The rose of versailles

The action takes place during the reign of Louis XVI and the Great French Revolution . In the center of the plot is a girl named Oscar - the daughter of an aristocrat whose father strongly wanted an heir and therefore raised her daughter as a boy, even gave her a man's name. Oscar became the captain of the royal guard, however, an innate sense of justice does not allow her to blindly obey orders: since childhood, fidelity was brought to the Oscars to the court, but she cannot help but see the poverty and oppression that ordinary people are subjected to.

The Rose of Versailles anime was shot at Tokyo Movie Shinsha (TMS). Its premiere on television in Japan took place in 1979. In addition to Japan, it was also broadcast in Europe, East and Latin America under the name Lady Oscar , but in Italy it was later renamed Una spada per Lady Oscar ^[4]

The most recognized specialists of their time were connected to work on the anime. The most difficult moment was the change of director with the director when the first half of the anime was shot under the direction of Tadao Nagahama , and the second half - Osamu Dezaki ^[5] . The music was written by composer Koji Macaino ^[6] . The anime was broadcast on the Japanese television channel Nihon Terebi from October 1979 to September 1980.

• Oscar Francois de Jarje ( オ ス カ ル ・ フ ラ ン ソ ワ ・ ド ・ ジ ャ ル ジ ェ Osukaru Furansowa do Jaruje ) , Lady Oscar is the sixth daughter of General de Jarzhe, raised as a boy. Captain of the Royal Guard. Born December 25, 1755. It features a straightforward and strong character; a mind that is not burdened with prejudices characteristic of its social class; courage and nobility.
• Marie Antoinette ( Jap. マ リ ー ・ ア ン ト ワ ネ ッ ト Marī Antowanetto ) - former Archduke of Austria, Dauphin and Queen of France. Wife of Louis XVI. Born on November 2, 1755. I could not take root in Versailles, which became for her a "golden cage." Because of his gullibility, he becomes a victim of self-serving hypocritical “friends” and favorites like Madame Polignac.
• Hans Axel von Fersen ( Jap. ハ ン ス ・ ア ク セ ル ・ フ ォ ン ・ フ ェ ル ゼ ン Hansu Akuseru fon Feruzen ) is a count from Sweden . The eldest son of the Swedish chief marshal. Born on September 4, 1755.
• Andre Grande ( ア ン ド レ ・ グ ラ ン デ ィ エ Andore Gurandie ) is a childhood friend Oscar and her batman. In the anime series and feature film - the groom of the Jarzhe family. Grandson of Marron Glass. Born on August 26, 1754.
• Rosalie Lamorlier ( ロ ザ リ ー ・ ラ ・ モ リ エ ー ル Rozarī ra Moriēru ) is a Parisian slum girl, the illegitimate daughter of Count de Saint-Remy (the last member of the Valois dynasty), half-sister of Jeanne de Lamotte, ancestor of Ozantes . Born, in the manga, in 1763. Her prototype is the real historical figure of Rosalie Lamorlier, who really was the last servant of Marie Antoinette during her imprisonment. Appears in the manga Riyoko Ikeda Eikou no Napoleon - Eroica .
• Louis XVI ( ル イ 15 世 Rui Jūgosei ) - Dauphin and king of France. Kind and gentle, but extremely weak-willed and easily amenable to the influence of others. Unlike his wife, he leads a modest lifestyle. He loves books, hunting and plumbing.
• Jeanne de Lamotte - adventurer, the main culprit in the famous "case of the necklace." An ambitious, purposeful, greedy and intelligent woman. She spent her childhood in poverty and always dreamed of a luxurious life. The illegitimate daughter of the Count de Saint-Remy, half-sister Rosalie Lamorlier, a pupil of the Marquise de Boulenville, wife of Nicolas de Lamotte.
• Countess Polignac is the favorite of Marie Antoinette.
• Bernard Chatelet - a young journalist, revolutionary, follower of Robespierre . Its historical prototype is Camille Demoulins . According to the manga, a distant relative of Saint-Just. Appears in Eikou no Napoleon - Eroica.
• Maximilian Robespierre - one of the ideological leaders of the revolutionary movement, a lawyer from an impoverished noble family.
• Louis-Antoine "Florell" Saint-Just - according to the manga, a young student supporting revolutionary ideas. A distant relative of Bernard Chatelet. The author of the satirical poem "Organt", which Bernard calls the "erotic short story." He escaped from the house and lived with Bernard for some time. Subsequently, he became the youngest member of the National Convention, a friend and follower of Robespierre. The main prosecutor of Louis XVI. He was convinced that for the sake of the triumph of the revolution, any means could be used, he received the nickname "Archangel of Death". The anime series shows how a bloodthirsty terrorist is enjoying murder for the sake of murder.
• Alan de Soissons is a young man from the French Guard. An authoritative leader among his colleagues. One of the main characters of the Eikou no Napoleon manga is Eroica . Born in 1761 or 1762. Representative of an impoverished noble family. Being not of the best origin, deprived of the possibility of promotion; due to an attack on the commander, he was demoted to the rank and file. Talented fencer.
• Victor Clement "Florian" de Girodel - Captain and Major of the Royal Guard. Challenger for an Oscar.
• General de Jarget is the father of Oscars and five more daughters. Its likely historical prototype is Francois Augustin Rainier de Jarget, who may also be a partial Oscar prototype.
• Madame de Jarget - Georgette - the wife of General de Jarget, mother of Oscars and her five older sisters. The maid of honor of Marie Antoinette.
• Marron Glass-Mont-Blanc - Andre's grandmother, the Oscar nanny, the housekeeper of the Jarget family.

The Rose of Versailles manga was published between April 1972 and December 1973. Initially, the editors of the magazine did not approve of Ikeda’s idea to publish a manga about the life of Marie Antoinette. In the end, the author was given the condition that the continuation of the publication will depend on the reaction of the readership. Readers reacted mostly positively. One of the main innovations in the manga was the introduction of a female character who dresses and behaves like a man ^[7] .

More than 15 million copies of The Rose of Versailles were sold worldwide ^[8] , with each volume diverging in a circulation of 1.5 million copies. According to a 2007 survey by the Ministry of Culture of Japan , it ranks 28th among the best manga of all time ^[9] .

However, the sudden turn of events in the life of the main character Oscar caused a stormy reaction among fans. School students were reportedly so upset that teachers were forced to suspend classes. And one of the distraught fans sent Riyoko Ikeda a razor blade by mail ^[7] .

• Anime “The Rose of Versailles” in the Anime News Network Encyclopedia
• Anime "The Rose of Versailles" in the AniDB Database

• The Rose of Versailles manga in the Anime News Network Encyclopedia