Yen Press announced the audiobook adaptation for The Summer Hikaru Died. This comes after the previous announcement of the expansion of Yen Press and Tapas Entertainment’s partnership, where they would publish popular light novels from its Yen On imprint.
The Summer Hikaru Died is a popular series, known for its atmospheric and eerie story and Mokumokuren’s stunning art, first released as a manga from Yen Press in 2023 and then as a novel by Mio Nukaga in April 2025. The anime adaptation, which wrapped up its first season on Netflix just last summer, was met with critical acclaim from viewers drawn in by the story’s characters and the mystery surrounding the titular Hikaru.
Yen Audio will be debuting the audiobook in July 2026 with the voice cast to be announced at a later date.
The bond between Yoshiki and Hikaru is a welcome escape from their isolated village. But one day when the two boys meet up, Yoshiki can immediately tell something is off. Though the person standing before him looks and acts exactly like Hikaru, Yoshiki knows that his friend is…gone. Someone—no, something has taken Hikaru’s place. And with so many eerie incidents happening in town lately, Yoshiki is becoming increasingly conflicted. Although things will never be as they once were, he would prefer this Hikaru to no Hikaru at all.
Source: Press Release from Yen Press
