The Summer Hikaru died Episode 9 Delayed, but Fear Not!

Published on August 26, 2025

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The Summer Hikaru died just received some unfortunate news. The Summer Hikaru died Episode 9 got delayed but the studio announced a new date. The series which has been going strong on Netflix just announced that episode 9 (suppose to air on August, 20 2025) will instead be airing on September 6, 2025. This one week delay comes from Nippon TV’s annual “24-Hour Television: Love Saves the Earth” telethon, which will be airing on both August 30 and August 31. This event which began in 1978 on Nippon TV’s 25th anniversary, temporarily takes priority over regular broadcasts as is tradition. Once concluded The Summer Hikaru Died will be able to resume as scheduled.

What is clear in this announcement is that The Summer Hikaru died is not being delayed because of production issues, which indicates there will be smooth sailing till this season wraps up the 12 planned episodes.

What is The Summer Hikaru Died anime about?

The Summer Hikaru Died started out as a manga by Mokumokuren which was serialized since August 2021 on Kadokawa Shoten’s Young Ace Up website and later was adapted into a light novel series written by Mio Nukaga which is the opposite route to what we are all use to. The light novel expands on the original manga's story, providing more detail on the characters' thoughts and emotions. The story is a blend of supernatural horror, psychological intrusiveness, tragedy, and coming-of-age themes which all comes together in this masterpiece series set in a rural mountain village in Mie Prefecture, Japan.

The story focuses and centers on Yoshiki Tsujinaka and his close childhood friend Hikaru Indou. Six months before this story begins, Hikaru vanishes during a hike on Red Sand Mountain and is presumed dead although when he returns, Yoshiki notices some odd behaviors and eventually discovers that the real Hikaru is dead and replaced by an eldritch entity known as "Something" or "Nounuki-sama" (the Great Brain-snatcher). This entity which inhabits Hikaru’s body, retains his memories and personality but is a supernatural being of sorts with a terrifying true form. This entity posing as Hikaru wishes to stay by Yoshiki’s side, fulfilling Hikaru’s dying wish for it to keep Yoshiki company. However the presence of “Hikaru” stirs supernatural disturbances and odd behaviors in the village and drawing attention from locals like who senses the entity.

The offical site describe the story like this:

In a certain village Since their childhood, they have grown up together. Yoshiki and Hikaru, childhood friends. The sun shining down on them, the chirping sound of a crypto tympana facialis Ice cream on the way home Laughing over trivial things, One day in summer, no different from any other day...... You're not Hikaru after all, are you? Half a year ago, Hikaru went missing in the mountains. A week later, he came back on a whim. The voice, the figure, the thing that looked like Hikaru. What was stirring inside...“Hikaru is no longer with us. ...... if that's the case.”Starting the days with “something” in the form of a friend, The “same as usual” everyday life. But at the same time...Strange incidents begin to plague the village. Falling into the unknown “something” The curtain rises on a coming-of-age horror story