Red River (manga)
Encyclopedia
, also known as Anatolia Story, is a historical
fantasy
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 2001, the series won the Shogakukan Manga Award
for shōjo.
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 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
.
Kail Mursili
Urhi Shalma
Prince Mattiwaza (Kuro, The Prince of Darkness or Shattiwaza
)
Nefertiti
(Tatukia or Tadukhipa
)
Zuwa
Queen Hinti
Sari Arnuwanda
Zannanza
Hattusili
Juda Haspasrupi
Rois Telipinu
Mali Piyasili
Nepis Ilra
Hadi
Ryui and Shala
Kikkuri
Ilbani
Ursula
Kash
Mettannamuwa
Shubas
Zora
Hathor Nefert
Ankhesenamen
Horemheb
Ay
Shimshek
Satoshi Himuro
Nadia
Guzel
Alexandra
series was written and illustrated by Chie Shinohara
. The sixty untitled chapters were serialized in Japan in the bimonthly manga anthology Shōjo Comic
from 1995 to January 2002. They were then collected and published in 28 tankōbon
volumes by Shogakukan
, and later republished in 16 bunkobon
volumes. , the collected volumes had sold 16 million copies in Japan
.
Viz Media
announced on February 13, 2004 that they had acquired the series for an English-language release in North America, with volume 1 scheduled for a second-quarter release. Viz released volume 1 on June 23, 2004, and volume 28 was released on January 12, 2010 Red River is also published in Vietnam by Tre Publishing House
, in Germany by Egmont Manga & Anime
, and in Italy by Star Comics
.
Two novels based on the manga have been released, written and illustrated by Shinohara:
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
shōjo manga series by Chie Shinohara
Chie Shinohara
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....
. It is published in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
in Sho-Comi and collected in 28 volumes. It is published in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
by VIZ Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
, with 25 volumes released as of April 2009 and the remaining 3 published thereafter. In 2001, the series won the Shogakukan Manga Award
Shogakukan Manga Award
The is one of Japan's major manga awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1955 and features candidates from a number of publishers.The current award categories are:...
for shōjo.
Red River is about a fifteen-year-old Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
girl named Yuri Suzuki, who is magically transported to Hattusa
Hattusa
Hattusa was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age. It was located near modern Boğazkale, Turkey, within the great loop of the Kızıl River ....
, the capital of the Hittite Empire in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
. 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
Ishtar
Ishtar is the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex. She is the counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate north-west Semitic goddess Astarte.-Characteristics:...
and falls in love with prince Kail.
The story takes place during the reign of King Suppiluliuma I
Suppiluliuma I
Suppiluliuma I was king of the Hittites . He achieved fame as a great warrior and statesman, successfully challenging the then-dominant Egyptian empire for control of the lands between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates....
, at a time when the Hittite Empire was near its peak of power, rivaled only by Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, which was then ruled by the young Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
Tutankhamen
Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun , Egyptian , ; approx. 1341 BC – 1323 BC) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty , during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom...
. Many of the people and events in the story are drawn from actual history, from Princes Kail Mursili
Mursili II
Mursili II was a king of the Hittite Empire ca. 1321–1295 BC .-Family:Mursili II was the younger son of Suppiluliuma I, one of the most powerful rulers of the Hittite Empire...
, Sari Arnuwanda
Arnuwanda II
Arnuwanda II was a king of the Hittite Empire ca. 1322–1321 BC . He succeeded his father Suppiluliuma I, who succumbed to the plague which Egyptian captives from his Canaan campaign had brought with them to the Hittite heartland....
, and Zannanza
Zannanza
Prince Zannanza was a son of Suppiluliuma I, king of the Hittites. He is best known for almost becoming the Pharaoh of Egypt, and because his death caused a diplomatic incident between the Hittite and Egyptian Empires, that resulted in warfare.The Egyptian Queen Dakhamunzu, who could have been...
