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Series Review
Story |
(Review taken from my account on Animenfo.com)
The story is a wonderfully woven tale set in 1769 until the French revolution in 1789. The author, Riyoko Ikeda, combined history, real nobility and events from the said period, and fiction, a style I’ve never seen before (it’s like watching a fanfic made into an animated series) All of the events are beautifully crafted that it will make you think you are watching a series that is purely based on the true-to-life history of France, as fiction and reality ties up together really well. The plot includes the social conflicts in the Versailles Palace, the affair of the Queen with a swede, suffering of the common people and how their miserable lead them to the revolution, about the beautiful heroine Oscar Francois, a woman who is raised as a man and her struggles towards her feelings, and last but not the least, the love between a noble and a servant - which is very powerful and extremely touching; not something sappy like that of other series you'll see out there.
Let’s talk about the not-so-good things first. Of course there isn’t a series without flaws; I find some of the events in the first few episodes to be not very engaging, and that is because the first part of the series is mainly focused on Antoinette rather than Oscar, and that is my main complaint about this series, it would’ve been a lot better if the main character Oscar takes the center stage throughout the series. Also, I noticed that some of the characters goes missing, but pops up later, then goes missing again, like King Louis XVI, You can hardly see him and feel his existence (maybe he’s busy making locks *lol*) and the same for Oscar’s Mom, and I think these are due to having a fast pacing, everything is rushed especially the events in the second half, I was shocked when I saw Antoinette having children in a flash when at first she can’t conceive.
Some of the drama scenes here are the saddest in all of the series I've ever watched, like when Oscar pleaded Antoinette to withdraw the soldiers; the queen were shedding tears as she refused, Oscar were crying as well, and they said “Au revoir” to each other knowing that they’ll never meet again. Even though I never did like Queen Antoinette, I find this scene to be touching because not only did Oscar served her and the royal family, but they were bonded with 20 years of friendship, but then she fought beside the commoners in their fight to bring down monarchy. But nothing can be depressing than the tragic event on the 39th episode, I cried hard as I really felt the pain that Oscar experience, especially when she was regretting for not realizing her true feelings towards the man she loved sooner...both of them could have had much better days, if only she did *CRIES* that scene really tore my heart apart. Honestly, I was still teary eyed even after hours later of finishing the episode. I wonder how the author could’ve done such a cruel thing to the main characters; A woman who almost gave up her womanhood and for a man who suffered for 20 years because of love that is unrequitted - they’ve had enough of suffering and they deserve happiness together...but there’s no chance anymore -_-
As for the ending, it was not just anticlimactic but depressing as well -_- I didn’t care about the events on the last 10 minutes, yes they were important for the story, but I didn’t find it to be that interesting anymore, not after what happened to Oscar and Andre. I think the climax of the series is on the last part of the 37th episode (which is my favorite *evil grin*) From the very beginning, Oscar is torn between living as a man or being a woman, and in this event, she finally decided on which path she’ll take, leaving her luxurious life as a noble, forgetting about wealth and status, to be with the man she loves...so for me, this is indeed the climax of the whole story.
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| Characters |
The characters are the most realistic ever, their reactions to every situation is very real and convincing, and the character development is the most excellent, Oscar and Andre’s romantic development took 20 years! To be honest, I’ve never been so attached to fictional characters before ^_~
OSCAR FRANCOIS DE JARJAYES must be the toughest and bravest female character in the anime world or maybe in all. She’s stubborn, and she can’t restrain her feelings and thoughts (except for her innermost feelings) but she has the honor and won’t hesitate to give her life for her beliefs. She acts like a man but still a woman deep inside. I think she’s the most unique in all of the characters I’ve seen, she's icy in the outside but firy on the inside, what a character! And even though I know she’s a woman, I fell in love with her (I’m not a lesbian okay? lol)
ANDRE GRANDIER - I bet many of the female viewers must’ve fallen in love with this character. He is willing to give up everything for the woman he loves and won’t ask anything in return (how I wish someone like him exists in the real world)
MARIE ANTOINETTE is an immature and naïve Queen, she’s the one to be blamed for the downfall of the royal family. She’s nonsense, easily manipulated and doesn’t think of others but herself, she’s kind though, but only to those people she favors.
HANS AXEL VON FERSEN – At first I thought that he’s a smart character by the way he looks, but it turns out that he’s a fool, he’s drawn to Antoinette simply because of her beauty...
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