Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori
Red River

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I will never not respect the decision to base your historical epic romance in an empire that, prior to the late 19th century, we weren't completely sure existed and that we still know very little about. I love the Hittites and anything to do with them, and really I'm just jealous deep down that I can't use the technique Yuri did to learn the oldest Indo-European language that we have written record of. It's possible I'm a bit of a historical linguistics nerd. Anyway...

I can't pretend that I am unbiased. I am so incredibly biased. This is one of the first manga I ever read, ... so it has a nostalgia bonus to its score from me for sure. I should probably give it an 8, maybe a 7, but each time I reach to change it I just can't make myself do it. To be fair, I am allowed to have a biased opinion about a manga, it's not the end of the world. But it doesn't much make for a helpful review. I repeat, this is a biased review and I love this manga.

I have reread this entire manga twice, three total reads, and I love both the characters and the historic elements to the story. I'm not sure I can really recommend it, but I guess if you're looking for a manga to read with really beautiful art, try this one. If you still like it after the first few chapters, you will like the whole thing. On the other hand, if you don't like it after the first few chapters, you probably won't. Other than introducing a few new characters, it pretty much sticks to form for the duration.

So, this manga is just so problematic... when i read it circa 2014/2015 it was already problematic. i still love it, though and would definitely read it again.

before reading this, beware of the numerous trigger warnings, SPECIALLY S/A, in various moments of the manga!!! but i promise the relationship between the main characters gets healthy (or at least close to it, this is a 90s/early 2k's manga, have that in mind as you read. most os the thoughts of characters are probably outdated, and the historical factor also plays a part in the story) and there's a relationship between adult/adolescent. there are probably more ... TWs, but it's been about eight years since i read it, so that's what's stuck to me throughout this time. if you decide to read. have these warnings in mind

otherwise, the couple gets less toxic as time passes, the female protagonist is probably top3 i've ever read (might get top1 if i stop to analize), the plot itself is interesting and well developed, with an antagonist that is also strong

please, have these warnings in mind. if you're okay with them, then have fun!

In the 10 years of my life of reading manga, I have never encountered one with such absolutely pathetic characters. Don't get me wrong, the idea was good, but the characters were so underdeveloped and the obstacles the heroin had to face were so horribly thought out, that at one point you have to think "What obstacle will they throw at use now? Will it be that the girl can't be with the guy of her dreams because he's a blonde? Oh, the horror! Society shall never approve!"

I'm one to complete my manga's, since I've learned through the years that sometimes manga's get better ... as you read one, but this one only got worse and it actually became excruciatingly painful to complete it. Unfortunately, I had trusted the reviews I had seen here and decided to read it. I read it after completing Fushigi Yuugi, a fellow "girl gets sucked into another world" themed manga, so I'll admit, expectations were high. But for it to have been such an epic fail...oh my.

The female lead was unlikeable. She made obstacles for herself to not be with the guy she loved most, which was annoying since it was so obvious it was just so that the series could drag out longer. What I hated most of all was the main villain, the evil queen. Her character was the worst underdeveloped character with the most pathetic evil-schemes I have yet to encounter. You would've easily thought they took her out of a Disney classic film like "Snow White" and even then, it would be an insult to Snow White.

All in all, I must say that this manga is pathetic. Do not be fooled by these reviews! It would only be enjoyable for possibly an manga newb, and even they deserve better. I mean, jeez, even Inuyasha's "Naraku" had a semi-thought out past that led him to be "evil" (was sick-fell for kikyo-gave up his body to demons to be stronger to be able to BE with kikyo-was only a half demon-wanted to become a full demon to find his place in the world-did evil things to obtain the one thing that could MAKE him a full demon)