The official staff announced a new Digimon anime titled DIGIMON BEATBREAK during the Digimon Con 2025 livestream event on Thursday, March 20, 2025. A teaser promotional video and key visual were released to confirm that the anime will begin broadcasting in October 2025.
The Digimon franchise, which started in 1997 by Bandai and Wiz, explores the adventures of mysterious digital creatures that inhabit a virtual universe known as the Digital World. The franchise has since expanded to include anime series, films, video games, manga, and card games. DIGIMON BEATBREAK will be the first new television installment in the series since Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning, which aired two years ago.
Teaser and Visual Reveal
DIGIMON BEATBREAK
The teaser visual for DIGIMON BEATBREAK features the protagonist alongside his partner Digimon, with the tagline “Emotion-devouring digital lifeforms” displayed in English. The promotional video showcases glowing silhouettes of various Digimon against the backdrop of the Digiworld, accompanied by an upbeat soundtrack. The teaser ends by confirming the anime’s October 2025 release window.
While the announcement did not reveal specific details about the series’ plot, staff, production studio, or voice cast, more information is expected to be shared in the coming months as the premiere date approaches.
Franchise Milestones and Anniversary Celebrations
New Digimon Anime
In addition to unveiling DIGIMON BEATBREAK, the Digimon Con 2025 event featured a new promotional video for Digimon Adventure – Beyond – as part of the franchise’s 25th-anniversary celebrations. The clip included previously unreleased scenes from Digimon Adventure 02 and featured several returning characters, including Taichi, Gabumon, Agumon, and others.
The promotional video for Digimon Adventure – Beyond – stars Natsuki Hanae as Taichi, Yoshitaka Yamaya as Iori, Yoshimasa Hosoya as Ishida, Chika Sakamoto as Agumon, Megumi Urawa as Armadillomon, Mayumi Yamaguchi as Gabumon, Miwa Matsumoto as Patamon, and Hiroaki Hirata as Takeru.
The video features a new version of Brave Heart, the original anime’s theme song, arranged by Ayumi Miyazaki. Hiroyuki Kakudo directed the video at Yumeta Company, with Rie Nishimura handling character designs. Toei is credited as the producer.
What to Expect from DIGIMON BEATBREAK
DIGIMON BEATBREAK is anticipated to explore new storylines and introduce fresh characters while maintaining the core themes of the Digimon universe. With its October 2025 premiere confirmed, fans are eager to see how the series will build upon the franchise’s rich history.
The combination of nostalgic elements from past series and new creative directions is expected to appeal to both longtime fans and new viewers. As more details about the plot and characters are revealed, excitement surrounding the new Digimon anime is likely to grow leading up to its debut.
The official website and X (formerly Twitter) account of The Summer Hikaru Died anime revealed a new key visual featuring the main characters, Hikaru Indo and Yoshiki Tsujinaka, on Thursday, March 20, 2025. The anime is set to premiere in Summer 2025, with CygamesPictures producing the series. While the exact release date remains undisclosed, the series will be broadcast on Nippon Television and streamed worldwide on Netflix.
The Summer Hikaru Died anime adapts the supernatural horror manga by Mokumokuren, which has been serialized on Kadokawa Shoten’s Young Ace Up site since August 2021. As of now, six tankobon volumes have been published.
Key Visual and Character Descriptions
The Summer Hikaru Died
The newly released key visual shows Hikaru and Yoshiki standing under a bright blue sky in Kubitachi village, the story’s primary setting. The visual conveys an eerie tone, with Hikaru standing behind Yoshiki and watching him ominously. The tagline reads, “My friend who came back, it was something I didn’t know,” hinting at the story’s supernatural element.
In addition to the key visual, character visuals for Hikaru and Yoshiki were also revealed. Hikaru is described as a being that appeared six months ago after Hikaru went missing in the mountains of a forbidden area. While it looks and sounds like Hikaru, it is something else entirely, exhibiting a childlike sense of curiosity and innocence.
Yoshiki is depicted as a high school student from Kubitachi village. Although he knows that his childhood friend Hikaru has been replaced by an unknown entity, he continues to interact with him, grappling with the conflict between fear and loyalty.
Production and Cast Details
The Summer Hikaru Died
Directed and composed by Ryohei Takeshita at CygamesPictures, The Summer Hikaru Died stars Shuichiro Umeda as Hikaru Indo and Chiaki Kobayashi as Yoshiki Tsujinaka. Yuichi Takahashi serves as the chief animation director and character designer, while Masanobu Hiraoka, known for his work on Chainsaw Man, is listed as the key animator. More cast and staff details are expected to be announced closer to the premiere.
The Summer Hikaru Died anime will premiere on Nippon Television in Summer 2025. The series will be available for streaming worldwide on Netflix, with Japanese audiences also able to watch it on ABEMA.
Ahead of the broadcast, a special booth for The Summer Hikaru Died will be held at AnimeJapan 2025 on March 22 and 23, 2025, at the Kadokawa Booth. Original goods will be available for purchase, and the series will have a dedicated session on the event’s Green Stage on March 23, 2025, where the main voice actors will make an appearance.
Plot Overview
帰ってきた親友は、 知らない”ナニカ”だった TVアニメ「 #光が死んだ夏 」 キービジュアル公開 ┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉ #AnimeJapan ステージにて 最新情報公開── ▼配信URL▼ 3月22日(土)11:35～12:10 https://t.co/3QObvVD3yn #ひかなつアニメ #AJ2025 pic.twitter.com/3ZTOL9tepz — TVアニメ「光が死んだ夏」公式 (@hikanatsu_anime) March 20, 2025
Based on the original manga, The Summer Hikaru Died follows the story of two childhood friends, Hikaru and Yoshiki, living in the peaceful village of Kubitachi. Their ordinary lives are shattered when Hikaru goes missing in the mountains and later returns as something different. Yoshiki soon realizes that the being resembling Hikaru is no longer the friend he once knew. The story explores Yoshiki’s internal conflict as he navigates the unsettling mystery surrounding his friend.
