A former god-slaying warrior wakes up in the frail body of a sickly noble girl, and her first order of business is to punch her way out of a death sentence. Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden begins its two-cour run on October 6, 2026, arriving on HIDIVE for international audiences in a same-day simulcast. The premiere episode, titled “Rising from the Darkness,” introduces a heroine who treats her own illness like just another opponent to be crushed.
What Time Does Nia Liston Episode 1 Stream Worldwide
HIDIVE confirmed the simulcast launch for October 6, 2026, at 8:55 AM EDT, which translates to 12:55 PM UTC. For viewers tuning in from different parts of the world, here is the full breakdown by region and time zone.
- United States (Eastern Time): 8:55 AM EDT
- United States (Pacific Time): 5:55 AM PDT
- Canada (Eastern Time): 8:55 AM EDT
- United Kingdom and Ireland: 1:55 PM BST
- Central Europe, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland: 2:55 PM CEST
- Japan and South Korea: 9:55 PM JST / KST
- India: 6:25 PM IST
- Australia (Eastern Standard Time): 10:55 PM AEST
The ADN streaming platform in France and parts of Europe lists a 2:55 PM CEST release for the first episode, with the time shifting to 1:55 PM after daylight saving changes on October 25. Japanese viewers can watch the television broadcast on TOKYO MX at 9:25 PM JST, followed by MBS and BS Nippon TV.
Where to Watch Nia Liston Outside Japan
HIDIVE holds exclusive streaming rights for the series in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. The platform picked up the title as part of an expanded multi-year output deal with Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS), marking HIDIVE’s largest content agreement to date. A North American premiere screening was held at Anime NYC 2026 on August 21 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
For viewers in India, Southeast Asia, and other Asian territories outside Japan, no official streaming partner has been confirmed at the time of writing. ADN carries the series for French-speaking audiences. Japanese streaming options include ABEMA, d Anime Store, and U-NEXT, with ABEMA offering the earliest advance stream each Tuesday at 9:55 PM JST.
Nia Liston Story and Episode 1 Preview
The series adapts Umikaze Minamino’s light novel, which has surpassed 1.8 million copies in circulation. The story follows a legendary warrior who spent her life searching for an opponent strong enough to defeat her. She dies peacefully, filled with regret, and her soul is transplanted into the body of Nia Liston, a four-year-old noble girl dying of a respiratory illness. A hooded mage performs a forbidden ritual called the “Law of Return,” swapping the dying girl’s soul with the warrior’s.
Episode 1 focuses on Nia using the power of “Ki” — a force etched into her very soul — to overcome the illness ravaging her body. Preview cuts show her bedridden and weak before a dramatic turnaround. The official description states she recovers enough to split a wooden sword with a single blow, leaving those around her stunned. Her parents had searched nationwide for a cure using Magic Vision, a form of magical image transmission. Nia appears on a broadcast as a sign of life, becomes an overnight sensation, and begins a career as a talent to support her family’s Magic Vision business.
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Character Progress and Cast Details
Nia Liston is voiced by Honoka Inoue. Episode 1 establishes her dual identity: a refined noble daughter on the outside and a battle-hungry warrior within. Her recovery from a fatal illness through Ki manipulation sets the stage for her chaotic new life.
Rinokis Funk, voiced by Fuka Izumi, serves as the Liston family’s exclusive maid and has cared for Nia since her sickly days. Her affection for Nia borders on obsession, with the character description noting that physical contact sometimes escalates. She previously aspired to become an adventurer.
Neil Liston, Nia’s older brother, is voiced by Tomoyo Takayanagi. He is introduced alongside his personal maid and bodyguard, Lynette Blanc, voiced by Yuki Urushiyama. The two characters share a close relationship within Nia’s world.
Hildetora Altoir, voiced by Rina Honnizumi, is the third princess of the Kingdom of Artoir and a rising star of the royal house. She becomes one of Nia’s key allies and later joins her in the in-character musical unit Magic Vision Girls Party.
Reliared Silver, voiced by Rina Hidaka, is the youngest daughter of the Silver family. Described as a fiery redhead who screams Nia’s name loud enough to draw a crowd, she rounds out Nia’s core friend group at Altoire Academy.
Additional cast members include Taku Yashiro as Anzel, Yoko Hikasa as Fressa, Satoshi Hino as Gandolf Rogen, Junichi Suwabe as Hyurence Altoire, Maaya Uchida as Sharro White, Kazuyuki Okitsu as Asuma, and Koichi Sakaguchi as Bendelio. The Silver family members Essera Blanket, Raffine Silver, Riculvitar Silver, and Lilimi Silver are voiced by Saeko Kamijo, Hitomi Ueda, Azusa Tadokoro, and Ayaka Ohashi respectively.
Production Staff and Theme Songs
Motoki Nakanishi directs the anime at KONAMI animation, with Haruta Segi as assistant director and Gigaemon Ichikawa handling series composition. Character designs are by Yuki Ito and Kana Tasaoka, with music by Naoki Endo and sound direction by Hiromi Kikuta. This marks KONAMI animation’s first regular television anime production.
The opening theme is “Respawn!!” by hololive VTuber Tsunomaki Watame. The ending theme, “Tokimeki Un・Deux・Trois♪”, is performed by Magic Vision Girls Party, an in-character unit consisting of Honoka Inoue, Rina Honnizumi, and Rina Hidaka. The ending theme’s digital release is set for October 7, 2026, with a physical single following on December 23, 2026.
The anime is scheduled for a continuous two-cour run, covering roughly half a year of episodes.
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more anime release schedules, streaming guides, and episode breakdowns from the Fall 2026 season
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