Some shōjo manga get adaptations on launch and some wait three decades. Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori — Chie Shinohara's twenty-eight-volume Hittite-era epic, known to Western fans as Red River — has been waiting since 1995. The wait ends July 7, 2026 at 25:35 on NTV's AnichU block (and on BS NTV the day after).
What you're getting into
Modern Japanese teen Yuri gets yanked back in time to the Hittite Empire and lands in the middle of a palace-intrigue murder plot against her. The prince running interference, Kail, is half pawn and half conspirator — and over the manga's run, the two of them rebuild the political map of Bronze Age Anatolia together. The Shogakukan magazine run sold 21M+ copies and Takarazuka has staged it twice (2018, 2024). What it didn't get, until now, was an anime.
Production side
Tatsunoko Production handles animation. Kōsuke Kobayashi directs. The team partnered with the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology for historical consulting — a flag that the production wants the world-building authenticity to compete with the romance, not lose to it. Most shōjo adaptations in 2026 are skipping that step entirely.
The new cast
Seven of Kail's circle and the Hittite military command just got their voices:
- Tomohiro Ōno as Kikkuri (Kail's servant)
- Shiki Aoki as Hadi (Hatti clan, elder twin)
- Natsumi Kawaida as Ryui
- Misato Matsuoka as Shala
- Haruki Ishiya as Kash (chariot corps)
- Junya Enoki as Rusafa (archer corps)
- Shinichirō Kamio as Mittannamuwa (infantry corps)
Why it's actually worth a slot
Full-TV adaptations of pre-2000s shōjo are rare in the modern landscape — most of that catalog ends up on stage or in live-action. Tatsunoko taking Red River on, plus the consulting commitment, signals the production isn't treating this as a nostalgia cash-in. If the pacing handles 28 volumes in a single cour with any grace, this is the show summer 2026 will be remembered for.
What to watch for: OP/ED reveals, the international streaming partner (still unannounced), and how aggressive the adaptation is about compressing the manga's middle.