Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori
Red River

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An extremely fantastic manga, if I may say so myself.

I absolutely adore this manga and i'm honestly shocked that there are not many other reviews for this. I found this manga to be brilliant, not to mention thoroughly entertaining.

The story is basically about a girl who is brought back in time to the ancient Egyptian time by an evil queen. Sounds pretty bland and cheesy, but surprisingly it was rather fresh. Red River is a wonderful combination of genres wrapped all in one single manga and presented in a way that will, without a doubt, keep you entertained. Action, romance (definitely!), drama, evil sadistic ... ness- this manga dipped into a lot of genres. This manga did a wonderful job pulling readers into their plots. Reading Red River, at times, made me develop a passionate desire to punch some characters, kiss them, hug them, cry for them, pull their hair, cheer for them, throw my oversized textbooks at them (and let me tell you, they’re big and heavy enough to knock a bear out), and many more.

The art of Red River was pretty old school, but still was very charming and definitely not so old school that it may repulse people who can get easily distracted by awful art (haha, i'm one). Actually, to the contrary, I thought the art was really good looking most of the times. In the beginning of the manga, where the background was still in modern day Japan, I probably would've found the art to be just satisfactory. But when the background of the story changed to Ancient Egypt, the art did a 180 and turned absolutely gorgeous. The ancient Egyptian clothes were everything that I wished it to be and more. The artist was wonderful in drawing the clothing since it was clear in the manga that the artist knew how to draw peasant clothes, flashy clothes, plain clothes, beautiful clothes, all those types, with the same charming style. Not to mention, all the characters were drawn rather well and, at many times, there were characters that were so good looking, I swooned a bit.

The characters. My goodness, I cannot even describe how much I enjoyed the characters of this manga. They were all wonderfully unique and realistic in their own way, with the addition of each having their own charm. Character development was clear in this manga and it was done extremely well, in my opinion. The main protagonist of this manga developed from a feeble young girl to somebody who could be reckoned with and I loved it! At the dark and dramatic times of this manga, it was quite surprising who was revealed to be the evil character. I mean, there were quite a number of times new evil characters popped up, and I must admit I was suspicious of everybody and to my delight and surprise, characters I didn’t expect to be evil were evil and the characters I did were not (with the exception of the main antagonists)! The main male character I found to be incredible sweet. Such a love sick puppy I found him to be, yet still strong and upholding as any character I’ve met (read about) thus making such a wonderful character to favor. Honestly, I really can’t describe how much I enjoyed this manga’s characters so I apologize that this section probably just consists of relatively useless blabber.

Maybe I’m at a lost for words, or maybe I’m just having a writer’s block, so please do your best to not judge this manga on the fact that my review is both choppy and probably not that great. But despite what my lack of writing skill may present to you, I really, honestly and purely, definitely recommend this manga; if not for the wonderful and relatively unique plot, or the gorgeous art, or the fantabulous characters, then for the pure and simple fact that this manga is such a sweet romance story, it can give you both an achy tooth and swell your heart up full of love.

Anatolia Story or Red River is one of the few manga that transcends the boundaries of time. It is indeed a timeless classic that is bound to captivate the reader’s attention. It is certainly one of the best manga out there who can cope up with the fast paced innovation in the manga industry.

Plot/Story:
The story starts with a simple girl named Yuri, she is transported to the Hittites Empire by the evil queen because her blood is needed as a sacrifice in order to kill the other remaining prince. She was constantly saved by Prince Kail, a handsome and smart young man. Prince Kail ... is capable of inheriting the position of his father and is bound to be the next king. The two of them together are destined for greatness as they conquer the obstructions set by Queen Nakia and other villains!

CHARACTERS:
I personally believe that what makes this story different from any usual historical manga is the uniqueness of the characters. Without a doubt the heroine of the story is one of the bravest and strongest women in the history of manga in the sense of keen observations, perspectives, beliefs, principles and tactics. Commoners and nobles are captivated by Yuri “Ishtar” through her willingness and eagerness to help. What I admire the most is the evolution of the characteristics of the heroine “Yuri”. At first Yuri is a naïve, stupid and a helpless girl but as the story unfolds you can see the evolution of a goddess within…
Words are really not enough to define the characteristics of each character because uniqueness is apparent throughout the series. You’ll unconsciously love the characters as they respond to the challenges that awaits them. The romance in story is unlike the typical cliché in the manga because you’ll be drawn to the characteristics of Prince Kail. His unique attributes that complements the heroine brings out the incomparable passion that is bound to be tested.

