Versailles no Bara

The Rose of Versailles
ベルサイユのばら
Berusaiyu no Bara
Lady Oscar
Rose of Versailles

Manga8.46008 votes10 volumes · 82 chaptersFinished

DramaRomanceHistoricalMilitaryShoujo

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About this title

Synopsis

Hoping to unite their countries with an alliance, The Empress of Austria arranges for her daughter, the delightful yet spoiled Marie Antoinette, to marry the crown prince of France, Louis XVI. Upon arriving in Versailles, the Austrian princess meets Oscar François de Jarjayes, Captain of the Royal Guards—a seemingly dashing young man—but to Antoinette's astonishment, he is in fact a woman! The youngest daughter of a noble family with a prominent lack of a male heir, Oscar was raised as a boy to continue the family's military legacy. Suffocated by the rigid rules associated with her new position and longing for companionship, Antoinette immediately takes a liking to this intriguing young woman and wastes no time befriending her. However, as the childish new queen foolishly abuses her power, Oscar is conflicted between maintaining her loyalty to the royal family and addressing the growing concern of poverty among the common people. Despite being unjustly burdened by family expectations and forced to deny their identities at the expense of personal happiness, Antoinette and Oscar march on to become key players in the annals of history. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Publication notes

Versailles no Bara is set during the 1789 French Revolution. It became an instant success with millions of copies sold around the world since its appearance on May 21, 1972. With the rise in Japanese interest in French culture as a result of the series' release, the French government acknowledged the manga's impact in promoting French history and granted Riyoko Ikeda the Legion of Honor on March 11, 2009. In 1983, the first two volumes of the manga were translated into English by Frederik L. Schodt for the purpose of teaching English to Japanese speakers. This version was released in North America by the North American branch of Sanyusha and is the first commercially translated manga to be available in the country. It was published in English as The Rose of Versailles by Udon Entertainment as four omnibus volumes from February 4, 2020, to April 6, 2021. The series was released in French in two volumes by Kana from October 5, 2002, to December 7, 2002; both volumes were reissued on January 7, 2011. The manga was also released in Italian in five volumes by Edizioni BD on December 9, 2020. The series has been adapted into several Takarazuka Revue musicals. These shows led to a large resurgence in the popularity of Japanese revues; it came to be known as the "Berubara Boom." The manga has also received a live-action movie adaptation titled Lady Oscar, which was released in Japan on March 3, 1979.

Published

May 6, 1972 to Dec 8, 1973

Authors

Ikeda, Riyoko

External links

MyAnimeList page Wikipedia Wikipedia

MAL rank: #237
Members (MAL): 22,407
Favorites (MAL): 921

Related titles

Adaptation

Side Story

Spin-Off

Eikou no Napoleon

Alternative Version

Berubara Kids

Main characters

Oscar François de Jarjayes2854 fan favorites
External profile
Birthdate: December 25, 1755 Born the last of five daughters to the Commander of the Royal Guards, General François Augustin Regnier de Jarjayes she is raised by her father as if she were a boy in order to take his place and command the Royal Guards serving at Court after he retires. At the age of fourteen, as soon as her training in the basic military skills is complete, Oscar is given the task to protect the Dauphine Marie Antoinette when she arrives at the French Court. Despite being raised as if she were a boy and dressing in males' clothes, Oscar is open about being female. Even as she embraces her femininity, she uses her male position to gain freedoms that she could never have as a lady of the court. She is the love interest of both André Grandier, her servant at the Jarjayes mansion and afterwards a soldier in her regiment, and Marie Antoinette, who she acts as a bodyguard to. She also earns the admiration and love of Rosalie Lamorlière, and in turn calls Rosalie her "spring breeze." Other women are infatuated with Oscar, even after she tells them she is female. She dislikes the court intrigues, but remains there out of loyalty to her father and her friend, Marie Antoinette. At one point, Oscar falls in love with Fersen, who has a forbidden love for Marie Antoinette.
André Grandier234 fan favorites
External profile
Birthdate: August 26, 1754 The friend of Oscar and the grandson of her nanny, André and Oscar learned the arts of fencing and horsemanship together when they were children. As they grew up, Oscar became the Dauphine's guard and the class gap between them widened. He has been described as a "true working-class hero" by Helen McCarthy.
Marie Antoinette70 fan favorites
External profile
Birthdate: November 2, 1755 Marie Antoinette married the Dauphin to seal the alliance between his grandfather Louis XV and her mother, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, when she was 14. After her marriage, she realizes that Madame du Barry, King Louis XV's mistress, is against her. The princess, horrified by what she had heard about du Barry, decides to never speak to her. Meanwhile, she meets Count von Fersen, who becomes her lover. Madame du Barry, always plotting against Marie Antoinette and Oscar, fulfils her desire to be greeted by her. After the death of Louis XV, Madame du Barry is condemned to die. Marie Antoinette, after several conflicts with her husband, starts feeling lonely. Fersen, who had left France on Oscar's advice, returns. Rumors swirl about the Queen and the Count, and Fersen leaves again. A depressed Marie Antoinette befriends the Duchess de Polignac. Polignac leads Marie Antoinette to her downfall. Marie Antoinette is described as a "lively, silly girl of shoujo manga."
Rosalie Lamorlière30 fan favorites
External profile
Rosalie is the adoptive daughter of a commoner named Nicole Lamorlière. She is described as "a stereotypical good girl, sweet, obedient and timid".
Hans Axel von Fersen17 fan favorites
External profile
Birthday: September 4 A handsome Swedish aristocrat who comes to the court of Versailles and becomes involved in a forbidden romance with queen Marie Antoinette. He was Oscar's best friend. It is revealed in the series that Oscar also has strong feelings for Fersen.