I'm actually stunned I managed to finish this series. I kept telling myself I'd stop soon, because the art was disturbing in proportion and style, and I found myself disliking the main character more and more. But I have to admit that this story does have many redeeming features--none significant enough to bring back what could've been a fantastic manga now, though.

I love the ancient civilization idea going on here. It's very unique in that I've never read anything with a setting like this, and I think the historical references add nice touches of humor here and there. It felt like everything added up to each other, with actual Egyptian royalty as characters and all, but I'm sure if you looked it up to double-check everything, that wouldn't really be the case. But I liked the clothes, I liked the jewelry, I liked the buildings and architecture, and I just really, really liked the culture. It must've taken a lot of research for all that, so I applaud the effort.

On the other hand, the faults just completely overwhelm whatever potential this manga had. Yuri is plain and naive, and the extent of her stupidity just made me wonder what "charisma" drew all these powerful men to her, and why she was often referred to as a "sleeping lioness" when she clearly wasn't, just a girl with one helluva lot of luck. Also, why doesn't anyone seem to notice Yuri seems to have a bipolar disorder? She can't seem to make up her mind about what she's feeling, and most of these pages are filled with her inner turmoil--she goes through the entire emotion wheel in a matter of five pages. She also gets around, if you know what I mean, and really likes to lead people on. In a man's arms--and quite frankly, I've learned it doesn't matter which man--she's weak and bats her eyelashes like a lamb, but in the next moment, she's suddenly on a roll with military plans and is absolutely ruthless. (Yeah, I don't know.) Not to mention that all the men like her. It doesn't matter which man, they've had a crush on her or wanted her at one point or another, but men with authority in particular. Oh, yeah, and they all try to rape her. That's a lovely bunch of men you have there, sweetheart.

So Yuri's plain. Nothing special about her at all. They made that clear at the beginning showing her life. What happened to that? Normal fifteen-year-old girl, riiight. She has to have some super IQ, and you can't honestly tell me she's been living "normally" for fifteen years without displaying any brilliant wit until she's on a battlefield devising battle plans. Not to mention that along with the super IQ comes athletics. "I'm good at sports"--hm, you're good at a lot of things. I think Yuri is too unflawed for a heroine. To be a good heroine, the character has to have flaws. Otherwise, there is no story, which there really isn't one here. No, being too idealistic (a trait that everyone loves and praises her for, even though it gets her into a buttload of trouble) doesn't count. She never realizes that's her problem.

Queen Nakia is overrated. It's always her, every single time. Evil thing--"Oh, who could've done it?" Nope, look no further, it's the queen. "Poison!" It's the queen, guys. "Why is this happening? Who could be behind this?" Seriously, it's the queen. I was literally rolling my eyes every time they ran through this. She's such a two-dimensional character, and so are all the supporting characters and Yuri herself. They all call her "evil"--no one actually says that if you're trying to be realistic. There's always a motive behind motives, and I'm surprised they didn't think further than, "She wants her son on the throne." Okay, well, why? I really didn't like them calling her evil; the sides of "good" and "evil" differ by opinion, but they just outright declared themselves "right". And honestly, I doubt she could be so evil and still rule over the country without anyone ever seeing what she was up to. Don't her actions look suspicious at all? Flat, flat characters all around.

Another thing I'd like to know is how, with her newfound battle experiences, Yuri can still go on screaming, "I didn't do it!" and look as if she's about to cry whenever someone wrongly accuses her of something like she totally didn't expect it coming and like she can prove she didn't do it. Basically, I think that she's too naive, and by now, she should've learned by now that denying something won't clear your name. But that just proves the lack of character development.

And after making it through twenty-eight volumes, I decided that if I could read it this far, I'd skim through the side story, too. I have no words that could describe this side story. The most appropriate reaction I think I can manage is, this story makes no sense. Don't get me started on everything else. Basically, it doesn't add up to everything else I read in the last twenty-eight volumes.

... Last updated on November 12th, 2012, 11:16pm

It was initially addicting, but became very redundant. Red River definitely wins kudos for being very unique in its conception, having a modern girl be trapped in an ancient society. The main character Yuri is a much stronger character than you average shoujo heroine, however, she's almost too perfect.At first it was refreshing to see a strong female character, someone that one could relate to, but her flawless characteristics subtracts from the reality of the story. Upon her immediate arrival, she is able to suddenly become a master equestrian and sword wielder, and manages to get out of every difficult situation. She manages to get out of hardship through some combination of luck, and every man in power falls in love with her at first sight and are willing to devote their lives to her. She then goes through this endless cycle of falling victim to the queen's plots, getting kidnapped, having the men fall in love with her, suddenly becoming a military strategist, and so forth. While it was enjoyable at first, this theme gets old fast.

