Manga creator Riyoko Ikeda‘s historical romance manga The Rose of Versailles announced on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, that the franchise will hold a special exhibition from Sept 17 to Nov 20, commemorating the manga’s 50th anniversary.

The Rose of Versailles 50th Anniversary Exhibition – The Rose of Versailles Forever – is scheduled to be held at Tokyo City View (Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 52nd floor).

A special website and Twitter account sharing new updates for the exhibition event is also opened along with the announcement.

The event will feature rare original illustrations of Marie Antoinette and Oscar François de Jarjayes, the story’s two main characters, as well as Ikeda’s thoughts and comments from the time.

The “Oscar’s Room” from the play will be reproduced in the Takarazuka Revue section, and stage costumes and props will be on display to introduce the exquisite world of the play.

The evolution of Ikeda’s drawings in the manga that has continued to the present day will be tracked using elements from TV animation and nostalgic merchandise.

Ikeda has also commented on the occasion of the exhibition. She said, “Fifty years may seem like a long time ago, but “The Rose of Versailles” has been passed down from parents to children and grandchildren. It is a dreamlike happiness that I could not have imagined during the serialization. As the author, I would like to thank all of them. The publisher, the Takarazuka Revue, the animation company, and others have supported the work at every opportunities. And now, in the midst of this Corona disaster, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved for holding the 50th anniversary exhibition and celebrating with us. Hoping that as many fans as possible will enjoy it.“

The Rose of Versailles, also known as Lady Oscar and La Rose de Versailles, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Riyoko Ikeda. It was originally serialized in the manga magazine Margaret from 1972 to 1973, while a revival of the series was published in the magazine from 2013 to 2018. The series is a historical drama set in the years preceding and during the French Revolution.

Ikeda created The Rose of Versailles as a story about revolution and populist uprisings after becoming involved with Japan’s New Left as a member of the Communist Party of Japan in the late 1960s.

The Rose of Versailles has been adapted multiple times, notably as a television anime series that aired on Nippon TV, a live-action film directed by Jacques Demy, and a series of musicals staged by the Takarazuka Revue. Several sequels and spin-offs have also been produced, notably Eikou no Napoleon – Eroica. An English-language translation of the manga has been published by Udon Entertainment, while the anime adaptation is currently licensed in North America by Discotek Media.

Source: Comic Natalie