, to battles with the neighboring Mitanni
Mitanni
Mitanni or Hanigalbat was a loosely organized Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria and south-east Anatolia from ca. 1500 BC–1300 BC...
kingdom around the town of Kizzuwatna
Kizzuwatna
Kizzuwatna , is the name of an ancient Anatolian kingdom in the second millennium BC. It was situated in the highlands of southeastern Anatolia, near the Gulf of İskenderun in modern-day Turkey. It encircled the Taurus Mountains and the Ceyhan river. The center of the kingdom was the city of...
.
Main
- 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, IshtarIshtarIshtar is the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex. She is the counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate north-west Semitic goddess Astarte.-Characteristics:...
; as such, she is often referred to as . Despite this, Yuri is modest 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"; however, her natural charm and selflessness win her the undying affection and loyalty of many people, both Hittites and their enemies. 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. - Yuri falls in love with Kail as the story progresses. Torn between her return to her time and her love for Kail, 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 TawanannaTawanannaTawananna is the title for the queen of the Hittites, the king's consort, as long as she was living. Upon her death the title Tawananna passed to her daughter, the new king's consort...
, the Hittite Queen.
- Historically speaking, Yuri is most likely based on PuduhepaPuduhepaPuduhepa was a Hittite tawanannas was married to King Hattusili III. She has been referred to as "one of the most influential women known from the Ancient Near East."...
, the priestess of Ishtar who married King Hattusili IIIHattusili IIIHattusili III was a king of the Hittite empire ca. 1267–1237 BC . He was the fourth and last son of Mursili II...
. 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.
Kail Mursili
- 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 running frantically from Nakia's guards, and gives her the gift of understanding and speaking their language by way of a kiss. He rescues Yuri from sacrifice 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, 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 love for her eventually evolve 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 IIMursili IIMursili II was a king of the Hittite Empire ca. 1321–1295 BC .-Family:Mursili II was the younger son of Suppiluliuma I, one of the most powerful rulers of the Hittite Empire...
. He is kind as well as loyal to his country and because of this many are willing to follow him. He is a strong tactician and is charismatic as a prince and as an emperor. He wishes for a world without war and as king will strive for that goal.
Enemies
Queen Nakia- 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 couldn't give her the life and children she deserved, she reluctantly "fulfilled her duty" and gave birth to Prince Juda. As 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, screaming that he renounces the royal throne; 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 TawanannaTawanannaTawananna is the title for the queen of the Hittites, the king's consort, as long as she was living. Upon her death the title Tawananna passed to her daughter, the new king's consort...
Malnigal of BabylonBabylonBabylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
.
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. In Volume 11, he loses an eye to Rusafa and wears an ornate eyepatchEyepatchAn eyepatch or eye pad is a small patch that is worn in front of one eye. It may be a cloth patch attached around the head by an elastic band or by a string, or an adhesive bandage. It is often worn by people to cover a lost or injured eye, but it also has a therapeutic use in children for the...
for most of the rest of the series.
- A former member of a royal family, Urhi's nation was invaded and destroyed when he was a young boy. Taken captive by the invading nation's commander, he was savagely beaten (leaving the scars on his back), raped and later castrated to ensure that his family's bloodline would not continue. He arrived in Hattusa after being purchased to serve as a priest in the seraglio temple.
- Urhi is initially rumored to be the true father of Prince Juda; this is proven false when his castration is revealed. However, he and Nakia did share a strong romantic interest in each other.
Prince Mattiwaza (Kuro, The Prince of Darkness or Shattiwaza
Shattiwaza
Shattiwaza , was a king of the Hurrian kingdom of Mitanni in the fourteenth century BC.Shattiwaza was the brother of king Tushratta. His Hurrian name was Kili-Tešup. In the political turmoil following the death of his predecessor, the usurper Shuttarna tried to murder Shattiwaza...
)
- The crown prince of the Mitanni kingdom, son of King Tushratta, and younger brother of NefertitiNefertitiNefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were known for a religious revolution, in which they started to worship one god only...
. 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. In volume 23, having received a pardon from Kail, Mattiwaza returns as an ally of the Hitties against the Egyptians and is now the new ruler of the Mitanni kingdom.