The main villain remains the same from beginning to end, and her plots just become increasingly outrageous. She is powerful, but the joint forces of all the protagonists far exceed her, and it's implausible that she could carry out so many schemes all by herself. Additionally, Yuri and her entourage know she's behind everything, yet even after they gained substantial power to counter her, they always wait for the queen to take initiative. It is only after the events are set in motion that they attempt to stop it at the last minute. Honestly, this story could have been shortened by at least a third, it's clear that the mangaka resorted to using the queen as a plot driver. It is apparent that the mangaka has done some research on the period, but many aspects of the story are at times too fantastical and the complexity of the relationships between kingdoms was too simplified.

Overall, it's worth a try. It is entertaining for a while before the weariness sets in.

... Last updated on December 10th, 2010, 11:11pm

Shoujo/drama not being my genre (being a guy and all), it is thus quite surprising for me to consider this as my favorite manga. But something about it makes it a very special, and very touching story for me.

First of all, this manga should be appreciated as a coming-of-age story about the female lead. I can understand the complaints about certain aspects of the manga, such as the art, and the sometimes cliche premises and actions. However, those aren't the drivers behind the manga: the character evolution is the true gem here. The range of emotions Yuri goes through throughout the story is amazing, and to see her overcome her obstacles is the ultimate prize. Her character is outstanding: she is strong in spirit, and yet fragile at heart; she is cunning at times, impulsive at others; she stands out as a godlike figure, and yet it is the human in her that is her most endearing feature. The 28 volumes in this manga are really just about her, and her only.

Red River is also the most touching love story I have read to date. As the manga progresses, it becomes obvious that the strength of the love shared between the main characters is unbreakable, almost to the point of envy. Is it cliche? Perhaps. But all love stories are, because the vehicle behind them is the same. The only difference is in how it is told, and Red River does it best.

Aside from the romance, there are so many other emotions involved in the journey that it amazes me. Yuri's character is the ultimate story vehicle, because the numerous choices that she makes, right or wrong, never fails to bring her to a new place, to a new meeting, and of course, to new emotions. The readers are taken along for the ride, and for a surprisingly short 28 volumes, we are there with her, facing her obstacles, experiencing her love, and living her adventure.

While there are many mangas I like, this is the only one that I have read and re-read countless times. I would certainly recommend giving this a shot, for 5 volumes at least. Then you can decide whether or not it is, as I believe it, one of the most charming and captivating stories you have ever read.

Let's be frank here: Red River was made during a younger, less progressive time in the world, which honestly shows with the genuine lack of basic social decency evident everywhere in the manga.

However, despite its social issue problems, it still has honestly very frustrating, hypocritical, and badly-developed characters. Kail, at times, could be cold and uncaring, but he was, ultimately, a pretty solid, moral character and someone strong for Yuri to partner with.

Yuri herself was a pretty emotionally strong female character. Many people have said she's rather unrealistically strong, given her age and her several accomplishments, but you have to consider how she was forced into her situation and still was able to make the best of it. The mangaka handled a lot of the emotional turmoil that Yuri had to go through nicely. However, there were some points that I felt the author completely glossed over and only added in for dramatic or shocking effect when she could have harnessed it to groom Yuri's rapid and ever-changing character development. Nevertheless, Yuri's humble, kind, mature character is a fairly good role model for all female readers to follow.

I did not care too much for the side characters, as there was a large cast of them. Several of their storylines felt unnecessary or rushed at points, . But I will give the author some credit, as she was able to incorporate quite a large amount of characters with ease and still introduce them at appropriate times. As for the villains, the mangaka was really good about giving them emotional backgrounds and histories. Though some smaller characters and 'evil' characters may not have had too much time, they still seemed like real people with emotions and histories hidden within themselves.

Besides some of the complaints I have against the social issues and the characters, the manga is overall a very long epic with really interesting arcs, engaging dialogue, and a hard-to-put-down aura. The mangaka has really amazing storytelling skills, for sure. The bits of history infused with battles, romances, heavy suspense, and a large amount of magic were incredible! Though there are still some points that I felt she could have expanded on , it was still a very smooth, almost flawless storyline. For once, I couldn't identify any immediate plot holes or inconsistencies because the author covered it all.

