The Rose of Versailles

The Rose of Versailles
Cover of the second tankōbon volume, featuring Marie Antoinette (background) and Oscar François de Jarjayes (foreground)
ベルサイユのばら (Berusaiyu no Bara)
Genre	Historical, romance[1]
Created by	Riyoko Ikeda
Manga
Written by	Riyoko Ikeda
Published by	Shueisha
English publisher	NA: Udon Entertainment
Imprint	Margaret Comics
Magazine	Margaret
Demographic	Shōjo
Original run	Initial run May 21, 1972 – December 23, 1973 Continued run April 20, 2013 – February 5, 2018
Volumes	14 (List of volumes)
Series titles
The Rose of Versailles (1972–1973, 10 volumes) The Rose of Versailles: Episodes (2013–2018, 4 volumes)
Anime television series
Directed by	Tadao Nagahama (1–13) Osamu Dezaki (19–40)
Music by	Kōji Makaino
Studio	TMS Entertainment
Licensed by	NA: Discotek Media (current) Nozomi Entertainment (former)
Original network	Nippon TV
Original run	October 10, 1979 – September 3, 1980
Episodes	40 (List of episodes)
Other notable adaptations
Various stage musicals (since 1974) Lady Oscar (live-action film, 1979) The Rose of Versailles: I'll Love You As Long As I Live (animated film, 1987) The Rose of Versailles (animated film, 2025)
Sequels & spin-offs
The Rose of Versailles: Gaiden (1984–85) Eikou no Napoleon – Eroica (1986–95) Beru Bara Kids (2005–13)

The Rose of Versailles (Japanese: ベルサイユのばら, Hepburn: Berusaiyu no Bara), 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. Using a combination of historical personages and original characters, The Rose of Versailles focuses primarily on the lives of two women: the Queen of France Marie Antoinette, and Oscar François de Jarjayes, who serves as commander of the Royal Guard.

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 series was developed during a significant transitional period for shōjo manga (manga for girls) as a medium, characterized by the emergence of stories with complex narratives focused on politics and sexuality. The Rose of Versailles was a significant critical and commercial success, and by 2022 had sold over 23 million copies worldwide. The series contributed significantly to the development of shōjo manga, and was one of the primary works responsible for its shift from a genre aimed at children to a genre aimed at adolescents and young adults.

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, a series of musicals staged by the Takarazuka Revue, and an anime film that will open in Japan in early 2025. 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.