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天は赤い河のほとり [Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori] #1
Red River, Vol. 1
Yuri, a pretty Japanese girl who just passed a college entrance exam, is ecstatic after her first kiss with her handsome childhood friend-turned-boyfriend, Himuro. Meanwhile, she starts to notice that water becomes agitated whenever she goes near it! One night, hands appear out of a puddle on the street and drag her into the water. She emerges from the water to find that she has been transported to an ancient village somewhere in the Middle East. She is then captured by armed troops and taken to the queen's palace, where she learns that the queen had her kidnapped so she can offer her blood as part of a ritual that will kill two princes in competition to inherit the kingdom.
188 pages, Paperback
First published May 26, 1995
95 people are currently reading
5843 people want to read
About the author
Chie Shinohara
272 books255 followersChie 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
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
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews
September 7, 2014
An extremely silly schoolgirl is magically transported from modern Japan to ancient Anatolia, where an evil queen wants to sacrifice her and a playboy prince wants to get frisky with her. (Neither happens; this book is appropriate for a younger audience.)
Many Hittites were blonde, apparently. Especially the wonton ones.
Many Hittites were blonde, apparently. Especially the wonton ones.
July 12, 2024
The unlikely story of Yuri, a Japanese teenager pulled back in time to the 14th century BC by the Tawannana (empress) of the Hittite Empire. Stuck between wanting to return to her home in Japan, and staying to help the man she loves, Yuri becomes Ishtar the goddess of war and has the romantic adventure of a life-time.
This makes it into my top 10 manga (there may be more than 10 in the list, but... this is one of them). An absolute must read. It's intensely romantic, terribly tragic, and perfectly satisfying. It's easy to sympathize with the characters being both a well-developed story, and a well translated one. And, such fun when some famous characters from Ancient Anatolia & Egypt are thrown in the mix.
I've read it every year (at least once), and the only thing I regret is how much sleep I lose when I'm at it! I really should consider taking a week off of work to dedicate myself to this epic series. I just can't stop reading when I get started!
This makes it into my top 10 manga (there may be more than 10 in the list, but... this is one of them). An absolute must read. It's intensely romantic, terribly tragic, and perfectly satisfying. It's easy to sympathize with the characters being both a well-developed story, and a well translated one. And, such fun when some famous characters from Ancient Anatolia & Egypt are thrown in the mix.
I've read it every year (at least once), and the only thing I regret is how much sleep I lose when I'm at it! I really should consider taking a week off of work to dedicate myself to this epic series. I just can't stop reading when I get started!
August 26, 2008
Whoa. I had no idea that the recent wave of manga-translating extended as far as this series! Craziness...
I read this in Chinese when I was in...high school? And it's not bad, for a shoujo romance-type. (I originally picked it up because the artwork looked a little like Saitou Chiho's...I was a fan of hers, back when she used to write PG stories.) It falls nicely into the niche of stories where young girls are magically whisked to some random place/time in history (in this case, it's ancient Anatolia, or present-day Turkey), and end up playing a key role in government/war/other mystic rituals while there. Of course, this tale can't compare in complexity or character development to some other series of its type (eg Fushigi), but it's entertaining and the main character, Yuri, is NOWHERE near as annoying as shoujo main characters tend to be (eg Miaka). She redeems her teenage angst and occasional bouts of wimpiness with plenty of energy, gumption, and hard work, which eventually endears her to the reader (and also to Kail, the crown prince she eventually falls in love with...of course). I liked this series because it tries pretty hard to incorporate historical elements about the Hittites and Egyptians...and, yes, because it's (overall) a feel-good love story.
I can't believe I just reviewed manga-graphic novels...
I read this in Chinese when I was in...high school? And it's not bad, for a shoujo romance-type. (I originally picked it up because the artwork looked a little like Saitou Chiho's...I was a fan of hers, back when she used to write PG stories.) It falls nicely into the niche of stories where young girls are magically whisked to some random place/time in history (in this case, it's ancient Anatolia, or present-day Turkey), and end up playing a key role in government/war/other mystic rituals while there. Of course, this tale can't compare in complexity or character development to some other series of its type (eg Fushigi), but it's entertaining and the main character, Yuri, is NOWHERE near as annoying as shoujo main characters tend to be (eg Miaka). She redeems her teenage angst and occasional bouts of wimpiness with plenty of energy, gumption, and hard work, which eventually endears her to the reader (and also to Kail, the crown prince she eventually falls in love with...of course). I liked this series because it tries pretty hard to incorporate historical elements about the Hittites and Egyptians...and, yes, because it's (overall) a feel-good love story.
I can't believe I just reviewed manga-graphic novels...
December 15, 2016
"I've finished reading every single release. I plan to re-read it again, it was so in-depth and it was form reading this that I actually noticed that I like Historic-fiction. Loved this manga. One of the best I eve read, 90+ Chapters, it took me a few months to complete it cause I could only read it from the net, since they weren't selling it where I could buy it, I so plan to buy the series when I can. I love the part where the Egyptian guard totally steals her. >xD" -2011 Me
This is still in my top 10 favourite manga's ever.
Nothing but fond memories and some damn good laughs. I've read this over and over again, probably a good 10 times. I like to read it after a couple of months, to try and forget some it and then hopefully be shocked by some of the plot points, but it never works, I love it way too much and just know it so well. - 2016 Me
This is still in my top 10 favourite manga's ever.
Nothing but fond memories and some damn good laughs. I've read this over and over again, probably a good 10 times. I like to read it after a couple of months, to try and forget some it and then hopefully be shocked by some of the plot points, but it never works, I love it way too much and just know it so well. - 2016 Me
February 10, 2019
A must-read if you like manga.
Or romance, or historical novels, or well-researched history, or character development.
This is the first volume... and quite frankly, it's the worst. Yuri, the protagonist, is a Japanese 15 year old whose only ability is probably passing exams (you'll get to know later she was good at gym). She is quite stupid in this volume, because she's fifteen, has been taken away from home to an unknown place, and she has probably developed "tunnel thinking" due to the stress. I can believe her antics in this one. There'll be less in the next volume, where something HUGE happens that makes her realize she's not in Kansas anymore. This girl takes this full volume to realize she's +3400 years from Workers' Rights, Women's Rights or Human Rights, and she doesn't come to herself until volume 3.
Should you give it a chance? Well, there are two mangas that justify the existence of the whole shoujo manga genre. One is Basara. The other is this one. It must be read at least once in a lifetime. If not for the characters, the romance or the story, at least because it'll be the easiest way for you to become more knowledgeable about the Hittite Empire and that thin line that separated the Bronze Age from the Iron Age.
Go at least until volume 5 (it's available online). Give it a chance. It gets better. Especially, Yuri gets better.
Yes, Kail can be a bit of a jerk, but he's a guy from the 14th or 15th century... before Christ. Expect Values Dissonance. A lot of them.
Expect breasts and (non-explicit) sex. But to be honest, if those two things keep you from reading this, I really pity you. I think all young girls of Yuri's age should read this manga... provided they read every single volume, until the 28th. Because Yuri grows into an insightful, conscientious, noble, good, strong, cunning, hard-working, smart woman. She begins lost and having strokes of luck, but grows and grows up, matures and chooses to learn and train and work harder. And if I had to choose between the protagonists of many Young Adult Novels (Bella Swan, that doormat in "After") or some mangas (Itazura na Kiss, Hot Gimmick) and Yuri, Yuri wins by a Landslide.
Other characters will be Kail (not bad), Hadi, Ryui and Shala (cool with their heroic moments), Ilbani (so cool he deserved more page time), Rufasa (a darling), U. (avoiding spoilers here), and many historical characters.
The manga also seems to have been planned from beginning to end. The research that has gone into it merits an honoris causa doctorate.
Miss it at your own risk.
Or romance, or historical novels, or well-researched history, or character development.
This is the first volume... and quite frankly, it's the worst. Yuri, the protagonist, is a Japanese 15 year old whose only ability is probably passing exams (you'll get to know later she was good at gym). She is quite stupid in this volume, because she's fifteen, has been taken away from home to an unknown place, and she has probably developed "tunnel thinking" due to the stress. I can believe her antics in this one. There'll be less in the next volume, where something HUGE happens that makes her realize she's not in Kansas anymore. This girl takes this full volume to realize she's +3400 years from Workers' Rights, Women's Rights or Human Rights, and she doesn't come to herself until volume 3.
