Divided Rose

I finally finished watching Rose of Versailles this morning, a 40 episode anime series that premièred in 1979. Following the exploits of Oscar, a fictional French noblewoman who dresses like a man to lead Marie Antoinette's Royal Guard, the source manga by Riyoko Ikeda was a popular work and remains profoundly influential. I gather the manga goes in a completely different direction than the anime series and I suspect it's a superior work. I loved the first half of the series, which was directed by Tadao Nagahama, but the second half, directed by Osamu Dezaki after Nagahama's death, seems like it was made by someone completely uninterested in the series' original concept. A story focused on women in the French court is kind of abruptly shoved aside for a story about men loving and putting up with women during the French Revolution. It's particularly disappointing because so many of the looming dramatic conflicts built up in the first half are completely ignored in favour of bland cliché.

No longer satisfied with her insulated position as the head of the Royal Guard, Oscar (Reiko Tajima) requests a transfer to command a small rural unit of the regular military. We meet Alain (Keaton Yamada), the roguish leader of the rough unit whose tragic story eventually earns Oscar's sympathy. And Oscar's childhood friend, Andre (Taro Shigaki), also enlists in the unit. Andre gets an eye shot out, which is helpful for those of us trying to tell Andre apart from Alain or from Bernard (Akio Nojima) or Fersen (Nachi Nozawa), other competitors for Oscar's and/or Marie Antoinette's heart.

People who don't watch anime often complain all the characters look alike. Here it's a fair cop. I'd swear this is a clone army.

The first half of the series featured stories where Oscar rescued Marie Antoinette, foiled dastardly plots, or got involved with complicated court drama involving Madame du Barry or the poor orphan woman, Rosalie (Rihoko Yoshida).

Rosalie, who'd served as a dramatic link between the world of the court and the common people suffering during the lean times preceding the Revolution, becomes essentially a face in the crowd as Bernard takes over that role in the second half of the series.

All along through the first half, I wondered how the show was going to address the complicated issues surrounding the Revolution since Marie Antoinette was placed at the centre of the drama. How was this character we're designed to love going to fit in in this world of people holding her lifestyle responsible for widespread poverty and hunger? The show simply removes her from centre stage while Oscar is shuffled into a position as a rebel leader. There's one scene where Oscar asks Marie Antoinette not to dissolve a meeting of democratically elected representatives but otherwise the show is devoid of any moments where Oscar is forced to confront a former ally, finding themselves now at opposite sides of an ideological gulf. Instead, there's some pretty thin drama about Andre and Oscar admitting their love for each other and a really embarrassing scene where Oscar commands her troops to join the rebels because she thinks it's what Andre would want her to do. A shot of him nodding smugly behind her confirms this for her teary eyes looking to him for guidance.

I might not have expected a story about a woman actually making decisions and strategies from a 70s anime except the first half of the series gave me exactly that. It really feels like two different series and the first half really feels frustratingly unfinished.

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The etchings rose upon the covered stair.
A ring of watching shades devour tongues.
A giant tusk was hid behind a flare.
A million years collect and weight the lungs.
The verdant brains were placed in plastic bowls.
On station walls the pictures paint the day.
A team of snails observe through tiny holes.
A fleet of squid approached the secret bay.
A team of moths rebuilt an ancient coat.
A winding chain composed a ticking hitch.
A hundred sheets collect within the boat.
Below the crew began at last to stitch.
A boulevard of broken stones is sharp.
The fleet of foot are sure to play a harp.

Another Animated Rose

I've been keen on anime lately and 18th century Europe. If only there were a way I could combine the two. But there is! I've watched three episodes now of one of the most influential shojo anime series of a all time, 1979's The Rose of Versailles (ベルサイユのばら), a show I've wanted to see for a long time because of its influence on one of my favourite series, Revolutionary Girl Utena. The similarities so far seem mainly to be in aesthetic choices and in a cross dressing female protagonist. What a joy Rose of Versailles has been so far, featuring some of the best backgrounds I've seen in a 70s anime and demonstrating greater knowledge of history than I'm used to in European fantasy from Japan.

The series follows Oscar (Reiko Tajima), the daughter of a French nobleman. Like many other fantasy stories about tomboys, the nobleman wanted a son so he raised his daughter like a boy. She grows into a young woman who excels in disciplines traditionally reserved for men like fencing. She's so good, in fact, the King ends up wanting her for the Royal Guard and, after some reluctance to accept this post in the first episode, she becomes head of the retinue guarding the young Marie Antoinette in her journey from Austria to France.

Introduced as an innocent and shallow girl chasing a butterfly around a fountain, she generally seems to fit the typical, popular impression of the historical Marie Antoinette. It's hard to say so far where the series is philosophically--obviously it indulges in the fantasy of aristocracy but Oscar is also portrayed as someone with little patience for the excesses of the court. Most of the plot has involved melodramatic contrivances, including a young man who temporarily takes Antoinette's place as part of scam Oscar manages to foil in the second episode.

The animation in the sword fights is about as good as you can expect from a 70s television anime--not great--but director Tadao Nagahama finds engaging ways to compose and juxtapose shots of flashing swords. I was frequently impressed by how animated elements are layered over the backgrounds, too.

And, oh, those backgrounds.

The opening titles are also very cool, engaging in some of the rose heavy surrealistic imagery familiar to viewers of Revolutionary Girl Utena. I'm looking forward to having this series to watch every morning.

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The handle fell for twine to pull the cart.
A scattered grain collects between the boards.
An errant wheel returns for journey's start.
A thought balloon was straining 'gainst the cords.
A ship was waiting far from any dream.
The tub was plugged with letters lost at sea.
The woods were thin as leaves were never seen.
The space was held by one impostor tree.
There's something bouncing round the hollow egg.
As flakes of gold mislead the waiting coach.
The journey takes a strange and diff'rent leg.
The mass of hares was more than traps could poach.
The bones against the cotton call the air.
The stones along the hill have made a stair.