Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden will stream exclusively on HIDIVE outside Asia from October 2026, with the fantasy action series becoming the first title announced under an expanded multi-year programming agreement between AMC Global Media and Mainichi Broadcasting System.
Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden is adapted from the long running light novel series written by Umikaze Minamino and illustrated by Katana Canata and JISHAKU. The anime is being produced by Konami Animation, with Motoki Nakanishi serving as director and Haruta Segi as assistant director. Gigaemon Ichikawa is handling series composition. Honoka Inoue stars as protagonist Nia Liston.
MBS previously announced in January that the anime would debut in October 2026. Its inclusion in the new agreement means the series will now form part of HIDIVE’s Fall 2026 Simulcast Season for subscribers in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and other markets outside Asia. Ahead of its October debut, HIDIVE will host the North American premiere of Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden at Anime NYC 2026 on 21 August. The screening will take place from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm Eastern in Room 1A15-18, South Javits, Level 1 at the Javits Center.
The announcement comes alongside what has been pitched as HIDIVE’s largest content programming agreement to date. The new multi-year output deal expands an existing partnership between HIDIVE and MBS that began in March 2023. Under the agreement, HIDIVE will receive exclusive global distribution rights outside Asia for an upcoming slate of MBS anime titles. Each series covered by the deal is expected to simulcast exclusively on HIDIVE as it is released over future seasons.
The existing collaboration between the companies has previously brought titles including My Gift Lvl 9999 Unlimited Gacha, I Parry Everything, The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: from Villainess to Savior and HELL MODE: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing to HIDIVE.
HIDIVE President John Ledford said the expanded agreement builds on the companies’ existing relationship while giving the streaming service a larger slate of upcoming MBS titles:
Our historic anime partnership with MBS has been a resounding success and we are thrilled to extend our global distribution alliance with a new exclusive output deal, now HIDIVE’s largest ever content programming deal to date. This expansive multi-year agreement reinforces HIDIVE’s bona fides with both fans and industry as one of the world’s most established and leading distributors of the best new genre-spanning anime that Japan has to offer. We are excited to premiere the deal’s inaugural title Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden later this month at Anime NYC, ahead of its debut this October as part of HIDIVE’s Fall 2026 Simulcast Season.
Mainichi Broadcasting System Director Mihoko Shibata said the companies’ three-year partnership has helped expand the international audience for MBS anime and that the broadcaster intends to continue bringing upcoming productions to viewers outside Japan through the new deal:
Over the past three years, our partnership with AMC Global Media and HIDIVE has significantly expanded the global reach of MBS animation, bringing our hit series to dedicated anime fans around the world. We are thrilled to extend this successful alliance through our new multi-year output deal. Beginning with Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden, we look forward to continuing to deliver our most anticipated new titles to international audiences and growing the global anime community together.
