The team behind Kino's Journey is starting something new. Author Keiichi Sigsawa and illustrator Kouhaku Kuroboshi will launch Drifted ~John Smith no Edo Hyōryū Kitan~ (roughly, The Strange Tale of John Smith Adrift in Edo) on November 10, 2026, under Kadokawa's Dengeki Bunko imprint.
Quick answer
Drifted is a new supernatural light novel series by Keiichi Sigsawa with illustrations by Kouhaku Kuroboshi, the duo behind Kino's Journey. It launches on November 10, 2026, from Dengeki Bunko. It follows a drifter in Edo-period Japan who takes on jobs alongside ninjas, yokai and people with supernatural powers. No anime or English release has been announced. According to SenpaiRanks, the 2003 Kino's Journey anime scores 8.00.
The pitch
Per Anime News Network's report, Drifted is about a man who wanders without a destination, and the truths he uncovers while working jobs with ninjas, yokai and people with preternatural abilities. That's the Kino formula moved to a new setting: a traveler, a string of episodic encounters, and a world that reveals itself one stop at a time. The "John Smith" in the subtitle suggests the wanderer is an outsider in Edo, though Kadokawa hasn't said more.
Why the pairing matters
Sigsawa started Kino's Journey in 2000, and it remains one of Dengeki Bunko's most quietly influential series: short, melancholy stories about a traveler and a talking motorcycle who never stay more than three days in a country. It got two anime runs, the 2003 series and the 2017 remake, plus two films, including Life Goes On. It also spun off Gakuen Kino, and Yen Press recently licensed the original novels in English.
Kuroboshi's art defined Kino's look from the first volume, so keeping the same illustrator signals Dengeki Bunko is treating Drifted as a flagship launch, not a side project.
Where this fits
No adaptation is on the table yet. Light novels usually need several volumes before an anime announcement. If you want something in a similar mood now, the 2003 Kino's Journey is the one to start with. Our best light novel anime ranking covers the adaptations that work best on screen.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the new light novel by the Kino's Journey authors?
A: Drifted ~John Smith no Edo Hyōryū Kitan~, by Keiichi Sigsawa with illustrations by Kouhaku Kuroboshi.
Q: When does Drifted come out?
A: November 10, 2026, from Kadokawa's Dengeki Bunko imprint in Japan.
Q: Is Drifted getting an anime?
A: No adaptation has been announced.
Q: Which Kino's Journey anime should I watch first?
A: The 2003 series is the usual recommendation. SenpaiRanks scores it 8.00. The 2017 remake adapts different stories, so you can watch them in either order.