The Manga Behind Netflix’s Best Horror Anime Is Officially Ending
Overview & Key Takeaways
One of the best horror manga in a long time, 'The Summer Hikaru Died,' is coming to an end next month after 51 chapters.
One of the best horror manga in recent memory is coming to a close. The official X account for The Summer Hikaru Died has announced that the story will end in the next two chapters. Chapter 50 is scheduled for Oct. 13, while Chapter 51 is scheduled for Oct. 20. Thankfully, the announcement isn't a complete surprise, as author Mokumokuren previously said they planned to wrap up the story in 10 volumes total.
For those who haven’t read the series or watched last year’s anime, it’s a queer horror story centered on two boys, Yoshiki Tsujinaka and Hikaru Indo, who live in rural Japan. Despite having very different personalities, the pair are inseparable. That is, until Yoshiki realizes something: Hikaru is no longer Hikaru. Hikaru died in a freak accident, and an unknowable entity from the mountain now controls his body. The story follows Yoshiki and "Hikaru" as they navigate a fraught relationship while trying to uncover the dark mysteries behind their small town.
Mokumokuren writes and illustrates the series. Serialization began in Young Ace Up on Aug. 31, 2021, after the magazine’s editorial department saw Mokumokuren's early concept drawings on Twitter. The Summer Hikaru Died has been collected into nine volumes so far, covering the story through chapter 46.5. The remaining five chapters will likely make up the tenth and final volume. Yen Press has handled the manga’s localization and distribution in North America, where it has released the first seven volumes. The eighth will be released on Oct. 27. As of this June, the series had 5 million copies in circulation. It has also been nominated for numerous accolades, such as the 2026 American Manga Awards.
As for the anime, the first season ran from July 6, 2025, to Sept. 28, 2025, for 12 episodes on Netflix. Cypic (known for Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, Apocalypse Hotel, and more) did a brilliant job adapting it, capturing the source material's sweltering atmosphere and nuanced relationships. The series is both genuinely frightening and bittersweet, thoughtfully tackling themes of queer isolation and overcoming stigma. The first season adapted the first half of the story, and Cypic has already announced a second season, which will almost certainly handle the rest. If the manga and anime fully stick the landing, they could be genuine all-timers.
