Chie Shinohara’s beloved shōjo manga Red River (known in Japan as Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori) is being adapted into a TV anime series, set to premiere in the Summer 2026 season.
The exciting news came with the release of a captivating teaser visual.
Red River, also recognized as Anatolia Story, is a Japanese manga created by Chie Shinohara, who both wrote and illustrated the series. It ran in Shōgakukan’s Sho-Comi magazine from January 1995 until June 2002, eventually compiled into 28 tankōbon volumes. In North America, the English edition is handled by Viz Media.
A television anime adaptation, produced by Tatsunoko Production, is slated to debut in the third quarter of 2026 (Summer 2026 season).
By March 2019, the manga had achieved over 20 million copies in circulation (including digital editions in recent reports), establishing it as one of the top-selling manga series overall. In 2001, it earned the Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōjo category.
The narrative unfolds during the era of King Suppiluliuma I‘s rule, when the Hittite Empire stood at the height of its might, matched only by the rival power of Egypt under the youthful Pharaoh Tutankhamun. A significant portion of the characters and key happenings are inspired by real historical records, featuring figures such as Princes Kail Mursili, Sari Arnuwanda, and Zannanza, as well as the conflicts against the nearby Mitanni kingdom centered around the region of Kizzuwatna.
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