- During her captivity, Mattizawa reveals to Yuri that his sister TatukiaTadukhipaTadukhipa, in the Hurrian language Tadu-Hepa, was the daughter of Tushratta, king of Mitanni and his queen, Juni and niece of Artashumara. Tadukhipa's aunt Gilukhipa had married Pharaoh Amenhotep III in his 10th regnal year...
was sold to the Egyptians to be a queen, and is now known as Nefertiti. Though Mattiwaza and Tatukia 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.
- The character is loosely based on the historical ShattiwazaShattiwazaShattiwaza , was a king of the Hurrian kingdom of Mitanni in the fourteenth century BC.Shattiwaza was the brother of king Tushratta. His Hurrian name was Kili-Tešup. In the political turmoil following the death of his predecessor, the usurper Shuttarna tried to murder Shattiwaza...
of MitanniMitanniMitanni or Hanigalbat was a loosely organized Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria and south-east Anatolia from ca. 1500 BC–1300 BC...
, who was actually the brother of TushrattaTushrattaTushratta was a king of Mitanni at the end of the reign of Amenhotep III and throughout the reign of Akhenaten -- approximately the late 14th century BC. He was the son of Shuttarna II...
and uncle of TadukhipaTadukhipaTadukhipa, in the Hurrian language Tadu-Hepa, was the daughter of Tushratta, king of Mitanni and his queen, Juni and niece of Artashumara. Tadukhipa's aunt Gilukhipa had married Pharaoh Amenhotep III in his 10th regnal year...
(NefertitiNefertitiNefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were known for a religious revolution, in which they started to worship one god only...
).
Nefertiti
Nefertiti
Nefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were known for a religious revolution, in which they started to worship one god only...
(Tatukia or Tadukhipa
Tadukhipa
Tadukhipa, in the Hurrian language Tadu-Hepa, was the daughter of Tushratta, king of Mitanni and his queen, Juni and niece of Artashumara. Tadukhipa's aunt Gilukhipa had married Pharaoh Amenhotep III in his 10th regnal year...
)
- 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 (AkhenatenAkhenatenAkhenaten also spelled Echnaton,Ikhnaton,and Khuenaten;meaning "living spirit of Aten") known before the fifth year of his reign as Amenhotep IV , was a Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt who ruled for 17 years and died perhaps in 1336 BC or 1334 BC...
). 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 (KaskaKaskasThe Kaska were a loosely-affiliated Bronze Age non-Indo-European tribal people of mountainous Pontic Anatolia, known from Hittite sources...
) 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.
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 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 gets blamed for his murder.
Zannanza
Zannanza
Prince Zannanza was a son of Suppiluliuma I, king of the Hittites. He is best known for almost becoming the Pharaoh of Egypt, and because his death caused a diplomatic incident between the Hittite and Egyptian Empires, that resulted in warfare.The Egyptian Queen Dakhamunzu, who could have been...
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.
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 astronomyAstronomyAstronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, 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 for attempted murder upon Yuri in a fit of rage, permanently renouncing his right of succession to the throne as his protest against Nakia and his support for Yuri and Kail, 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 in battle and later dies from his wounds.
Nepis Ilra
- Kail's older sister and a priestess. She is blind from birth.
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 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
- 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 horse care manualKikkuliKikkuli, "master horse trainer of the land Mitanni" was the author of a chariot horse training text written in the Hittite language, dating to the Hittite New Kingdom...
that is in modern day times discovered in the ruins of the old Hittite empire. The character is loosely based on historical KikkuliKikkuliKikkuli, "master horse trainer of the land Mitanni" was the author of a chariot horse training text written in the Hittite language, dating to the Hittite New Kingdom...
, the master horse trainer of the land Mitanni.
Ilbani
- Prince Kail's strategic adviser, foster brother, palace steward, and childhood friend. Though very serious and formal, Ilvani 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. He is also very resourceful; at one time, Yuri says that the reason why Ilbani is so trusted is because he can "find advantages in the most outrageous situations." 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 Urhi is revealed as the true assassin.
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 katakanaKatakanais a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji, and in some cases the Latin alphabet . The word katakana means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana scripts are derived from components of more complex kanji. Each kana represents one mora...
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. 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.
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.
