Red River

by Chie Shinohara

A 3-in-1 edition of the classic romance fantasy series where a modern girl is whisked to ancient times and must navigate a scheming court and warring factions while trying to find her way home.

Yuri, a modern teenager, is transported to ancient Anatolia as part of a scheme by the evil Nakia, queen of the Hittites. Only the intervention of Nakia’s stepson, Prince Kail, saves Yuri from the queen’s bloodthirsty intentions. As an unintended consequence of the prince’s actions, the people of Anatolia embrace Yuri as the incarnation of the great war goddess Ishtar.

Finding herself entangled in the social and political drama of a fractured royal family, Yuri begins to maneuver through their manipulations and learn how to survive while stuck deep in the past.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Romance, Shojo, Comics, Historical Fiction

576 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2024

About the author

Chie Shinohara (篠原千絵) is an award winning Japanese manga artist best-known for Red River, known in Japan as Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori: Anatolia Story. She has twice received the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo, in 1987 for Yami no Purple Eye and in 2001 for Red River.

Aside from her comics work, she has also written several prose novels. She has published the six volume Big Draw Daughter Hatsu light novel series, as well as five gaiden (or side-story) novels related to her Red River series. All of these were illustrated by Shinohara herself.

Works

Akatsuki no Lion - 2003
Ao no Fūin (Blue Seal) - 1992–94
Houmonsha wa Mayonaka ni (Midnight Visitor) - 1984
Kioku no Ashiato (Footprint of Memories) - 2005
Kiri no Mori Hotel - 2007
Kootta Natsu no Hi (Frozen Summer Day) - 1995
Mizu ni Sumu Hana (Romance of Darkness) - 2004
Mokugekisha ni Sayounara (Farewell to the Eyewitness) - 1985
Nanika ga yami de mite iru (Something Watching in the Dark) - 1986
Ryouko no Shinreijikenbo (A Record of Ryoko's Psychic Events) - 1988–91
Sanninme ga Kieta (A Third Person Disappeared) - 1992
Soshite Gokai no Suzu ga naru (Then Five Bells Rang) - 1994
Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori: Anatolia Story (Red River) - 1995–2002
Tokidamari no Hime - 2008-09
Touboukyuukou (Runaway Express)
Umi no Yami, Tsuki no Kage (Moon Shadow on a Dark Sea) - 1986–91
Yami no Purple Eye (Purple Eye of Darkness) - 1984–87
Yume no Shizuku, Kin no Torikago - 2010-present

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Cue the music)

"MEMORIES!! ALL ALONE IN THE MOONLIGHT!!!"

This was an absolute BLAST from my past and I AM DOWN FOR IT. I don't care that the story has plot holes you could drive a tanker truck through. I don't care that characters who should know better do stupid things to further the plot along. I don't care that if I read this for the first time now, I would probably chuck it across the room in disgust as my tastes have changed since I first read this. I DON'T CARE.

This was one of my favorite series from my youth and I had been spending a large amount of time (and money) buying the individual volumes as I came across them in stores and online.

Now they are being released in three volume omnibuses and I AM REJOICING. I already own a physical copy for my personal library and highly recommend it to those who are into DRAMA with a capital D-R-A-M-A, lol.

Warning: LOTS of brutal violence and attempted sexual assaults. This series is a time-travel one where a modern-day 15 year old girl is dragged into ancient Anatolia (think Biblical time and location, complete with the way people were fighting for power, only magic exists too). So definitely for YA readers on up.

5, I need the all of the rest to be published NOW for my library kk thnx, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC of this book to read and review.

[Natalie E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I never read this as a teenager, the wonderfully shameless 15-year-old girl fantasies in it transport me back to that age as if I had read it. I love getting to indulge that part of me’s desire to disappear into another world where I’m more powerful and desirable than I ever dreamed. Very excited to continue Yuri and Princess Kail’s adventures in the next volume!

[Ada]

***maandag 3 februari 2025***
❌ No star rating because of reasons
Translation: Yuko Sawada

I need to sit on this a bit longer. The first two volumes were ROUGH. But in volume three I was sort of engrossed in the story. Still... A lot of tears and a lot of sexual assaults. They do serve some kind of purpose but it is not very enjoyable to read.

The translation felt off in some places. I looked up a scanlation and the sentences felt a bit more natural in that one. More like how actual people talk? But I do not know enough about linguistics to know if my feeling is based on something true.