Should you give it a chance? Well, there are two mangas that justify the existence of the whole shoujo manga genre. One is Basara. The other is this one. It must be read at least once in a lifetime. If not for the characters, the romance or the story, at least because it'll be the easiest way for you to become more knowledgeable about the Hittite Empire and that thin line that separated the Bronze Age from the Iron Age.
Go at least until volume 5 (it's available online). Give it a chance. It gets better. Especially, Yuri gets better.
Yes, Kail can be a bit of a jerk, but he's a guy from the 14th or 15th century... before Christ. Expect Values Dissonance. A lot of them.
Expect breasts and (non-explicit) sex. But to be honest, if those two things keep you from reading this, I really pity you. I think all young girls of Yuri's age should read this manga... provided they read every single volume, until the 28th. Because Yuri grows into an insightful, conscientious, noble, good, strong, cunning, hard-working, smart woman. She begins lost and having strokes of luck, but grows and grows up, matures and chooses to learn and train and work harder. And if I had to choose between the protagonists of many Young Adult Novels (Bella Swan, that doormat in "After") or some mangas (Itazura na Kiss, Hot Gimmick) and Yuri, Yuri wins by a Landslide.
Other characters will be Kail (not bad), Hadi, Ryui and Shala (cool with their heroic moments), Ilbani (so cool he deserved more page time), Rufasa (a darling), U. (avoiding spoilers here), and many historical characters.
The manga also seems to have been planned from beginning to end. The research that has gone into it merits an honoris causa doctorate.
Miss it at your own risk.
March 24, 2016
I had, until I began re-reading this series, forgotten what a prick Kail could be at times. Mind you he wasn't the worst offender ever, but its kind of shitty to threaten a girl with "bedding her for real" if she tries to run away (even if you're attempting to keep her idiotic neck safe).
Though to be fair Yuri wasn't much better. The scenes (in the first couple of books at least) went something like this:
Yuri: I must go do this stupid thing!
Kail: But its stupid! And will get you killed!
Yuri: It doesn't matter! I will get home no matter what!
Kail: If you would just WAIT a couple hours I will have it taken care of SAFELY.
Yuri: No! I will endanger everyone's life by running off and doing this stupid thing against the Queen who has plotted and schemed to murder me since chapter 1 because of reasons!
Kail: Stupid girl! She will kill you!
Yuri: It won't happen! :runs off to do stupid thing: Oh no! I did that stupid thing and got caught!
Queen: Stupid harlot! Now I shall do exactly what I've been threatening to do to you since the very first chapter. Only Kail could have saved you!
Yuri: Oh why didn't I listen to him? He never told me the danger! Kail! Kail! Save me!
Kail: :bursts in somehow to save her: I save you not because I'm going to say I told you so, though I will, but because I lo....er want to foil the Queen's plots!
Queen: Curses! Foiled again by my overly elaborate plotting!
Yuri: Now on to my next stupid stunt!
Rinse, Lather, Repeat.
I'll admit she isn't USELESS, just BRAINLESS most of the time. She's a bit of a Mary Sue in that she falls into all sorts of predicaments and then untangles herself through luck, innate skill and men falling over themselves to help her. By volume 3 this mostly ends as she realizes she needs to be useful to Kail and to be useful she needs to know how to DO things like fight and such. But this first volume is mostly spent with her lamenting her fate, ignoring Kail's justifiably concerned admonishments and getting folk killed.
Though to be fair Yuri wasn't much better. The scenes (in the first couple of books at least) went something like this:
Yuri: I must go do this stupid thing!
Kail: But its stupid! And will get you killed!
Yuri: It doesn't matter! I will get home no matter what!
Kail: If you would just WAIT a couple hours I will have it taken care of SAFELY.
Yuri: No! I will endanger everyone's life by running off and doing this stupid thing against the Queen who has plotted and schemed to murder me since chapter 1 because of reasons!
Kail: Stupid girl! She will kill you!
Yuri: It won't happen! :runs off to do stupid thing: Oh no! I did that stupid thing and got caught!
Queen: Stupid harlot! Now I shall do exactly what I've been threatening to do to you since the very first chapter. Only Kail could have saved you!
Yuri: Oh why didn't I listen to him? He never told me the danger! Kail! Kail! Save me!
Kail: :bursts in somehow to save her: I save you not because I'm going to say I told you so, though I will, but because I lo....er want to foil the Queen's plots!
Queen: Curses! Foiled again by my overly elaborate plotting!
Yuri: Now on to my next stupid stunt!
Rinse, Lather, Repeat.
I'll admit she isn't USELESS, just BRAINLESS most of the time. She's a bit of a Mary Sue in that she falls into all sorts of predicaments and then untangles herself through luck, innate skill and men falling over themselves to help her. By volume 3 this mostly ends as she realizes she needs to be useful to Kail and to be useful she needs to know how to DO things like fight and such. But this first volume is mostly spent with her lamenting her fate, ignoring Kail's justifiably concerned admonishments and getting folk killed.
March 26, 2017
oh my god, this manga has taken over my life. i mean seriously it took me about a week to finish up the whole series. let me tell you, it was fucking awesome manga ever! at first i thought it was short and light read but no it wasnt easy than it looks. the world building was top notched. i thought the author did an amazing job trying to make an existing material and put it in fiction way it was very good. the way she illustrated the world it was beautiful drawing. i like reading history but it doesnt mean i loved it but it also make it very interesting even makes me wanna put down the manga and start to search more info about Hittites and Egyptian empire.
okay let's talk about the characters. the characters development was superb. it show how the character evolves from a childish and scared girl to mature and wise lady. i love the way the main characters portray their love one and another. i cant believed i really do felt it sucked me into another world. the plot was great written. however, i feel a little disappointed because i feel there are a lot to give such as the modern world that yuri was living. what happened? what about her family? did it change the course of the future? not only that, i feel the queen's scheme took over throughout the series. it's dragging a lot of time. kinda felt boring sometimes. overall it was fun and best adventure i ever read. although i didnt expects to take about week to finish this off but i dont regret it. it was fulfilling, inspiring and satisfied ending.
okay let's talk about the characters. the characters development was superb. it show how the character evolves from a childish and scared girl to mature and wise lady. i love the way the main characters portray their love one and another. i cant believed i really do felt it sucked me into another world. the plot was great written. however, i feel a little disappointed because i feel there are a lot to give such as the modern world that yuri was living. what happened? what about her family? did it change the course of the future? not only that, i feel the queen's scheme took over throughout the series. it's dragging a lot of time. kinda felt boring sometimes. overall it was fun and best adventure i ever read. although i didnt expects to take about week to finish this off but i dont regret it. it was fulfilling, inspiring and satisfied ending.
October 29, 2012
The fact is, that even years after reading it, I remember this manga quite well. That says quite a bit about how good it was.
This is a love story at its core, but it is also a coming of age story, a story about a king finding a true queen and then not letting her go, about a girl adapting her life to the life of the man she loves and the sacrifices she makes for him, made all the more important because he never asks for them. It is a story about two people who come together across time and form a life and bind together a kingdom that rivaled Egypt in all its glory.
It is the story of a civilization on the banks of the Anatolia River: The Hittites. It is the story of a modern Japanese girl who is transported there by a spell to be a sacrifice, and who against all odds survives, with the help of a Prince Kail, one of the men who will die if she is sacrificed.
The premise is set, and Kail and Yuri build together a story that is truly worthy of being told.
This is a love story at its core, but it is also a coming of age story, a story about a king finding a true queen and then not letting her go, about a girl adapting her life to the life of the man she loves and the sacrifices she makes for him, made all the more important because he never asks for them. It is a story about two people who come together across time and form a life and bind together a kingdom that rivaled Egypt in all its glory.
It is the story of a civilization on the banks of the Anatolia River: The Hittites. It is the story of a modern Japanese girl who is transported there by a spell to be a sacrifice, and who against all odds survives, with the help of a Prince Kail, one of the men who will die if she is sacrificed.
The premise is set, and Kail and Yuri build together a story that is truly worthy of being told.
October 9, 2017
UGH THIS SHIT IS DAH BEST!
I have three manga that I think everyone need to read if you are a shoujo fan.
1. Red River
2. Tokyo Crazy Paradise
3. Basara
Are these the shoujo-est mangas? Hell nah! And that is why people need to read them.
Anyway, this one is just so full of drama and angst. It leaves me with the BIGGEST book-hangover ever. Fair warning: The female character is kinda weak in the beginning. I'm talking crying all the time and almost got rape kind of week. It is understandable, but if it pissed me off, it will definitely pissed other people off. She became a true badass though, so that is always nice (badass as in controlling the army badass). This is not a book to read if you are looking for a true female fighter. It is more of a love story with a semi female badass character. Read it for the love and the drama!!!
