Red River (manga)
Red River (Japanese: 天は赤い河のほとり, Hepburn: Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori, lit. The Sky Is on the Banks of the Red River), also known as Anatolia Story, is a Japanese shōjo manga series by Chie Shinohara. It is published in Japan by Shogakukan in Sho-Comi and collected in 28 volumes. It is published in English in North America by Viz Media, with 25 volumes released as of April 2009 and the remaining 3 published thereafter. In 2000, the series won the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo.[2]
Red River is about a fifteen-year-old Japanese girl named Yuri Suzuki, who time travels to Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire in Anatolia. She was summoned by Queen Nakia who means to use Yuri as a human sacrifice. Yuri’s blood is the key element needed in placing a curse upon the princes of the land so that they will perish, leaving Nakia’s son as the sole heir to the throne. As the story progress, however, Yuri not only repeatedly manages to escape Nakia’s scheming, she also becomes revered as an incarnation of the goddess Ishtar and falls in love with prince Kail.
The story takes place during the reign of King Suppiluliuma I, at a time when the Hittite Empire was near its peak of power, rivaled only by Egypt, which was then ruled by the young Pharaoh Tutankhamen. Many of the people and events in the story are drawn from actual history, from Princes Kail Mursili, Sari Arnuwanda, and Zannanza, to battles with the neighboring Mitanni kingdom around the town of Kizzuwatna.
The main character of the story. Only fifteen at the start of the series, Yuri is willing to take up any charitable cause. As she possesses knowledge far greater than any woman of the time (such as recognition of iron and knowledge of 20th century hygiene), and often seems to find herself in situations that “prove” she is Ishtar, she is often considered to have divine powers and is thought by most to be the living incarnation of the goddess of love and war, Ishtar; as such, she is often referred to as Yuri Ishtar (ユーリ·イシュタル, Yūri Ishutaru). Despite this, Yuri is insecure and a tomboy; she generally prefers to dress in men’s clothing for the sake of practicality, much to the consternation and dismay of her handmaids. Much is made of the general opinion that she is “not strikingly beautiful” and “possesses little womanly charm” (although through the perseverance of her handmaids, she has sometimes been shown to be transformed into a stunning beauty); however, her natural charm, goodness, and selflessness win her the undying affection and loyalty of many people, both Hittites and their enemies. She is a middle-school accomplished gymnast, and during her stay in Hattusa, she learns the arts of sword fighting and archery, so that she can better help Kail survive on his own.
Yuri falls in love with Kail soon in the story. Torn between her return to her time and her love for Kail and his love for her, Yuri finally decides to stay in Anatolia forever. In a desperate attempt to overthrow Queen Nakia, she raises a private army and unites other factions loyal to her and Kail, and eventually succeeds in deposing Queen Nakia once and for all and ascending to the title Tawananna, the Hittite Queen, and marries Kail.
