The historical fantasy adaptation of Chie Shinohara's classic shojo manga Red River (Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori) is expanding its voice cast and musical repertoire as it transitions into its second consecutive cour. Legendary voice actress and singer Nana Mizuki joins the production to perform the new opening theme song, titled "Akatsuki no Hoshi" (Morning Star). Mizuki will also lend her voice to the character Ursula, a false goddess who impersonates Ishtar in the story's sprawling Hittite saga.
Complementing the opening track, Japanese band Ryu Matsuyama will perform the new ending theme "flow," featuring guest vocals from singer-songwriter Yūko Andō. Produced by studio Tatsunoko Production under the direction of Kōsuke Kobayashi, the anime features series scripts overseen by Yoriko Tomita and character design by Kenji Fujisaki. Composer Yoshihisa Hirano provides the musical score, backed by historical research consults from members of the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology to ensure period authenticity.
Originally serialized in Shogakukan's Sho-Comi magazine from 1995 to 2002, Shinohara's award-winning manga follows Yuri, a modern Japanese teenager unexpectedly dragged through a puddle into the ancient Hittite Empire in the Bronze Age Middle East. Caught in political intrigue and royal power struggles, Yuri becomes revered as a war goddess while forming a complex romance with Prince Kail Muršili. The television adaptation premiered in Japan on July 7 in NTV's "AnichU" block and is currently streaming internationally on Crunchyroll.
