Red River Anime Premieres in July; PV Reveals Cast Mirai Tachibana, Wataru Kato, and Hiroki Nanami

The historical fantasy manga Red River (JP: 天は赤い河のほとり, Sora ha Akai Kawa no Hotori) is set to premiere as a TV anime in July on Nippon TV and BS NTV. Along with the broadcast announcement, the main cast, teaser promotional video, and opening theme information have been revealed. Mirai Tachibana will voice the protagonist Yuri, Wataru Kato will play Prince Kail, and Hiroki Nanami will appear as the narrator and Himuro.

Teaser PV Reveals Yuri’s Dramatic Journey to the Hittite Empire

The newly released PV opens with a shocking scene. Yuri, an ordinary girl living in modern Japan, is suddenly dragged underwater during a date with her boyfriend when a mysterious hand emerges from a puddle and grabs her leg.

When she awakens, she finds herself in Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire in the 14th century BCE. Thrown into a harsh and unfamiliar fate, Yuri resolves to face forward, declaring, “I can’t run away!” and “I can’t give up!” The PV depicts her courageous determination as she struggles to survive in this new world.

The trailer also introduces several key characters. Among them are Empress Nakia, who corners Yuri in pursuit of her own ambitions, and Prince Kail, who extends his hand to Yuri and tells her, “If you can trust me, come with me!” Other characters who will play important roles in the story also appear, including Zannanza, Mattiwaza, and Ramses.

Set amid the swirling currents of history and political intrigue, the footage hints at the beginning of a grand epic unfolding within the Hittite Empire.

PV

Manga with Over 20 Million Copies

Red River was originally serialized in Shojo Comic published by Shogakukan from 1995 to 2002. The story is a historical fantasy in which a girl named Yuri is suddenly summoned across thousands of years into the ancient Near Eastern world and must carve out her own destiny.

The manga has surpassed 20 million copies in cumulative circulation. It also received the 46th Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shojo category and was adapted into a stage production by the Takarazuka Revue in 2018. The series remains a landmark work in shojo manga beloved around the world.

The story follows Yuri, an ordinary girl living in modern Japan, who suddenly time travels to the Hittite Empire in the 14th century BCE. Confused and overwhelmed, she meets Prince Kail, the leading candidate for the imperial throne. Taken in as one of his consorts, Yuri gradually wins the hearts of the people and becomes known as the goddess of war, Ishtar.

As the time limit for her return to modern Japan approaches, Yuri becomes entangled in the empress’s schemes and conflicts with neighboring nations. At the same time, she finds herself torn by her growing feelings for Kail as she chooses the path she will follow.

Mirai Tachibana (Yuri)
“I’m Mirai Tachibana, and I will be playing Yuri. When I was chosen for the role, it felt like a dream. For about two weeks I was in a daze, wondering if it was really real.

Yuri is incredibly straightforward. Once she decides something, she charges forward no matter how difficult the road may be, even if she ends up covered in mud along the way. Her brave determination is what makes her such a captivating character, and I found myself completely drawn to her while performing the role.

I know there are many people who have long waited for Red River to be adapted into an anime. I will do my very best to help bring to life the ideal voice of Yuri for those fans. Of course, I also hope many people who are discovering the story for the first time will enjoy it.”

Wataru Kato (Kail)
“For Kail, the most important thing above all else is the stability of the nation. He carries the mission of achieving peace where no country invades another and none are invaded, and he is prepared to wage war if necessary to achieve that goal.

Personally, I sometimes feel that the scale of the story is overwhelmingly grand. But Kail, as the prince of a great empire, always lives with this scale of responsibility, and his emotions are just as vast.

The person who causes those emotions to waver is Yuri, a girl who suddenly appears from a foreign land. As the story progresses, Yuri becomes almost as important to Kail as the nation itself. I believe the dilemma between Kail and Yuri is one of the great charms of Red River.

I hope fans of the original work will be pleased with this anime adaptation, and that viewers who discover Red River through the anime will also enjoy the original manga.”

Hiroki Nanami (Narration / Himuro)
“Red River is one of my favorite works, so I was extremely happy to hear it would become a TV anime.

With the grand history of the Hittite Empire as its backdrop, the story made me feel the romance of history, as if someone like Yuri might really have experienced something like this in the past.

It is an incredible honor to be involved so deeply in such a wonderful work. Please look forward to the moment when this beloved story begins to move once again in a new form as an anime.”

Staff

Director: Kosuke Kobayashi
Series Composition: Yoriko Tomita
Character Design: Kenji Fujisaki
Historical Supervision: Kimiyoshi Matsumura, Daisuke Yoshida from the Anatolian Archaeological Institute, Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan
Animation Production: Tatsunoko Production

Source : ORICON NEWS