Rose of Versailles Vol. 3

ベルサイユのばら [Versailles no Bara] #3

by Riyoko Ikeda

パリに暮らす貧しいロザリーとジャンヌ姉妹の運命も絡み合う。オスカルはロザリーを引き取り、アントワネットはジャンヌのたくらみにまきこまれる。フェルゼンはアントワネットとの恋から逃げるようにアメリカ独立戦争に志願したが……。

Genres: Manga, Historical Fiction, Komik, Comics, Romance, Comics Manga, Shojo

186 pages, Paperback

First published March 24, 1973

About the author

Riyoko Ikeda (池田理代子) is a Japanese manga author and soprano singer.
As one of the 24-gumi, she has written and illustrated many shōjo manga, many of which are based on European historical events, such as the French Revolution or the Russian Revolution.

Her most famous manga is Versailles no bara (ベルサイユのばら, The rose of Versailles).
Other famous works include Oniisama e... (おにいさまへ…, Dear Brother) and Orpheus no mado (オルフェウスの窓, The Window of Orpheus) that won an Excellence award at Japan Cartoonists Association Award in 1980.

Reviews

[Constantine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.0/5.0

I am rating this volume the same as the first and second even though it become somehow cheezy and have some cringy stuff. There are some good moments and there is some stuff that seems have lost its actual meaning in translation. For example, something like "She sold all her underwears to feed her kids!!" I don't want to even comment on that. Lol

[Theresa Jehlik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volume 3 takes the reader through 1788 and ends on July 13, 1789. Oscar struggles with insubordination and near revolt when she takes command while Marie Antoinette struggles with the death of her son Joseph and the realization (finally) that the French people hate her and blame her for all of France's woes. The characters are also forced to accept the consequences of their choices as Oscar struggles with her sexuality and Marie Antoinette faces the gossips and newspapers who spread endless embellishments and lies about her lovers and spending habits. Fersen and Rosalie only make brief appearances in this volume as much of the story is based on the historical and political tenor of the times.

[Catie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This installment really improved upon the overall story by introducing the plot revolving around the diamond necklace affair in a very engaging manner. I feel like the whole story is reaching a point where the dramatics and campy elements no longer feel humorous, or out of place. I might have given this 5/5 stars, but I was super disappointed in it's handling of LGBT affairs. For a manga that has a protagonist clearly grappling with gender fluidity, and with at least two female characters openly expressing being in love with Oscar, suddenly turning around and having Oscar express anger over potentially being accused of being a lesbian is a huge "oof".

[Matt Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ikeda's ability to pace a story as dense as this might show that modern mangas are too long. One of her most underrated abilities is balancing high and low-quality drawings to serve as comic relief, with Louis XVI coming off as hilariously pathetic. For some reason, the drawing style comes off as surprisingly western, evoking the style of daily American comic strips, but that might situate the manga further in European history. It should not be surprising that it has managed to stay popular in Japan for up to 50 years.

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Are you kidding me?!? This volume was good! I, too, am in love with Oscar. Go for it, Rosalie. Get your girl! I love Ikeda's exploration of queerness, gender, and social norms in this volume. I also greatly valued the revenge subplot and Rosalie's quest to take down the bourgeois who has destroyed her mother (who she finds out isn't her real mother). The drama is superb.

[Majda · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 étoiles. C'était une lecture plaisante mais sans plus. Comparé aux deux autres tomes, il fait un peu pâle figure.

[Yona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never regret reading this manga.

[Marco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mi piace come unisca momenti comici a drammi senza fine.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should be more addicted to this than I am.

It's 1973 and this really isn't hiding its gayness. Go Ikeda!

[. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mess.

[Rachele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luigi XV rappresentato sul letto di morte come uno zombie che si scioglieva mi ha fatto veramente ridere 🙈

[Inês Olaia]

I know that the story is always highly unlikely, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a well told story. My only concern is that in this part the author seems to be very naive about the way people would think and feel, wich is ok to a certain degree. But he even includes some religious believes found more commonly in the Eastern World in a profoundly Catholic France.