I have three manga that I think everyone need to read if you are a shoujo fan.
1. Red River
2. Tokyo Crazy Paradise
3. Basara
Are these the shoujo-est mangas? Hell nah! And that is why people need to read them.
Anyway, this one is just so full of drama and angst. It leaves me with the BIGGEST book-hangover ever. Fair warning: The female character is kinda weak in the beginning. I'm talking crying all the time and almost got rape kind of week. It is understandable, but if it pissed me off, it will definitely pissed other people off. She became a true badass though, so that is always nice (badass as in controlling the army badass). This is not a book to read if you are looking for a true female fighter. It is more of a love story with a semi female badass character. Read it for the love and the drama!!!
April 1, 2025
Aquí aprendí una muy valiosa lección: no leer mangas randoms que encontré solo para utilizarlo en algún reto.
La premisa es simple: chica del presente es teletransportada (?) al pasado porque una reina quiere usarla como sacrificio y que su hijo termine siendo el príncipe.
No le encuentro mucho sentido a que tenga que ser una chica de siglos más tarde, tal vez en los otros volúmenes den alguna razón mejor que: esa fue la que me dijo el dios 🤪. Pero supongo que nunca lo sabré porque no puedo seguirlo.
Yuri es un poco tonta y no piensa, le dejo pasar todo porque al parecer tiene 14 años. Lo que me da tanta tristeza porque la pobre es acosada por el protagonista, que abusa de ella besándola a la fuerza en varias ocasiones, pero no es tan malo porque “paró cuando le dije que tenía novio”. De verdad que no me creo que esa cosa fuera el interés amoroso, además de que seguro es mucho mayor que ella.
También el guardia/matón/noséquéera de la reina, diciendo que quería su piel y la lamió 😭 esa niña está traumada.
Quiero de vuelta los minutos que pasé leyendo esto.
La premisa es simple: chica del presente es teletransportada (?) al pasado porque una reina quiere usarla como sacrificio y que su hijo termine siendo el príncipe.
No le encuentro mucho sentido a que tenga que ser una chica de siglos más tarde, tal vez en los otros volúmenes den alguna razón mejor que: esa fue la que me dijo el dios 🤪. Pero supongo que nunca lo sabré porque no puedo seguirlo.
Yuri es un poco tonta y no piensa, le dejo pasar todo porque al parecer tiene 14 años. Lo que me da tanta tristeza porque la pobre es acosada por el protagonista, que abusa de ella besándola a la fuerza en varias ocasiones, pero no es tan malo porque “paró cuando le dije que tenía novio”. De verdad que no me creo que esa cosa fuera el interés amoroso, además de que seguro es mucho mayor que ella.
También el guardia/matón/noséquéera de la reina, diciendo que quería su piel y la lamió 😭 esa niña está traumada.
Quiero de vuelta los minutos que pasé leyendo esto.
December 7, 2018
Read until volume 16, then got bored and parked it for a year or two.
September 14, 2023
Reread 14/9/23:
Was feeling mighty depressed. This series helped a lot.
You really can't find anything as good as this one anymore, in my opinion. I've searched far and wide for anything that can top this manga (or at least be its equal) but alas, my efforts have been fruitless and now I'm doomed to relive this story again and again (not that it's unfortunate but still, you know).
Some scenes still took my breath away. And that naked brawling between those two men in the middle of the battlefield still brought a burst of massive laughter to my face. I can't help but imagine how their dingdongs swung wildly while they were punching each other, choking each other to death. Why the fuck the mangaka did that, till now, it's a mystery to me.
It was wild, crazy and thoroughly exhilarating. It's great to face a fictional character's crisis and woes for once. God knows I have enough of my own to deal with.
----------
FOREVER WILL BE MY FAVOURITE MANGA EVER.
NOTHING COULD TOP THIS.
Was feeling mighty depressed. This series helped a lot.
You really can't find anything as good as this one anymore, in my opinion. I've searched far and wide for anything that can top this manga (or at least be its equal) but alas, my efforts have been fruitless and now I'm doomed to relive this story again and again (not that it's unfortunate but still, you know).
Some scenes still took my breath away. And that naked brawling between those two men in the middle of the battlefield still brought a burst of massive laughter to my face. I can't help but imagine how their dingdongs swung wildly while they were punching each other, choking each other to death. Why the fuck the mangaka did that, till now, it's a mystery to me.
It was wild, crazy and thoroughly exhilarating. It's great to face a fictional character's crisis and woes for once. God knows I have enough of my own to deal with.
----------
FOREVER WILL BE MY FAVOURITE MANGA EVER.
NOTHING COULD TOP THIS.
September 24, 2021
Eeek this series isn’t off to a great start. I’ve heard the characters go through a lot of development, so I do have faith it’ll get better. It is a shoujo written in the 90s so I shouldn’t expect too much when it comes to it not being problematic. It’s a portal fantasy about a girl from 1990’s Japan being transport to ancient times due to being chosen as a blood sacrifice. This entire first volume is the protagonist Yuri being super dumb and getting into danger to get back home, and constantly being saved by the prince Kail, who was trying to force her to have sex with him. So yeah, pretty messy, but I’m hoping things get better.
~ I read this for Becca’s Bookoplathon 2021 ~
~ I read this for Becca’s Bookoplathon 2021 ~
Read
July 9, 2022Cũng tầm 15 năm rồi giờ đọc lại. Đã đủ sức cảm hết cái hay của truyện.
Tình tiết nhanh, hợp lý.
Thích tính cách bạn nữ 9 Yuri, bị bắt cóc + xuyên không, có bỡ ngỡ nhưng vẫn tìm cách giải quyết, không khóc lóc bánh bèo. Sau này dần học cách thích nghi. Mạnh mẽ. Ưng.
P.S: Vụ kiss 1 cái là giao tiếp được ngôn ngữ cổ hơi bị vi diệu à nha :3
Tình tiết nhanh, hợp lý.
Thích tính cách bạn nữ 9 Yuri, bị bắt cóc + xuyên không, có bỡ ngỡ nhưng vẫn tìm cách giải quyết, không khóc lóc bánh bèo. Sau này dần học cách thích nghi. Mạnh mẽ. Ưng.
P.S: Vụ kiss 1 cái là giao tiếp được ngôn ngữ cổ hơi bị vi diệu à nha :3
March 8, 2024
Truth: it actually took me an entire weekend to streamline this glorious, wondrous crack into my system. I started mid afternoon on Friday, and ended late night Sunday. It consumed the majority of my waking hours. Addiction was indeed a fierce, unrelenting thing. Even so, this is a massive undertaking of 90 chapters of manga, most chapters averaging around 120 or so pages. Be warned.
Truth: I am writing this review to include tankoban issues 1-28, e.g. the entire series, since I read it all online in one swift go and have no idea which chapters are in which tankoban, nor do I have the energy to find out just so I can write a shitton of separate reviews. Therefore, this entire review could be deemed as spoilers . Be warned.
So, Yuri is a normal girl from Japan circa the 1990s. She has a loving family, a possible new boyfriend, and has gotten into her high school (or college, depending on translation) of choice. E.g., life is pretty awesome for her. Then water starts acting weird around her and before you know it, she's been dragged (literally) back in time to the Hittite Empire of old. What follows are the trials and tribulations of Yuri as she falls in love, plays political intrigues, is hailed as a goddess, leads rebellions, fights wars, and is kidnapped probably more than she should be, all while trying to get home. (Fun shit.)
Unfortunately I believe a lot of people read the first few chapters of this and feel it is just like every other "girl gets transported to another world/dimension/time and is hailed as an angel/goddess/savior while being the center of a love triangle/quadrangle/fuckiteveryoneangle" manga in the world. That would be because it imitates that formula for a while before coming into it's own.
Here's what it's own is: A historical epic involving political intrigue and massive battles. A girl struggling to cope with the world she has been presented with and rising to the occasion. A boy becoming a man who will bring peace to the world if it kills him. Pain and heartache and cruelty juxtaposed with beauty and triumph and love.
The thing about Red River is that it's everything that things like Fuugishi Yuugi and From Far Away could have been. It doesn't shy away from the hard and the brutal and the nasty. It's still a sanitized version of the brutality of those times in that it does not always show the depths of it, but it is never "Disneyfied." People die in horrible ways, people are twisted by their circumstances, people make unimaginable sacrifices, and people are traumatized by the tides of empires. It's not pretty. It's not "nice." It's fucking awful and I loved it. Red River does not shy away because it knows that pain is part of the glory.
