who they were.
Joining the already-announced Kōki Uchiyama (as Hikaru) and Nobunaga Shimazaki (as Yoshiki), the latest trailer reveals new cast members:
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Yōji Ueda as Nagisa, a mysterious adult with insights into the otherworldly
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Mariya Ise as Aki, a tough and insightful friend of Yoshiki
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Shinichiro Miki as Masamune, a figure connected to the town’s eerie history
Produced by Studio VOLN, the anime is directed by Yuki Ogawa (FLCL: Grunge), with series composition by Keigo Koyanagi (The Rising of the Shield Hero) and character designs by Atsushi Saito (Love of Kill).
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