Red River (manga)

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Red River
天は赤い河のほとり
(Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori)
Genre Historical
Manga
Author Chie Shinohara
Publisher Flag of Japan Shogakukan
Demographic Shōjo
Serialized in Sho-Comi
Original run 1995 – 2002
Volumes 28 volumes

Red River (天は赤い河のほとり Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori: Anatolia Story?, "Heaven by the Red River"), is a shōjo manga series made by Chie Shinohara. It is published in Japan by Shogakukan, and it is published English by VIZ Media. The series originally ran in Shogakukan's shōjo manga magazine Shōjo Comic. The English releases are currently up to volume 21 of 28. In 2001, it won the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo.[1] Also, a written 16-volume novel version of the story exists in Japan, again by Shinohara.

Red River is about a fifteen-year old Japanese girl named Yuri Suzuki, who is magically transported 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 a saint and incarnation of the goddess Ishtar and falls in love with crown 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.

Contents

[edit] Characters

[edit] Main

Yuri Suzuki (鈴木夕梨 Suzuki Yūri?)

The main character of the story. Only fifteen at the start of the series, Yuri is confident and 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 medical practices and 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?). Her natural charm and her selflessness also win her the undying affection and loyalty of many people, both Hittites and their enemies. Despite this, Yuri is modest and tomboyish, preferring to dress in men's clothing for the sake of practicality, much to the consternation and dismay of her handmaids. She is an accomplished gymnast, and during her stay in Hattusa, she learns the art of sword fighting and archery, so that she can better help Kail and survive on her own.
In volume 14, Yuri decides to stay with Kail for the rest of her life, giving up her family and her way back to modern times. In volume 16, Kail informs the Senate of his wish to marry Yuri, and some of the members oppose the idea. When they turn to Nakia for council, she places the condition that Yuri may only become Kail's queen if she becomes Gal Meshedi, Commander in Chief of the Hittite army, and comes back victorious from the campaign against Egypt. In volume 18, while out out preforming her duties as Commander in Chief, she realizes she is pregnant. Kail is ecstatic with the news and quickly relieves Yuri of her duties, despite the threat that it may delay or end their plans to wed. However in volume 19 she has a miscarriage. She goes into a great depression because she feels she failed Kail.
In a desperate attempt to overthrow Queen Nakia, Yuri 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 Tawananna, the Hittite Queen.

Kail Mursili

The third prince of the Hittite empire, son of King Suppililiuma and the second Tawananna, Queen Hinti. At the beginning of the series, he finds Yuri running frantically from Nakia's guards, and gives her the gift of understanding and speaking their language by way of a kiss. He finds Yuri to be quite unlike any woman he has ever met, and promises to help her find a way home to Japan, while struggling with his own growing love and desire for her. He initially calls Yuri his concubine and the incarnate form of Ishtar in order to protect her from Queen Nakia, but even he begins to believe his own tale after a while, and the legend of Yuri as Ishtar and his growing desire for her eventually grow beyond his control.
Kail is loyal to those he cares for, but constantly at odds with his stepmother, the third Tawananna, Queen Nakia; her lust for taking the throne for her son, Prince Juda, is his prime motivation for finding a woman who he can love unconditionally and whose personality would be that of a true queen. A powerful priest and sorcerer in his own right, he has the ability to control wind and air, and is one of the few who can counter Nakia's spells in any way. Part way through the series, in volume 12, he ascends to the throne as King Mursili II. In volume 14, he announces to his servants that he wants to marry Yuri and make her his queen, despite the fact that custom dictates that he may only marry a member of the royal family, or a foreign princess. Later in volume 16 he lets the Senate know of his intention to marry Yuri.

[edit] Enemies

Queen Nakia

The third and current Tawananna (queen) of the Hittite Empire, wife of King Suppililiuma. It was Nakia's spell that took Yuri from her original time frame, and she intends to use Yuri's blood as part of a curse to kill the five princes ahead of her son in line for the throne. Foiled by Prince Kail in her initial attempts to secure Yuri, Nakia constantly and shamelessly manipulates people and situations to her benefit; her main motivation is that she feels betrayed by her own family for having married her off at the age of 15 to an old man. Her schemings come to an end, however, when her son Juda publicly attacks her for her evil deeds, screaming that he never wanted to assume the royal throne in the first place; she is subsequently deposed and placed under his supervision.
Nakia is a high priestess, and she has some control over water, using certain kinds of enchanted water as a form of mind control. The character is loosely based on the historical Tawananna Malnigal of Babylon.