You have to make an investment in Red River. You have to sit down and tell yourself that you're going to give it a fair chance, going to read through for a while and see what this gets you. If you do, chances are you'll be sucked in. You'll hurt, you'll triumph, and you'll love the way the story matures into it's own along with it's heroine, becoming every bit the beautiful, fierce series it was meant to be.
Truth: I am writing this review to include tankoban issues 1-28, e.g. the entire series, since I read it all online in one swift go and have no idea which chapters are in which tankoban, nor do I have the energy to find out just so I can write a shitton of separate reviews. Therefore, this entire review could be deemed as spoilers . Be warned.
So, Yuri is a normal girl from Japan circa the 1990s. She has a loving family, a possible new boyfriend, and has gotten into her high school (or college, depending on translation) of choice. E.g., life is pretty awesome for her. Then water starts acting weird around her and before you know it, she's been dragged (literally) back in time to the Hittite Empire of old. What follows are the trials and tribulations of Yuri as she falls in love, plays political intrigues, is hailed as a goddess, leads rebellions, fights wars, and is kidnapped probably more than she should be, all while trying to get home. (Fun shit.)
Unfortunately I believe a lot of people read the first few chapters of this and feel it is just like every other "girl gets transported to another world/dimension/time and is hailed as an angel/goddess/savior while being the center of a love triangle/quadrangle/fuckiteveryoneangle" manga in the world. That would be because it imitates that formula for a while before coming into it's own.
Here's what it's own is: A historical epic involving political intrigue and massive battles. A girl struggling to cope with the world she has been presented with and rising to the occasion. A boy becoming a man who will bring peace to the world if it kills him. Pain and heartache and cruelty juxtaposed with beauty and triumph and love.
The thing about Red River is that it's everything that things like Fuugishi Yuugi and From Far Away could have been. It doesn't shy away from the hard and the brutal and the nasty. It's still a sanitized version of the brutality of those times in that it does not always show the depths of it, but it is never "Disneyfied." People die in horrible ways, people are twisted by their circumstances, people make unimaginable sacrifices, and people are traumatized by the tides of empires. It's not pretty. It's not "nice." It's fucking awful and I loved it. Red River does not shy away because it knows that pain is part of the glory.
You have to make an investment in Red River. You have to sit down and tell yourself that you're going to give it a fair chance, going to read through for a while and see what this gets you. If you do, chances are you'll be sucked in. You'll hurt, you'll triumph, and you'll love the way the story matures into it's own along with it's heroine, becoming every bit the beautiful, fierce series it was meant to be.
June 4, 2021
So...
The drawings were old school but beautiful, and I liked the setting in the Hittite empire as well as the fact that the main character actually fights and is thought to be the reincarnation of the goddess of war.
However there were a lot of things that bothered me and even though I get it's an old manga, it was just unbearable to read. By that I mean : the insta-love, the fan-service, the attempted sexual assault every chapter, the toxic relationship, the boring unoriginal story, the lack of character development, the repetitiveness, etc. Not an enjoyable read, and not something I would recommend.
The drawings were old school but beautiful, and I liked the setting in the Hittite empire as well as the fact that the main character actually fights and is thought to be the reincarnation of the goddess of war.
However there were a lot of things that bothered me and even though I get it's an old manga, it was just unbearable to read. By that I mean : the insta-love, the fan-service, the attempted sexual assault every chapter, the toxic relationship, the boring unoriginal story, the lack of character development, the repetitiveness, etc. Not an enjoyable read, and not something I would recommend.
February 8, 2019
Red River (which also goes by titles like Anatolia Story and the translation of its full Japanese title "The Sky is on the Banks of the Red River") is my absolute crown jewel favorite manga. It helped kick-start my love of history and my particular fascination with ancient history. I've probably read this 28 volume series several dozen times since I first came upon it in the late 2000s.
As with all my manga reviews, this is an overall review of the series as a whole since trying to slice my thoughts into 28 individual little pieces doesn't seem worth it.
It has an excellent art style that reflects the best parts of 90's manga style, a sort of semi-realism with the features having greater detail and working more within the confines than a lot of 2000s+ manga/anime, which often featured much more cartoon-like drawings, and I think that, compared to some of Ms. Shinohara's earlier works, Red River encompasses her skills when they're at one of their high points with more expressive, attractive eyes and more attention to finer detailing. My only complaint is that her style makes Yuri's hair confusing and I don't quite understand if it's just fluffy or if it's supposed to be curly or what.
This story starts off as a time travel story, but it does something that I like: it makes Yuri be more than just a fish out of water looking to go home 24/7. She participates in the world around her and sometimes home becomes an afterthought to her, she has legitimate cause for the turmoil of leaving and staying and is willing to make the most of her circumstances, going so far as to take on a role of inspiration and help to Prince Kail because of her compassion and sense of righteousness. She isn't brought down by having to wait to return to her time (due to ancient magic rules) and makes the most of it. The problem of her being from the future and having a life there she misses is a conflict to the story, but the complexity of the narrative isn't eaten up by it, which I like. Ms. Shinohara has an excellent sense of story balance and allows the plot to develop and expand within the realm of the plot points that are, from the start, relevant. For example, Nakia's plans to put her son on the throne, Kail's desire to keep Yuri with him, Yuri's conflicting desire to return home to the family she misses and to stay with Kail and her new life, and Kail's desire to forge a world of peace and prosperity. The story does a wonderful job of working all these angles without letting one consume or cast off the other.
When it comes to antagonists, the story isn't lacking! We have multiple arcs with multiple problems that expand beyond just Nakia's scheming, even though she always remains a threat and almost always has a few strings connected to Yuri and Kail's troubles that she pulls from the shadows. I absolute LOVE Usr Ramses, who is more complex than just an antagonist. He jumps around the lines a lot, sometimes aiding Yuri, sometimes going against her, and his motives are both selfish and grand. He does bad things, but isn't evil, and his character is a great contrast against Kail, sharing many similarities with him, but also important distinctions.
I also love all the side characters and think they are well worked into the story; Ilbani, Hatti, Ryui, Shala, Kikkuri, Rasafa, Kash, Ursula, Zannanza, even Yuri's horse, Aslan, is relevant. A complex and well done cast!
The story is based off of historical events and figures, though due to it being quite ancient, Ms. Shinohara definitely does a lot of her own work to fill in what we don't know about the Hittites and makes changes to better fit her narrative. It's not perfectly historically accurate, but it does have a lot of detail and draws forth a lot of obscure details that I don't think a lot of people would know or think to look up and work off of. So, while it's not a replacement for a history book, it's still a very vivid and researched historical setting. It's also like, the only fiction to focus on Hittites. Most other historical manga in this vein either focus on Rome or Egypt as their primary culture and location and what not. While Egypt is an area that gets focused on, the story is presented from the view and consideration of things from the world of the Hittites.
Now, I can sing this story's praises all day. The romance. The history. The plot. The drawings. The complexity. There's many reasons why I love this manga above all other comics and believe me, I've read A LOT of manga in my day of all sizes and shapes and genres. There isn't much that ranks as highly for me as Red River, an epic story that I wish had gotten an anime or live action adaptation or at least a novelization (all of which, of course, would need an official English release so I could enjoy it too!)
But it is not a story without its flaws. I believe we can amount them, to a degree, to two things. 1) 90s Japanese culture having a degree of influence on what was considered acceptable and not acceptable 2) The author using the fact that this is historical to do that THING where things happen and are kind kind of written to me more like "well, that's how it was back then/it's historically accurate"
For the sake of trying to be direct on the areas I find flawed, I'll make a list. Note that this section will contain a lot of spoilers.
• Kail and Yuri have an age gap that's never really addressed, but it's definitely there because he's drawn like a man and has more worldly experience than a 15 or 16 year old boy would. His exact age is never specified, but one can believe he's probably 18-22. Yuri is just 15 at the start of the novel. She's also described as being child-like and boyish with a slim, androgynous kind of body, small breasts, and a generally small stature that makes her appear more like a boy than a teenage girl. In fact, Kail initially assumes that Yuri is more in the realm of 12 or 13 and makes a comment about wanting her to plump up and develop a more womanly body.
