The Rose of Versailles

     This letter was published in the Indonesian edition of The Rose of Versailles manga published in 1993, which was based on the second edition of the original manga in 1987.

     The Rose of Versailles was published serially in a girl's magazine from spring 1972 until autumn 1973 for 82 weeks.

     My feeling was touched after reading "Marie Antoinette" by Schutevon Zubike (Stefan Zweig). Since then, I had always wanted to write about the French Revolution, the pre-revolutionary days for instance. I hadn't had any experience then, but I tried to write it down somehow, as a monument of my youth.

     Years ago, there were no historical manga for young girls, so the editors disliked the idea to publish the manga, and it was a challenge to me. I had to persuade them "Even though it's a historical story, if the readers like it, it will be a hit!" As a result, for the first time, a shoujo manga became a best seller.

     Autumn 1972, in all of Japan appeared "Oscar Fan Club" ; Takarazuka theatre took this story ; James Junior Special made a record, focusing at Versailles, the film shooting was taken there and some other places in France ; the manga was published in a child's magazine in Italy and the anime was shown in Japan, France, and other countries using French language ; so many stuff using characters in this story ; etc.

     "The Rose of Versailles' boom" had become a talk among the mass media. The newspapers wrote "This is a social phenomenon...." This big 'boom' gave 12 million manga sold, and finally the girl's magazines were taken as a national cultural property.

     Since then, the readers increased, not only young girls. This story also had not little influences. Soon afterwards, there were more people interested in the European history and French literature. They learned French language and then went there. There were also some readers saved some money just to see Versailles and Paris.

     I'm so touched, there are so many letters I received from the readers. It's been over 10 years, but I still receive some letters from Japan, or other countries. From all those letters, I'm very touched by one written by a reader who has become a mother now. She said "My daughter could read mangas now, so I gave her Rose of Versailles."

     I always read all the letters one by one, and I pay lots of attention to them. If I read the letters, it seemed that time would go by so quickly.

     I remember that time I was so busy, my body became thinner, and I had to take some vitamins. But I kept on writing this manga. Once I was slandered by someone, and it really broke my heart! There was no single idea came up and so I became stressed. My body-heat was up until 40 C. And while compressing my hand, I kept on writing. That moment, I would sacrifice anything as long as I could fulfill my wish to write this manga. There was hardly a chance like that in my life... like a blinking star. That time I was 24 year old.

     When this manga was published in a weekly magazine, a lot of readers tried very hard to find a French Revolution history book in bookstores, asking whether Oscar really exist to their history teacher...until the teacher became confused, some didn't want to go to school, crying, because Oscar dies... there were so many cases like that.

     Now, for the second generation of "Rose of Versailles", the new young fans, I would like to give the newest published books by Chuokoronsha. It is published in a couple of books. As the author, I am so happy to have that feeling again for the second time.

     This story was based from history, but fictional, so there were some changes from the original events. But I tried to write down the important events, so it might not be easy for first year elementary students to understand it.

     Especially after Oscar dies, the editors told me to finish this story in 10 weeks. So according to the readers, the real events in the revolutionary days were not so easy to understand. But the important events are still written.

     During the publication, there are so many questions from the readers, and I will explain some of them now. Oscar, Andre, and the Jarjayes family are fictional with no reference models. Only Oscar's father (General Renier de Jarjayes) really existed. The relationship between Rosalie, Jeanne, and Mme. Polignac is fictional, and so does Charlotte, Alain, Gerodere. Bernard Chatelet, as some readers had known, was inspired by Camille Desmoulins. But there is no connection between him and the Black Knight.

     In this story, the soldiers' uniform were actually the uniform in the early 1800's, in the Napoleonic age. I designed them because the original designs were beautiful. Besides that, Marie Antoinette's name when she was in Austria was Maria Antonia. But to make it easier to the younger readers, I used Marie Antoinette since the beginning,... sorry.

     After the French Revolution, some of the surviving characters in Rose of Versailles, Alain and Bernard, were used again in a manga titled "Eroica". It was my plan long time ago, to write about the end of the French Revolution.

Riyoko Ikeda
February 1987

     I would like to thank Sri Wahyu, who translated this letter from Indonesian to English, for providing it.