Kino's Journey Duo Launches Drifted, a Light Novel About a Soldier in Edo Japan

Kadokawa announced on Friday that Keiichi Sigsawa and Kouhaku Kuroboshi, the creative duo behind Kino's Journey: The Beautiful World, will launch a new light novel titled Drifted: John Smith no Edo Hyouryuu Kitan. The first volume will go on sale on November 10 under the Dengeki Bunko label, according to the publisher. The original concept is credited to coly, a mobile game developer.

The news comes as the Kino's Journey series remains active. Sigsawa began publishing it in March 2000 in Dengeki hp magazine, with illustrations by Kuroboshi. Kadokawa released the first volume in July of that same year. Volume 24 went on sale in September 2025, more than two decades after the debut.

The original work has had a notable run within the genre. The Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! guidebook included it three times in its best light novels category: it ranked second in 2006, fifth in 2007, and sixth in 2008. A track record that backs the duo as they take on a new project.

An American soldier in Edo-period Japan

The synopsis of Drifted places John Smith, a former American soldier, in late Edo-period Japan after being shipwrecked on its shores. Shogun Tokugawa Ienari grants him samurai status and the name Sumisu Jion. His main duty: to investigate and recover modern firearms that mysteriously appear through temporal distortions.

The novel's world goes beyond the historical clash. The official description mentions superhuman ninja, sorcerers, and spirits. Smith takes on dangerous missions with a clear goal: to return to his country and reunite with his wife and children. The premise blends personal drama with fantasy and period elements.

"His main duty is to investigate and recover modern firearms that have mysteriously appeared due to temporal distortions," reads the synopsis provided by Kadokawa.

The announcement does not detail the planned length of the series or its release schedule. It has also not been confirmed whether there will be an edition outside Japan. What is clear is that this is a new bet within Dengeki Bunko, one of Kadokawa's most veteran light novel labels.

The legacy of Kino's Journey

Kino's Journey has had two anime adaptations. The first, directed by Ryuutarou Nakamura at A.C.G.T., aired in spring 2003. A prequel film arrived in February 2005 and a sequel in April 2007, the latter produced by Shaft. The second television series, directed by Tomohisa Taguchi at Lerche, premiered in fall 2017.

As for the light novel in English, Tokyopop released the first volume in October 2006, but issues with the licensor prevented it from publishing further installments and the license eventually expired. A detail worth keeping in mind given the possible arrival of Drifted in other markets.

The Sigsawa-Kuroboshi combination is one of the most recognizable at Dengeki Bunko. Their new work arrives at a time when light novels with historical settings and supernatural elements maintain a stable reader base in Japan. It remains to be seen whether coly's involvement as the concept creator brings a different approach to the duo's work.

The first volume of Drifted: John Smith no Edo Hyouryuu Kitan will be published on November 10. Are you interested in this new chapter for Sigsawa and Kuroboshi? Let us know in the comments.