I will agree that it probably wasn't unusual for men, especially men of power, to feel at ease having sexual feelings towards girls undergoing puberty and that the lifestyle probably necessitated girls being open game for sexual partners and wives/concubines, but I do wish that Yuri had been older (perhaps starting out at 17 and aging more with the series, rather than starting at 15 and ending around 17 or 18). There is something just kind of off about how Yuri's smallness and softness and more child-like appearance is an appealing draw and she is romantically/sexually desired by several men in the series, though it tends to come alongside her personality and otherness drawing just about everyone to liking her. Though I will say that this isn't necessarily uncommon in media from Asia; I see a lot of manga have heroines similar to Yuri. Jae from 100% Perfect Girl is an example.
• Kail and Ramses make physical advances towards Yuri without consent or that have dubious consent or are in some other way not really okay. Upon seeing Yuri the first time, Kail kisses her. Though the act conceals her from Nakia's soliders and, incidentally, allows her to understand and speak the Hittite language (though not read/write it), it wasn't consensual. He also undresses Yuri when she's injured and, when she wakes, proceeds to kiss and fondle her, acting as if it's the natural course of things since everyone thinks she's his concubine anyway. He does stop when Yuri cries and says she has feelings for another man and for most of the book does only touch her intimately when it's established she's not opposed.
Though we do have THE INCIDENT, which is, sadly, a black stain on the book and a poor reminder that a lot of romances like to use lapses in self control when it comes to intimate touching and sexual contact as testament to a male partner's passions and usual restraint. At one point, Kail, who is very much afraid that Yuri will leave him, makes a very poorly met choice to take the advice of Ilbani, his advisor/steward/friend, to "Love her so she won't want to leave" and enters her bedchamber at night, kisses her, and basically proceeds to try to rape her when she doesn't willingly submit to his desire to have sex with her, stating that as the king he the right to what he wants and what he wants is her. He ignores her pleas to stop, stripping, kissing, touching, with clear intent to go all the way, and it isn't until Hadi, hearing Yuri cry out her name to beg for help, charges into the room and Yuri, absolutely wracked with tears, frees herself from Kail and flings herself into Hadi's arms that Kail comes to his senses and stops, leaving the room and letting Hadi comfort Yuri.
For me, the conflict of the scene makes sense, we needed their relationship to come to a point where it was tested and for Yuri, being intimate with Kail is an area she's been unable to cross, but I am very uncomfortable with its execution. Kail going into her bedchamber, waking her up to him on top of her with thoughts of having sex with her, and then not listening to her rejections because 1) he thinks that he can somehow use sex to make her stay 2) at the very least feels entitled to have his way with her as king and as someone who has feelings for her is just.... it was a bad choice. I cannot say if Kail was going to actually rape Yuri, but it felt like he could because he would delude himself into thinking it was okay because he loved Yuri and they belonged together and he'd waited and he needed her. Yuri even points out that trying to force her is "Ramses' way!" which doesn't alarm him (which is SHOULD HAVE; like that should have been the moment we went "Oh god what am I DOING?" and stopped himself and apologized) but instead riles him up with jealousy/possessiveness ("Don't utter ANOTHER man's name!") and seems to make him more dead set on having Yuri.
Now, I do not at all condone the actions but, trying to at least look at the matter from all angles, I can see that perhaps it's supposed to be in line with Kail being noble that he's probably been told all his life that he could get away with behaving like that as a prince and then later as a king (or perhaps the author, again, saw this kind of behavior as "historically accurate" and therefore worth working into the story) and I can also see that that perhaps the scene had motives that didn't necessarily follow the best logic, again going back to the common romance trope that a man suddenly losing control and attempting to force himself on the woman he loves because he's afraid or jealous or whatever is ultimately a positive in their relationship as proof of how great his feelings are and how tormented he is by the woman not submitting to a sexual relationship to then work as a point to try to urge the woman to let her love interest have sex with her.
Going back to Ramses, he also touches Yuri inappropriately a few times. He kisses her without permission and then, after kidnapping her, proceeds to fondle her and then tries to have his way with her citing that he "can't wait any longer" (implying that having sex with her was perhaps his desire the entire time) and he proceeds to kiss and fondle and strip her. When she fights, he tells her that that makes it more arousing and satisfying for him if she resists him, so she goes limp and still, saying she won't fight him then, and he proceeds to keep touching her anyway and is only stopped when Kail comes to her aid. Later on, he kisses her several times and threatens to have sex with her while she's depressed and refusing to respond to anything, but doesn't do more than threaten her and kiss her to try to shock her out of her depression.
Again, I suppose the idea is that Ramses is a man used to conquering others and having his way and Yuri is this prize he wants to take because he thinks she'll be a great aid to his cause and in the process finds himself very attracted to her and wanting to tame her, but it's still unfortunate that he has to try raping Yuri in the book. It's not as bad as when Kail tries it, if only because Ramses isn't really committing the ultimate betrayal. Yuri has no attachment to Ramses, no trust, and barely any history, so if he turns out to be interested in ravishing her body, that just kind of lumps him in with a lot of other men, whereas Kail uses the power he has over Yuri (being king, physically stronger, more experienced) while betraying her love and trust and perverting his own by letting possessiveness cause him to place his wants and desire above Yuri's autonomy.
• There is, of course, a power imbalance. This does improve as the book goes on (which I like a lot and think is good and that it makes Yuri's character arc worthwhile to see this slow, steady progression of her as a strange girl pretending to be a prince's concubine to a girl who people see as a goddess incarnated who should have a place beside their new king, ruling alongside him) and Yuri grows into her role and starts to take on more independence and more influence in the world, even to the point that Kail has no choice but to allow her requests even though he doesn't want to, but there are many instances where Kail being of royal blood and a powerful prince (and then later king) allow him to hold a lot of things over Yuri for a large part of the series, like the aforementioned incident.
Usually, an event like The Incident would tank a book for me and I do absolutely HATE that it's in this series, but I think that the story and characters have so much to offer in spite of the incident and that in the frame of things (the historical setting coupled with the time in which this was written and the kind of mentality that revolved around romance and sex, since the last 20 years have been where we've seen all these big changes in how sex and romance and relationships and social rights are viewed and the ethics on them) that circumstances just were a sadly perfect storm for this sort of scene to be inserted into the comic and to be used as a point to 1) show just how desperate Kail is and how his way of thinking (that he's a king entitled to things and above others) hinders his relationship with Yuri's modern ways of thinking 2) cause a distinct clashing between them to later overcome, which really revolves around Yuri not fighting the idea of a sexual relationship with Kail, which is hailed as sort of this flood gate opening to them really baring their love and commitment to one another (Yuri gives up her family for Kail and he decides to make it so she can be his queen and therefore only woman, which stems from the sexual tension breaking at last and them consummating their love and cementing their relationship, since Yuri no longer can go home as a result of her choosing to save Kail and not go to the crucial water spring that she initially surfaced in when time traveling aka her only way back, which Nakia destroys to keep Yuri in the past permanently).
I don't forgive The Incident and I wish it wasn't there, but I don't let it ruin my experience. It may be a deal breaker for some, and I understand, but seeing as the book otherwise isn't nearly the same level of problematic as a lot of other manga (Japan has a ways to go before their media stops having really problematic things just casually in there because it's legit how people think) but I am still sad that something this good had to have it as a flaw on its name :(
I may return again to better talk about the issue and use specific quotes from the manga, but for now, this 2 am review of my thoughts is probably good enough lol. I know it's a long one, but hopefully someone will enjoy what I have to say. If you can, like me, see The Incident and condemn it and not let it tarnish the remainder of the story, then I'd highly recommend this series! It is still one of my favorites and I overall just have the criticisms that "Kail shouldn't have had a scene like that and Yuri should have been older" with everything else being tolerable or just flat out AMAZING.
As with all my manga reviews, this is an overall review of the series as a whole since trying to slice my thoughts into 28 individual little pieces doesn't seem worth it.
It has an excellent art style that reflects the best parts of 90's manga style, a sort of semi-realism with the features having greater detail and working more within the confines than a lot of 2000s+ manga/anime, which often featured much more cartoon-like drawings, and I think that, compared to some of Ms. Shinohara's earlier works, Red River encompasses her skills when they're at one of their high points with more expressive, attractive eyes and more attention to finer detailing. My only complaint is that her style makes Yuri's hair confusing and I don't quite understand if it's just fluffy or if it's supposed to be curly or what.
