Sora Tanka
As a lifelong otaku and pop culture enthusiast, I spend my time exploring underground animation, vintage cinema, and the hidden gems of streaming media.
Published: September 2, 2026 | 5 min read | Last updated: September 2, 2026
The From Far Away anime just went from "announced" to "actually happening," and fast. On September 2, the official team behind the TV adaptation of Kyoko Hikawa's 1990s shoujo classic dropped a new promotional video confirming the opening and ending theme songs, four additional cast members, and a key visual, on top of the October 4, 2026 premiere date locked in back in July. If you have never heard of this manga before, that is the point of this guide: here is everything confirmed so far, in one place.
Quick Answer
From Far Away, based on Kyoko Hikawa's classic shoujo manga Kanata Kara, premieres October 4, 2026, on Tokyo MX, then ABC TV and WOWOW. Studio DEEN and director Noriyuki Abe lead a cast headed by Tomoyo Kurosawa and Kentaro Kumagai, with theme songs "Tokoko" by GNJB and "Hikari no Gawa de" by Nanashi no Taro.
What Is From Far Away, and Why Is It Trending Now?
From Far Away began as Kanata Kara, serialized in Hakusensha's LaLa magazine from 1991 to 2002 and collected into 14 volumes that have sold more than 4 million copies. In 2004 it won the Seiun Award, Japan's top honor for science fiction comics, and Viz Media has published it in English for years. Despite that pedigree, it never got an anime, until this year's 35th anniversary of its first chapter made the timing too good to pass up.
Key Stat: Anime Expo 2026 drew a record 422,000 turnstile attendees this July, up from 410,000 the year before, proof that the audience for a genre-defying pick like this one has never been bigger (Anime News Network).
What Is From Far Away About?
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The story follows Noriko Tachiki, an ordinary high schooler who is pulled into a strange fantasy world she never asked to visit. She is saved by Izark Kia Tarj, a quiet, wandering warrior, and the two grow closer as they travel through a world that runs on rules neither of them fully understands. The catch: Noriko is the prophesied "Awakening," a figure tied to a destructive force called the sky demon, which puts her bond with Izark on a collision course with forces far bigger than either of them. No further spoilers here; the manga's slow-burn structure is a big part of why fans have waited three decades for this adaptation.
Who Is Making the From Far Away Anime?
Hikawa is supervising the adaptation herself, and the director's chair belongs to Noriyuki Abe, known for Bleach, YuYu Hakusho, and The Heroic Legend of Arslan. Rika Takasugi is handling series composition, Eiji Abiko is on character design, Takeshi Hama is composing the score, and Studio DEEN is animating. That is a director with three decades of shonen-scale action experience taking on a story that runs almost entirely on restraint and unspoken feeling, which is exactly the kind of pairing worth watching closely once episodes start airing.
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Who Voices Izark and Noriko?
The main cast was confirmed back in July, and four more names joined on September 2. Tomoyo Kurosawa, known internationally for voicing Violet in Violet Evergarden, plays Noriko. Kentaro Kumagai voices Izark.
| Character | Voice Actor |
|---|---|
| Noriko Tachiki | Tomoyo Kurosawa |
| Izark Kia Tarj | Kentaro Kumagai |
| Rachef | Yuichiro Umehara |
| Keimos Lee Goda | Eiji Takeuchi |
| Agol | Taisuke Nakano |
| Jeenahaas | Miku Ito |
Kimiko Saito and Tadashi Miyazawa also joined this week as Gaya and Goriya. Here is the director's comment on taking this on, translated from the original Japanese announcement:
"I'm very excited to bring this timeless classic to animation for the first time."
The New Trailer and Theme Songs
September 2's main promotional video previews both theme songs: the opening, "Tokoko," performed by the group GNJB, and the ending, "Hikari no Gawa de" ("At the Side of Light"), performed by the four-piece band Nanashi no Taro. Here is the earlier teaser, which is where most of the cast's voices debuted publicly for the first time.
When and Where to Watch From Far Away
- Tokyo MX: Sundays at 24:00 JST, starting October 4, 2026
- ABC TV: Saturdays at 26:30 JST, starting October 10, 2026
- WOWOW: Tuesdays at 24:00 JST, starting October 13, 2026, with every episode airing free
Important: an international streaming platform has not been officially confirmed at the time of writing, though Crunchyroll News has covered every announcement so far, so a simulcast deal is a reasonable bet rather than a guarantee.
Why a 90s Shoujo Classic Is Landing at the Right Moment
From Far Away is not adapting in isolation. Red River, also known as Anatolia Story, a shoujo isekai classic from the same era, premiered its own long-delayed TV anime this past July. Two 30-year-old shoujo manga getting full adaptations in the same year is not a coincidence; it points to studios betting that audiences who grew up on modern isekai are ready for the genre's slower, more character-driven roots.
In my experience picking up secondhand Viz Media volumes over the years, older shoujo isekai like this one gets undersold by "isekai" as a label. When I first read From Far Away, the transported-to-another-world setup was almost incidental. The real hook was watching two people who cannot fully communicate try to build trust anyway, which is a much quieter kind of tension than most current isekai leads with. If Studio DEEN and Noriyuki Abe can hold onto that patience instead of speeding it up for a modern pace, this adaptation could genuinely stand out from the fall lineup.
Pro Tip: if you want to go in unspoiled but curious, Viz Media's English translation of the manga is the fastest legal way to read ahead of the October 4 premiere.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the From Far Away anime premiere?
It broadcasts first on Tokyo MX starting October 4, 2026, at 24:00 JST, followed by ABC TV on October 10 and WOWOW on October 13, where all episodes will air free of charge.
Is From Far Away based on a manga?
Yes. It adapts Kyoko Hikawa's Kanata Kara, serialized in LaLa magazine from 1991 to 2002 across 14 volumes, with over 4 million copies sold and a 2004 Seiun Award win.
Who voices Izark and Noriko?
Kentaro Kumagai voices Izark Kia Tarj, and Tomoyo Kurosawa, known for playing Violet in Violet Evergarden, voices Noriko Tachiki. Yuichiro Umehara and Eiji Takeuchi round out the main cast.
What are the opening and ending theme songs?
The opening theme is "Tokoko" by GNJB, and the ending theme is "Hikari no Gawa de" (At the Side of Light) by Nanashi no Taro, both previewed in the September 2 promotional video.
Where can international fans watch it?
No streaming platform has been officially confirmed outside Japan yet. Crunchyroll News has broken most of the announcements so far, which makes a future simulcast plausible but not guaranteed.
From Far Away has waited 35 years for this. With Studio DEEN animating, Noriyuki Abe directing, and a cast that already sounds locked into the material's quieter register, October 4 is shaping up to be a genuinely interesting test of whether modern anime audiences still have patience for a slow burn.
Sources & References
- From Far Away TV Anime's Teaser Video Reveals Main Cast & Staff, Anime News Network, July 14, 2026
- From Far Away TV Anime's New Video Reveals More Cast & Staff, Theme Songs, Anime News Network, September 2, 2026
- Kyoko Hikawa's From Far Away Gets TV Anime, Comic Natalie, March 18, 2026
- From Far Away Anime Sets Premiere Date, The Fandom Post, July 14, 2026
- Anime Expo Sets New Record of 422,000 Turnstile Attendees, Anime News Network, July 11, 2026
