News

Rose of Versailles Manga Returns Again in 1-Shot in October

This year's 22nd issue of Shueisha's Margaret magazine will publish a new Rose of Versailles short story from Riyoko Ikeda on October 19.

The one-shot will be the second this year, as Ikeda previously drew "Rose of Versailles Episode" (pictured right), a 16-page story included in Margaret's "Anniversary Book" to celebrate the magazine's 50th anniversary. "Rose of Versailles Episode," which told the story of Andre as a boy before he met Oscar, was Ikeda's first addition to the series since serialization ended in 1973. Due to popular demand, that one-shot was reprinted in the 13th issue of the magazine on Wednesday. The reprinted version includes four color pages and a color title page.

Ikeda launched the original manga in Shueisha's Weekly Margaret magazine in 1972. The story is set in the intrigue-filled court of Queen Marie Antoinette before and during the upheavals of the French Revolution. Lady Oscar is a young woman raised as a man to serve in the palace guards.

The manga inspired a 40-episode anime in 1979-1980 that Right Stuf is releasing in North America this year in two DVD sets and that Viki is streaming online. In addition to the television anime series, the manga inspired a 1990 animated film, a long-promised but unreleased animated film remake, perennial musicals by the all-female Takarazuka Revue since 1974, and even a live-action 1978 French/Japanese film.

Source: Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web