Winter 2025 Preview: The Rose of Versailles

More so when we bring up the topic of MAPPA's upcoming animated films He will probably think Chainsaw Man movieperhaps the most anticipated project of this studio in recent history. However, it would be unwise to sleep on their future release – Versailles rosean adaptation of a shoujo classic whose success created a significant cultural bridge between Japan and France.

Ryuko Ikeda is a prolific mangaka who rose to prominence in the 1970s, writing romance shoujo manga with an emphasis on historical fiction, often set in a European setting. Versailles rose One of his most popular works, it uses the turmoil of the French Revolution as the framework for a story about identity, duty and love in a time of great change.

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MAPPA's The Rose of Versailles reveals release date

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What is Rose Versailles about?

Ikeda's story is led by none other than Marie Antoinette, who arrives in Versailles to marry the crown prince, Louis XVI, but someone else catches her eye. His name is Oscar Francois de Jargais, Captain of the Royal Guard, but he It's not “him” at all. he The daughter of a noble family who raised her as a son and left her to take over the family legacy, Oscar responds with pride and determination.

But growing inequality causes Oscar to be torn between his duty to the royal family and the people of France, while a naive Marie realizes the difference between him and those he rules. Versailles rose It chronicles the relationship between the two as they struggle with the expectations placed on them and the responsibility they have to shape the future.

The global impact of this manga

This groundbreaking period drama did not succeed without overcoming many doubts. In the early 70s, manga as a medium was considered an inferior art form. As Hotta Junji of Nippon.com says, “Shoujo manga was the lowest of the low, with female manga artists earning only half of their male counterparts.” Editors were skeptical that their female readership would fully appreciate a historical drama, fearing that their nuances would be lost.

Ikeda and other shoujo writers of their time proved such misconceptions woefully wrong, and success Versailles rose spread beyond Japan. The film became a worldwide hit and inspired a 40-episode animated television series in 1979, a live-action film the same year, and several stage adaptations. The wave of tourism and interest in French culture inspired by the manga's success did not go unnoticed by the French, who later honored Ikeda with the Legion of Honor in 2009.

The staff behind the new compliance

This new adaptation is directed by Ai Yoshimura, an experienced director who has directed before Ao Harrow Ride, Dance with demons, Be happy guysand Kabukicho Sherlock. He also made episodes of black bartender, Gintama, Daily life of high school boysand Gatchman populationan impressive collection that makes him suitable for this story and his audience.

Yoshimura is joined by prolific anime screenwriter Tomoko Konparo, an industry veteran who writes for classics such as the script. Urosi Yatsura and touch. Later he wrote Nana, Kimi ni Todokeand with Yoshimura in Ao Harrow Ride and Dance with demons. Just this year, Kanparo wrote the comedy Sons of Love Cherry magic And in 2025, he will write its sequel.

Mariko Oka, a veteran animator, serves as the film's character designer. His credit as character designer for Hetalia It will probably speak to a specific group of readers, but he has worked across the industry attack on titan to Duroroto Yuri on iceand beyond that he was even the director of the Netflix Original Mari Okada 2023. Maburoshi.

The voice of the revolution

As beautiful as the film looks, the audio may be where it really shines. J-pop singer Ayaka performs the film's main theme, “Versailles,” which is heavily featured in the latest preview. Hiroyuki Sawano, famous for the music behind the head attack on titan, Blue Exorcistand the future Fate/Strange Fakeis a music producer. His colleague and student, Kohta Yamamoto, is the composer of this film.

In between adapting some of the hottest contemporary manga like chainsaw man and Kaizen jujutsuMAPPA seems to have jumped on the bandwagon of modern renovations. Just this season, MAPPA produced the remake of Ranma 1/2 by director Kounosuke Uda and Versailles rose It seems unfaithful in capturing such a beautiful and nostalgic art style. With any luck, some sort of international release will follow soon after its premiere.

Versailles rose It will be released in Japanese cinemas on January 31, 2025.

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Source: Nippon.com