TL;DR: Conclusively, I cannot recommend this manga in good conscience, especially to a younger audience. Though this is definitely considered one of the most famous, classic staple pieces of historical romance mangas, it has many character flaws that were poorly addressed, several missed opportunities that made for a bad world building and emotionless build-ups, and a horrid view on literally basic human rights. But it does have a very engaging story with several well-executed and enormously interesting arcs, a strong female character (which is a lot more than every single shoujo out there), and very clean art. On that note, I still am divided on what matters more: giving a manga a good review because it’s a long epic with a lot of prestige, or giving a manga a bad review in order to dissuade younger readers from being pulled into a toxic manga? Therefore, 2/10.

... Last updated on March 24th, 2019, 1:04am

The male lead, Kail, thinks and says he loves the female lead, Yuri, but his actions say and indicate the opposite.

    While Anatolia Story is definitely a classic historical shoujo manga, anyone looking for a strictly historical story will disappointed: the author did use her artistic license. Even ignoring the existence of magic which begets the story and other small factors, there are quite a few things that payed history little to no heed. That said, there are plenty of good historical details and it is not as though the changes are coming from no where. (A few quick searches on Wikipedia will tell you a lot, and the single-ancient-world-language thing is to simplify story-telling.) These changes do, however, make for a good story. E.g. instead of the historical Mursili II, Shinohara gives us Kail Mursili. Anatolia Story is more of a tale occurring around the time of Mursili II than anything else.
    As for the sort of story it is, this manga is a historical romance centred on the growth of Yuri. All in all, Shinohara did a good job in presenting her growth from school girl to leader, but there are a few problems. (Let's leave the artwork out of this since it works and has a classic feel that's mostly an acquired taste.) First, there is no variation in the source of problems: the antagonist is tediously consistent, which also makes the motives and so on far too predicable (considering that, there is a fair bit of variation, but not in the general scheme of things). To sum the issues up: considering its length, its one antagonist is too few and its reliance on melodrama too great. The only other bone I have to pick has to do with the transitions: there are several points where there was possibly a peaceful time skip, but rarely is any indication provided. Fortunately, the aforesaid aren't so pervasive that they completely drown the story. Overall, Anatolia Story is enjoyable and fairly well done, with a good sense of humour as well, but (as I mentioned) there are not inconsiderable issues.

... Last updated on April 25th, 2021, 4:43pm

WAY too smutty. the heroine is too perfect, but at the same time she completely stupid. the male lead is also a pervert who pretends to care about the female lead, but we all know what he's really looking for. EVERYONE either loves or hates the female lead with a passion. my point? What is with this story?

This series is one the best shoujo manga I have ever read! After reading the first volume, it compelled me to keep reading, and because the U.S. only translated a volume a month, it was pure torture to know what happened next. This is a MUST READ for all those manga lovers who love shoujo because this is a rose among weeds!

This is one of the better fleshed-out historical time travel comics I've come across. The various problems and unique solutions the MC face are fascinating to read about. It's also refreshing that the MC doesn't wait until the very last chapter to profess her love for the male lead. We actually get to see a lot of their relationship dynamics after they confess their undying love. However, that being said...there are some problems too.

1. Main girl Yuri comes from a happy family and has a nice boyfriend. It's sad the author never shows how they dealt with the aftermath of Yuri disappearing.

2. Occasional Expospeak. The villains and good guys all have giant paragraphs of speech bubbles where they explain every detail of their plan. So unrealistic. This comic breaks the "show, don't tell" rule. As a result, things initially seem cheesy and artificial.

3. Fetishizing sexual assault. This happens from Chapter 2, and keeps happening until the end. Unwarranted kissing happens in completely uncalled for situations and are explained away. Her clothes are always conveniently ripped off in battle. Rape, sexual assault, and abuse is forced upon the main girl repeatedly from both villains and, initially, even her primary love interest. Even if this was normal 3,000 years ago, Yuri should not be okay with any of it. Yet there is no attempt to explore and resolve potential trauma/PTSD. She cries and then the scene ends, and everyone including her seem to forget she ever said no.

4. Yuri doesn't have consistent character portrayal. In Ch.6, she's never ridden a horse before, yet she is able to leap onto one and even pull a grown adult onto the horse one handed? She's shown to be smart, but then next thing you know she's barging into enemy territory without collecting intel beforehand--leading to her allies' deaths. Even tho she has no military training, she somehow succeeds as a military commander. This is sloppy writing. The only reason she isn't dead is because plot armor. Her characterization does stabilize towards the end, luckily.

5. everyone looks the same. Why do they all have bangs? And why is EVERYONE in love with the main girl Yuri?

... Last updated on May 29th, 2020, 10:36am

at this point i cant helped but be pissed about how many guys fall in love kiddnap and try to rape the girl. i thought the girl would be strong but she NEVER fights back against them. and she even always forgives them. she is SO naive!! a good story with plot ruined as always with naive shoujo girl that everyone falls in love with.