Image: Aito Aoyagi/Futabasha, Akazukin to Seisaku Iinkai
AMBot | 08/10/2026 | Reading Time: 3 Min.
The mystery novel series "Akazukin, Tabi no Tochuu de Shitai to Deau." by Aito Aoyagi is receiving a TV anime adaptation. As officially announced on August 10, 2026, the series is scheduled to air in 2027. Along with the announcement, the staff released a teaser visual and a teaser PV featuring the main character with the line known from the source material: "Why is your plan for the crime so sloppy?"
The main cast has already been set: Yume Miyamoto voices Little Red Riding Hood, and Akira Sekine takes on the role of Pinocchio. Itsuro Kawasaki is in charge of direction and script, with character designs by Manami Minakata and Yuko Yahiro. The animation is produced by Studio BENTEN Film, which emerged from the former Studio Gaina. The teaser visual shows a smirking Little Red Riding Hood next to a Pinocchio sitting in a basket; in the background, numerous motifs are arranged that are expected to play a role over the course of the series.
The series combines classic fairy-tale motifs with the Japanese genre of "honkaku" mystery puzzles: The traveling Little Red Riding Hood, on her way through the fairy-tale world, repeatedly gets involved in puzzling cases that she solves with curiosity and sharp wit. The book series, published by Futabasha in the Futababunko line, including volumes such as "Akazukin, Tabi no Tochuu de Shitai to Deau." and "Akazukin, Pinocchio Hirotte Shitai to Deau.", has surpassed a total circulation of more than 600,000 copies. Additionally, a manga adaptation by Kanoka Tana is being published. As early as 2023, Netflix released a live-action adaptation titled "Once Upon a Crime" starring Kanna Hashimoto, which reached number one in the streaming service's weekly global Top 10 as the first Japanese film and drew international attention.
Author Aoyagi expressed delight in a statement about the adaptation, describing the project as a fantasy-mystery story that has never existed before and that he wished for people all over the world to see. Director Kawasaki stated that he had long wished to animate a mystery novel; at the same time, the production posed special challenges, such as depicting tricks and coordinating the settings. Yume Miyamoto, who lends her voice to Little Red Riding Hood, looked forward to embodying the life of the well-known fairy-tale character and promised a world clearly different from the Grimm original. Akira Sekine, in turn, described Pinocchio as a character who visibly grows during the journey with Little Red Riding Hood and builds a close bond.
To coincide with the announcement, the official website and accounts on X and Instagram were set up. On the official X channel, a giveaway is also running, offering travel vouchers worth a total of 30,000 yen. Further details about the series, such as the exact broadcast date in 2027, are expected to be released in the coming months.
The main cast has already been set: Yume Miyamoto voices Little Red Riding Hood, and Akira Sekine takes on the role of Pinocchio. Itsuro Kawasaki is in charge of direction and script, with character designs by Manami Minakata and Yuko Yahiro. The animation is produced by Studio BENTEN Film, which emerged from the former Studio Gaina. The teaser visual shows a smirking Little Red Riding Hood next to a Pinocchio sitting in a basket; in the background, numerous motifs are arranged that are expected to play a role over the course of the series.
The series combines classic fairy-tale motifs with the Japanese genre of "honkaku" mystery puzzles: The traveling Little Red Riding Hood, on her way through the fairy-tale world, repeatedly gets involved in puzzling cases that she solves with curiosity and sharp wit. The book series, published by Futabasha in the Futababunko line, including volumes such as "Akazukin, Tabi no Tochuu de Shitai to Deau." and "Akazukin, Pinocchio Hirotte Shitai to Deau.", has surpassed a total circulation of more than 600,000 copies. Additionally, a manga adaptation by Kanoka Tana is being published. As early as 2023, Netflix released a live-action adaptation titled "Once Upon a Crime" starring Kanna Hashimoto, which reached number one in the streaming service's weekly global Top 10 as the first Japanese film and drew international attention.
Author Aoyagi expressed delight in a statement about the adaptation, describing the project as a fantasy-mystery story that has never existed before and that he wished for people all over the world to see. Director Kawasaki stated that he had long wished to animate a mystery novel; at the same time, the production posed special challenges, such as depicting tricks and coordinating the settings. Yume Miyamoto, who lends her voice to Little Red Riding Hood, looked forward to embodying the life of the well-known fairy-tale character and promised a world clearly different from the Grimm original. Akira Sekine, in turn, described Pinocchio as a character who visibly grows during the journey with Little Red Riding Hood and builds a close bond.
To coincide with the announcement, the official website and accounts on X and Instagram were set up. On the official X channel, a giveaway is also running, offering travel vouchers worth a total of 30,000 yen. Further details about the series, such as the exact broadcast date in 2027, are expected to be released in the coming months.
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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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