Red

by Sanae Rokuya

Yasuharu, unwilling to assume the responsibility of successor to the throne, escapes from the castle and assumes a peaceful, anonymous life. But can one really escape his fate? After saving the life of a foreigner name Jiei, the foreigner places a hand on Yasuharu’s throat and whispers, “I have come to kill you.” Will the two play out the roles destiny has set for them or can love change the course of history?

Genres: Manga, Yaoi, M M Romance, Boys Love

200 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 2006

About the author

Japanese: 鹿谷 サナエ

Reviews

[K. McDevitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

One is a prince, born to rule an empire; the other is destined to kill him. When their paths collide, who will be left standing?

This is ultimately the story of Yasuharu, prince of a nation cut off from all outsiders, who doesn't want to be the successor to the throne. There are some who want to make sure he can't claim the throne, so they send out an assassin (or two). The problem arises when Yasuharu saves his assassin's life and then the two fall for each other.

I honestly had a hard time following this story. I don't think that the English translation does it justice. And sometimes I would realize I'd been in a flashback for a while without realizing it, with no visual indication of that fact (the flashbacks when the prince was a little princeling were easy enough, but the others were harder). There are characters who change names and come and go but are drawn very similarly. I had trouble keeping it all straight!

There were certainly parts I enjoyed, and the idea of kindnesses being repaid in unexpected ways as well as people saving each other in different ways was also great. There wasn't much on the love side--some hints, some embraces, but that's it. It was a light romance with heavy political intrigue and lovely bishies.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the historical drama of the story. All of the characters were intriguing and I loved learning about their backstories. Definitely light on the romance and it felt rushed at the end. I wish it had been split into 2 volumes so we could get even more development. Loved the art. Overall interesting read.

[Reading Through the Lists · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a stand-alone manga, Red made for a nice vacation read because I only had to pack one book in my suitcase instead of an entire series. And yet, as a stand-alone, Red also left me wanting much more in terms of plot and development.

I’m a fairly new reader of manga, so I can’t judge Red against the conventions of the genre, only on personal preference. And I would really prefer more explanation on…well, everything actually. But mostly, I’d really like to see Yasuharu and Jiei/James grapple with their very different views of the world, society, and government.

By taking the throne of the deceased lord, his father, Yasuharu continues to uphold tradition and the old way, even as he attempts to advance some more progressive ideals. Meanwhile, Jiei comes into the story as the leader of a failed proto-Communist uprising that resulted in civil war. So by falling for the heir to a throne, by choosing to let him live, is Jiei turning his back on his ideals? Has his experience of being in (*ahem*) Not-Japan made him rethink his vision of the world and society? How will this affect his homecoming? What society will be striving to create now? And how is Yasuharu going to picture the world differently as a result of their relationship?

Saying “but they’re in love!” doesn’t cut it; give me some substance, please.

Also I’m not even going to comment on the Yasuda and Kaho storyline because I still don’t get it, even after two reads. Let’s just say that if the final panels are anything to go off, the future of their relationship seems pretty grim…

3 stars.

[Megan Lowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, this was my first manga. I wanted to read it because I’d heard about the raunchiness of them, but I was a little disappointed by this one. I didn’t realise it wasn’t all out.
Also, I don’t know if it’s just because I’m not used to reading these, but the story didn’t entirely make sense to me and I found it hard to follow.
I do have another one to read, so I will give it a go, but this was a little disappointing to me.

[Susana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quite nice standalone Yaoi, Red is set in a time where Japan was closed to external influences, and being a stranger in that land involved an immediate death sentence. In that time, young prince Taichi feels unable to assume his role as heir of the kingdom. Having escaped from the castle, he lives with a friend. The imminent death of the ruler (Taichi’s father) triggers a plot to kill the heir, who is unconscious of the danger which surrounds him. When he saves the stranger who was hired to kill him, he unknowingly changes his destiny and the destiny of the nation he will rule some day.
Red is a sweet little one, though it would improve with a little more of story building. The drawings are nice, and the main couple, Taichi and Jiei, is charming. It is really soft on the sexual side, with nothing more than a few kisses and hugs. I liked it quite a lot

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great historical yaoi.