This story starts off as a time travel story, but it does something that I like: it makes Yuri be more than just a fish out of water looking to go home 24/7. She participates in the world around her and sometimes home becomes an afterthought to her, she has legitimate cause for the turmoil of leaving and staying and is willing to make the most of her circumstances, going so far as to take on a role of inspiration and help to Prince Kail because of her compassion and sense of righteousness. She isn't brought down by having to wait to return to her time (due to ancient magic rules) and makes the most of it. The problem of her being from the future and having a life there she misses is a conflict to the story, but the complexity of the narrative isn't eaten up by it, which I like. Ms. Shinohara has an excellent sense of story balance and allows the plot to develop and expand within the realm of the plot points that are, from the start, relevant. For example, Nakia's plans to put her son on the throne, Kail's desire to keep Yuri with him, Yuri's conflicting desire to return home to the family she misses and to stay with Kail and her new life, and Kail's desire to forge a world of peace and prosperity. The story does a wonderful job of working all these angles without letting one consume or cast off the other.
When it comes to antagonists, the story isn't lacking! We have multiple arcs with multiple problems that expand beyond just Nakia's scheming, even though she always remains a threat and almost always has a few strings connected to Yuri and Kail's troubles that she pulls from the shadows. I absolute LOVE Usr Ramses, who is more complex than just an antagonist. He jumps around the lines a lot, sometimes aiding Yuri, sometimes going against her, and his motives are both selfish and grand. He does bad things, but isn't evil, and his character is a great contrast against Kail, sharing many similarities with him, but also important distinctions.
I also love all the side characters and think they are well worked into the story; Ilbani, Hatti, Ryui, Shala, Kikkuri, Rasafa, Kash, Ursula, Zannanza, even Yuri's horse, Aslan, is relevant. A complex and well done cast!
The story is based off of historical events and figures, though due to it being quite ancient, Ms. Shinohara definitely does a lot of her own work to fill in what we don't know about the Hittites and makes changes to better fit her narrative. It's not perfectly historically accurate, but it does have a lot of detail and draws forth a lot of obscure details that I don't think a lot of people would know or think to look up and work off of. So, while it's not a replacement for a history book, it's still a very vivid and researched historical setting. It's also like, the only fiction to focus on Hittites. Most other historical manga in this vein either focus on Rome or Egypt as their primary culture and location and what not. While Egypt is an area that gets focused on, the story is presented from the view and consideration of things from the world of the Hittites.
Now, I can sing this story's praises all day. The romance. The history. The plot. The drawings. The complexity. There's many reasons why I love this manga above all other comics and believe me, I've read A LOT of manga in my day of all sizes and shapes and genres. There isn't much that ranks as highly for me as Red River, an epic story that I wish had gotten an anime or live action adaptation or at least a novelization (all of which, of course, would need an official English release so I could enjoy it too!)
But it is not a story without its flaws. I believe we can amount them, to a degree, to two things. 1) 90s Japanese culture having a degree of influence on what was considered acceptable and not acceptable 2) The author using the fact that this is historical to do that THING where things happen and are kind kind of written to me more like "well, that's how it was back then/it's historically accurate"
For the sake of trying to be direct on the areas I find flawed, I'll make a list. Note that this section will contain a lot of spoilers.
• Kail and Yuri have an age gap that's never really addressed, but it's definitely there because he's drawn like a man and has more worldly experience than a 15 or 16 year old boy would. His exact age is never specified, but one can believe he's probably 18-22. Yuri is just 15 at the start of the novel. She's also described as being child-like and boyish with a slim, androgynous kind of body, small breasts, and a generally small stature that makes her appear more like a boy than a teenage girl. In fact, Kail initially assumes that Yuri is more in the realm of 12 or 13 and makes a comment about wanting her to plump up and develop a more womanly body.
I will agree that it probably wasn't unusual for men, especially men of power, to feel at ease having sexual feelings towards girls undergoing puberty and that the lifestyle probably necessitated girls being open game for sexual partners and wives/concubines, but I do wish that Yuri had been older (perhaps starting out at 17 and aging more with the series, rather than starting at 15 and ending around 17 or 18). There is something just kind of off about how Yuri's smallness and softness and more child-like appearance is an appealing draw and she is romantically/sexually desired by several men in the series, though it tends to come alongside her personality and otherness drawing just about everyone to liking her. Though I will say that this isn't necessarily uncommon in media from Asia; I see a lot of manga have heroines similar to Yuri. Jae from 100% Perfect Girl is an example.
• Kail and Ramses make physical advances towards Yuri without consent or that have dubious consent or are in some other way not really okay. Upon seeing Yuri the first time, Kail kisses her. Though the act conceals her from Nakia's soliders and, incidentally, allows her to understand and speak the Hittite language (though not read/write it), it wasn't consensual. He also undresses Yuri when she's injured and, when she wakes, proceeds to kiss and fondle her, acting as if it's the natural course of things since everyone thinks she's his concubine anyway. He does stop when Yuri cries and says she has feelings for another man and for most of the book does only touch her intimately when it's established she's not opposed.
Though we do have THE INCIDENT, which is, sadly, a black stain on the book and a poor reminder that a lot of romances like to use lapses in self control when it comes to intimate touching and sexual contact as testament to a male partner's passions and usual restraint. At one point, Kail, who is very much afraid that Yuri will leave him, makes a very poorly met choice to take the advice of Ilbani, his advisor/steward/friend, to "Love her so she won't want to leave" and enters her bedchamber at night, kisses her, and basically proceeds to try to rape her when she doesn't willingly submit to his desire to have sex with her, stating that as the king he the right to what he wants and what he wants is her. He ignores her pleas to stop, stripping, kissing, touching, with clear intent to go all the way, and it isn't until Hadi, hearing Yuri cry out her name to beg for help, charges into the room and Yuri, absolutely wracked with tears, frees herself from Kail and flings herself into Hadi's arms that Kail comes to his senses and stops, leaving the room and letting Hadi comfort Yuri.
For me, the conflict of the scene makes sense, we needed their relationship to come to a point where it was tested and for Yuri, being intimate with Kail is an area she's been unable to cross, but I am very uncomfortable with its execution. Kail going into her bedchamber, waking her up to him on top of her with thoughts of having sex with her, and then not listening to her rejections because 1) he thinks that he can somehow use sex to make her stay 2) at the very least feels entitled to have his way with her as king and as someone who has feelings for her is just.... it was a bad choice. I cannot say if Kail was going to actually rape Yuri, but it felt like he could because he would delude himself into thinking it was okay because he loved Yuri and they belonged together and he'd waited and he needed her. Yuri even points out that trying to force her is "Ramses' way!" which doesn't alarm him (which is SHOULD HAVE; like that should have been the moment we went "Oh god what am I DOING?" and stopped himself and apologized) but instead riles him up with jealousy/possessiveness ("Don't utter ANOTHER man's name!") and seems to make him more dead set on having Yuri.
Now, I do not at all condone the actions but, trying to at least look at the matter from all angles, I can see that perhaps it's supposed to be in line with Kail being noble that he's probably been told all his life that he could get away with behaving like that as a prince and then later as a king (or perhaps the author, again, saw this kind of behavior as "historically accurate" and therefore worth working into the story) and I can also see that that perhaps the scene had motives that didn't necessarily follow the best logic, again going back to the common romance trope that a man suddenly losing control and attempting to force himself on the woman he loves because he's afraid or jealous or whatever is ultimately a positive in their relationship as proof of how great his feelings are and how tormented he is by the woman not submitting to a sexual relationship to then work as a point to try to urge the woman to let her love interest have sex with her.
Going back to Ramses, he also touches Yuri inappropriately a few times. He kisses her without permission and then, after kidnapping her, proceeds to fondle her and then tries to have his way with her citing that he "can't wait any longer" (implying that having sex with her was perhaps his desire the entire time) and he proceeds to kiss and fondle and strip her. When she fights, he tells her that that makes it more arousing and satisfying for him if she resists him, so she goes limp and still, saying she won't fight him then, and he proceeds to keep touching her anyway and is only stopped when Kail comes to her aid. Later on, he kisses her several times and threatens to have sex with her while she's depressed and refusing to respond to anything, but doesn't do more than threaten her and kiss her to try to shock her out of her depression.
Again, I suppose the idea is that Ramses is a man used to conquering others and having his way and Yuri is this prize he wants to take because he thinks she'll be a great aid to his cause and in the process finds himself very attracted to her and wanting to tame her, but it's still unfortunate that he has to try raping Yuri in the book. It's not as bad as when Kail tries it, if only because Ramses isn't really committing the ultimate betrayal. Yuri has no attachment to Ramses, no trust, and barely any history, so if he turns out to be interested in ravishing her body, that just kind of lumps him in with a lot of other men, whereas Kail uses the power he has over Yuri (being king, physically stronger, more experienced) while betraying her love and trust and perverting his own by letting possessiveness cause him to place his wants and desire above Yuri's autonomy.