I do not know if I would still have bought these volumes if I had read the scanlation first. I think I would have DNF'ed after the first volume. But the thing about these old series is that they tend to suck you in. Skip Beat for example starts out very rough but I adore that series. We shall see.

I am glad I never tried to collect the single volumes though. Eyeshield 21 is enough of an headache. This would have made me insane.

***before reading, maandag 3 februari 2025***
This series was being talked about for as long as I am watching MangaTube. It was out of print for a very long time and I just didn't have any attachment to the title or the mangaka. So it got the shoulder shrug.

Now that they are coming out with the 3-in-1 omnibussen, I got sort of curious. But it wasn't until... I cannot remember who said this, people were saying that it not only holds up but was one of the first 'isekai' that I really got interested.

The art style is something I have to get used to (it reminds me of Akira in a way) but here is hoping it will be a good reading experience!

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who studied the ancient Mediterranean world, it was so cool to see something, especially a manga, set in the Hittite empire! There seems to be a lot of care taken for the setting and clothing and Shinohara’s passion for the period is evident.

As a general content warning, there a lot of tired shoujo tropes involving SA and many attempted r*pes. This is not atypical for 90s shoujo in my experience, but it does get uncomfortable, especially with a 14-year-old protagonist. The fact it’s set in the ancient world seems to cause these tropes to come up a bit more often, which, fair I guess, but also, I don’t think it adds much. I would hope later volumes cut down on this. The series so far is remarkably violent too - I was not expecting a skinned body in the first couple volumes. It earns that T+ rating! It does get bonus points for a magic sword, though.

As a whole, Red River makes me want to finally read Fushigi Yugi (also published in the same magazine at the same time), as it seems to have similar bones, albeit being an isekai set in the “real” world instead of a fantasy one. I don’t think it would be one of my all-time faves, Yuri doesn’t really have much personality yet outside things happening to her so it’s hard to tell, but I can see why it’s a classic.

[Remxo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story isn't very special, it's pretty straightforward and trope-y, and it's clearly a product of its time, with a lot more gory violence than I expected. The sexual harassment elements seem intended to trigger some kind of desired reaction in its target audience back in the mid 90s. Whether that was meant to be shock or excitement or both, I can't say. I've never been a 14-year-old Japanese girl. I take this for what it is. I love the art, and the pacing is excellent. I had a good time reading.

Toot: 3.5 stars

[ChelseaFace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having no idea what this was about, I was excited to jump into it based off of the hype surrounding this series.
It was beautifully drawn. I for sure liked the second and third volume better than the first, but once Yuri found herself, I love it. Very fast paced. Very interesting and I'm very much excited to continue in the series.

[Rachel Kasparek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really giving me Fushigi yugi vibes for sure. A little Grapey in some spots (I don’t think they actually did anything.)

Still the plot was good.

[Annalise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting plot and I very much ship Yuri and Prince Kail🙂‍↕️🤞

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really like the political story in this series. The romance isn't my favorite, but it's a product of its time.

[Oliver O]

Read this in grade school. Read this in high school. Skip to being 31 and there is an Omnibus of it. Bought it immediately. Nostalgic but TW: S.A is common.

[Kimberlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest, I had forgotten that I've read this before when I requested an ecopy of the omnibus from NetGalley. I was going off the excitement of a classic shojo being re-released, but as I was reading I was like "Hey wait a second. . ." So, as it happens, my teenage self definitely read a scanlated version of this as a kid. Does it hold up? No clue honestly. I like the first three volumes and I want to read the rest, but I recognize that this manga is very much of its time.

Red River is about a young girl named Yuri who gets sucked into the ancient past (think during the reign of Tutankhamen) so she can be used as a sacrifice by the evil queen to put a curse on the prince candidates of the country. Yuri gets saved from certain death by a very hot guy with a very pointy chin, no nipples, and a fast and loose concept of consent. When her friend gets murdered, Yuri vows to get revenge on the ones who killed him.

Red River felt very nostalgic for me even though several parts had me raising my eyebrows. There's definitely some inherit sexist language and imagery at play here that probably wouldn't make it to the final draft of any current manga. At its core Red River kind of feels like a Harlequin Romance novel. It has all the parts of one: virginal heroine, scantily clad women, some frankly concerning age gaps, and pseudo soft porn plotlines (looking at you "We can't sacrifice her because I deflowered her scene"). However, Red River is the unmistakable progenitor of series like Yona of the Dawn, Dawn of the Arcana, Inuyasha, The Water Dragon's Bride, and similar series.

