The Rose of Versailles
The Rose of Versailles, La Rosa de Versalles, La Rose de Versailles, 베르사이유의 장미, 凡爾賽玫瑰, Lady Oscar
The Rose of Versailles (ベルサイユのばら Berusaiyu no Bara), also known as 'Lady Oscar', is one of the best-known titles in shōjo and a media franchise created by Riyoko Ikeda. It has been adapted into several Takarazuka Revue musicals, as well an anime television series, produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha and broadcast by the anime television network Animax and Nippon Television.
The setting is in France, before and during the French Revolution. In the early part of the series, the main character is the young, flighty Queen of France, Marie Antoinette, however later the focus of the story shifts to a woman named Oscar François de Jarjayes. Oscar's father, General Jarjayes, despaired over never getting a son (he had six daughters), and decided to raise his youngest daughter as a man. He trained her well in the arts of fencing, horsemanship, and medieval combat. Oscar often practiced her skills with her best friend, companion and (technically) servant, André Grandier, whom she almost always defeated. André was the grandson of her nanny and thus they spent most of their time together in harmonic friendship; near the end of the story, this blossomed into mutual love.
Oscar is the commander of the Royal Guard and responsible for the safety of Marie Antoinette, as well as the rest of the royal family. The story revolves around Oscar's growing realization of how France is governed, and the plight of the poor. Another important storyline is the love story between Marie Antoinette and the Swedish Count Axel von Fersen. The affair between the two was the subject of rumours through all of France, endangering the Queen's reputation and driving Oscar to request the Count to leave the country.
(Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, s.v. "The Rose of Versailles")