Enjoyment:
The manga Anatolia Story is a classic manga that will never bore a reader. This is the only manga that I constantly read and the essence and glow of the story is still apparent. The drawing may not complement the usual modern era but I assure you that it complements the traditional innocent charm of each characters. The sequence of the story unfolds the boundary of love and governance. There are tragic moments and unexpected twist that will captivate the reader’s mind. It is one of the few manga out there who possess the undeniably complement of the genre like shoujo, historical, romance, adventure, action and drama.

*** I’m not that good in writing a review so kindly spare me.

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)

I discovered Red River about last year- a friend of mine had it, told me it was worth a read, and she, myself, and another friend all decided to read it. The story is this: Yuri Suzuki is an everygirl who is transported back through time and space to the Hittite Empire, summoned by the Empress who wants to use her as a blood sacrifice to ensure her son inherits the throne. Yuri manages to escape and falls in with Prince Kail Mursili, third in line to the throne. She joins his court, and, through a series of odd coincidences, becomes mistaken for ... the war goddess Ishtar and becomes a commander in the Hittie Empire's war against Egypt. Throughout her adventures in the war, Yuri must avoid the Empress's schemes while struggling with her own feelings for Kail.

If you find this intriguing, I feel I must warn you: Red River is not good. Red Rive is not bad. Red River is TERRIBLE.

Oh, the story is interesting, to be sure, and the artwork is top-notch, no complaints there. But the writing and characters are just so laughably BAD, and the love story central to the plot is no better than dime store romance novel trite, that anything that could have been good is just crushed under the mountain of terribleness. Kail has little to no personality, switching between "Playboy," "Serious Business," and "YURI!!!!" (You remember that commercial parodying InuYasha, where all Kagome and InuYasha do is shout each other's names the whole time? It's like that, but serious). Yuri herself is a pathetic heroine, if you can even call her that. For a commander in a legendary war, she sure is useless. Yuri is kidnapped at least once a book, cries so often she comes off as whiny instead of empathetic, and threatened with rape so often that it stops being serious and dramatic and starts being a drinking game. The interesting characters are killed off, evil, or both (with the exception of Ramsses). There are huge gaps in characters' logic, making them look like idiots. It's just... it's just BAD.

Red River isn't completely irredeemable, though: if you've been looking for a good manga to sit around, have a couple laughs, and MST with some friends, look no further than Red River (Chie Shinohara's other stuff is good for this, too). But if you're looking for a historical fiction manga that is well-written and tugs at the heartstrings... well, I hear Rose of Versailles is pretty good.

When reading the first chapters, you think it's the story of a girl in trouble and get saved by her hero and they live happily ever after. Which is surprisingly WRONG in fact it's beyond your expectations, the heroine of this Manga isn't your typical heroine. She's more then just a heroine, even how tomboyish, stubborn , insecure and scared she is , she overcomes any problem her path meets in this oldest Era. Not only the main characters are the heroes but also side characters that even have the smallest role.
The surprising turns in this story makes you keep reading and makes you travel ... through many genres : from war to romance, from tragedy to fantasy in a historical theme and so on.
The art may be a little off, but the story is so nice and good that you look through that all.

Red River is one the best historical stories there's been made so far. It's absolutely a recommendation to read other stories by this fantastic author.

I just finished this book and you can never fully understands how amazing it is until you have read it yourself.

story: This is a romance manga between a prince and a princess( which is actually a normal teenage girl ), that sounds exciting doesn't it? Now what you expect from the manga may be a little different from what the manga actually says , but I am really telling the truth. I don't want to give any spoilers so this is all I am going to say.

The art really took me some time to get used to, but once I got used to it, ... *gasp* all those beautiful boys, *gasp* all those beautiful girls, I start drooling. Also, this story is very realistic and people actually die not like some other manga where just group of friends or lovers go through hardship, halfway thought his or her friend died and cry then find out that him or her isn't actually dead then everyone survive.( though I also like those manga ) I really love the last part where the villain was about to be killed because she's a villain, the main character ( who was suppose to hate her ) thank her. You will understand what I mean if you actually read the manga.

This is my very first review, hope you find it helpful :) And please read the manga I'm begging you cause it's amazing!

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.

Red River is the oldest manga I have ever read, having been released the year I was born. I had put off reading it due to the art style (I was used to round, fluffy shoujos) and finally, after running into it for the hundredth time last year, I decided to stop putting it off. I was caught right away, and I could not stop reading. I read every chapter in three days.
The last volume was a bit dull after the main story ended, but I liked the insight into the side characters lives, and even the little after stories. But either way, it ... was a great end to the best manga I have ever read.

