VERSAILLES NO BARA

DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA DramaVersailles no Bara
MOVIE DramaVersailles no Bara: Seimei Aru Kagiri Aishite
MOVIE DramaVersailles no Bara (2007)
ANIME ActionLupin III: Part II
MOVIE AdventureVersailles no Bara Movie
SPECIAL DramaVersailles no Bara: Moetsukita Bara no Shouzou

REVIEWS

• 

  Harunobu

  80/100
  A Timeless Classic of the Shoujo Genre

  __A Timeless Classic of the Shoujo Genre__

  Shoujo is a genre that loves melodrama and sometimes it's good, but sometimes it can get out of hand. Rose of Versailles is a product of Shoujo done right because whilst it is easy to make light of its visuals, it remains a timeless classic of the Shoujo genre. It is an engrossing story about characters who not only struggle with human dignity but stand on the precipice of an event which they cannot escape from.

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  Story:
  Set during the mid to late 1700s in France, Rose of Versailles is a story that spans over two decades and centers around Oscar and Marie-Antoinette. With no male heir to continue his military legacy, General de Jarjayes decides to raise his female child Oscar as a boy. She later becomes the commander of the French Royal Guards and is tasked with the protection of the Austrian princess, Marie-Antoinette. However, what fate befalls them is an event which they cannot escape from, the French Revolution.

  

  As Oscar becomes the confidante of Marie-Antoinette, we see first hand, the events that unfold in Versailles. There are gossips, scandals, and schemes, all of which are silly compared to the other problems that the nobles do not seem to care about. The first half of the story focuses on Marie-Antoinette as she was intended to actually be the main character of the show. This is actual history so it's not a spoiler; Marie-Antoinette gets married to Louis XVI and becomes the French Queen at the age of 19. The couple are what you could consider as misfits for the throne or a recipe for disaster. Marie-Antoinette is spoiled, ignorant, and too trusting. Louis XVI on the other hand is too easily influenced and shy. So while the nobles have their high-class catfights, and try to grasp more power and influence, the greater the problems of France become. Rose of Versailles is a story of human dignity in a time of injustice, and massive disconnect between the nobles and the poor. It portrays the horrors of the French Revolution as it unfolded, and many tragedies come and go throughout the series, especially during the second half of the story when things get bloody and violent. I appreciate the fact that they decided to make Oscar the main character later on in the series. The first half of the story showed us the viewpoint of the nobles through Marie-Antoinette and the second half of the story gave us a unique view and perspective on the French Revolution through Oscar who is a fictional character in a real-world setting. The only problem I found with this story is that it can get overly melodramatic at times. Other than that, the time skips are nothing to worry about because the pacing was done well.

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  Sound and Music:
  Considering how historically dramatized Rose of Versailles is, it is expected to have a good musical score. With a wide variety of instruments used, Rose of Versailles manages to show the contrast between the royalty of Versailles, and the poor of Paris through the use of sound and music. The problem though is that the music felt like it was sparse. It was quite noticeable throughout the series that some musical pieces were overused which is what made it feel sparse. I also want to note that there seems to be some retro music included. Retro as in 1970s disco music. I'm surprised that they managed to fit music like that into a historical anime like Rose of Versailles. Other than that, the OP is also good, but I recommend skipping the ED because it spoils the show.

  

  The sounds in Rose of Versailles has two issues. The first issue is that it can get overly dramatic especially when something bad happens. The second issue is the voice acting. Whilst Tajima Reiko may have done a good job at being the Seiyuu of Oscar, the problem lies in the fact that the same Seiyuus were used despite the many time skips throughout the series. I guess this is more of a budget issue though, but using different Seiyuus would have definitely added more realism as it would have been easier to distinguish the ages of the characters.

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  Art and Animation:
  If you are familiar with Shoujo from the 1970s, then you would know what to expect of this. Dewy eyes with long lashes, slender bodies, and sparkles. A lot of sparkles. From backgrounds to
  objects and characters, everything sparkles. It is like a visual cue to whether something is attractive or important. Besides sparkles, Rose of Versailles also does a good job of showing the divide between the rich and the poor through its visuals. This is highlighted in the wide variety of hairstyles and clothing used. The hairstyles and lavish clothing show the grandiose of the rich, while the simpleness of clothing and hairstyle show the struggles of the poor. Sceneries were also taken into account as they made Versailles look like a haven and Paris like a putrid place.

