A nineties shojo classic that mixes time travel
with political intrigue in the ancient Hittite Empire finally has its anime
adaptation, and the full trailer is here. Red River revealed
the opening of the season performed by Hiroki Nanami, confirming
its premiere for July 7, 2026. The opening theme is called "Akatsuki
no Sora" (Dawn Sky), and the new video features it alongside
scenes that delve into the historical fantasy vibe of the series and its
central characters.
The trailer offers a more comprehensive look
at Yuri's world after being transported to the ancient Hittite
Empire, showing both the palace's intrigue and her encounter with Prince Kail.
A particular detail of the production:
historical researchers from the Japanese Institute of Anatolian
Archaeology, Kimiyoshi Matsumura and Daisuke
Yoshida, are involved in the development of the project. It's rare for a
historical anime adaptation to feature that level of direct academic advising,
and it reflects the care the team is putting into depicting the period
accurately.
The Production Team
The direction is in charge of Kosuke
Kobayashi at the Tatsunoko Production studio,
with Yoriko Tomita supervising the scripts and Kenji
Fujisaki in charge of character design. The music is composed by Yoshihisa
Hirano, with sound direction by Hiroto Morishita.
About Red River
Red River is a manga by Chie Shinohara serialized
in Shogakukan's Shojo Comic magazine between 1995 and 2002,
collected in 28 volumes. Viz Media published the entire series in English
between 2004 and 2010, and began relaunching it in collected three-volume
editions from October 2024. In 2018, the story inspired a musical by the Takarazuka
Revue. The plot follows Yuri, a modern Japanese high school
student who is suddenly dragged into the ancient Hittite Empire after being
pulled by mysterious hands into the water. Captured and taken to the queen's
palace, she becomes embroiled in a larger political intrigue that will end up
defining the fate of the empire, as she becomes increasingly involved with
Prince Kail and the events that will shape history.
