The 40 episode classic anime from 1979, one of the first series with Shingo Araki and Michi Himeno (Saint Seiya)at the helm, will be released in 2013 in 2 DVD sets, with streams being available in December of this year on Viki.
The anime is based on the 1972 manga by Riyoko Ikeda, known as Rose of Versailles.
The story is set in the intrigue-filled court of Queen Marie Antoinette before and during the upheavals of the French Revolution. Lady Oscar is a young woman raised as a man to serve in the palace guards.
What's more revolutionary about this series is a fact that was pointed out by Susan Napier, professor at Tufts University:
Even more "revolutionary," however, was the introduction of a major cross-dressing character, the young woman named Oscar, who befriends and guides the hapless Marie Antoinette as the world churns around her. While much of Versailles is historically accurate, Oscar is Ikeda's own invention, a passionate young woman who dresses and often behaves like a man. Oscar quickly became the series' most popular protagonist and her gender-bending role not only gave young female readers a new approach to gender and sexuality but also paved the way for the many other gender-ambiguous characters who continue to populate the world of anime today.
I really wish they could license the manga too!! It would be a wise move!!