  

  Rose of Versailles uses the pastel freeze frame technique in capturing its significant moments. It's a technique that relies on well-drawn stills with sound effects. It does not always come off as attractive though because the art is quite dated. The coloring or texture is also bit flat so the lavish clothes and the simple ones look as if they are made of the same fabric. The art was good for its time, but it has not aged well so it's just a matter of whether you can overlook it or not.

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  Characters:
  The most memorable aspect of Rose of Versailles is its characters. For an anime with so many time skips, it is quite surprising how well developed the characters were and this is all thanks to the pace of the story. There is much depth and complexity to be seen in the characters because they each have their own struggles. Out of all the characters, however, Oscar is the most engaging one.
  Although acting as a side character at first, she was made as the protagonist due to her popularity. Oscar’s gender is no secret in the show, but the reason she struggles is because she was raised as a
  man despite being a woman. She is a character that we can get behind because she is not only strong, intelligent and kind, but she also struggles with her own moral self and identity. Oscar is also a fictional character in a real-world setting. To see her story and how she deals with her struggles is a part of that engaging aspect because we know the history, but we don't know about Oscar because she is fictional.

  

  Rose of Versailles offers a colorful cast of characters to love or hate, and they all fit well into the story. All the characters feel so natural that it seems like they were alive during the 1700s. The narrator is one to hate though. The narrator can be seen as a weak point of the anime and should have been excluded. The narrator does remind us of important dates and events, but she also spoils a lot of things and blurts out information which we could infer from ourselves. The story also takes liberties with its characters, making some changes to what is factual. In general, though, the story remains quite historically accurate because the only major liberties taken were the addition of two major fictional characters; Oscar and André.

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• 

  kamari01

  95/100
  One of the most influential shoujo series ever, and for good reason: it is timeless.

  An incredibly important and influential shoujo series in the history of shoujo, and for a good reason. What starts off as a story about the upbringing of the shows' main heroine Lady Oscar and Queen Marie Antoinette and the compassionate, if at-times excessive, melodrama that follows turns into one of the most powerful, complex, and emotionally-driven historical drama stories about the events leading up to the French Revolution.

  

  This change of focus away from at-times excessive melodrama during the first-half and into a more critical and intense look into class struggle and political corruption while maintaining character drama during the second-half is marked by the change of directors halfway through the show's run, with famed Ashita no Joe director Osamu Dezaki taking over starting from episode 19 and onward. However, Tadao Nagahama's efforts are nonetheless commendable and are just as important into making the show as excellent as it is. The show's story is a deep delve into French history, with explicit critiques about materialism, aristocracy (and really just the system of feudalism in general), and traditional gender roles and expectations; however, at its heart is a classic shoujo story about romance that faces its tragic fate against the eventual French Revolution.

  

  The character development in this show is truly excellent, as we get distinct character arcs that represent the increasingly corrupt and dysfunctional nobility and monarchy while also presenting the emotional struggles the characters face, keeping a solid balance between history and character drama. Speaking of history, this show does a fantastic job at accurately portraying its historical events, with a narrator that helps the viewer contextualize such events whenever needed (as a side note, it is sometimes annoying when they spoil a significant detail, though moreso with character drama). Of course, while the show's story focuses on the history of France during this time, it is evident that it has an interjection to provide to these events, which is best exemplified by the character of Oscar François de Jarjayes. It is clear from the very start that she is a female character who challenges traditional gender roles in nearly every way, being a tomboyish, rebellious, and upright character with some awesome sword-fighting skills to back her up. However, while she may seem like the icy cold soldier she portrays herself to be on the outside, it is also clear that she still has a more feminine side to her, which is most noticeable when it comes to her relationship with her male love interests throughout the show, often leading her to become confused and yearn for her womanhood at times, creating an extra dynamic that adds to her character. Of course, her character shouldn't take away from the other characters in this show, ranging from Oscar's close best friend Andre to the naïve but innocent Queen Marie Antoinette herself.

