News

Red River Anime Reveals New Cast Member, Theme Song Artists

The official website for the television anime of Chie Shinohara's Red River (Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori) shōjo manga revealed the new theme song artists and new cast member for the anime's second cours (quarter of a year) on Tuesday. Nana Mizuki will perform the new opening theme song "Akatsuki no Hoshi" (Morning Star), and Ryu Matsuyama will perform the new ending theme song "flow feat. Yūko Andō." Mizuki will also voice the character Ursula, a false goddess impersonating Ishtar, in the series.

Nana Mizuki as Ursula

The anime premiered 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. Crunchyroll is streaming the anime as it airs in Japan.

The cast includes:

• Mirai Tachibana as Yuri
• Wataru Katō as Kail Muršili (later King Muršili II)
• Aya Uchida as Queen Nakia, the queen of the Hittite Empire
• Shōya Chiba as Zannanza Hattušili, the fourth-born prince of the Hittite Empire
• Tomoaki Maeno as Ilbani, Prince Kail's aide and advisor
• Kōji Yusa as Urhi, Nakia's servant
• Kōsuke Toriumi as Prince Mattiwaza, the Prince of Darkness of the chariot-riding Mitanni kingdom
• Tomohiro Ōno as Kikkuri, Prince Kail's servant
• Shiki Aoki as Hadi, a daughter of the Hatti clan, servant of Kail, and elder sister to Ryui and Shala
• Natsumi Kawaida as Ryui and Misato Matsuoka as Shala, Hadi's younger twin sisters
• Haruki Ishiya as Kash, the leader of the Hittite chariot corps
• Junya Enoki as Rusafa, the leader of the Hittite archer corps
• Shinichirō Kamio as Mittannamuwa, the leader of the Hittite infantry corps
• Sōma Saitō as User Ramses, Kail's greatest rival
• Shun Horie as Juda Haspasrupi, the sixth prince in line for the Hittite throne

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.

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 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.

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 released the eighth omnibus volume on July 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