At first, the art was a big no for me, but as I got use to it, I realized it wasn't bad, just different. And for a manga that came out sixteen years ago, it was actually fairly well drawn and a perfect style for this story.
The characters were wonderfully created, and everybody had their own distinctive personality. Yuri, the main character, was definitely not some helpless fifteen year hiding behind her romantic interest the entire series. She was actually surprisingly independent, fighting her own battles without help from Kail, except a few times, of course, where the female protagonist has to play damsel in distress. Sadly, those kinds of scenes are in every manga, but despite them, Yuri proves herself to be a reliable character. At the end of the manga when she's about nineteen or so, you can see how much she had matured and changed her views on the "reality of the world", yet still harbors a feminine-innocence.

I really enjoyed this manga, and I recommend it to /anyone/. And if you're putting off reading it because of the art or story or whatever, stop it. Give it a chance, and I hope you wont be disappointed. My only problem now is finding a manga that could ever live in the shadow of Red River.

Well, I needed to write a review about my favorite shoujo manga...

OK, I'm a guy, but, despite this, shoujo/drama/romance is the genre that mostly I like; but I was surprising for me to consider this as my favorite manga, I didn't hope it. 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.

Anatolia Story is also one of the the most touching love stories 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 Anatolia Story 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 several 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.

Anatolia Story is a about a typical girl who is dragged back in time to be used as a sacrifice for an evil queen; who is trying to make her son the prince. She goes through many problems, and is kidnapped countless times and is saved by none other then "HER PRINCE" Kail. :)

The two fall deeply in love and must undergo some of the most terrifying problems. Many times the queen has tried to kill her since they soon find out the Yuri is a goddess.

In my opinion, there is an anamzing amount of suspense and alot of romance for those who ... like it. The author makes the reader feel as if they themselves are one of the characters in the story and the readers can not help but cry :')

An amazing read for many.

It was amazing!

Not only is it historical it is also magical and romantic. The story line is very good and the art is beautifully done, a masterpiece. Like every story you have the wounderfull handsome Princes and those who try to get in their way like the step mother. I enjoyed this manga very much and have read it more than once, It is one of those mangas that drag you into the story itself.

The story is set in the Heiti time (Ancient Egypt). A young Japanese girl get dragged through time by a Socceress to be sacraficed. On her journey she comes across ... a Prince who is willing to save her. She faces many other opsticales in order to stay a live and get home.
As the stroy progresses it tells you some history along the way and romance blooms, where there is love there is also rivalry and War.

I enjoyed this manga very much and I hope many more will. It is a long story but it is worth it in the end. It has everything a manga should have,
Passion, Love, Lust, Rivalry, War, Evil and Handsome Princes.

This is a FANTASTIC manga I have read so far! I have read it and re-read it over and over again.

The story somehow drew me in by how a girl who is yanked through time to the Bronze Era by an evil witch of a mother, of his love. At first I was skeptical if I would like it like many I know read this because it sounded really cheesy and drawn out.(To be honest the first time I read it, I read the first chapter then went to the last one because I was doubtful and that was a HUGE mistake! I missed ... everything!!!!) To my surprise it was really a great read with an interesting look at how history could have gone ( & Personally think should have gone).

This is a great read for anyone who loves the combination of action, love, drama, magic, myths, real history, and GIRL POWER! It keep you entertained and as Jasonbear said:
"at times, made me develop a passionate desire to punch some characters, kiss them, hug them, cry for them, pull their hair, cheer for them, throw my oversized textbooks at them"

All-in-all, I love this.

PLUS!! Just an idea, It should be made into an Anime. I would watch it so much. I would love to see it on screen and not use my UN-creative mind.

Story - 8/10 (Sorry If it's cumbersome)
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As you know (or don't know) it has something realistic. Of course all the magic stuff isn't true, but still.

The story is full of all kind of emotions: Sadness, funny (I don't know how to say it) and so on.

It's original (Unless you consider something based on reallity not original), it has some truth in it (So it's not 100% unbelievble) and you learn History XD

Art - 10/10
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... Sorry, I don't how can I really say a lot about it. I just like the way it was drawn (Especially Mursili)

Enjoyment - 9/10
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The story was nice and all but think about it. We're talking about a really old age and on someone's life after all. You don't really accept everything to be happy. Sure, there were some things that weren't happy happy joy joy, otherwise, why would someone bother to write a manga about it?