So is it good? Eh. I had a good time. I remember eating this up as a teen. There's some genuinely beautiful panels of art in this series. The villain is dramatic and over wrought, the romance develops DEFINITELY too fast and is a little Stockholm flavored. It's more of a "I can't stop watching this. Hand me the pop corn" situation. If anything, I think if you call yourself a shojo fan, you should probably at least give Red River a try. There's also something to be said about Red River being one of the classic manga that wasn't afraid to push boundaries, even if those ideas are bit offensive in many ways. Red River is a testament to the fact that shojo is and always has been a varied genre. Someone gets skinned alive in like the second volume and that's honestly pretty metal.

Trigger warnings for sexual assault, nudity, and gore.

[Aurakinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

It makes me happy to be able to read more series that remind me of the epics I grew up with, the likes of Fushigi Yuugi and Basara. I was really glad to hear that this classic was getting a reprint, because it has been recommended so much, and I've been thirsting for more old school shoujo fantasy series. And I'm always a fan of seeing ordinary girls whisked away to a new world full of magic and mysteries.

Something that surprised me about this one was the art. It's on par with the magnificent 49ers, and kind of blew me away with the delicious linework and impressive use of contrasts.

The protagonist is very much of the time. A young teenage girl, acting recklessly, constantly crying and putting people in danger as she runs into situations she doesn't understand. While also managing to become an icon cherished by the people and exceling in battles due to... Being the incarnation of Ishtar. (Maybe?) It kind of bothers me when people get physical powers without having to even try, but oh well, it's a part of the genre.

Something that also didn't surprise me was the frequent attempts at sexual assaults. Sigh. Again, part of the genre at that time (Early 90's), but an aspect I could've done without.

That said, it's one of those series that feel nostalgic due to its familiar use of the tropes, and I really liked it. I'm glad there's so much more left to read (28 volumes in it's original release, but this one does 3-in-1 volumes). Looking forward to spring, when the second volume will be released!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Viz Media and NetGalley for the digital ARC of the first volume of “Red River (3-in-1 Edition)” by Chie Shinohara

“Red River” is an older manga first published in 1995, and this new edition collects the first three volumes of the historical/fantasy shōjo series. The main character Yuri Suzuki time travels to the ancient Hittite Empire (modern day Turkey, north eastern Syria, and northern Iraq) and becomes entangled in the machinations of the sorcerer queen Nakia. She is rescued from death by the third prince, Kail Mursili, who pretends to take Yuri as a concubine to protect her from the queen, and hopefully get her back home one day. I had a good time reading this manga, there was plenty of excitement and adventure, along with the beginnings of a romance between the prince and Yuri. I wasn’t absolutely sold on the romance at first, but by the end of the third volume I could see the potential it had. Yuri starts out the story fairly useless and naive, but already I can see her developing into a true heroine as she learns from her mistakes and grows stronger. If you enjoy stories about modern-day girls being dropped into ancient worlds of magic and danger, you should give this series a try. The art is also beautiful, if you love the artstyle and character design of the 90’s this collection is a great example of it. I would give a few warnings before you pick it up though, there are a few instances of intense violence, and Yuri is almost raped twice. If these are triggering for you, you might want to proceed with caution. Taking this content into consideration I would wait on recommending this series, and only give it to older teens.

[Valérie Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Après From Far Away, je me suis lancée dans la réédition anglaise de cet autre classique isekai des années 90. J'ai lu le premier tome de la réédition qui regroupe les trois premiers tomes originaux.

On tombe dans la catégorie historique avec une héroïne qui recule 5000 ans dans le temps, pour se retrouver en Turquie, en plein coeur d'Anatolie et du royaume hittite. Cet aspect historique, avec les monuments, les coutumes (sacrifice, royauté, forge des minerais) m'a beaucoup plu. C'est beaucoup plus gore et cruel que From Far Away, je sens déjà que les prochains tomes n'épargneront pas les lecteurs...

Le personnage de Yuri est très bien, réaliste: elle est bouleversée, paniquée, mais déterminée. On s'attache très vite à elle. J'ai beaucoup apprécié comment ses quelques connaissances modernes lui servent pour certains rebondissements importants, enclenchant des changements chez les autres. Lorsqu'on est différent, il y a deux facettes: être mis à l'écart, mais également être admiré pour les mêmes raisons qui nous exclut. Yuri incarne bien cet aspect paradoxal.

Mais c'est vraiment le monde très original, cette nation hittite qu'on connaît si peu, qui m'a séduite. Et ce trait de Shinohara Chie qui n'épargne rien, pour bien appuyer les drames et les bouleversements de son histoire remarquablement bien écrite. J'adore!