  

  Animation-wise, it certainly shows some of its age, especially when it struggles to keep up with more action-intensive scenes, though even then, it never becomes too much of an issue to detract from its distinct and lovely shoujo style. Nevertheless, it still looks pretty good even now, with solid backgrounds and great use of lighting and colors, especially during the 2nd half to emphasize the rising tensions when nearing the show's climax. Soundtrack-wise, there's some good musical composition here, with orchestral and opera music pieces used throughout the show to fit with the French theme along with more dramatic pieces whenever the action picks up. Admittedly, many tracks do start to get reused throughout the show, though it doesn't particularly bother me because they are still solid and fit with the shows' atmosphere that I honestly didn't mind.

  

  In closing, there is a reason for why this show remains one of the best shoujo series ever created. It has influenced other works, ranging from Kunihiko Ikuhara's Revolutionary Girl Utena to even legendary mangaka Kentaro Miura's Berserk.
  Ultimately, it is dramatic as it is exciting, and it is saddening as it is heartening. Its powerful social commentary and attention to character drama are what truly make the show stand out, as it lures you into its tragic yet nonetheless dynamic story into one of the most important social and political movements to happen in European history.

  

  OSCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!

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• 

  Cebeve

  86/100
  ¿Por qué Oscar es tan importante incluso hoy? Reseña 40 años después.

  ___La Rosa de Versalles___ _No importa su color, o si acaso lo tiene._

  Me resulta llamativo que una historia de 1979, ambientada además en la Revolución Francesa, sea tan resonante con tantas cosas actuales.
  Su mayor punto fuerte: la construcción de sus personajes. Al comienzo de la trama, ya tenemos los diferentes entramados políticos y sociales de la historia. El narrador, que resulta cada vez menos necesario y se agradece que su presencia no sea constante (y por lo tanto, molesta), cuenta lo que debe contar y deja que la historia por sí misma haga el resto. Tuve la fortuna de poder verlo en Japonés, aunque subtitulado en inglés, pero lo llamo fortuna porque la traducción del doblaje cambia MUCHÍSIMO varios momentos importantes en la historia. Por otro lado, destaco mucho la BSO porque tiene varios momentos instrumentales que remarcan la grandeza de Oscar como una militar de alto rango y ante todo, profesional. Es un personaje admirable en muchos sentidos, y todo su arco de crecimiento está perfectamente justificado. Oscar resulta quizás el personaje más tridimencional de todos, pero no es la única. María Antonieta, André, Robespierre, Luis XV e incluso Rosalie, que aparece mucho menos, son personajes que están BIEN ESCRITOS y no se recuestan en el hecho de estar inspirados en personajes históricos reales a que la imaginación haga el resto. Son coherentes con la historia que desean contar, sin desviarse excesivamente de sus contrapartes históricas.

  Luego está la cuestión de Oscar, como una mujer criada en el 1700 en el rol del hijo varón que Jarjayes no logró tener. Sí, es interesante la propuesta de una mujer que rompe con el concepto del género femenino, incluso para la época, pero más interesante es como eso se plantea como un conflicto interno cuando se encuentra enamorada por primera vez. Todo ese desarrollo y esos capítulos me parecen fantásticamente bien hechos. No sólo porque pone de relieve que quizás Oscar no es tan feliz siendo Oscar, sino porque desarrolla muy bien la razón por la que por primera vez desea ser y verse como una mujer de sus tiempos. Vuelvo a repetirlo, a nivel narrativo, esta historia es fantástica. Por su parte, como seiyuu, Reiko Tajima hace un trabajo increíble y hermoso, dándole a la heroína de dorada cabellera y ojos zafiro, un tono de voz inolvidable en cada emoción sea llanto, risa, ira o simplemente la solemnidad de todo su personaje.

  Por último, decir que el OP es de los pocos que nunca salté porque, realmente, tanto la letra como el ritmo son preciosos. El Ed por su parte, no me encantó tanto, y resulta bastante spoileador por otra parte. Aunque eso a mí en sí no me moleste.

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