Red River Anime Announced for Summer 2026, 24 Years After Manga End; Creator Chie Shinohara Shares Excitement

The historical fantasy manga Red River (JP: 天は赤い河のほとり, Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori) will receive its first television anime adaptation, set to air in summer 2026. The anime marks the first TV adaptation of a work by Chie Shinohara, who is celebrating the 45th anniversary of her career. It comes 24 years after the manga concluded its serialization. The series will be directed by Kosuke Kobayashi, known for Waccha PriMagi!, with animation production handled by Tatsunoko Production.

A Landmark Shojo Fantasy Returns After 24 Years

Red River was originally serialized in Shojo Comic published by Shogakukan from 1995 to 2002. The story is a sweeping historical fantasy that follows a modern Japanese girl named Yuri who is suddenly summoned across thousands of years into the ancient Near Eastern world. There, she must carve out her own destiny in a grand epic romance.

The manga has surpassed 20 million copies in cumulative circulation and won the 46th Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shojo category. In 2018, it was adapted into a stage production by the Takarazuka Revue, further cementing its status as a beloved classic of shojo manga with a global fan base.

The story begins with a typical Japanese high school girl named Yuri, known as Yuu in modern Japan but referred to as Yuri in the world she is summoned to. One day, she is suddenly transported to the Hittite Empire in the 14th century BCE. Confused and overwhelmed, Yuri encounters Prince Kail, the leading candidate for the imperial throne. Taken in as one of his consorts, Yuri gradually wins the hearts of the people and earns renown as the goddess of war, Ishtar.

As the time limit for her return to modern Japan approaches, Yuri becomes entangled in the empress's schemes and conflicts with neighboring nations. At the same time, she finds herself torn by her growing feelings for Kail. The series portrays the path Yuri ultimately chooses amid love, political intrigue, and destiny.

Shinohara commented on the anime adaptation, saying, “Thank you so much for adapting Red River into an anime. I am truly overjoyed. It has been 24 years since the series ended. I never imagined that after such a long time, there would be people who remembered it and would create an anime adaptation. And to be able to deliver it to everyone is such happiness. What a fortunate work this is. I hope longtime fans from the serialization days will rediscover it with renewed vividness, and that anime fans who are new to the original will enjoy it for the first time. Above all, I myself am very much looking forward to it. I can hardly wait for the broadcast.”

Alongside a newly drawn celebratory illustration by Shinohara, the anime teaser visual was also revealed. It features Yuri in battle attire gazing with determination at the red river Marashantiya flowing through the Hittite Empire. Standing beside her is Prince Kail, whose presence will profoundly shape her fate.

Staff

Director: Kosuke Kobayashi
Series Composition: Yoriko Tomita
Character Design: Kenji Fujisaki
Historical Supervision: Kimiyoshi Matsumura, Daisuke Yoshida from the Anatolian Archaeological Institute, Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan
Animation Production: Tatsunoko Production

Source : ORICON NEWS