, also known as Anatolia Story, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Chie Shinohara. It was published by Shogakukan in their Sho-Comi magazine from January 1995 to June 2002. It is published in English in North America by Viz Media.
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.
An anime television series adaptation produced by Tatsunoko Production premiered in July 2026.
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 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 progresses, 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.
Characters Main
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 . 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.
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
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.
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 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.
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 overrun by the Hittites 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 Tatukia 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 felt 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 it is passed on to Yuri, who wears it around her neck for much of the rest of the series until she gave it away to Nefertiti who later used it as part of her unfinished bust. The character is loosely based on the historical Shattiwaza of Mitanni, who was actually the brother of Tushratta and uncle of Tadukhipa, who is sometimes erroneously identified with Nefertiti. 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. Nefertiti is a fictionalized conflation of the historical Tadukhipa and Nefertiti. Modern Egyptologists are of the opinion that these women were two different wives of Akhenaten. 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.
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; however, Yuri was soon able to clear her name and expose Urhi as Arnuwanda's true murderer.