Red River (manga) — BrandWiki

Red River (manga)

Red River (天は赤い河のほとり), also known as Anatolia Story, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Chie Shinohara. The series was published by Shōgakukan in their Sho-Comi magazine from January 1995 to June 2002 and was collected in 28 volumes. It is published in English in North America by Viz Media. An anime television series adaptation produced by Tatsunoko Production is set to premiere in July 2026.

As of March 2019, the manga had over 20 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series. In 2001, Red River won the Shogakukan Manga Award for the category.

Synopsis

The story takes place during the reign of King Suppiluliuma I, at a time when the Hittite Empire was near its peak in 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.

Red River is about a fifteen-year-old Japanese girl named Yuri Suzuki, who time travels to Hattusa, the capital of the

Characters

Main

Yuri Suzuki (鈴木夕梨)
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, knowledge of 20th century hygiene and famous war strategies), and often seems to find herself in situations that "prove" she is Ishtar, she is 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 frequently referred to as Yuri Ishtar (ユーリ·イシュタル). 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. The general opinion holds 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 an accomplished gymnast who learns the arts of sword fighting and archery in order to protect herself and help Kail survive his stepmother's machinations.
Yuri falls in love with Kail early on in the story. Torn between her desire to return to her original time and her love for Kail, which he reciprocates, Yuri ultimately decides to remain 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. She marries Kail and ascends to the title of Tawananna, the Hittite Queen.
Historically speaking, Yuri is most likely based on Puduhepa, the priestess of Ishtar who married King Hattusili III. She has been referred to as "one of the most influential women known from the Ancient Near East." She played an important role in diplomacy with Egypt and was a co-signatory in the Ulmi-Teshub treaty.[2]
Kail Mursili (カイル・ムルシリ)
He is the third prince of the Hittite empire, son of King Suppililiuma and the second Tawananna, Queen Hinti. He is described as attractive and beautiful. At the beginning of the series, he finds Yuri attempting to escape from Nakia's guards, and gives her the gift of understanding and speaking their language by way of a kiss. He rescues Yuri from being used as a sacrifice for the god Teshub by claiming to have taken her virginity, and takes her as a concubine to keep up appearances. He finds Yuri to be quite unlike any woman he has ever met, and promises to help her find a way home to Japan. However, he soon begins to struggle with his own growing love and desire for her. He initially calls Yuri his concubine and the incarnation of Ishtar in order to protect her from Queen Nakia, but eventually begins to believe his own tale as the legend of Yuri as Ishtar and his feelings towards her evolve beyond his control.
Kail is loyal to those he cares for, but is constantly at odds with his stepmother, the third Tawananna, Queen Nakia. Her desire to make her son, Prince Juda, the heir to the throne is the prime motivation behind Kail's search for a woman whom he can love unconditionally and who has the qualities 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. Halfway through the series (Volume 12), he ascends to the throne as King Mursili II. His utmost devotion to his country and his people is the reason behind their loyalty to him. He is a strong, charismatic tactician, and as King, he endeavors to put an end to any wars and establish a peaceful age for his nation.

Enemies

Queen Nakia (ナキア皇妃（皇太后）)
The third and current Tawananna (queen) of the Hittite Empire. A former princess of Babylonia, Nakia was sent to Suppililiuma at the age of 15 in exchange for monetary aid. Desperately lonely and jealous of the emperor's second wife Queen Hinti, Nakia offered all of her jewelry to Urhi and begged him to escape with her to start a new life. When he claimed he could not give her the life and children she deserved, she reluctantly "fulfilled her duty" and gave birth to Prince Juda. Because Juda bore little to no resemblance to Suppililiuma, Nakia dedicated her life to ensuring that he assumed the Hittite throne by any means necessary.
It was Nakia's spell that took Yuri from her original time frame, and she intended 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 schemings come to an end, however, when her son Juda publicly attacks her for her evil deeds, renouncing the royal throne; she is subsequently deposed and placed under his supervision.
Nakia is a high priestess, and she has control over water, using certain kinds of enchanted water as a form of mind control. The character is loosely based on the historical Tawananna Mal-Nikal of Babylon.
Urhi Shalma (ウルヒ　シャルマ)
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. In Volume 11, he loses an eye to Rusafa and wears an ornate eyepatch

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 falls victim to the Seven Day Fever.
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 queen and mother. She was murdered by Nakia so that she could usurp 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 gets 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, 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, getting assassinated en route. Only Yuri, who accompanied him, escapes to bring news of his death.

Servants

Tito (ティト)
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. Ultimately, it is her desire to avenge Tito's death that causes Yuri to stay even when given the chance of returning home. 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 (ハディ)
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 their lives as Yuri's handmaids. Though Hadi admires Yuri for her bravery and kindness, her attempts to get Yuri to be more traditionally feminine have very 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 (キックリ)
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. In an omake chapter at the end of the story, he writes a

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. When he finds that Kail and Yuri are already in love (at which point he too loves her), he is somewhat 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 volume 17 around his neck as a sign of his devotion for her. After meeting him, Hathor Nefert (Ramses' sister) falls in love with him even though she is aware that he is in love with Yuri. However, before he dies, he seems to have been developing feelings of respect and admiration for Nefert. Rusafa is killed by Nakia at her final attempt at the lives of Yuri and Kail, thereby stopping Nakia for good.
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.
Mittannamuwa
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

Egyptians

User Ramses
A military officer from a noble family. In the manga, he is easily distinguished by his heterochromatic eyes (the left one is sepia, the right one is golden) and blond hair. He has a lot of sisters, most chiefly among them Nefert. His name is sometimes romanized as Usr Ramses.
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 which also causes Yuri to have a miscarriage. 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 at the Battle of Kadesh at the Orontes River, and Ramses accepts defeat and asks Yuri to bear a daughter to marry his son (a wish which does not actually come to pass, but is finally consummated by their grandchildren). He later becomes

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.) In the mythology surrounding her, Ishtar as a goddess is said to have ridden a lion into battle, and Yuri is often depicted as such.
Shimshek
Yuri's hawk, raised by her from a chick. He is usually kept in a wicker basket when not out.

Characters from Yuri's time

Yuri's family
In modern-day Japan, Yuri has a mother, father, and two sisters, Eimi (詠美) (younger) and Marie (毬絵) (older). Very little is shown of them beyond the initial pages of the manga, but it is assumed they are a normal Japanese family. In volume 28 it is revealed that several of Yuri's daughters and granddaughters were named after her sisters.
Satoshi Himuro (氷室聡)
Satoshi Himuro 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.
In a short comic included in the fan-book, it is revealed Himuro has become a professor of Hittite history, and is married to Yuri's younger sister, Eimi. While excavating the tomb of Ishtar at Hattusa, his grad students uncover tablets recording the exploits of Mursili II and his Tawananna Ishtar, written by Illvani's son. This short comic unofficially closes the storyline.

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 (which ultimately saves Mattiwaza and Yuri themselves as well). Her selfless act redeems Mattiwaza, and they flee to Babylonia to seek out for a new life together. Following Mattiwaza's reinstatement as Mittani's king by Kail, she has likely since become his queen.
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, she still a close friend to Kail and has also come to appreciate Yuri as the only one Kail would ever take for his wife. Her son, whose father was really a traveling minstrel, was named after Kail.
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 surrender herself to Ishtar as a concubine, not realizing that Ishtar is female. 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.