[Aleshia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red River is considered a shojo classic. As a fantasy fan, I added it to my to-read list, but the English release has been out of print for quite some time. It's very exciting that the series will be republished in 3-in-1 volume bindups.

It follows 15-year old Yuri, who ends up being pulled back in time and space to the capital of the Hittite Empire in Anatolia, which is now modern day Turkey. The setting is very interesting as it's definitely not one I encounter a lot in manga nor other types of media that I follow. Yuri ends up being taken in by a prince, who quickly falls for her. Yuri is obviously devastated to be taken from her home and wishes to find a way back.

The story at its core is very focused on what brought Yuri back in time, on Yuri navigating this strange world, and on how Yuri can get back. But at as shojo, there is an emphasis on the romance. I think the romance moves a little too quickly for my taste. The Prince takes advantage of Yuri at the start, and Yuri is sort of beholden to him given her circumstances. On the other hand though, Yuri is maybe a very believable and fickle teenage girl, so perhaps it speaks more to the target audience.

I look forward to continuing the series and see how the characters develop.

[♡ zuly ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this and cannot wait to purchase a physical copy and continue this series.
Having grown up reading/watching 90s shoujo, this was such a delight. I'm honestly surprised I've not read this before. But, it should be said that this is definitely a 90s isekai shoujo, and it is important to know it is product of this time.
I'm messy and I love the high levels of drama presented, but for many there are a lot of triggering themes in this book. Honestly specific imagery and a plot point (both were gore-related) had me shocked. But I found the plot of this to be so interesting that even with it giving me a little scare, I wanted to continue forward with it.
This is something I would definitely recommend to fans of older shoujo series, but I would definitely give some trigger warnings to people who are not as familiar. The best general warning I can give is if anything in the television series Game of Thrones has made you very uncomfortable, I might steer you away from this title. A lot of the same triggers exist between the two.

A huge thank you to Viz Media and Netgalley for the ARC.

[Gina T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Plot: mostly boring. Yuri is hunted by the Queen because of her blood and she continuously tries to kill her via other people. It’s not anything super interesting

-Characters: mostly annoying. Yuri cries A LOT, which irritates me. She is 15 though, so that’s why she gets grace. Prince Kail is the typical “he’s not like other guys” trope. The Queen was the typical villain. No one subverted my expectations and I was only rooting for Yuri because she was the FMC.

-Art: very pretty art! The men were too pretty though; as someone mentioned, not much distinction between the sexes. Towards the end, I was simply reading and skipping the art. But it is mostly well drawn.

Overall:

It’s an average story that wasn’t super engaging. I still liked it but I won’t pick up the rest of the series; 28 volumes is too much of an investment for me! But I loved the fantastical elements. I did feel like I was in a different world; I just wanted to be more immersed in it, with more compelling characters.

Rating: 2.7

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine, but it didn't do anything particularly interesting within the first three volumes so I'm not going to be continuing with the series.

I understand the main character is 15 but holy shit is she stupid! And when she wasn't being stupid, she was just there and didn't do much. It didn't necessarily make me hate the story overall, but it didn't give me a reason to continue. Manga is especially hard for me to stick with since a lot of them aren't concise stories; they just keep adding convoluted storylines to keep the series going and I'm sure that's what's going to happen with this one.

Also, I wasn't a fan of Kail, the love interest, trying to rape Yuri. His brother also trying to rape her wasn't fun either (though at least he was under a spell). The several fan-service panty shots of Yuri also gave me the ick, so that's just another reason not to continue the series.

[Chelsea Tomedragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this series a long time ago and only have the faintest of memories. With a strong positive feeling and being super satisfied with the conclusion of the series. So of course it means I need a reread.

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A great start to the series. I love a good Turkish drama, so that definitely plays into my opinions here. The art style is on the simpler side, but it is used well. Some of the eyes come off a bit wonky, but it almost works - like the queens eyes - it makes me dislike her even more so I count that as intentional.

Dark Fantasy - War - Concubine/Harem

The FMC is 15 (mistaken as 13) so the content can be additionally uncomfortable- No trigger warning list included in the book. It is full of them.

Shows the impact of the trauma and clash of social norms / cultures and war can have on peoples mental health in a realistic way.

