Requiem of the Rose King: Henry Hearts Richard

I read Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 3

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Requiem of the Rose King: Death of Richard: 3rd Duke of York

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I Reads You Review: REQUIEM OF THE ROSE KING Volume 1

REQUIEM OF THE ROSE KING, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Aya Kanno
TRANSLATION: Jocelyne Allen
LETTERS: Sabrina Heep
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6778-5; paperback (March 2015); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Requiem of the Rose King is a dark fantasy manga and is also the most recent work from mangaka Aya Kanno, the creator of such manga as Otomen and Soul Rescue.  Published in the Japanese shojo manga magazine, Princess, Requiem of the Rose King is loosely based on the work of William Shakespeare, particularly Henry IV (1591) and Richard III (1592).  VIZ Media has just started publishing the series in English.

Requiem of the Rose King, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 4) opens in medieval England.  Henry is king; he belongs to the House of Lancaster, represented by a red rose.  Richard of the House of York (represented by a white rose) covets the throne, so he leads his forces into battle.  Thus, begins the “War of the Roses.”

Into Richard of York's house is born a third son, a sickly child that he names Richard after himself.  Richard feels a special connection with young Richard, but his wife, Cecily, who is also young Richard's mother, hates the child.  She proclaims to anyone who will listen that young Richard is a demon child who will lead to the death of her husband.  As the battle between Lancaster and York rages, Richard dreams of his family ascending to the throne, a throne that will one day be his.

The Requiem of the Rose King manga reminds me, believe it or not, of Rei Toma's manga, Dawn of the Arcana, in terms of story and of graphic narrative.  The difference is that in Requiem of the Rose King, Aya Kanno focuses on a lead character around whom swirls omens, portents, and dark motivations.

I find myself repulsed by young Richard, but not in the way a great villain makes being repulsed such a good thing.  Actually, I like Richard when he is contrasted with King Henry, who exudes light and the urge to be a genuine Christian.  Their time together is lyrical and poetic, and I wish the series were built around their relationship.  Requiem of the Rose King has much potential.  I want to see where this goes.  Fans of Aya Kanno will want to try Requiem of the Rose King.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Otomen: Anti-Otomen Mom

I read Otomen, Vol. 17

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Otomen: Your Son Likes to Apply Makeup to Girls' Faces

I read Otomen, Vol. 15

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Otomen: Jewel (Sachihana) of His Eye

I read Otomen, Vol. 14

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De-Otomen Potion

I read Otomen, Vol. 10 (See all Manga)

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VIZ Media a Hit with YALSA

Press release from VIZ Media:

VIZ MEDIA TITLES RECOGNIZED BY YALSA’S 2010 GREAT GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR TEENS

Annual Booklist By Young Adult Library Services Association Recognize Acclaimed Manga Titles For Quality And Broad Appeal

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced that several of its manga titles have made the list of 2010 Great Graphic Novels For Teens by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA).

The noteworthy list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens was presented at the ALA Midwinter Meeting last week. The VIZ Media manga, recommended for those ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teen readers.


The VIZ Media titles making the list included:
CHILDREN OF THE SEA Vol. 1 • by Daisuke Igarashi • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
KIMI NI TODOKE Vol. 1 • by Karuho Shiina • rated ‘T’ for Teens
KIMI NI TODOKE Vol. 2 • by Karuho Shiina • rated ‘T’ for Teens
OOKU: INNER CHAMBERS Vol. 1 • by Fumi Yoshinaga • rated ‘M’ for Mature Audiences
OTOMEN Vol. 1 • by Aya Kanno • rated ‘T’ for Teens
MIXED VEGETABLES Vol. 1 • by Ayumi Komura • rated ‘T’ for Teens
PLUTO Vol. 1 •  by Naoki Urasawa • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
PLUTO Vol. 2 •  by Naoki Urasawa • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
PLUTO Vol. 3 •  by Naoki Urasawa • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
SOLANIN • by Inio Asano • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
TEGAMI BACHI: LETTER BEE Vol. 1 • by Hiroyuki Asada • rated ‘T’ for Teens
WE WERE THERE Vol. 1• by Yuki Obata • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
WE WERE THERE Vol. 2 • by Yuki Obata • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
WE WERE THERE Vol. 3 • by Yuki Obata • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
WE WERE THERE Vol. 4 • by Yuki Obata • rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens


“We’re very pleased to announce this diverse collection of manga titles that have been recognized by YALSA’s 2010 Great Graphic Novels For Teens, with 3 making it to the top ten.” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President Sales & Marketing for VIZ Media. “These series were created by some of the most imaginative minds in the manga genre and offer readers great stories ranging from science fiction and historical-based drama to romantic shojo and slice-of-life graphic novels aimed at female readers. YALSA provides librarians with valuable tools and information to help them select compelling titles for readers, and we invite them to consider these series which have been recognized for their innovation and quality.”

For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the U.S. leader in selecting books, videos, and audio books for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists.

For more information on these and other manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit http://www.viz.com/. [END]