Egyptians
User Ramses- A military officer from a noble family. In the manga, he is easily distinguished by his heterochromaticHeterochromiaIn anatomy, heterochromia refers to a difference in coloration, usually of the iris but also of hair or skin. Heterochromia is a result of the relative excess or lack of melanin...
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 Ilvani, 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 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. The actual User Ramses would be Ramses II, a contemporary of Mursilli II's son, Muwatalli, and during whose reign the actual Battle of KadeshBattle of KadeshThe Battle of Kadesh took place between the forces of the Egyptian Empire under Ramesses II and the Hittite Empire under Muwatalli II at the city of Kadesh on the Orontes River, in what is now the Syrian Arab Republic....
occurred, which eventually resulted in the oldest known peace treaty, the Ramses-Hattusili Treaty.)
Hathor Nefert
- The oldest of Ramses younger sisters is a free-spirited and flirtatious personality. During the time when Yuri is in captivity in Egypt, Nefert comes to view her as a little sister, and also takes a romantic interest in Rusafa. 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
Horemheb
Horemheb was the last Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty from either 1319 BC to late 1292 BC, or 1306 to late 1292 BC although he was not related to the preceding royal family and is believed to have been of common birth.Before he became pharaoh, Horemheb was the commander in chief...
- The pharaoh who rules Egypt by the time Yuri arrives there (volume 20 of the series). In the series he is actually a weak puppet king under Nefertiti's control.
Ay
Ay
Ay was the penultimate Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt's 18th dynasty. He held the throne of Egypt for a brief four-year period , although he was a close advisor to two and perhaps three of the pharaohs who ruled before him and was the power behind the throne during Tutankhamun's reign...
- 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 ish, Ay's meaning is 'Moon'.
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, since in the Turkish language Aslan means "lion".
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, (younger) and (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
- 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 officially 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.
- Alexandra is about 13 years old when she is first seen in book 13 of the series. 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.
Manga
The mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series was written and illustrated by Chie Shinohara
Chie Shinohara
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....
. The sixty untitled chapters were serialized in Japan in the bimonthly manga anthology Shōjo Comic
Shojo Comic
is a shōjo manga magazine published twice monthly in Japan by Shogakukan since 1968. It was originally published weekly and it continued to be published weekly until the 1980s. Many influential shōjo manga ran in Shōjo Comic during the 70s. Moto Hagio's works and Keiko Takemiya's works in...
from 1995 to January 2002. They were then collected and published in 28 tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes by Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
, and later republished in 16 bunkobon
Bunkobon
In Japan, bunkobon are small-format paperback books, designed to be affordable and portable.The great majority of bunkobon are A6 in size...
volumes. , the collected volumes had sold 16 million copies in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
announced on February 13, 2004 that they had acquired the series for an English-language release in North America, with volume 1 scheduled for a second-quarter release. Viz released volume 1 on June 23, 2004, and volume 28 was released on January 12, 2010 Red River is also published in Vietnam by Tre Publishing House
Tre Publishing House
- External links :*...
, in Germany by Egmont Manga & Anime
Egmont Manga & Anime
Egmont Manga & Anime is one of the largest publishers of manga in Germany. It was founded in the year 2000 as a daughter company of Egmont Ehapa, after the manga boom in Germany became apparent around the turn of the millennium. Since 2003, EMA has been part of Egmont vgs in Cologne.- History :In...
, and in Italy by Star Comics
Star Comics (Italy)
Star Comics is an Italian comic book publisher born in December 1985 that publishes Italian edition of manga and Italian comics in Italy. Until the birth of Marvel Italia in 1994 it also published Italian editions of many Marvel Comics's comic books...
.
Drama CDs
The series was adapted as a series of 8 drama CDs released in two "seasons" between 1997 and 2003.Books
An art book for Red River was released 24 February 1999 (ISBN 4-09-199613-2) and a fan-book on 26 July 2002 (ISBN 4-09-135782-2).Two novels based on the manga have been released, written and illustrated by Shinohara:
- Volume 1 was published 24 May 2007 (ISBN 978-4-09-452006-4)
- Volume 2 was published 31 August 2007 (ISBN 978-4-09-452020-0)