Not Your Average Fairy Tale! Red Riding Hood: A Detective Story Officially Produced by BENTEN Film, Set to Arrive as an Anime in 2027
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RAVE – Blending the magic of classic fairy tales with a dark serial-murder mystery, the detective story of Little Red Riding Hood is headed to the screen. The bestselling novel Red Riding Hood: A Detective Story has been officially confirmed for a TV anime series adaptation, set to launch in 2027.
The original novel, titled Akazukin, Tabi no Tochuu de Shitai to Deau in Japanese, is the work of talented author Aito Aoyagi. The announcement of this anime project was accompanied by the release of an initial teaser visual and a short promotional video, offering a glimpse of a fairytale world steeped in dark mystery. Animation studio BENTEN Film has been appointed as the production house responsible for bringing the visuals of this TV anime adaptation to life.
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The story follows the journey of Little Red Riding Hood (Akazukin), who is both intelligent and inquisitive. Instead of living out a typical fairy tale, she constantly finds herself entangled in various criminal cases along the way ranging from the discovery of a corpse to a mysterious serial murder spree.
Armed with sharp deductive skills, Red acts as a detective to unravel the criminal schemes within this fairy-tale world. Familiar tales, such as Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel, appear with unexpected murder-mystery twists.
Before receiving an anime adaptation, the novel published by Futabasha since August 2020 was already a major commercial success. In addition to a four-volume manga adaptation, it was also adapted into a successful live-action film released on Netflix in 2023 under the global title Once Upon a Crime.
This official announcement was released alongside the launch of a visual teaser and the debut promotional video (PV), as well as the announcement of the main voice cast and production staff.
Animation Studio: Produced by BENTEN Film.
- Director & Screenwriter: Itsuro Kawasaki (who also directed The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting).
- Character Design: Handled by Manami Minakata and Yuko Yahiro (character designer for Kaguya-sama: Love Is War).
- Main Cast: Yume Miyamoto as the voice of Akazukin (Little Red Riding Hood), Akira Sekine as the voice of Pinocchio.
To ensure a high-quality story, this anime project is directed and scripted by Itsuro Kawasaki, a seasoned creator known for the success of The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting.
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Captivating character designs will be handled by Manami Minakata and Yuko Yahiro. Meanwhile, the lead voice roles will be filled by the talented actress Yume Miyamoto, voicing Akazukin, and Akira Sekine, who will bring the character Pinocchio to life.
Before its anime adaptation, this bestselling novel published by Futabasha had already achieved immense success in international markets. The work was even adapted into an original live-action film titled Once Upon a Crime for its global release that became a major hit on Netflix in 2023.
The upcoming anime version, slated for 2027, is expected to bring a breath of fresh air to the Japanese animation industry and serve as a must-watch for mystery fans who enjoy riddle-filled narratives and unexpected plot twists.