If you like: Fushigi Yugi, Ceres, Alice 19th

[-moonprismpower- · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first 3 in 1 volume was SO INTENSE!! So much has happened already in 3 volumes! And this is a long series too! I really hope that it’s not drawn out so long that it becomes tedious….
I did enjoy these volumes but I am already getting tired of every man physically assaulting Yuri. I forgot that older series loved using rape as a weapon against the female protagonist (like in Yuu Watase’s series).
I’m also not sure about Yuri and Kail together… There hasn’t been enough down time between all the drama for them to really bond. I can’t see the love there yet. I hope that changes since this series is damn near 30 volumes long!!!

[Rob Marney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cheesy isekai is not objectively good but it has a mysterious charm. It's so earnest that you can't help but play along with the inevitable romance and political ascension of our heroine who absolutely doesn't deserve it. It's so full of late 90s tropes like diagonal panels, long hair with headbands, boundless optimism, and mind control. It's the surprisingly action packed chapters with blood and chariots and scary situations that aren't sanitized. It's the super fresh setting, too: as an armchair Bronze Age enthusiast, all the reference art and Turkish landscapes and world building is true to life. This book goes down easy and I just couldn't be mad at it.

[Niina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Todella nopea ja viihdyttävä - joskin melko kliseinen - manga 90-luvulta. Asetelmaltaan tässä ei ole mitään uutta: 15-vuotias Yuri kaapataan omasta ajastaan menneisyyteen ja hän rakastuu siellä tapaamaansa nuorukaiseen. Kail nyt vaan sattuu olemaan kruununperimyksessään kolmas prinssi (sekä tunnettu naistenmies) muinaisessa Hattusassa, joka sijaitsee nykyisen Turkin alueella. Yuria luullaan jatkuvasti (tahallaan ja tahattomasti) pojaksi, koska hänen kehonsa muoto on kovin vähäinen ja hän pukeutuu mekkojen sijaan palvelijoiden suosimiin tunikoihin. Lukisin kyllä mielelläni lisääkin Yurin seikkailuista pronssikaudella.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried so hard to like this because of the interesting setting and Yuri’s drop dead gorgeous outfits, but the fact Yuri gets groped, almost raped, or actually raped in almost every issue gets tiresome and uncomfortable. Especially when the love interest is her first rapist, then she sticks around to fall in love with him anyway. Ick.

She starts learning to ride and fight later on, but her victories usually end up being nonsense deus-ex-machinas anyway (like when her dagger can destroy stone).

I would hope the story continues to improve, but I don’t think I want to stick around to find out.

[Joldettori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just imagine how inaccesible this peak has been for the past 2 decades! I cannot believe. These first 3 volumes have me hooked. There is a strong female lead. There is romance. There is battle. There is magic. There is timetravel. There an insane amount historical and cultural lore. There is mesopotamian mythology. The plot thickens at every turn without being too overwhelming. However !!trigger warning!! As they don't shy away from traumatic events it is adviced to look up all the triggers that might occur during this saga. F.e. there are some scenes where the female lead gets assaulted

[Aaron Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say I am finding this story rather engaging. Yuri can be a bit whiny and headstrong in a negative way and she ends up finding out that her actions can and do have serious consequences. But you do see some growth in her character in the first three volumes. It is truly sad she didn't pay attention to history when she was in school very well she could have been hailed as a goddess if she did .... oh wait 😂😂. Another thing that always gets me is why all the evil women in the story have to be so damn hot! So funny!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I dont read manga, I absolutely did not expect to like this so much, and now, I've reached the end of volume 3 to realize it continues! I'm so excited for more and a bit disappointed that it didn't conclude like I thought as this is a very large series, not just 3 volumes. I'll have to get my hands on those others soon. Love our girl Yuri!!!

[Judyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually rather enjoyed these 3 volumes. The beginning was kind of fun, an old school isekai kind of idea. I especially think the setting is interesting. There were definitely some rough moments and repetitive plots used, and I expect more of the same going forward. But it’s kind of fun to read such an old school shojo series. It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything similar.

[Bibliophobia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s really nothing but a by the books fantasy romance isekai with ancient civilization paint. And the constant assault of the 15 year old protagonist and her subsequent romance with her assaulter is not fun to read I think.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why do they always share blood type in manga?! So weird. ANYWAYS, Yuri being 15 is weird to me but otherwise I get the hype. Also with older manga the panelling is feels simpler and so much easier to know the reading flow.

[Kimi Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am instantly hooked 🤩
The age gap is QUESTIONABLE but I have to remember the time period.
The art is stunning!!!! I remember reading this when I was young at borders and it warms my heart to be able to own it all and finish it as an adult 💚❤️
Cannot wait to continue this.