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.