• There is, of course, a power imbalance. This does improve as the book goes on (which I like a lot and think is good and that it makes Yuri's character arc worthwhile to see this slow, steady progression of her as a strange girl pretending to be a prince's concubine to a girl who people see as a goddess incarnated who should have a place beside their new king, ruling alongside him) and Yuri grows into her role and starts to take on more independence and more influence in the world, even to the point that Kail has no choice but to allow her requests even though he doesn't want to, but there are many instances where Kail being of royal blood and a powerful prince (and then later king) allow him to hold a lot of things over Yuri for a large part of the series, like the aforementioned incident.
Usually, an event like The Incident would tank a book for me and I do absolutely HATE that it's in this series, but I think that the story and characters have so much to offer in spite of the incident and that in the frame of things (the historical setting coupled with the time in which this was written and the kind of mentality that revolved around romance and sex, since the last 20 years have been where we've seen all these big changes in how sex and romance and relationships and social rights are viewed and the ethics on them) that circumstances just were a sadly perfect storm for this sort of scene to be inserted into the comic and to be used as a point to 1) show just how desperate Kail is and how his way of thinking (that he's a king entitled to things and above others) hinders his relationship with Yuri's modern ways of thinking 2) cause a distinct clashing between them to later overcome, which really revolves around Yuri not fighting the idea of a sexual relationship with Kail, which is hailed as sort of this flood gate opening to them really baring their love and commitment to one another (Yuri gives up her family for Kail and he decides to make it so she can be his queen and therefore only woman, which stems from the sexual tension breaking at last and them consummating their love and cementing their relationship, since Yuri no longer can go home as a result of her choosing to save Kail and not go to the crucial water spring that she initially surfaced in when time traveling aka her only way back, which Nakia destroys to keep Yuri in the past permanently).
I don't forgive The Incident and I wish it wasn't there, but I don't let it ruin my experience. It may be a deal breaker for some, and I understand, but seeing as the book otherwise isn't nearly the same level of problematic as a lot of other manga (Japan has a ways to go before their media stops having really problematic things just casually in there because it's legit how people think) but I am still sad that something this good had to have it as a flaw on its name :(
I may return again to better talk about the issue and use specific quotes from the manga, but for now, this 2 am review of my thoughts is probably good enough lol. I know it's a long one, but hopefully someone will enjoy what I have to say. If you can, like me, see The Incident and condemn it and not let it tarnish the remainder of the story, then I'd highly recommend this series! It is still one of my favorites and I overall just have the criticisms that "Kail shouldn't have had a scene like that and Yuri should have been older" with everything else being tolerable or just flat out AMAZING.
April 2, 2021
First manga I’ve read (not usually into comics). Was very engaging. Surprised at how quickly I tore through it 😃
April 10, 2024
[Review der gesamten Reihe]
Oh je... selbst einen Tag später fühle ich mich noch völlig book hungover. Wahrscheinlich weil mich diese Reihe soooo ungewöhnlich lange begleitet hat! <3
Kennengelernt habe ich sie 2009 als mir die ersten Bände von einer Klassenkameradin ausgeliehen wurden. In den Jahren danach habe ich versucht online weiterzulesen und die Reihe bis heute bestimmt 4 oder 5 Mal angefangen, aber nie komplett beendet (online lesen ist nicht so cool...). Zum Glück bekam ich dann vor ein paar Jahren die ersten 13 Bände von einer (anderen) Freundin geschenkt und entschied mich dazu, die mittlerweile rar gewordene Serie zu sammeln. Und nach langem Suchen und viel Glück konnte ich sie im letzten Jahr endlich vervollständigen! <3 Aber genug von meiner Origin Story.
Auch wenn ich Anatolia Story erst jetzt zuende lesen konnte, ist mir die Reihe in den letzten 15 Jahren sehr ans Herz gewachsen. Sie hat von Anfang an ein besonderes Gefühl in mir ausgelöst und hat sich von den anderen Shojo-Reihen, die ich gelesen habe unterschieden.
Ich liebe den Zeichenstil, der für mich nur so nach den 90ern schreit, sich aber auch von den anderen Veröffentlichungen dieser Zeit abhebt.
Ich liebe die Prämisse und das Setting. Ein Mädchen aus der modernen Zeit wird durch einen üblen Zauber in das alte Reich der Hethiter(!!) gebracht? Was für eine großartige Idee!
Und ich liebe die Charaktere. Allen voran Yuri, die eine großartige charakterliche Entwicklung durchmacht! Und Kail, der einfach liebenswert ist. Und alle gut durchdachten Nebencharaktere.
Und was kann ich zur Handlung sagen? All den höfischen Intrigen, der langsam brennenden Lovestory und der Entwicklung des Reiches? Ich liebe sie. Alle.
Vielleicht bin ich durch meine lange on/off-Beziehung zu dieser Mangareihe stark voreingenommen. Aber ich kann einfach nichts anderes tun als 5 Sterne zu geben und mich weiter im Elend meines Book Hangovers zu suhlen. Die Reihe wird auch noch bei mir wohnen, wenn ich 90 bin.
Oh je... selbst einen Tag später fühle ich mich noch völlig book hungover. Wahrscheinlich weil mich diese Reihe soooo ungewöhnlich lange begleitet hat! <3
Kennengelernt habe ich sie 2009 als mir die ersten Bände von einer Klassenkameradin ausgeliehen wurden. In den Jahren danach habe ich versucht online weiterzulesen und die Reihe bis heute bestimmt 4 oder 5 Mal angefangen, aber nie komplett beendet (online lesen ist nicht so cool...). Zum Glück bekam ich dann vor ein paar Jahren die ersten 13 Bände von einer (anderen) Freundin geschenkt und entschied mich dazu, die mittlerweile rar gewordene Serie zu sammeln. Und nach langem Suchen und viel Glück konnte ich sie im letzten Jahr endlich vervollständigen! <3 Aber genug von meiner Origin Story.
Auch wenn ich Anatolia Story erst jetzt zuende lesen konnte, ist mir die Reihe in den letzten 15 Jahren sehr ans Herz gewachsen. Sie hat von Anfang an ein besonderes Gefühl in mir ausgelöst und hat sich von den anderen Shojo-Reihen, die ich gelesen habe unterschieden.
Ich liebe den Zeichenstil, der für mich nur so nach den 90ern schreit, sich aber auch von den anderen Veröffentlichungen dieser Zeit abhebt.
Ich liebe die Prämisse und das Setting. Ein Mädchen aus der modernen Zeit wird durch einen üblen Zauber in das alte Reich der Hethiter(!!) gebracht? Was für eine großartige Idee!
Und ich liebe die Charaktere. Allen voran Yuri, die eine großartige charakterliche Entwicklung durchmacht! Und Kail, der einfach liebenswert ist. Und alle gut durchdachten Nebencharaktere.
Und was kann ich zur Handlung sagen? All den höfischen Intrigen, der langsam brennenden Lovestory und der Entwicklung des Reiches? Ich liebe sie. Alle.
Vielleicht bin ich durch meine lange on/off-Beziehung zu dieser Mangareihe stark voreingenommen. Aber ich kann einfach nichts anderes tun als 5 Sterne zu geben und mich weiter im Elend meines Book Hangovers zu suhlen. Die Reihe wird auch noch bei mir wohnen, wenn ich 90 bin.
January 2, 2017
Just to let you know, I'm reviewing this as all 28 volumes :P
Now, on with the basic desciption. Suzuki Yuri is magically transported to Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire ( Ancient Turkey ). She was summoned by the Queen/Tawananna who wished to use her as a human sacrifice to complete a ritual to ensure that her son, Juda Haspasrupri, would get the throne. Yuri is saved by Kail Mursili II, third prince in line to the throne as she is being chased by the Queen's guards. He gives her a kiss which gives her the gift of understanding and speaking the language. He claims that he has taken Yuri as his concubine and as such, is no longer pure and she cannot be used as a sacrifice. The story follows Yuri and Kail as they attempt to overthrow Queen Nakia along with their loyal friends and supporters. What will Yuri choose? Stay with Kail, the man she is helplessly falling for, or will she return to her own century when the time comes?
