The official website for the television anime of Chie Shinohara’s Red River (Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori) shōjo manga unveiled a new main visual, seven more cast members, and the anime’s July 7 television premiere date on Thursday.
Image via Red River anime’s X/Twitter account
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The new cast members include:
Tomohiro Ōno as Kikkuri, Prince Kail’s servant
Image via Red River anime’s website
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Shiki Aoki as Hadi, a daughter of the Hatti clan, servant of Kail, and elder sister to Ryui and Shala
Image via Red River anime’s website
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Natsumi Kawaida as Ryui (left in image below), Misato Matsuoka as Shala (right), Hadi’s younger twin sisters
Image via Red River anime’s website
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Haruki Ishiya as Kash, the leader of the Hittite chariot corps
Image via Red River anime’s website
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Junya Enoki as Rusafa, the leader of the Hittite archer corps
Image via Red River anime’s website
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Shinichirō Kamio as Mittannamuwa, the leader of the Hittite infantry corps
Image via Red River anime’s website
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The anime will premiere in NTV’s “AnichU” programming block on July 7 at 25:35 (effectively, July 8 at 1:35 a.m.), and on BS NTV on July 8.
Image via Red River anime’s X/Twitter account
© 篠原千絵／小学館／アニメ「天は赤い河のほとり」製作委員会
Viz Media describes the manga’s first volume:
Yuri, a pretty Japanese girl, is ecstatic after passing her college entrance exam and having her first kiss with her childhood friend-turned boyfriend. However, her luck soon changes. She starts to notice that water becomes agitated whenever she goes near it. One night, hands appear out of a puddle on the street and drag her into the water! Transported to an ancient village in the Middle East, she is then captured by armed troops and taken to the Queen’s palace for a human sacrifice.
Previously announced cast members include:
Kōsuke Kobayashi (Waccha PriMagi!, Alice or Alice) is directing the anime at Tatsunoko Production. Yoriko Tomita (The Elusive Samurai, My Dress-Up Darling) is overseeing the series scripts, and Kenji Fujisaki (YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world., Blood Lad) is designing the characters. Yoshihisa Hirano is composing the music, while Hiroto Morishita is the sound director. Team Kawadon is credited for sound production. Hiroki Nanami will perform the anime’s opening theme song “Akatsuki no Sora” (Dawn Sky).
Historical researchers include Kimiyoshi Matsumura and Daisuke Yoshida, who are members of the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology as part of the Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan.
Viz Media started releasing the manga in English in 2004, and released all 28 volumes between 2004 to 2010. The company then started re-releasing the manga in 3-in-1 omnibus editions in October 2024, and will release the seventh omnibus volume on April 21.
Shinohara originally serialized the manga from 1995 to 2002 in Shogakukan’s Shōjo Comic (Sho-Comi) magazine.
The manga inspired a stage play by the famed all-female Takarazuka Revue troupe in 2018.
Sources: Red River anime’s website, Comic Natalie
