The production team behind the summer 2026 anime Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori (天は赤い河のほとり) has released the synopsis and preview scene cuts for Episode 01, “A Kiss of Farewell and First Meeting,” ahead of its broadcast premiere on July 7, 2026.
About the Series
Based on the manga by Chie Shinohara, which ran in Shogakukan’s Shōjo Comic from 1995 to 2002, Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori is a historical fantasy with cumulative sales exceeding 20 million copies including digital editions. The series won the 46th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōjo category and was adapted for the Takarazuka Revue stage in 2018. This TV anime marks the first animated adaptation of any Shinohara work. The series is directed by Kosuke Kobayashi and produced by Tatsunoko Production. A special collector’s edition of the manga (10 volumes) will begin release with volumes 1 and 2 shipping simultaneously around July 24, 2026.
Story Overview
Yuri (Suzuki Yuri), an ordinary Japanese high-school girl living in the present day, is suddenly transported to the Hittite Empire of the 14th century BCE. There she encounters Prince Kail Mursili, the leading candidate for the imperial throne, who takes her under his protection as a concubine. Yuri gradually wins the hearts of the people and comes to be known as Ishtar, Goddess of War. Racing against a deadline to return to modern Japan, she is drawn into the schemes of Queen Nakia and conflicts with neighboring kingdoms — all while her feelings for Kail deepen. The series is a sweeping historical romance about a girl summoned across millennia who carves out her own destiny.
Episode 01 Synopsis — “A Kiss of Farewell and First Meeting”
Strange water-related incidents begin plaguing Yuri one after another. Then, during a date with her boyfriend, a hand reaches up from a puddle and drags her underwater. She manages to break free — only to find herself standing in the Hittite Empire of the 14th century BC. Queen Nakia plots to use her as a sacrificial offering, but Prince Kail arrives just in time to save her life.
Broadcast Schedule
- NTV: From July 7, 2026 — every Tuesday at 25:29 (AnichU block)
- BS NTV: From July 8, 2026 — every Wednesday at 24:00
※ Broadcast times are subject to change.
Staff
- Director: Kosuke Kobayashi
- Series Composition: Yoriko Tomita
- Character Design: Kenji Fujisaki
- Art Director: Katsumi Sarutani
- Color Design: Sachiko Tsuji
- Photography Director: Masashi Kamiki
- Editor: Yoshihiro Ueno
- Sound Director: Hiroto Morishita
- Music: Yoshihisa Hirano
- Sound Production: Team Kawadon
- Historical Supervision: Kimihito Matsumura, Daisuke Yoshida (Anatolian Archaeological Research Institute, Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan)
- Animation Production: Tatsunoko Production
Cast
- Yuri (Suzuki Yuri): Mirai Tachibana
- Kail Mursili: Wataru Kato
- Nakia: Aya Uchida
- Zananza Hattusili: Shoya Chiba
- Il Bani: Tomoaki Maeno
- Urhi: Koji Yusa
- Kikkuri: Tomotaka Ono
- Hadi: Shiki Aoki
- Ryui: Natsumi Kawaida
- Shala: Misato Matsuoka
- Kash: Haruki Ishitani
- Rusafa: Junya Enoki
- Mittannamwa: Shinichiro Kamio
- Mattiwaza (The Black Prince): Kosuke Toriumi
- Narrator / Himuro: Hiroki Nanami
Theme Song
Opening Theme: “暁の空” (Akatsuki no Sora) by Hiroki Nanami (King Records)
Lyrics: Hiroki Nanami / Music & Arrangement: YASUHIRO (康寛)
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