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.

Background

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.

Versailles no Bara

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