Red River, Vol. 3

天は赤い河のほとり [Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori] #3

by Chie Shinohara

Over 15 million copies sold in Japan! R to L (Japanese Style).

Prince Kail, a young warrior and sorcerer, and Yuri, a modern-day teen, were thrown together when Queen Nakia drew Yuri across time and space into the ancient Hittite Empire. When it is the season of the North Star, Prince Kail has the power to send Yuri home. But the evil queen's plan to murder them both--and their growing feelings for one another--keep getting in the way!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Graphic Novels, Historical, Time Travel

187 pages, Paperback

First published November 25, 1995

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

[Kereesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

HECK YES GIRL POWER.

But not like girl power that's overpowered or weird. Just plain awesomeness.



4.5-5/5

[raf · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you have NOT already read or even stated reading Red River or Anatolia Story as it is also named... i PITY you!

if i recommend it?without a second thought.
get your asses down and spend the next 24 hours or if you are a slow reader spend the next few days reading this manga!
you will definately 100% not going to regret it!
YOU WILL LOVE IT!

WARNING!!!
this manga it's addictive
you weep and cry
and want to murder the tawanana more than one times a chapter

[Keiko the manga enthusiast ♒︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cringe is unavoidable but I’m committed to finish this. I actually like Yuri and Prince Kail’s chemistry. Yuri is getting stronger but I hate that she’s such a pushover. Like, girl, literally push them off if you don’t want to, or if they’re invading your personal space. It’s so problematic, y’all, please don’t do it at home.

Plot-wise, I like where the story’s going, and plus points for the brutality and intense the action sequence brings. Only the romance is off-putting. Haha!

[Lexie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aka: the one in which Yuri learns that you can't just go parading about like a boy if you're the Prince's Consort

Or something like that.

We meet Kail's brother Zannizanni (nah its like Zanzibar? No wait Zannanza! Damn Hittite names) who sadly fails to remember that the Queen is sneaky and trusting drinks from strangers is a bad idea. Thus Yuri is--again!--assaulted, though jeez her virginity has 9 lives or something because it somehow has survived ravishment. Thankfully she uses her brains, gets Zannizanni back to his old self...just in time to see an invasion coming to overrun the town her ran off with her to.

Yep that'll end well.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

With Volume 3, it is clear our heroine Yuri is going to be spending a lot of time in the Hittite empire before she will be able to return home. In this volume she becomes embroiled in a war, is revered as an incarnation of the goddess Ishtar, and stolen away by Kail’s brother in lust. It’s all thanks to the evil Queen’s manipulations, of course.

Story: Tito’s family have been told that he was murdered by Yuri for not serving her correctly. They all seek revenge but it is Yuri’s father – a famous swordmaker – who has the final test for her. He will make her choose a sword and fight the Queen’s bloodthirsty henchman to the death. When Yuri picks a famous sword, defeats the henchman, and then comes to tell the true story of Tito’s death, the nation is enthralled with this incarnation of Ishtar. The Queen, however, is still scheming: she uses her powers to create desperate lust in Kail’s brother toward Yuri; he steals her from the palace and tries to escape with her, Kail hot on their heels.

We have the typical Shoujo plot device of people falling all over our heroine who just ‘aw shucks’ most of the book. Most of the series is the battle of wills and deception/lies between the Queen and Yuri and this volume is no exception. But the artwork remains consistent, if very dated, and the action is easy to follow (if not to actually believe).

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Volume 3 has a great opening chapter. Highly impressive and nail-biting. Volume 3 was good, but my biggest issue is with the brother who is secretly jealous and wants to be with the heroine. I hate that trope so much in shojo. It never fails to piss me off, and the brother always ends up kidnapping the heroine. Let that trope die!!!!!! I am invested in the political plot, and seeing Yuri embrace herself as she steps into the role of Ishtar reincarnated.

[MaguiWorld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Los mangas dónde la protagonista está SIEMPRE en apuros son un poco agotadores 😂 pero admito que también son bastante adictivos.

No me gusta que todo aquel que quiera secuestrarla tenga *otra* intensión. Cómo que se vuelve repetitivo y molesto. Pensé que iba a desarrollar más a los personajes pero no lo está haciendo. So... Seguiremos viendo.

[haven ⋄ f (hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This poor girl. I feel so bad for her. The story in this one kind of fades away, but comes back right in time for the obligatory cliffhanger. It's really realistic (story), which makes it even sadder/creepier. There is a bit of character development in this one but not enough. Another supporting character is introduced in this one. Not too enjoyable, but I'll finish out what I got.

[Dominique "Eerie" Sobieska · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this at work since I miscalculated the amount I had left to read in my other novel.
I just see problems. Avoidable ones.

[Jenny Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is continuing to be a great series and Yuri continues to grow as a character. I am glad she sees her weaknesses and asks for help to improve them. She knows what she wants, same as Kail. Great blending of romance, politics and war.

