Some say Rose of Versailles is as good as it gets. I say it has been better gotten. There’s one huge objective flaw that should keep anyone from giving RoV a perfect score.
Most of the RoV characters are actual historical figures. Oscar is not. She’s not going to shoot the Duke of Orléans. She’s not going to stab the Countess of Polignac. Of course, as a virtuous feminist fanservice character, she wouldn’t kill anyone no matter what, for that’s what yucky men do. The only thing Oscar can kill is tension.
Knowing that Oscar is a fictional character makes her integration into the key events of the French Revolution feel clumsy and forced. During the revolution-centric episodes, Oscar keeps making random appearances for seemingly no other reason than to remind us she’s supposed to be the main character. The appeal of the French Revolution plotline is that it’s a fascinating sequence of events that actually happened. Oscar’s appearances remind us we’re watching fiction. Oscar wasn’t the reason Marie Antionette was accused of being a lesbian. She wasn’t the reason the revolutionaries learned to build barricades. Give me a break.
The rest of my criticisms are admittedly more subjective. First of all, there were too many sparkles. For reasons I cannot fathom, the style would influence Japanese animation for decades to come.
Nobody cares about the old man. Would anyone care about me if all I ever did was play my accordion in the streets while rambling about the Seine? Get a job, loafer.
I can’t believe how much this show sucks up to Marie Antionette. She’s a stupid, useless, hedonist who people only like because she’s moé. Basically, she’s a K-ON character. People tell her to get her shit together; she tells them to eat cake. Her blind prostitwin is a far superior character (despite being more moé). At least she understands fiscal discipline, unlike the French Royalty entire modern worldwide political class.
Just imagine how much better K-ON would be if it had blind prostitutes.
Ok you lost me after the “Rose of Versailles”…:O
Rose of Versailles? No, no, this is a post about Berusaiyu no Bara.
Ok, that’s slightly better. 😀
Talking about the rest…
“Just imagine how much better K-ON would be if it had blind prostitutes.”
I’ll forward this post to the scriptwriter of K-ON, he may use it for the new film…:P
I remember there was an episode in which the girls needed part-time jobs to raise money for the club…
True Fact.
Scriptwriter of K-On is a SHE.
Now watch Chevalier D’Eon and compare an actual attempt to fictionalize history for entertainment, rather than merely dropping a few fictional characters into a historical narrative and waiting for the awards.
The main difference being that Chevalier D’Eon blows while Rose of Versailles is half-decent. Honestly, wtf was with the boy-girl transformations and inane zombies? That show could have been a great political drama if they had just cut the bullshit. Unfortunately, it seems all Japanese cartoons must fulfil a quota of unnecessary magic creatures and fan-pandering assfuckery before they can be approved for broadcast.
Someone’s angry. Angry about ZOMBIES.
Seriously, loosen up a bit. It’s a fantasy story, not a historical documentary. You’re free to pick up a book about the real Eon de Beaumont and get the non-zombie, non-body-swapping version. Nothing stopping you.
Your reaction is enough to make me wonder what could possibly rise above “half-decent” in your eyes, but I hesitate to ask from fear of getting the usual counter-intuitive response of “Bakemonogatari”.
FYIAD
I’m angry not so much about this show as the trend it represents. When was the last really great anime TV series released? Maybe Cowboy Bebop in ’99? Since then, there have been a few good shows (Count of Monte Christo) but nothing approaching a masterpiece. The industry is being sucked into the black hole of stupid trends like moe. If people like you keep supporting shit, they’ll keep making shit. It’s that simple.
Also, I wonder how someone who liked Chevalier d’Eon can possibly feel justified deriding people who like Bakemonogatari. They’re both stupid.
I don’t see this “trend”. Anime in ’99 was crap too. It always has been. Once in a while a popular anime just happens to be memorable and universally acclaimed, like Bebop. If you don’t want to find the good stuff, that’s your own prerogative, but I’d say you should get another hobby.
I’m glad you read my mind and figured out how much I prefer Chevalier to Bakemonogatari, though. With all my snide comments I’d never considered it, but if you’re sure I preferred Chevalier, then so be it.
I agree that anime in ’99 was also shitty. However, it was shitty in an entirely different way, as in everything was a promotion for robot action figures rather than some pedophile’s wet dream. In the 90s telling people you liked anime made them think you were strange for being into children’s cartoons. Today, telling people you like anime makes them think you’re a sick, perverted fuck.
By the way, when I talk about anime I mean specifically original series or adaptations of novels. An anime adaptation of a manga is basically a frame-by-frame rip from an already completed product, and any success must be attributed to the merit of the manga (Ghost in the Shell and Monster come to mind).
As to your second paragraph, see my response to the comment you made below.
By the way, since I apparently “don’t want to find the good stuff,” how about recommending something that you considered “good” from 2011? Preferably something that doesn’t involve little girls drinking semen.
I’ll add it to the list. The eternal credibility of Hogart and Anon are now at stake.
I make no guarantees as to Chevalier’s quality. Anon apparently read my mind and knows that I adore Chevalier and despise Bakemono, but I’ve never given it that much thought.
I can only say that I liked seeing something a bit different from every other anime, and remember a few neat scenes and some really boring stuff in the middle. But I still suggest comparing it to RoV to see how good/bad it can get.
“Now watch Chevalier D’Eon and compare an actual attempt to fictionalize history for entertainment, rather than merely dropping a few fictional characters into a historical narrative and waiting for the awards.”
