Chapter 66.3
Oscar, the storys central character and a creation of Ikeda, is a girl raised by her father as a man, who commands the palace guards at Versailles. Her beauty, ambiguous sexuality, and noble spirit makes her a shining figure in the eyes of both men and women, but herself is often torn between her chosen life of service and duty to her class and country, and her own heart and desires. She lives a splendid life as a noble among the opulence of Versailles and as a close confident of the Queen. But this cannot blind her keen senses and compassion to the appalling poverty endured by the French people. Oscars struggle with this duality in her world and within herself is the center about which the story turns.
Chapter 0
The classic LGBT+ story by the creative master of Rose of Versailles! *** Born as “Claudine” in a female-assigned body that doesn’t reflect the man inside, this heart-wrenching story follows Claudine through life, pain, and the love of several women. Master shoujo mangaka Riyoko Ikeda, considered part of the influential Year 24 Group, explores gender and sexuality in early twentieth century France in this powerful tale about identity. Riyoko Ikeda’s career of over forty years is most defined by her epic The Rose of Versailles, and she was awarded the French Legion of Honour in 2009.