Red River

Episode 8

The most frustrating aspect of Red River is the way it depicts Yuri. Before I go any further, I do realize that this may be an issue strictly for (or mostly for) those of us coming to the anime having read the manga. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with being anime-only and enjoying what you're watching. But that doesn't make the irritations plaguing manga readers any less.

In the case of Yuri's depiction, a large part of the problem comes from the lack of nuance in the adaptation. While a 1:1 move from source material to anime wasn't ever realistic, the choice to focus on action has left Yuri feeling underbaked. The apparent InstaLove she feels for Kail is an issue, but that's pretty normal in older romance fiction. Instead, it's the lack of emotional growth after that point that's the problem. Yuri goes from wanting to go home to wanting to be with Kail in a heartbeat, and when she's told this week that she can't go to war with him, she bursts into tears and runs away sobbing. It's an immature move from a girl who, just last week, was shown to have a cool head and a mature sense of justice. While I could see arguing that she's very young (fifteen in the manga; possibly older in the anime), without getting all of the emotional events that lead up to her wanting to stay with Kail, it just reads as someone unstable. Emotions are hard for everyone, perhaps doubly so when you're a teen in the throes of adolescence, but none of Yuri's reactions feel earned. We don't know enough about her to care or understand her behavior, and it makes her a weaker character than she ought to be.

She's also got very little sense of self-preservation, but it's hard to argue with the results of her sneaking off to eavesdrop on Nakia. Nakia, frustrated that her plans are going awry, is growing increasingly reckless and unsubtle. Her outburst when told that the caravans from Mesopotamia never arrived is obviously strange, making her look even more suspicious than she already does. Discussing her plans in the hallway rather than her chambers is another foolish move, as is speaking aloud the name of the magical artifact she's waiting for.

That would be the Eye of Illuyanka. In Hattian mythology, Illuyanka is a dragon killed by Teshub, the god of storms, and one version of the myth does specifically mention eyes, albeit Teshub's, which the dragon takes. That would make Illuyanka's own eyes incredibly powerful, because this was a beast who nearly defeated a god in combat, and ultimately had to be dispatched by trickery. (And trickery is, as we know, Nakia's stock in trade.) It's indicative once again of how much research went into this story, even if some of the other symbolism in this particular episode is more Abrahamic than Hittite. The fact that Kail and Yuri reconciled under an apple tree is immediately symbolic of the Tree of Knowledge from the Adam and Eve story, although fruit itself in art is often held to be representative of female sexuality or power and often associated with Aphrodite/Venus…to whom Ishtar is sometimes compared. It's these little details that make all the difference.

Speaking of little details, have you noticed that Yuri is wearing more jewelry lately? While she still prefers to dress like a boy in a short tunic, she's adding bracelets, earrings, and other adornments to her look. (Or maybe Hadi, Ryui, and Shala are doing it.) Symbolically, this is important, as it shows her link to Kail – she's not going to be mistaken for a boy or a servant if she's more overtly feminine. It's indicative of her decision to stay with Kail, although he's still working on getting the message. But get it he will, if Zannanza has anything to say about it.

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Red River is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.