Rose of Versailles, Vol. 1 by Riyoko Ikeda

Now, what I REALLY want to recommend is Oniisama E (sometimes translated as Dear Brother and sometimes as Brother, my Brother) which is explicitly queer, takes place in Ikeda's Japan of the 1970s, and is all of the delicious schoolgirl homoerotic melodrama you could possibly want, none of the icky pro-monarchy sentiment. Why do I still recommend the series highly if it's not quite queer, not quite historical, hard to define, and hard to get a new reader into? Because I am still in love with Lady Oscar, that is why. Nothing will make you say 'that's not how it happened in revolutionary France,' but I also don't think you'll say 'wow, I have learned so much about revolutionary France.' Ikeda-san write romantic historical fiction that is mostly drama that is, she writes character dramas that take place is well-researched historical settings that are nonetheless secondary to the drama. There's a scene or two that will really stab you in the heart if what you want is a queer-friendly shoujo romance.Īnd besides that, it's not just a romance. the heroines are all female, there is one strong bisexual character and a few characters that may be queer but never seem to be aware of that. RoV is often billed as a queer female romance that's something of a lie. She's not the star gender-bending captain of the guard Lady Oscar is. So does the somewhat revisionist, rosy image of Marie Antoinette as a sweet, childish, well-intentioned but flighty heroine.

It's not a gateway manga the artstyle put off a lot of modern fans badly.

Naturally, Rose of Versailles shows its age.

Rose of Versailles, Vol. 1 by Riyoko Ikeda