Now, on with the basic desciption. Suzuki Yuri is magically transported to Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire ( Ancient Turkey ). She was summoned by the Queen/Tawananna who wished to use her as a human sacrifice to complete a ritual to ensure that her son, Juda Haspasrupri, would get the throne. Yuri is saved by Kail Mursili II, third prince in line to the throne as she is being chased by the Queen's guards. He gives her a kiss which gives her the gift of understanding and speaking the language. He claims that he has taken Yuri as his concubine and as such, is no longer pure and she cannot be used as a sacrifice. The story follows Yuri and Kail as they attempt to overthrow Queen Nakia along with their loyal friends and supporters. What will Yuri choose? Stay with Kail, the man she is helplessly falling for, or will she return to her own century when the time comes?
April 26, 2013
When I first started Red River, I thought it was going to be like another certain time traveling manga/anime series I follow.
Inuyasha?
But Red River ended up being very different from Inuyasha, and focused more on both historical accuracy and the romance angle between Yuri and Kail. Its setting is also in the Hittite Empire, a place I know NOTHING about, and I respect the dedication done throughout the series, so far, to keeping it mostly accurate to that time.
(That being said, I don't know much about that time, but from my general impressions, as well as a warning to stay away from the actual history of the time, I gathered there was significant amount of historical incorporation.)
The romance is pretty shojo, and while it moves fairly quickly, it doesn't fall into insta-love standards, and is constantly being questioned and redefined by the characters-most of which occurs because of the time-travel and Yuri's status as someone from 20th century Japan. Its nice to see characters act like adults and question their right to be together due to the circumstances that surround them, even if I'm seriously yelling "JUST KISS ALREADY" every volume :P
The character interactions are definitely wonderful, and the mangakan takes the time to create relationships and friendships that are complex and deep, and don't become these side-shows to the romance between Yuri and Kail.
The politics are especially interesting in this series, and I like the incorporation and questioning of concubines and queens that goes on. In spite of the amount of magic that goes on, and it's really insignificant, this series is definitely on the side of history, and really tries to incorporate things like armies, chariots, etc... that keep it true to the setting its situated in.
All in all, while Red River made me initially compare it to Inuyasha, it turned out to be its own thing with an emphasis on history and politics that made me respect it, and a romance that had me swooning from page one.
Even if it didn't include a certain something that I love about Inuyasha.
4.5-5/5
Inuyasha?
But Red River ended up being very different from Inuyasha, and focused more on both historical accuracy and the romance angle between Yuri and Kail. Its setting is also in the Hittite Empire, a place I know NOTHING about, and I respect the dedication done throughout the series, so far, to keeping it mostly accurate to that time.
(That being said, I don't know much about that time, but from my general impressions, as well as a warning to stay away from the actual history of the time, I gathered there was significant amount of historical incorporation.)
The romance is pretty shojo, and while it moves fairly quickly, it doesn't fall into insta-love standards, and is constantly being questioned and redefined by the characters-most of which occurs because of the time-travel and Yuri's status as someone from 20th century Japan. Its nice to see characters act like adults and question their right to be together due to the circumstances that surround them, even if I'm seriously yelling "JUST KISS ALREADY" every volume :P
The character interactions are definitely wonderful, and the mangakan takes the time to create relationships and friendships that are complex and deep, and don't become these side-shows to the romance between Yuri and Kail.
The politics are especially interesting in this series, and I like the incorporation and questioning of concubines and queens that goes on. In spite of the amount of magic that goes on, and it's really insignificant, this series is definitely on the side of history, and really tries to incorporate things like armies, chariots, etc... that keep it true to the setting its situated in.
All in all, while Red River made me initially compare it to Inuyasha, it turned out to be its own thing with an emphasis on history and politics that made me respect it, and a romance that had me swooning from page one.
Even if it didn't include a certain something that I love about Inuyasha.
4.5-5/5
January 8, 2018
I read the entire manga series when I was much younger. I loved it then. Now, I am not so sure... This is what happens when you re-read something 20 years later. You just start pulling at every string, every detail and question the silliness of it. Girl goes back in time, prince falls in love, drama for years and years and years (in our reading in anticipation of the next chapters, while the entire series is about 2 years max...). Yeah... Great story then, cliche with a side of cringe today.
I still have 20 something mangas to read to complete the series once more, but I won't feel that same way towards this series. Reading it through the eyes of an adult kinda ruins it, better left in the past with memories of it.
I don,t even feel nostalgic about this re-read... I better stay away from the Twilight Saga. That'll open up a can of worms...
I still have 20 something mangas to read to complete the series once more, but I won't feel that same way towards this series. Reading it through the eyes of an adult kinda ruins it, better left in the past with memories of it.
I don,t even feel nostalgic about this re-read... I better stay away from the Twilight Saga. That'll open up a can of worms...
August 26, 2021
Red River
2 Stars
Jun 19 2021
To anyone considering reading this series I highly recommend picking up From Far Away (also known as Kanata Kara) instead!
While Red River has a slight potential to be an okay series, I’m only two books into Red River, nowhere near loving it, and I’m seeing a similar story to From Far Away but with a much less interesting way of putting it together and more annoying choices (for reasons such as rape-y characters as love interests, lack of interesting characters in general, and simply a less interesting plot and whinier characters). From Far Away has a deeper plot, better characters all around (many quite lovable), minimal but realistic romance, more emotional depth, and humor…and more. I would recommend it much more than I ever could this. I hope someone might benefit from this information. Best of luck.
Until next time.
Happy reading!
This is my opinion and never meant to completely discourage anyone from reading anything they think they may like reading. Good luck and happy reading!
2 Stars
Jun 19 2021
To anyone considering reading this series I highly recommend picking up From Far Away (also known as Kanata Kara) instead!
While Red River has a slight potential to be an okay series, I’m only two books into Red River, nowhere near loving it, and I’m seeing a similar story to From Far Away but with a much less interesting way of putting it together and more annoying choices (for reasons such as rape-y characters as love interests, lack of interesting characters in general, and simply a less interesting plot and whinier characters). From Far Away has a deeper plot, better characters all around (many quite lovable), minimal but realistic romance, more emotional depth, and humor…and more. I would recommend it much more than I ever could this. I hope someone might benefit from this information. Best of luck.
Until next time.
Happy reading!
This is my opinion and never meant to completely discourage anyone from reading anything they think they may like reading. Good luck and happy reading!
September 30, 2009
My first foray into manga... and jebus am I hooked. I started reading it after I got home from work at 11 pm last night, kept reading until 6 am, "napped" for two hours, got ready for work while continuing to read. I am on the 16th volume. Exactly the type of escapism I was looking for: historical-fantasty-romantic-adventure fiction. Granted if you're really squeamish about violence and sex or dislike female leads getting rescued, may not be the book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Prince Kail - HOT. Yuri - a non-irritating female lead that I actually like. I am a little sad that I'm breezing through these too quickly. :)
April 2, 2020
awesome series, which i will have to rate them all, mwahaha! extremely well researched, but focuses on war, sex, and political intregue. it ends up leaving out cultural aspects like courtship, celebrations (festivals, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.), popular foods, intimate dialog about past interactions between friends and family, etc. still, it's a series filed with consequence as there is death in every volume, and romantic twists around every corner.
October 30, 2010
I didn't like this book. I thought it was rather boring. I only read it because a friend if mine told me to read it. It is basically about a girl who magically went to ancient Egypt and is stuck there with a evil witch who is on her back to kill her. And the prince is the one who saves her but the real question is will she make it back to her world. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
March 24, 2009
The first volume of this historical/fantasy manga offers quite a shallow and naive story about the girl that "jumped through time". Not nearly as good as Basara and comparable to Fushigi Yuugi, this manga haven't impressed me so far. I mean, c'mon, the girl understands the ancient language suddenly after a kiss from a prince? Meh...
October 5, 2015
spend 2 days reading the whole series.
I haven't read a period manga in a while so this was a throwback to classic comics with the drawing and all.
The series didn't really pick up for me until after the fifth volume but after that I couldn't stop until I finished. now I feel sad and happy that I finished.
I haven't read a period manga in a while so this was a throwback to classic comics with the drawing and all.
The series didn't really pick up for me until after the fifth volume but after that I couldn't stop until I finished. now I feel sad and happy that I finished.
February 3, 2017
i'm never reading manga again i can't believe shes 15 and he keeps trying to bang her i'm out
August 23, 2021
Rarely read any Shojos so let's see how this one goes .... interesting for sure ... Manga Hoarder made me read this. It's probably the historical fiction that sounds intriguing to me.
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