Urhi Shalma

Nakia's personal servant, an assassin who usually takes the guise of a royal priest. He takes advantage of his position and his uncommonly feminine appearance to gain the trust of people to be used in Nakia's plots against Yuri and Prince Kail. His surname is not well-known, and is used when he chooses to go incognito. Under his robes, he hides a number of whipping scars.
Urhi is rumored to be the true father of Prince Juda; this is proven false, however, because in a flashback it is shown that he had his penis cut off. He later looses one eye to Rusafa and is betrayed by Nakia when yet another scheme of hers against Yuri fails, and after hugging Nakia and giving her some "advice", Urhi stabs himself.

Prince Mattiwaza (Kuro, The Prince Of Darkness)

The crown prince of the Mitanni kingdom, son of King Tushratta, and younger brother of Nefertiti. Called the "Prince of Darkness" for his ruthless demeanor and behavior at war, he launches a campaign against the Hittites and kidnaps Yuri in an attempt to demoralize them. This strategy fails, as the Mitanni people rally around Yuri when she tends to the injured and sick in the capital, and even Mattiwaza himself is eventually won over by Yuri's charm. When the Mitanni kingdom is completely overrun and the king murdered by his own soldiers, Mattiwaza releases Yuri, abdicates the throne, and departs with his head concubine Nadia.
During her captivity, Mattizawa reveals to Yuri that his sister Tatukia was sold to the Egyptians to be a queen, and is now known as Nefertiti. Though Mattiwaza and Takukia were siblings, they had an affair when younger. Her change from a caring sister and lover to a cold and calculating schemer had a severe effect on Mattizawa; while he ruled his people with intelligence and consideration, he had no compassion for the lives and feelings of others - until he met Yuri. The jewel Mattiwaza wears of his forehead is a memento of his love for his sister, and this memento is passed on to Yuri, who wears it around her neck for much of the rest of the series.

Nefertiti (Tatukia or Tadukhipa)

A famous queen of Egypt, once a princess of Mitanni, and the blood sister of Mattiwaza, with whom she had an affair when they were younger. She was sold to Egypt to solidify the legitimacy of the Mitanni kingdom, and was married to Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten). In many ways she is the Egyptian counterpart of Queen Nakia: a powerful and influential schemer working for her own desires, not for the welfare of the people or the nation. It is suggested that she has her hand in Tutankhamen's death, and she also conspires with Nakia for the downfall of the Hittite empire.
In the English version, instead of the more conforming version of her name listed above, the spelling 'Tatukia' is used.

Zuwa

The leader of the fierce Kashuga (Kaska) tribe, who works for Queen Nakia. Larger than the average man, he is also very bloodthirsty and sadistic, collecting the skins of his human victims much like a hunter would collect the skins of animals and crafting his attire from them. After killing Tito, he meets his end, outmaneuvered and outsmarted, by Yuri's hands, who shatters his outsized copper sword and the mud bricks beneath his feet with an iron blade, causing him to fall to his death from the palace walls.

[edit] Royalty

King Suppililiuma

The ruler of the Hittites, by the beginning of the story he is already advanced in years. He has fought several wars with the Mitanni and the Egyptians, and his reign is considered to be a high point in the history of the people. He later officially falls victim to the Seven Day Fever, but Nakia later reveals that she had actually had her own hand in his demise.

Queen Hinti

The late second wife of King Suppiluliuma and Kail's mother. From the flashbacks and mentionings scattered throughout the story, she is depicted as a gentle, caring mother. She was murdered by Nakia so that she could ursurp the position of Tawananna.

Sari Arnuwanda

The Crown Prince, oldest son of King Suppiluliuma and the King's first wife. Largely invalid, he relies heavily on his brothers, specifically Zannanza and Kail, in order to fulfill his duties. After he ascends to the throne, he in turn picks Kail to be his heir, as he has no sons. Shortly afterwards, he is assassinated by Urhi, and Yuri blamed for his murder.