I don’t know what you were aiming for, but to anyone with half a brain this seems to indicate that you liked Chevalier d’Eon (liked, not adored, notice the difference). Maybe you should work on conveying meaning in writing more effectively?
“Your reaction is enough to make me wonder what could possibly rise above “half-decent” in your eyes, but I hesitate to ask from fear of getting the usual counter-intuitive response of “Bakemonogatari”.”
Here, you say that it would be counter-intuitive to have Bakemonogatari listed as a show that “rises above ‘half-decent’.” Again, the only possible meaning someone can take from this is that you dislike Bakemonogatari (again, dislike, not despise, notice the difference).
Honestly, the comments contradicting what you’re saying are directly above this statement, and yet you seem to be trying to pretend that they don’t exist. It seems you’re either stupid or a troll…
You know what? I just don’t care anymore. You can win this one Anon. Since English isn’t my native tongue, I’ll assume that yes, it was my fault. I’ll even apologize, if I’ve offended you in some way.
My original intent was simply to suggest that Baka-Raptor checks out Chevalier if he wanted to see something more absurd than Rose that was in a similar setting, perhaps he will find it more to his taste or he might find a new appreciation for Rose.
Your insinuation that there haven’t any good anime since ’99 set me off, but reading your comments I’ll just presume that you’ve found something you like, and keep the immaturity to a minimal level.
Haha classic. As soon as you can’t come up with anything else to say, or you start contradicting yourself, whip out the “english isn’t my native language” line.
“My original intent was simply to suggest that Baka-Raptor checks out Chevalier if he wanted to see something more absurd than Rose that was in a similar setting, perhaps he will find it more to his taste or he might find a new appreciation for Rose.”
That was so obviously not the intention of your comment.
Holy crap they’re at it again.
Looks like you better watch it now.
You don’t like Sparkles? It’s probably best you avoid Kimi ni Todoke then.
I plan to watch the first episode of season 1 and the last episode of season 2 and assume that nothing important happens in between.
Sadako kills everyone from the second episode of season 1 to the second from the last episode of season 2
PS spoiler
Then they’re all resurrected by a robot with feelings.
i don’t know about you, baka raptor, but my first giveaway that this is fiction was the agressively fugly animation. that is why i’m never touching this shit again…
I assumed that’s what they all look like in France.
I’m not sure about blind prostitutes but K-ON would be so much more bearable if one were blind and deaf…
What made you decide to watch Rose of Versailles? O_o
I was told that RoV invented shoujo anime. The philosoraptor in me had to check it out for intellectual satisfaction.
Invented shoujo manga… really?
Who made that anime? I’m sure that’s an arrestable offence.
I love K-ON! exactly how it is, but I’ll admit that blind prostitutes appeal to my disturbed side.
K-ON’s fans only have disturbed sides.
Of course, as a virtuous feminist fanservice character, she wouldn’t kill anyone no matter what, for that’s what yucky men do. The only thing Oscar can kill is tension.
More like create it – did you not see Dat Face?! [Insert GAR-faced, but of course still pretty, Oscar screenshot.]
But seriously, I only started watching this very recently (halfway through the series now), so I might come back to this post again to add a few more thoughts when I’m done. I also wanted to watch it ‘cos I heard it’s the mother of shoujo anime and this (your post) was another reminder for me to do so. The shoujo-esque sparkles and other trimmings aside though, if your main gripe is about having a completely fictional character as the main lead in a historical story that’s interesting enough on its own, then I guess you didn’t like anything about Oscar, ‘cos you thought she was a redundant figure? Plot-wise, I can see your point, as the events would’ve unfolded the same way… I dunno, I do like her as a character and as a storytelling device, but that might be more because she pulls together the other characters (there are so many after all) and all the other complicated political intrigues and goings-on in a neat way that really highlights just how interconnected everything is and how things could snowball so disastrously.
Re: Marie Antoinette, she just comes across as incredibly dense and annoying. Or, even if the moe fanboys adore her, I do wish other figures such as Madame Du Barry had been portrayed in a more balanced way, for example, or the ‘climbing’ class in general, as well as the lower classes of course.
Overall, as a shoujo fan-girl, I’m definitely enjoying it, so I hope the latter half is just as dramatic as it has been so far.
…in short: it was.
In not as short: So, I finished watching the show yesterday. Talk about depressing. However, I loved it overall. In particular, the way it almost switched genres halfway through; less sparkles and more GAR, if you will. Which is hardly surprising given the content I guess, but those all cliff-hangers worked particularly well in maintaining the tension, I thought. The ending was… interesting. Not sure if the use of so many fragmented flashbacks interspersed with Alain and Rosalie’s final scenes was necessary, but gave a good sense of resolution without leaving things feeling too depressing, I guess.
Also, I dunno about blind prostitwins, but the blind bishie with hair in his eye(s) talking about his feelings was fine with me. Now excuse me while I go and cry. Again.
Hair over your blind eye is perfectly fine by my standards. I’m actually thinking of pulling off that look myself should the need arise.
Anyway, I’m glad you liked it. Something would be terribly wrong with the universe if I liked this show more than you did.
Marie Antoinette actually never said, “Let them eat cake”. It was attributed to her by the revolutionaries in attempt to demonize her and the rest of the nobility.
The more you know.
[…] there a more effective way to ruin the mood? It’s like when Rose of Versailles recreated tense historical moments only to ruin them with unnecessary details that were blatantly […]