{"rewrite":{"id":"r_e3f2e297b03ad824464208cb","clusterId":"c_5f0c1b5b113988c99b226c8e","slug":"red-river-anime-adds-soma-saito-shun-horie-to-cast","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Red River Anime Adds Sōma Saitō, Shun Horie to Cast","summary":"The television anime adaptation of Chie Shinohara's Red River manga announced two new cast members on Monday. Sōma Saitō will voice User Ramses, a free-spirited Egyptian general and the greatest rival of Kail. Shun Horie will voice Juda Haspasrupi, the sixth prince in line for the Hittite throne who has long looked up to Kail and is suspicious of his mother Nakia. 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, and Aya Uchida as Queen Nakia. Kōsuke Kobayashi is directing the anime at Tatsunoko Production, with Yoriko Tomita overseeing series scripts and Kenji Fujisaki designing characters. Yoshihisa Hirano is composing the music. The manga was serialized from 1995 to 2002 in Shogakukan's Shojo Comic magazine, and Viz Media began releasing the English edition in 2004.","whyItMatters":"The announcement confirms the series will continue with a second cour beginning September 29, bringing the total to 24 episodes, a rare length for a shojo adaptation.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eHorie\u0026#39;s character appears starting with episode eight. Saitō\u0026#39;s User Ramses is described as the greatest rival of Kail, who later becomes King Muršili II.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe series continues with a second cour beginning September 29, bringing the total to 24 episodes. Hiroki Nanami performs the opening theme song \u0026#34;Akatsuki no Sora\u0026#34; (Dawn Sky). Hiroto Morishita is the sound director, with Team Kawadon credited for sound production.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe full cast includes Shōya Chiba as Zannanza Hattušili, the fourth-born prince of the Hittite Empire; Tomoaki Maeno as Ilbani, Prince Kail\u0026#39;s aide and advisor; Kōji Yusa as Urhi, Nakia\u0026#39;s servant; and Kōsuke Toriumi as Prince Mattiwaza of the Mitanni kingdom. Tomohiro Ōno plays Kikkuri, Prince Kail\u0026#39;s servant, and Shiki Aoki plays Hadi, a servant of Kail and elder sister to Ryui and Shala. Natsumi Kawaida and Misato Matsuoka play the twin sisters Ryui and Shala. Haruki Ishiya, Junya Enoki, and Shinichirō Kamio lead the Hittite chariot, archer, and infantry corps respectively.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical researchers Kimiyoshi Matsumura and Daisuke Yoshida are members of the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology as part of the Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan. The manga inspired a stage play by the Takarazuka Revue troupe in 2018, and the series reported more than 20 million copies in circulation in 2019. Viz Media began re-releasing the manga in 3-in-1 omnibus editions in October 2024, with the seventh omnibus volume released on April 21.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Red River adds Sōma Saitō as User Ramses and Shun Horie as Juda Haspasrupi. Second cour confirmed for September 29, total 24 episodes.","twitterPost":"Saitō and Horie join the Red River anime cast from episode 8. The shojo adaptation doubles to 24 episodes with its fall cour.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"The Red River anime expands its cast with Sōma Saitō and Shun Horie, and confirms a second cour starting September 29. Crunchyroll streams the series as it airs in Japan.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-08-24/red-river-anime-casts-soma-saito-shun-horie/.240893\",\"title\":\"Red River Anime Casts Sōma Saitō, Shun Horie\"},{\"source\":\"AnimationXpress Anime\",\"url\":\"https://animationxpress.com/latest-news/red-river-anime-returns-with-second-cour-in-september-unveils-new-cast/\",\"title\":\"'Red River' anime returns with second cour in September, unveils new cast\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":10241,"outputTokens":1551,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1787877010,"createdAt":"2026-08-28T00:21:53.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-28T00:26:44.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-28T00:21:53.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_5f0c1b5b113988c99b226c8e","canonicalTitle":"News\nRed River Anime Casts Sōma Saitō, Shun Horie","representativeArticleId":"a_48a40f845254b167bb76a713","sourceCount":2,"writtenSourceCount":2,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"Red River\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Sōma Saitō\",\"Shun Horie\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-24T06:05:12.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-25T12:18:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-28T00:26:45.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-08-24/red-river-anime-casts-soma-saito-shun-horie/.240893","title":"News\nRed River Anime Casts Sōma Saitō, Shun Horie"},{"source":"AnimationXpress Anime","url":"https://animationxpress.com/latest-news/red-river-anime-returns-with-second-cour-in-september-unveils-new-cast/","title":"‘Red River’ anime returns with second cour in September, unveils new cast"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["Red River"],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["Sōma Saitō","Shun Horie"],"type":"announcement","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Sōma Saitō will voice User Ramses, a free-spirited Egyptian general and Kail's greatest rival.","Shun Horie will voice Juda Haspasrupi, the sixth prince in line for the Hittite throne, from episode eight.","The Red River anime premiered in NTV's AnichU block on July 7 at 25:35, effectively July 8 at 1:35 a.m.","The series will continue with a second cour beginning September 29, bringing the total to 24 episodes.","Crunchyroll is streaming the anime as it airs in Japan."]}