Zannanza Hattusili

The fourth son of King Suppiluliuma (with a palace maid), he is very skilled with swords and military tactics, and is the mayor of the Hittite city of Kadesh. Prince Zannanza is very fond of Kail, whom he regards as a full brother, since they were playmates when they were little, and he was also raised by Kail's mother after his own mother died. He also falls in love with Yuri, which unfortunately is exploited by Queen Nakia. Zannanza is very loyal to Kail, and despite his feelings, does not try to get in the way of the relationship between Kail and Yuri. He is betrothed to Ankhesenamen, the widow of Tutankhamen, in an attempt to make peace between the Hittites and Egypt, but never arrives at his destination, having been assassinated en route. Only Yuri, who had accompanied him, escapes to bring news of his death.

Juda Haspasrupi

The sixth son of King Suppiluliuma and the current Tawananna, Queen Nakia. Despite his mother's constant and blatantly evil scheming, Prince Juda is a kind boy who doesn't understand his mother's enmity towards his beloved brothers, particularly his favorite, Kail. He has a strong interest in astronomy, and despite his (for modern times comparatively) young age (14 when he is first introduced) he is mentioned to have at least one wife and two concubines. His dream is to serve as a domestic advisor to Kail, whom he wishes to become king, and he thinks of Yuri as an older sister.
Juda falls victim to his mother's schemes quite often, but he is an unwilling pawn who must be controlled by magic to cooperate. When he eventually discovers the truth behind his mother's schemes, he attempts suicide. He later tries to slay his mother in a fit of rage before Yuri and Kail intervene.

Rois Telipinu

The second son of King Suppililiuma (with a concubine), he is not considered to be one of the serious claimants to the throne and is largely relegated to royal ceremonies. He is the mayor of the Hittite city of Haleb.

Mali Piyasili

The fifth son of King Suppililiuma and mayor of Karkemish. He is stabbed by Ramses during battle and later dies from his wounds.

[edit] Servants

Tito

Yuri's first true friend after her arrival in Anatolia. Tito is a servant in the palace, but also the only son of Talos, the head of the Hatti clan, and the inheritor of the secret of iron-making. While helping Yuri escape from Queen Nakia, he is murdered by Nakia's servant, Zuwa. Yuri is framed for the death, and his sisters attempt to kill her in retaliation. Tito is finally avenged when Yuri defeats Zuwa and reveals him as the true killer. In gratitude, Talos granted Tito's inheritance to Yuri, and Tito's sisters take his place in the royal household.

Hadi

The eldest sister of Tito, she is an intelligent and skilled fighter. Urged on by Urhi, she and her sisters tried to kill Yuri in order to avenge Tito's death, but after finding out the truth, they pledge her lives as one of Yuri's handmaids. Though Hadi admires Yuri for her bravery and kindness, her attempts to get Yuri to be more traditionally feminine have mixed results.

Ryui and Shala

Twin sisters of Hadi and Tito, both loyal and capable fighters in their own right. Along with Hadi, they pledge their lives as Yuri's loyal handmaids. Both of them often conspire with Hadi and Kikkuri to draw Kail and Yuri closer together, and eventually, both Ryui and Shala become romantically involved with Kikkuri, due to similar tastes and personalities.

Kikkuri

Prince Kail's servant, who goes everywhere with him. Though quite cautious and timid by nature, he is not above conspiring with Yuri's handmaids and working behind Kail's back in order to encourage him to "settle down" with Yuri.

Ilbani

Prince Kail's strategic advisor, foster brother, palace steward, and childhood friend. Though very serious and formal, Ilbani has a dry wit and an insatiable urge to find a wife for Prince Kail. (He can also appear from behind curtains at will.) At first unsure of Yuri's intentions and suitability, he quickly decides that Yuri is the perfect wife for Kail and the best possible candidate to unseat Nakia as Tawananna. He is one of the few to consistently see through Queen Nakia's plots and has been known to manipulate Urhi to benefit his counter schemes. His loyalty to Kail and Yuri often seems rooted in a greater loyalty to the Hittite nation on the whole.

Ursula

Initially used as a pawn by Queen Nakia, she is introduced as a false Ishtar in a town ravaged by the Seven Day Fever. When unveiled by Prince Kail and subsequently forgiven, she joins Yuri's retinue as a handmaid. She falls in love with Kash, and they become betrothed, but she ultimately sacrifices her life for Yuri when Yuri is falsely accused of the assassination of King Arnuwanda. Before her execution, she gives her hair to Kash, who wears her braid as his headband until the day her innocence is proven and the true assassin is revealed.

