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, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, 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

[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).

[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.

[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.

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally sucked in. I love it! I love the art, I love the story, I love the characters. I love it!

[Bomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems Yuri finally realised she's in love with Kail - as she had no experience with love other that her first kiss with Himuro (who seems to have been forgotten), she didn't realice she was Kail's love object, even though there were kisses and hugs, she thinks she's only his concubine, and not a love interest for him. What's the best is that romance here is not the main theme or point, is just an excuse to develop the story.

On another note, Yuri is finally standing up for herself, even if only for a bit. She continues to be rescued from almost everything but at least she knows she has to be better, she has to learn to protect herself more. At the beginning of the volume, she kills Zuwa (was that his name?) as a revenge for Tito, but only after Talos, Tito's father, appears magically to her "rescue", which is to give her a weapon so she's not at disadvantage. She then is proclamed the Goddess of War, Ishtar. After that she decides she wants to lear to fight, because she doesn't want to be a burden to Kail, thus, depend on him (but we know she's not going to stop depending on him). When she's kidnapped by Kail's brother (whatever is his name) and she's almost raped, she cannot fight him, she can't protect herself so she keeps calling Kail's name. But Yuri knows he's being manipulated so when she sees the oportunity, she helps him so he can be himself again. Good.

I'm also almost fascinated the way she (or other people) describes herself. I mean, when I look at her I see a girl, but because she wears "masculine" clothes, a lot of people think she's a boy when they first see her... and she even sees herself a bit boy-ish since she doesn't like dresses and she's more comfortable wearing other clothes rather than the ones asignated to girls or women.

[Tala · Rating 1 out of 5]

It frustrates me that Yuri doesn’t open her mouth and tell Tito’s dad she didn’t kill Tito. Is she dumb??? It certainly feels like it. Sadly, this isn’t the end of me questioning the female lead’s mental capacity. She must have no common sense.

How strong is Zuwa??? He just sliced into a dude like paper! I kind of rolled my eyes a bit when Yuri chose the special dagger. That plot armor is going strong. 😂 it’s so manga. Yuri is so determined to have revenge but then runs away when the opportunity is shoved onto her. Idk Why is she learning everything so quickly? You need a lifetime to master a sword but she mastered it in what I can only assume to be weeks. Mary Sue syndrome has set in.

It bothers me that Yuri killed a guy and it doesn’t bother her. Killing a dude shouldn’t be brushed over so easily like that. But also, she’s dealing with sexual assault, war time violence, and the threat of constant death. I must remind myself, she is Mary Sue now. Everyone loves her, she’s beautiful, good at everything, and drama. 🎭

Can I reiterate how weird I find the romance plotline to be? Why did I like this while younger! LOL it made it explicitly clear in the first volume how young Yuri is and how Prince Kail viewed her as a small child. And now people see her as a young boy as well! So awkward. 😬 RIP the boy she was going out with before the water snatched her up. And are we going to ignore the fact Zannanza is attracted to Yuri because she looks like his mom???

I have nothing but complaints about this volume. I feel bad but also not. LMFAO I like this series because of nostalgia. But it is kind of a chore to read through without poking at everything.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've finally figured out why I gravitate towards this vein of manga: they may have romance, but they don't exist simply for that sake. There's a lot more military action (complete with enemy invasions and strategic getaways) than I imagined, but the action is just one of its many sub genres: there's historical fiction, action/adventure (it's actually very telling that it's vol.3, and Yuri is the only one to wield a weapon and actually do some damage, all the while being confused for a young child-as someone who looks forever young, I can relate) However it's not all diamonds: the near sexual assault images were hard to stomach (ok, I straight up skipped those bits-no regrets). I mean, I know Prince Z is under the evil queen's water spell, but "no" means "no", and the water tactic is wearing a bit thin. But those are minor complaints to major compliments. The series may be tooled for the female audience (magical girl/time travel ones usually are), but they don't pander. Looking forward to the next one.

[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.