Red River, Vol. 1

by Chie Shinohara

Youri, a pretty Japanese girl who just passed a college entrance exam, is ecstatic after her first kiss with her handsome childhood friend-turned-boyfriend, Himuro. Meanwhile, she starts to notice... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 159116429X
• ISBN13: 9781591164296
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Viz Media
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.5" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

a real keeper

I have been a manga reader since before the time Manga became a mainstream thing in the US. And out of all the manga that I have read, there are VERY few that I can honestly say I want to pick up and read over and over again... Red River is one of those manga. (I've already read the first 16 volumes 3 times in a row.) I like an occasional romance novel, particularly set in historical times, and if you're the kind of person who likes the same, this book is definitely for you. The characters are wonderfully portrayed. And, while sometimes I wish I could strangle Yuri when it comes to dealing with Kail, she has some very good things going for her. She is a strong female protagonist who THINKS. She is not your typical weakling who, when thrust into impossible circumstances, can only curl into a ball and cry or hang off the neck of her man helplessly. She stands on her own two feet relatively early on in the book, determined to be more 'help' than 'hinderance' when it comes to Prince Kail, which I greatly respect about her. Of course, at the begining of the series, she has all the usual insecurities that a highschool age girl has, and it's a wonderful experience watching her grow and mature as this series progresses. Prince Kail is pure, godly eye candy, with all the characteristics of someone you could imagine coming from this time and place. Reading about how he dodges one political intrigue and scandal after another and manages to keep his head (and Yuri's) attached will make you eat up one book after another without pausing. The experience of watching him transform from a 'girl-a-day' playboy to an 'I-only-want-this-woman' kind of man and the helpless feeling he faces with Yuri determined to return home and leave him forever, are some of the most enjoyable/heart-wrenching/hair pulling moments this series has to offer. There is not a single dull moment! Five Stars!

superb love/adventure story

This is one of the few mangas that uses the girl-in-another-world formula well. Of all the ones I've read, the only one I would put on equal standing with Red River is From Far Away. In this first volume, Yuri, a relatively ordinary girl living in Tokyo, is transported into the ancient past where an evil queen wishes to sacrifice her in an evil ritual so as to kill off all the princes and put her own son on the thrown. Prince Kail, heir to the throne and one of the few magic-users strong enough to rival the queen, rescues Yuri during the ceremony and brings her back to his palace. Although he's well known to be a playboy, his feelings for Yuri are serious almost from the start. Yuri, on the other hand, hates his flirting and angrily rejects him. Their love story is just gorgeous, but it never dominates the plot. Instead, it's something that develops steadily and intensely in the background of all the political intrigue and battles. Yuri is a phenomenal heroine. She's passionate, intelligent and brave. At times, she's dignified and even regal, and at others she's just cute, feisty and endearing. This first volume is only the beginning of her long adventure; having only just arrived in a new and strange place, she often requires rescuing and has little control over her situation. However, as the story progresses, she gains more and more power, until she's the one rescuing the prince and foiling the queen's evil plans. Yuri isn't a flashy heroine who uses spells or force of arms to get what she wants; although she becomes an adept fighter, usually it's her incredible intelligence and slyness that help her succeed. It was so wonderfully refreshing to read a manga like this, where the heroine isn't just incredibly kind-hearted and just, but also astoundingly SMART. For those who start reading and get fed up with Yuri requiring rescuing, it's only natural that in the beginning, she should be somewhat vulnerable. However, she soon becomes strong enough to defend herself.

Shamelessly, shamelessly great. The shojo that hits the spot!

I really only write reviews for items I've thoroughly enjoyed, and RED RIVER is shamelessly, shamelessly great. Shamelessly, shamelessly great. A friend enthusiastically endorsed it saying, "sex and violence," which always appeals to me when I need some serious escapism. I grew up on a steady diet of romance novels thanks to a mother who worked in a bookstore and collected them. This series can stand with the best of that book-world, and its own. RED RIVER is the _supreme_ shojo ("female appeal") manga series. It hits the spot where some other manga series fear to address - or just miss completely. It's overtly (and maturely) sexual, has moments of aggressiveness and a few vignettes of outright carnage, some great humor, but ultimately the RED RIVER (series) is one of the most addictive page-turners I've ever come across (Japanese serial comic or not). I would even recommend this for those that like romance novels and have never tried manga (Japanese comics). "Addictive" is the exact word for it, because once you start, you're stuck on the couch until you finish ... I devoured the first five in an afternoon and was so eager about the series that I made the boyfriend take me out right away to buy the available next four ... and not one of them have disappointed me. I think I'm suffering serious withdrawal awaiting the next few installments. Heh, it almost hurts to think I have to wait to read all 28 volumes. The storyline is classically 'shojo' - young girl zapped from her own time & space to another land - in this case the ancient middle east when Turkey was the Hittite empire. But don't be fooled, like I wrote, this series hits the spot where every other 'mature' shojo misses, and it never lets up. Modern teen Yuri has been marked for sacrifice by a power obsessed queen from the ancient world. Suffused with political intrigue, the RED RIVER books follow Yuri's adventures of survival in early history - and her budding romance (um, more like "burning encounters") with warrior-royal Kail Mursilis. Interesting tidbit: a bit of digging reveals that Chie Shinohara has more than a passing interest in history - quite a lot of the story behind RED RIVER is factual. There was indeed a real a King Mursilis II of the Hittite empire, (a younger son of great King Suppiluliuma I), his brother Zannanza did suffer the same fate as the books on route to marry an Egyptian queen, and Mursilis worked to keep his kingdom united despite hostile forces. He destroyed his enemies in the Mitanni kingdom and staved off the Egyptian empire. He also battled off his evil step-mother - in particular, there are documents where he recounts how she tried to leverage a solar omen into an attempt to demote him. Despite all this, it seems he ruled faithfully for nearly 27 years, presumably as a kind and just king. Further intriguing, he kept chronicles of his life, in which he is translated as writing: "Even before I sat on my father's throne, all the enemy lands were hosti

Boring title--Entertaining Manga!

It's hard to just glance at this manga and think it's any good at all. But since I research manga to find new and interesting reads, this one seemed odd enough to look into. Yuri is the protagonist--she's a normal Japanese girl--who is suddenly sucked into a puddle on the street, and it magically brings her to the Ancient Middle East (Anatolia--Hittite Empire, a little history there) and blah, blah, you can read the summary. But what makes this manga better than most is the great plot and the detail in the characters. The artwork is lovely (I've seen better artwork, but not better storylines) and it keeps you moving along, wanting to know what's going to happen to Yuri and Prince Kail. I found myself thinking of what it must feel like to be in their shoes. It's just so imaginative and catchy. I don't think many people have heard about this manga; I think it only came out in the US recently considering I'm only getting to book 3 now. But it's a really good twist from the typical shojo ("true-to-life characters...and relationships"). But I have to warn you, if you read it and want more like I do, it's a 27 (yes, TWENTY-SEVEN) volume commitment. Kinda scary, but I like a challenge if I can afford it.