[edit] Hittite generals and military leaders

Rusafa

The leader of the Hittite archers, he is highly loyal to Yuri and Kail. Free-spirited and easygoing, he nevertheless falls under Nakia's control at one point. His name is often translated as "Lucifer" due to the ambiguity of the katakana used in the original Japanese.
Rusafa's unrequited love for Yuri makes him go out of his way to protect her, even if it means disobeying orders from his superiors. He swears that he will one day give his life for her, which he eventually does, thereby exposing Nakia for good. When he finds that Kail and Yuri are already in love (at this point he too loves her), he does not worry much, thinking that she too would eventually leave Kail, but is dismayed when Kail announces marriage. Just as Kash keeps Ursula's hair as a keepsake, Rusafa wears the obsidian sliver Yuri had passed to him to save his life in chapter 17 around his neck as a sign of his devotion for her.

Kash

The leader of the Hittite chariots, and a guard of Prince Kail. He falls in love with Ursula not long after she comes to live in the palace. Following her execution, he wears a braided band made from her hair around his head.

Mettannamuwa

The leader of the Hittite infantry, he does not play much of a role in palace politics, as he is considerably older and spends most of his time out in the field.

Shubas

The second commander of the Hittite archers, he is first introduced in book thirteen of the series, having gone to war with Egypt along with Mursili II, as Shubas' superior officer is serving the second army in Arzawa with Yuri. Like his fellow officer Zora, he seems to be largely inexperienced at first, a fact remarked upon by Kikkuri.

Zora

The second commander of the Hittite infantry, he is first introduced in book thirteen of the series, having gone to war with Egypt along with Mursili II, as Zora's superior officer is serving the second army in Arzawa with Yuri. Like his fellow officer Shubas, he seems to be largely inexperienced at first, a fact remarked upon by Kikkuri.
In Volume 20, it is discovered that critical information is being leaked from behind the Hittite lines to Egyptian forces. Zora is discovered to be the informant; however, it is to Queen Nakia that he is submitting the information, who in turn has been forwarding it to the Egyptians. When confronted, Zora said that in exchange for this deed, he had been promised a promotion, citing jealousy against Shubas, who had been promoted while Zora had not, despite the two of them being close friends and having entered the Hittite armies at roughly the same time.

[edit] Egyptians

Ramses

A military officer from a lower-ranking noble family. In the manga, he is easily distinguished by his heterochromatic eyes (the left one is sepia, the right one is golden) and blonde hair. He has a lot of sisters, most chiefly among them Nefert.
Ramses initially encounters Yuri while on patrol near the Egyptian-Hittite border awaiting Zannanza's caravan. He is intrigued by Yuri's ingenuity and bravery in preventing a war between Egypt and the Hittites following Zannanza's assassination and requests to be assigned to Hattusa as a military liaison. His true motive is revealed when he later kidnaps Yuri. He tells her he has ambitions of becoming the next Egyptian pharaoh by ousting the current, corrupt leaders of the Egyptian 18th Dynasty. To do this, he needs a woman of his own caliber, like Yuri, to be his future queen.
His first and second attempts to kidnap her are foiled by Kail. A third attempt is successful when a desperate Rusafa seeks his help when Yuri is weakened and in danger of dying after a shipwreck. After Rusafa escapes Egypt and informs Kail that Yuri did not die in the shipwreck, Kail sends Ilbani, Hadi, Ryui, and Shala to Egypt. By this time, Ramses, who had initially only wanted Yuri because of his ambitions, has truly fallen in love with her. But soon after Kail's servants arrive, Egyptian soldiers come to arrest Yuri for interfering with an official's attempt to cut off the hand of a child. Ramses goes in her stead to Queen Nefertiti's palace. After Yuri rescues him from death at her hands, he gives her a document found in Queen Nefertiti's palace which concerns Queen Nakia's betrayal before she goes back to Kail.
Later, Ramses and Kail fight to a draw, and Ramses accepts defeat and asks Yuri to bear a daughter to marry his son. He later becomes Ramses I, first Pharaoh of the Egyptian 19th Dynasty. In actual history, Ramses was known as Paramesse prior to succeeding Horemheb (the historical pharaoh of this period).

Hathor Nefert

A free-spirited and flirtateous sister of Ramses, who seems to have feelings for Rusafa and comes to see Yuri as a little sister. Like Ramses, she has blonde hair, though she wears a black wig to look more native.