Characters - 9/10
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Very diverse, each character is important, and there's nothing like "A charcter who is mentioned with no reason at all". The charcters build complicted realstionships between each other, that sure help the delveopment of the plot.
But sure there are some really really really annoying charcters, so I can't give it 10 (Stupid I know)

Overall enjoyment: Top notch

This is hands down my favorite Japanese series of all time. In fact, of my top 10 media I've ever consumed, this would be in there. Note I said media - I'm including video games like LoL, movies like Lion King, and books like the Silmarillion in here.

I don't expect anybody else to love this manga to my extent, but give this 3000 page story a try. If you're a fan of isekai or romances, I guarantee this series will surprise you with how enjoyable it is.


Now if I have your interest, please read on for more details!


... Framework:

With the advent of SAO, people forget that isekai stories used to be female focused, often featuring strong female main characters. Don't let the shojo label turn you off though, the story is beautifully written and very action packed.

This is a work of historical fiction involving being trapped in a foreign world (3500 years in the past). We get a first-person view of the hero's journey, as our main heroine must traverse the dangers of political intrigue in the Hittite royal court.


Story:

The main plot is that our heroine Yuri Suzuki is brought to the Hittite Empire at the height of its glory. She was to be sacrificed by the evil queen, who wishes for her son to be the next king.

Yuri's life gets saved by Kail Mursili (King Mursili II, real first name unrecorded) the third prince of the royal court. Through sharp wit, bravery, and a fierce resolve Yuri and Kail must foil the evil queen's numerous attempts on their lives, all while ruling one of the most powerful empires of the ancient world.

The story is very action packed, but don't expect any DBZ power levels or stuff like that. Everybody is a normal human being after all, so it is more focused on trying to outsmart the queen. Of course, it's not a suspense either, so it focuses on emotional impact rather than strategic plotting.


Historical:

Chie Sunohara did a tremendous amount of research on the Hittite Empire. Almost everything fits one historical theory or another of the Hittites. The main difference is our time traveling heroine, whose actions are based off Puduhepa but her chronology places her as Gassuliwaya (one generation ahead).

Just this fact alone deserves special praise, that a wonderfully crafted story can be written without deviating very far from history.


Characterization:

This is perhaps the strongest points of the manga. When it comes to shojo romances, we often think of shallow characterization, ham-fisted explanations, and a lot of illogical thinking.

Not here though.

Yuri doesn't mindlessly accept status quos, but she also does not expect people to accept her own ways without taking personal action. Yuri also is not the perfect princess; she has her own insecurities, and some of her actions even do not work as she planned.

Likewise, Yuri behaves in a realistic way to the events around her. Traumatic experiences don't just disappear overnight. Any conflict between Yuri and Kail doesn't magically disappear - there's usually a good reason for love, forgiveness, anger, etc.

While we do see glimpses into other characters, the manga is mostly a first-person affair. We pretty much only see things through Yuri's perspective, so while Yuri is fully fleshed out, we only get incomplete pictures of the supporting cast. And that's perfectly fine - in real life we don't know anybody's psyche other than our own.


Cons:

The main problem is the villain, the evil queen Nadia. We only ever get the smallest of glimpses into her reasons for so mindlessly wanting her own son to be king. Her second-in-command Urhi Shalma likewise never exactly revealed why he was so devoted to Nadia.

However, in story this shortcoming itself is acknowledged. Yuri herself has asked Urhi why he takes his actions, as it doesn't seem to give him any benefit whatsoever. Nadia also makes it clear she never intends to let anybody know her true reasons.

In addition, this is a 1995 manga. Its art style is gorgeous, especially given this was 20 years ago. However, its age does show at times.

*READ IN CAUTION AS THERE ARE SPOILERS*

I'm someone who's a huge fan of shoujo and romance mangas. I especially love the ones that actually make my heart jump as if i'm in the manga myself. Even now, I somewhat like reading mangas about a prince and damsel in distress falling in love. I think it could be because of the fact that in reality, there's no prince. But fiction makes our imagination go wild and that makes it all the more exhilarating.

