A classic
of the shojo genre returns to conquer a new generation. The
company Tatsunoko Production announced this Sunday that it
will produce the anime adaptation of Red River (Sora wa
Akai Kawa no Hotori), which is scheduled to premiere in the summer
of 2026.
This
project marks the first animated adaptation of a play by Chie Shinohara,
who is celebrating her 45th career anniversary. The announcement comes 24 years
after the original manga wrapped up publication. Along with the news, a visual
was revealed showing the protagonist Yuri in battle dress in front of the
Marashantiya River.
Red
River Anime Details
The project
is directed by Kosuke Kobayashi. To ensure the accuracy of the
historical environment, the production is supervised by researchers from the
Japan Institute of Anatolian Archaeology.
Production
Equipment
The core
staff brings together talents with experience in fantasy and character design:
- Kosuke Kobayashi as Director
Known for his work on Waccha PriMagi! and Alice or Alice. - Yoriko Tomita as Screenwriter
Recognized for series composition in The Elusive Samurai and My Dress-Up Darling. - Kenji Fujisaki as Character Designer
Previously credited in Blood Lad and YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world.
Author's
comments
Chie
Shinohara shared
a commemorative illustration and expressed her gratitude for the project:
"It's
been 24 years since the series ended. I never imagined that after so long there
would be people who would remember her and create an anime adaptation... I hope
that fans of yesteryear will rediscover it with renewed vividness and that new
anime fans will enjoy it for the first time."
About
Red River
The story
follows Yuri, a modern Japanese student who is suddenly transported
to the Hittite Empire in the 14th century B.C. There she meets Prince Kail and
must forge her own destiny in the midst of political intrigues and wars,
earning the renown of the incarnation of the goddess Ishtar.
The manga
was published in Shogakukan's Shojo Comic magazine
between 1995 and 2002, amassing over 20 million copies in
circulation. In 2018, the play inspired a successful musical theatre play by
the Takarazuka Revue company.
