Manga FocusBy Dov Sherman |
Although boys-as-girls anime and manga, such as Ranma 1/2 and Futaba-kun Change!, are now quite common, the earliest transgenderism to appear in Japanese comic books were stories of young women, living their lives in dashing and courageous masculine roles. The earliest example, "A Knight with Ribbons", by Osamu Tezuka (creator of Astroboy and father of modern manga), told the story of a princess who must pretend to be a man in order to protect succession to the throne. This manga is often credited as being one of the earliest shoujo manga, comics aimed for an audience of young girls. |
Lady Oscar |
A much more contemporary and fascinating series is the epic historical drama of duty, justice, and intrigue, The Rose of Versailles. This title, created by Riyoko Ikeda and published as a serial manga in the periodical magazine Margaret. The Rose of Versailles is a story largely based on historical fact, placing the characters and events in the French court of Versailles during the years before the French Revolution. However, it departs from historical fact with the introduction of Lady Oscar, a creation of Riyoko Ikeda.
General de Jarjayes, head of the Jarjayes family, is blessed with many daughters but longs for a son to carry on the family tradition of military men serving the French Throne. When his youngest child is born as yet another daughter, he christens her "Oscar Francoius de Jarjayes" and vows to raise her as a son. Lady Oscar grows to become a beautiful and intelligent young woman, skilled in swordfighting and horseback riding. Her closest friend, Andre, a stablehand in the Jarjayes home, is her most trusted confidante. Although it is clear that Andre loves Oscar deeply, he remains aware of the class distinction between them, offering only his devoted service and friendship.
Lady Oscar, Commander of the Royal Guard |
When Marie Antoinette is sent from Austria to marry Louis XVI, to strengthen political ties between Austria and France, General de Jarjayes urges Lady Oscar to apply for the position of commander of Marie Antoinette's bodyguards. At first, Oscar scorns the idea, refusing to baby-sit a mere girl, but her own desire to prove herself as the equal of any man forces her to challenge Gerodere, her rival for the position. Easily defeating him in a mock-duel, Oscar accepts the role of Commander of the Royal Guard.
Lady Oscar's first assignment as Commander is to meet Marie Antoinette at the French-Austrian border and escort her to the court at Versailles. Duke Orleans, cousin to Louis XVI, plots to kidnap Marie Antoinette. His accomplice, Jean, disguises himself as one of the French maids-in-waiting. At the border house, Jean appeals to the young princess' playful nature, suggesting that they swap clothing and roles as a joke. While Gerodere, now Lady Oscar's faithful second-in-command, escorts the party to the palace, Lady Oscar leaves the party to follow the Marie, now dressed as a maid, whom she has observed to sneak into the nearby woods. In a daring rescue, Lady Oscar defeats three of Duke Orleans henchmen and takes Marie Antoinette to the court where she exposes Jean as an impostor. Duke Orleans kills Jean before he can be made to reveal his accomplices. But this incident gains Lady Oscar the girlish admiration of Marie Antoinette and spark Lady Oscar's own suspicions of Duke Orleans intents toward the throne.
Torn Between Duty and Justice |
At palace, Lady Oscar's noble bearing and androgynous beauty brings her great popularity at the court but she spurns social gatherings, restricting her attention to her military duties. Slowly, Lady Oscar becomes aware of the squalor and poverty of the French common people and her disgust with the opulence and luxury within the palace grows. Although her compassion for the plight of the French people becomes stronger every day, she suppresses her feelings in favor of her sense of duty to the Queen.
Oscar with Fersen |
Inevitably, the situation worsens. The seventeen-year-old Queen is unprepared and unwilling to accept the responsibilities of her position and King Louis XVI spends his days pursuing his locksmithing hobbies. At a masquerade ball in Paris, Marie meets Hans Axel von Fersen, a visiting Swedish noble. The attraction between them is strong but, while Marie recklessly pursues Fersen, Lady Oscar appeals to his sense of duty, urging him not to endanger the French throne with their affair. Fersen gains a deep respect and friendship towards Oscar, going so far as to wager his life when Lady Oscar demands to be sentenced to the same fate as Andre when he is wrongly accused of endangering the Queen in a horseback riding accident.
As the story continues, Lady Oscar tries desperately to salvage the throne, intercepting any threats or plots of court intrigue about which the King and Queen are themselves too reckless to care. As the revolution draws near, Oscar is forced to choose between her duty to the throne and justice for the people of France. History tells us that General de Jarjayes risked his life to help the King and Queen attempt escape from prison during the revolution, never faltering in his devotion to his King. But, when Lady Oscar, with her sense of compassion and justice, is forced to choose, will she find herself at odds with her father, turning her back on a life of duty? Is Oscar's first duty to the throne or to the people of France?
Catriona MacColl in the title film role of Lady Oscar |
The Rose of Versailles gained national attention when it was dramatized in 1974 by Japan's acclaimed all-woman theatrical troupe Takarazuka in 1979. Earlier, in 1978, the story was made into a live-action feature film titled Lady Oscar. Shot on location at Versailles and directed by Jacques Demy, the film starred Catriona MacColl. The film employed an English script and was shown with subtitles in Japan. (You might be able to obtain this movie from the foreign film section of your local video store.)
Oscar in a Drag... So to speak... |
The epic romance of The Rose of Versailles has proven quite popular with Japanese girls. Perhaps, it is Oscar's situation, living and dressing as a man, allowing the reader to vicariously share male priveleges traditionally denied to them as women, which appeals the young female readers. This is a powerful aspect of drag which is often ignored in favor of more titilating attributes. Drag enables a transgendered character to transcend gender, to achieve goals and desires denied to those trapped in narrow, single-gender roles. At the same time, it calls attention to the more gender-related aspects of those roles.
Dualism, a concept of Eastern origin, plays a major part in The Rose of Versailles. Lady Oscar is torn between her masculine sense of duty and her feminine compassion for the poor. Romantically admired by many women of the court, Oscar is again torn between her masculine and feminine sides as she yearns for the love of one of the men under her command.
Noted as one of the great classics of shoujo manga, The Rose of Versailles is a powerful tale which challenges the notion of a soldier's role being entirely masculine. It is rather the feminine aspects of Oscar which temper her masculine military mind to result in one of the greatest military commanders in historical literature.