However, one thing I hate the most are characters that are brave but at the same time, they are constantly degraded when the ... (opposite) gender is involved. And I'm disappointed to say that Yuri (the heroine) is that person. Maybe it's because this manga is set in the past, but the fact that she is always ALMOST raped does not justify the horror. The men in the manga has no respect whatsoever for Yuri's opinion and they can only think of sexual intercourse. As a woman, I feel humiliated and disgusted by each character's huge flaw. Even so more, the heroine is weak against men and never learns what dignity is. She presents herself well in front of the public, but I am constantly surprised by how accepting she is whenever she is sexually assaulted. Kail isn't much better since in one chapter he almost rapes Yuri although she was yelling at him to stop. He only halted when the servants went in between. What type of man tries to rape the person he really loves... I absolutely loved Kail before but once he began to sexually assault Yuri my jaws dropped. Pls. No.

Additionally, there is no development in the characters at all... Especially the queen that's hella evil. First, she never learns her mistakes. She constantly kills people but can never kill the ones who she really wants to. She's stupid and she should've died a long time ago... The king is stupid for not seeing how evil his wife is. Also, her "never happened" love story does not make me pity her... at all...

Overall, this manga was a disappointment. Each character disappointed me. :)

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!

SO disappointing, first manga I've ever dropped!! Every single recommendation came back to one manga: Red River, after having read Akatsuki no Yona and Legend of Basara and considered them 10/10s. I was excited for what people described as another tale of an epic heroine overcoming battles and finding her strength. This could not have been further from what this manga is.

Having read Yona and Basara, those mangas constantly follow our characters along their journey of just how hard it is to even learn how to wield a sword, a weapon, to kill or be killed, to witness death and disease. This story COMPLETELY ... skips these elements. Within days of being in this new world she has all these skills and virtually no emotional consequences from witnessing any horrors around her, let alone on her own life? From the first few chapters I was shocked at how 2 dimensional every character is including our heroine. Characters were evil for the sake of being evil. There was never moral complexity that left you thinking about the manga when you stepped away. It all felt forced and predictable. Even the FIRST premise of our heroine to STAY in this "alternate world' makes absolutely no sense beyond acknowledging her love interest is hot. Even then, what about her life back home? Just completely forgotten.

Final gripe: cool concept, terrible execution. The accuracy of the Anatolian symbolism, names, costumes, magic system, etc was severely lacking and bland.

Redeeming feature: personally I really like the art style, though it was nothing special, I enjoyed this 90s look. The backdrops and landscapes were also well done.

Story: 10
I really enjoyed the story of Red River/Anatolia Story. It was engaging, interesting, ocasionly funny and supensfull throughout all of the story.

Art: 8
The art is the one thing that acording to me isn't perfect. But the artist did a great job of capturing the characters feelings and the feelings they have one and other.

Characters: 10
Pretty much all of the characters in this manga have a good background and are all used minor characters and mayor characters the same. I got emotionly invested in pretty much every character even in some of the villains as you learn that each and every one of them have ... there own reasons to do what they do even though they may seem monsterous. Another great thing is character development that exists in this manga.

Enjoyment: 10
This is according to me the most important factor to a manga was it enjoyable or not. If a manga isn't enjoyable then it can't be good and my god is it enjoyable you are literaly on the edge of your seat throughout the manga.

Overall: 10
This manga is clearly a favorite of mine. I found so good it has a spot in my top three manga. I say spare no moment and run away to your local book store or your favorite manga streaming site and read the heck out of this manga you will not be dissapointed.

This is a beautiful manga and a beautiful story! The growth of the characters and their perseverance through tragedy and hardship is inspiring and well portrayed. The characters themselves are very easy to become attached to, especially the two main characters: Yuri and Kail. The kind of love, trust, and loyalty that is apparent in their relationship is exactly what I have been looking for in any manga ever. I have gotten so tired of all the romance mangas with wishy-washy and idiotic (though good-intentioned) female leads that worry and fret and don't take any action against those attempting to sabotage their love. Or those ... who attempt to "sacrifice themselves for the greater good" rather than actually putting effort into fighting back. Female leads that make every dilemma more complicated and difficult because of their low self-esteem drive me crazy (because my own low self esteem drives me crazy) and Yuri Ishtar is a refreshing change. She is a strong female lead that anyone would appreciate and enjoy. Don't get me wrong, it is not as though she never doubts herself, it is the way she pulls through every time that is inspiring! (Sorry to ramble about Yuri so much.... I just may have fallen in love with her character). Anyways, the ending (don't worry this isn't a spoiler) of this manga was found somewhat wanting. With such great plot twists and action throughout the manga I guess I was just left wanting more. Although I guess that's just another sign of how great it was. It IS always nice to leave a little bit to the readers imagination. Other than that, the art was great, as was the story, and it was nearly impossible for me to stop reading. I read all 94 chapters in about two days (I didn't get much sleep).
So like I said: this manga was incredibly enjoyable and beautiful and I loved every minute of reading it. My only complaint was that I wanted more, more, MORE!!!!!!! (which tells you how great it was).