Ankhesenamen

The daughter of Nefertiti and the wife of Tutankhamen. When Tutankhamen dies, her hand in marriage is offered to a son of the Hittite king, but this deal is never completed due to treachery, and she is married off to a high-level government official, Ay.

Horemheb

The pharaoh who rules Egypt by the time Yuri arrives there (volume 20 of the series). He is actually a weak puppet king under Nefertiti's control.

Ay

A formerly a high-level (though largely incompetent) government official, he ascends to the position of Pharaoh after the failure of Ankhesenamen's arranged marriage to the Hittite Empire. Ramses sees him as a personification of the corruption of the Egyptian 18th Dynasty, having married a girl "young enough to be his granddaughter."
İn Turkish, Ay's meaning is 'Moon'.

[edit] Animals

Aslan

Yuri's black war horse, whom only Yuri can ride or control. (In volume 13, Aslan is referred to as a "she," which may - or may not - be different from the original translation.)
İn Turkish, Aslan's meaning is 'Lion' (Compare with the character of Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia).

Shimshek

Yuri's hawk, raised by her from a chick. He is usually kept in a wicker basket when not out.
İn Turkish, Shimshek's meaning is 'Lightning'

[edit] Characters from Yuri’s Time

Yuri's family

In modern-day Japan, Yuri has a mother, father, and two sisters, Eimi (younger) and Marie (older). Very little is shown of them beyond the initial pages of the manga, but it is assumed they are a normal Japanese family.

Satoshi Himuro

Satoshi is a classmate and long-time friend of Yuri. Towards the beginning of the story, Satoshi and Yuri had just officially become a couple: the story opens with their first kiss. While they were out on a date, Yuri was grabbed by the queen by way of a snow puddle. Yuri misses Satoshi for the first few months in Anatolia, but his memory fades gradually with time.

[edit] Others

Talos

The headman of the Hatti people, keeper of the secret of iron making, and father to Hadi, Ryui, Shala, and Tito. He is one of the first to see the true potential in Yuri ("proving" her claim as Ishtar by asking her to pick a blade from his armory), and quietly supports her from behind the scenes throughout the course of the series.

Nadia

The head concubine of Prince Mattiwaza, and younger sister of Queen Nakia. She initially plans to trick Mattiwaza into killing Yuri, but only because she was afraid of being replaced. Though long suspected of being a spy for Queen Nakia or her birth kingdom of Babylonia, she has no intention of being a pawn of Nakia or Urhi, as she is genuinely in love with Mattiwaza, and even defends him with her life. Her selfless act redeems Mattiwaza, and they leave to find a new life together.

Guzel

The daughter of the chairman of the Hittite senate, who claims her son is Prince Kail's while under the control of Queen Nakia. A gentle and understanding person, and previously one of the leading candidates to become Kail's queen and still a close friend to Kail, she has also come to appreciate Yuri as the only one Kail would ever take for his wife, and provides her moral support whenever she can. Her son, whose father was really a traveling minstrel, was named after Kail.
İn Turkish, Guzel means 'beautiful'

Alexandra

The first princess of Arzawa (a country to the west of the Hittites on the shores of the Aegean Sea), Alexandra is sent by her mother to give herself to Ishtar as a concubine, not realizing that Ishtar is female. Alexandra is about 13 years old when she is first seen in book 13 of the series. After Arzawa becomes an ally of the Hittites, Alexandra, who has come to adore Yuri, spends a great deal of time in the Hittite kingdom and later becomes the love interest for Prince Juda.
In a slight difference to the Japanese edition, probably changed to appeal more to an American audience, the manga translation only mentions that Alexandra has been sent to "serve" Ishtar, not that she has been sent as a concubine.

[edit] Manga

Main article: List of Red River chapters

[edit] References

  1. ^ 小学館漫画賞：歴代受賞者 (Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved on 2007-08-19.

[edit] External links

  • Viz Media website The Red River product page on the English language publisher's website - Viz Media. Contains a synopsis of each volume, cover art and option to purchase the manga from America.
  • Anime News Network: Red River Has basic plot and publishing information.
  • Akai Kawa no Jinja Fan site devoted to the series with pictures, series info, history as related to Red River and much more.
  • Red River Fansite Contains many pictures, character bios, and may soon include manga summaries.
  • Across History ♥[dead link] The official, TAFL-approved fanlisting for Red River.