[Hisgirl85 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Kesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

See so many problems with this series ...

[Rahul · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I am happy to come back reading mangas again.

[Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm just committed to finishing this series at this point. Mostly cause I have this faint hope that it gets better (Spoiler alert, only by like 2%). This one focused on the main character learning that her modern era lifestyle does not blend into the past as much as she wishes it would.

[Shayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top notch :{)

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still enjoying this one, though there are some things that didn't age well. Your mileage may vary on this shojo.

[Shia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more! You become so entranced with the story that it goes by so quickly and these cliffhangers are wicked!

[Starbubbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh! this series is soo good! i love it! let's play how accurate is it! it's so much fun when books are this well researched.

iron?
in ancient times iron really was extracted from meteorites. the reason why it's so commonly found now is that the ore is extracted from more sources. i wish i could remember exactly where people now get it from. honestly i'm surprised she identified it as iron. i would have identified it as steel. i wouldn't exactly be wrong with that assumption though, since steel comes from iron. ah, science is fun sometimes.

the three empires in the area?
they did exsist. they were all contending with eachother for that same area.

can an iron sword break a golden one?
it is a possiblity. gold is a really weak metal. but yuri would not be able to exert enough force (or even resistance) against that beast to have his sword broken. in relatity, she probably would have dropped her weapon.

can an iron dagger break stone?
once again, judging from her physique, no. though, she could have wedged the stone off. but breaking it in half? highly unlikely, even if it was already damaged.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read #1
Started on August 20, 2018
Finished on August 20, 2018
3.5 stars

I guess August is turning into manga month for me. I was staring at all my newer manga, but decided maaaaybe I should continue on with the 20 other series I've already started.

Oh, buddy, now we've got another romantic interest! Prince Zeroni! Wait no, that's the hit classic Holes. (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist, dnw I hate myself too)

Prince Zannanza!!! (which is really close to the word bonanza, which is really close to word banana, so now I just want to call him Prince Bananabonanza) But OMG guys, this dude is a fricken CUTIE with a capital Q! He's tall, has shoulder length blonde hair, wears lots of pretty finger rings... wait, I'm having deja vu. Are we sure that's not Prince Kail in a wig? Okay so WHUUUUUT Prince Bananabonanza is apparently Prince Kail's BROTHER. So many food names in this family. And after a dramatic costume change on Yuri's part (it's always the Pygmalion trope that gets them, am I right ladies?), he falls for Yuri too! A plot twist™!

Trolling review aside, still having as consistent feelings for this volume as I did the last. A very fun, brain candy ride.

[Jill Jacob-Cabrera · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art still bothers me. lol. I do find that I am invested to find out what's going to happen, and I do like the characters. Do I find it weird that the MC is referred to as a child a lot of times and she is actually just 15 and being sexualized? Yes. Is there flagrant not your ordinary girl trope? Yes. Do I find her clinging to Kail with her whole body ridiculous? Yes. Do I think the political schemes and the bow that can only be weilded by three people (wtf) kinda stupid? Yes. But i still want to know what happens. Ugh. Ishtar help me.

[cherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t love the fact that Yuri is for some reason super powerful and talented with weapons but I assume we’ll be given some reasoning later on. I also feel like this girl is constantly being taken away and dragged around and it’s a little redundant. But I’ll allow it because it’s still entertaining.

I did love Yuri’s makeover when she was introduced to the gathering of people! Slay! I hope she gets lots of character development, both physically and emotionally.

[Devon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know if I can continue reading this series. I will admit it’s engaging and I’m flying through them fast which is why I’ve given them 3 stars but I just am not comfortable with all the attempted assault and rape in the series and just the first three volumes. And fact that she’s only 15 and the main love interest is like 20

[Lovekitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling. Captivating. Utterly Stunning. I'm loving this series more and more by the volume!
Yuri is growing stronger.
Kail, hotter.
The illustrations, even more beautiful.
That's all I shall say for this.

[J.Nida · Rating 4 out of 5]

ยูริแก้แค้นให้ทีตสำเร็จโดยการฆ่านักล่าหัว
และได้รับยกย่องเป็นเทวีอิชทาร์ หลังจากนั้นก็มีเรื่อง
ที่เจ้าชายซานันซาดื่มน้ำสีดำของราชินีไป
เลยชิงตัวยูริไป ระหว่างทางเจอพวกกองทัพไมเทนนีที่มารุกรานโดยบังเอิญ

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story, beautiful artwork, and great characters.

[AN NGUYEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME!!!

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

really good. this is my second time reading this series and i think it makes me moore in love with it.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this series on a mere coincidence but it quickly became one of my all time favourites. I read the entire series in 1.5-2 days. It was truly wonderful and a joy to experience.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

loving this series savoring each book or trying too haha

[El · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't like the first two volumes. Pushed on to see if it would get better. It didn't. Got even worse. I'm officially dnfing the series.