I don't usually write reviews, but after reading many of the reviews for this manga, I felt the need to address a couple of things. This may contain minor spoilers in regards to the mindset of the characters and their specific actions. Also, there might be a slight rant.

Story (6/10):

The story is of one about a modern girl getting sent back in time by an evil queen hoping to take her body for a ritual. The MC finds herself surrounded by many physically strong men of high social status. The story is definitely a harem romance type.

Art (8/10):

I actually liked the art. Though the art ... progressively got messier, it fit the ambiance of the series in a sense. It is hard to describe unless you read the manga. As someone that does not mind different types of art and how bad it can get, I can still read the series. This does not mean that everyone can tolerate the art though. However, I can say that the art in the beginning is fantastic. The details are there and the clothes designs, specifically, are elegant.

Characters (4/10):

This is where I believe the manga lacks significantly in, where it is also the reason why I did not enjoy the series very much. Many reviewers constantly bring up how the MC is different from the typical female, weak character. However, I see the MC as a stereotypical magical girl. As a "magical girl," she has a special ability that none others have. This makes her special, but as someone who has read many manga in the shoujo genre, she fits the pattern of one that uses that power to gain attention in order to secure her spot next to her loved ones (I know its a "duh" that's what the main character with super powers should do, but you will see later on how she carries herself in the series). In other words, she gains the praise of other male characters to stay where she is, but in the end, still relies heavily on them to save her.

Furthermore, though people say she is strong-willed and smart, she may be this way in some instances, but she continuously lets male characters take advantage of her. IT'S RIDICULOUS. You see that she has gained powers, but she STILL let's herself stand weak against men! For a majority of the series, she makes it acceptable for the men to manipulate her to the point where she realizes too late that she will be raped! In MANY instances, she is on the verge of getting raped until another male character or other side characters jump in to save her. That is also another thing I would like to bring up.

She saves some people with her powers is some nonchalant way where everyone is overly joyed and is unnecessarily surprised by, but she is always saved by some male character! Whether it is against enemies or whether she is being sexually assaulted, she is almost always saved by men. I see her special ability as a facade that many readers do not uncover and see that she is the weak girl always being saved.

There is also little character development in the male characters. They do become nicer to the MC, where in the beginning, they only saw her as a helpless female. They started to have more respect for her, but in the end, they constantly showed their sexual desires for her. There was little development in their outlook on her as a sex toy, though they do start to let her have more of a say in what goes on.

The evil characters also have a great lacking in character development. The queen specifically, does not learn from her own actions. It is actually sad because you barely learn much about her. She has the same level of development as she did in the beginning of the manga.

Enjoyment (5/10):

I honestly did not enjoy the manga very much. The art was good, not consistent, but good, however, the characters really downplayed the series; the characters are supposed to be the main point of focus to make a series great and I did not see great character development. There were poor messages portrayed in the manga where sexual harassment was an acceptable occurrence from both genders, though obviously, not as acceptable from the female side than the male side. The opinions of other readers saying that the female character was "different" from others because she was smart and strong really made me sad in which it just showed that other readers did not see depth in the psychological mindset of the characters. I may be reading into the characters too much, but it was just too obvious for me not to point out (I am absolutely not saying everyone does not read into characters at all, I just see a different side of the story). Though I did find myself wanting to read it to pass times. There were some instances where I just kind of mindless-read for the plot to continue, with the tolerance of some degrading actions from some of the characters.

Overall (5/10):

If you like to pass by time and just read about the epic adventures a girl traveling through time who experiences a constant danger of evil, it is an interesting series to read. So those that enjoy shoujo, romance, some smut, and historical manga, would be assumed to like the manga. If you also like to read something very light-hearted (mindless, but not extremely mindless reading), then read this. However, if you like true character development and are looking for true female main characters that are strong and smart, do not read this because you will see that the female character is only praised for her powers and doings by the male population in the series, not necessarily praised for her true independence.

Personally, I liked how you could mindless-read and understand the plot without problem. It was the character development that I was hoping for that let me down. I get that the manga is historical so some of the actions are shown to be more acceptable according to the time period, however in my opinion, if there was more character development all around, then the actions of some would not be criticized as mindless and sporadic. Also, if the female character did grow into one of more significant independence and more self-reliance in her own capabilities, then the actions brought upon her would have been seen as more sympathetic.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! (: