What do you think about Maiden Rose?
| Hi guys! It’s time once again when we can add another new special read to the list—and it is my turn (with a little help from Queen2408) to review a manga that I don’t really think needs an introduction! Hyakujitsu no Bara aka Maiden Rose by Inariya Fusanosuke; yet another turn for the explicit content side, but with a dash of master & servant relationship. Eek! I just realized that this will be our #13th special read!  STORY: Two soldiers from warring countries are bound together by their pledge to each other as Master and Servant. Taki Reizen is a division commander with noble beauty, who bears the fate of his country. Klaus von Wolfstadt is a captain with rough temperament and nicknamed “Mad Dog”. He has sworn his loyalty to Taki as a Knight; abandoning his country and family to follow him and fight alongside him. Their turbulent relationship is constantly challenged by cold and disapproving voices. What will come of love and emotions made brutal by the violence of war? REVIEW: Hyakujitsu no Bara or if you prefer, Maiden Rose is a compelling story of a bittersweet, turbulent and forbidden relationship, in the midst of a storm of war and mistrust. Twenty years-old, Taki Reizen is the commander of the 15th Armoured Division “Maiden Rose” and a lord of noble descent. Klaus von Wolfstadt was Taki’s roommate, when he entered Luckenwalde Armour School to study abroad, and now he has abandoned everything in order to protect and serve Taki as his knight.  The first time I came across Hyakujitsu no Bara I was enamored by the beautiful artwork. Inariya Fusanosuke-sensei’s art and style is so distinctive and easily recognizable—and, like most manga-ka who has their own unique style, it is a matter of taste. Inariya Fusanosuke draws her men manly, with prominent features and bulk. They are the kind of though men that stand on their own two feet, even if they are bishounen (pretty boy). She loves army men. I find the plot or rather the war/geography and political side of the story, a little confusing. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve had to go back a re-read just to get my head around what is actually happening, but luckily enough there is always two-sides to a story and therefore plenty of layers to unfold as Inariya Fusanosuke uses flashbacks to help us understand the characters and relationships better, adding in depth characterization and back stories. Maiden Rose takes place in the late 1920’s an alternate time-line of warring and prejudice. I use the word alternate time-line or AU because it is not made exactly clear which war the Maiden Rose series is taking place in and as I mentioned before, the war and geography side of this story is kind of vague and hard to understand. That being said, we know that Taki comes from the East and that Klaus comes from a Germany-like country, and both Taki and Klaus are also considered nobility in their own right. Taki is the emperor’s nephew—his bloodline has remained purged of all impurities except in wedlock; for Taki to become tainted is strictly forbidden and punishable by death. For Klaus to even touch Taki is considered taboo, then again, Klaus becoming Taki’s ‘Knight’ is also looked down upon. Their relationship would be considered a crime, a sin; while Klaus is seen like a lowly enemy who acts as the Raizen’s lapdog, he is actually bowing to be his forever and taking the responsibility of “tainting” him, everything for the sake of that forbidden love. This is a situation that puts a strain on their already troubled, unhappy relationship. It contributes to each other’s pain and their lack of connection is confusing Klaus to no end; not really understanding why Taki continues to be so cold and rejective toward him, pushes Klaus to his limit and even forcing himself on Taki. I know that rape is used a lot in yaoi manga and I usually do try to avoid that forceful approach for romantic development. Nevertheless, Maiden Rose doesn’t present it this way, but as a consequence of the extremely difficult situation the couple is in; sensei makes up for this non-con by showing Taki and Klaus’ past relationship, an insight to their real feelings and how they ended up in such extreme circumstances. They may be bound by a contract of Master and Knight, but their bond goes beyond that, for example the fact that Taki cannot allow himself to indulge in Klaus, but refuses to let him go even when Klaus forces himself on him and that Klaus would gladly put his own life on-the-line for Taki.  To sum up, Hyakujitsu no Bara (Maiden Rose) is a bittersweet tale of two bound by a contract of fate, plagued by violence of war and prejudice. There is plenty of drama and a lot of angst, not to mention explicit sexual scenes and blood, so if you are a fan of Yaoi with a plot, men in military uniforms, or even master and servant relationship then this is a must read. This series really is one of my favourites, I fell in love with the artwork first and soon started to appreciate the story as the chapters and characters showed signs of development and Taki and Klaus’ relationship made more progress. Not to mention the added bonus of the ‘Pawpads’ extras or chibi omake as I like to call them, where by Taki-tachi are all super deformed and help lighten the dark theme of the main story of the Maiden Rose series.  Hyakujitsu no Bara (Maiden Rose) Manga Volumes 1-2 are licensed by Juné/DMP. Maiden Rose was also animated in 2009 as a two-episode OVA of Volume 1, Chapters 1-5 and produced by PrimeTime. Manga classification: Explicit Yaoi, Law Enforcement List, Tough uke Are you a fan of Maiden Rose? Then please do consider joining the series fanlisting and show your support by clicking the banner below!  Story and art by Inariya Fusanosuke, graphics and review by Angie, edited by Queen2408 . |
Queen2408Sep 9, 2010 6:15 PM
| Well written review :) I agree with some points--I remember getting confused too with the setting/timeline. Here's where I probably go against the grain of everyone else (so don't mind me ;_;). There is something I just don't like about the manga itself. There's something I really dislike about Taki. I think it's the "uke face." That pretty, teary uke face during sex, followed by the defiant face afterwards is almost comical since he still lets himself be ruled over by his station, his country/traditions, and his "lover." He does hang onto his knight of choice, despite the disapproval, so that's one thing I respect out of him. Taki doesn't come across as tough to me at all.. he's someone trapped in a violent war and repressing traditions. I guess he hasn't been broken by it (yet). Maybe it's more realistic that he doesn't break away from these traditions. Klaus is a far more interesting character.. he does lash out against the traditions, the divide between him and Taki, turning those frustrations on Taki himself. That's not admirable either, so the work does seem darker. It's my least favorite work from Inariya Fusanosuke (thanks Taki), so I'm glad I read more, otherwise I might have written her off as not worth it. :O She's capable of so much more.. |
shinkeikaku said: Well written review :) I agree with some points--I remember getting confused too with the setting/timeline. Here's where I probably go against the grain of everyone else (so don't mind me ;_;). There is something I just don't like about the manga itself. There's something I really dislike about Taki. I think it's the "uke face." That pretty, teary uke face during sex, followed by the defiant face afterwards is almost comical since he still lets himself be ruled over by his station, his country/traditions, and his "lover." He does hang onto his knight of choice, despite the disapproval, so that's one thing I respect out of him. Taki doesn't come across as tough to me at all.. he's someone trapped in a violent war and repressing traditions. I guess he hasn't been broken by it (yet). Maybe it's more realistic that he doesn't break away from these traditions. Klaus is a far more interesting character.. he does lash out against the traditions, the divide between him and Taki, turning those frustrations on Taki himself. That's not admirable either, so the work does seem darker. It's my least favorite work from Inariya Fusanosuke (thanks Taki), so I'm glad I read more, otherwise I might have written her off as not worth it. :O She's capable of so much more.. Somehow I agree with this, but as a reservation about Taki...I don't dislike him that much though, because I am waiting to see how this develops for him. He is physically strong (in spite of being so tiny), mentally...hmm I am not sure. Equally standing, for me: yes. So it is a matter of waiting for his next steps and for more chapters about what happened before. Hey Angie I had to share this. It was really amusing... |
| I haven't read the whole manga, the plot seemed too serious and tricky for me. but i like how their relationship is portrayed, if feels real in some way. Watched the OVA, of course, and liked that too, although it seemed too short plot-vise, seemed incomplete. About Queen's link, that was so funny, I giggled all the way through! XD |
| I was just thinking about starting the manga. |
shinkeikaku said: Well written review :) I agree with some points--I remember getting confused too with the setting/timeline. Here's where I probably go against the grain of everyone else (so don't mind me ;_;). There is something I just don't like about the manga itself. There's something I really dislike about Taki. I think it's the "uke face." That pretty, teary uke face during sex, followed by the defiant face afterwards is almost comical since he still lets himself be ruled over by his station, his country/traditions, and his "lover." He does hang onto his knight of choice, despite the disapproval, so that's one thing I respect out of him. Taki doesn't come across as tough to me at all.. he's someone trapped in a violent war and repressing traditions. I guess he hasn't been broken by it (yet). Maybe it's more realistic that he doesn't break away from these traditions. Klaus is a far more interesting character.. he does lash out against the traditions, the divide between him and Taki, turning those frustrations on Taki himself. That's not admirable either, so the work does seem darker. It's my least favorite work from Inariya Fusanosuke (thanks Taki), so I'm glad I read more, otherwise I might have written her off as not worth it. :O She's capable of so much more.. I definitely agree on the whole "teary face" part. It perplexes me-he cries in so many situations that sometimes it's unfounded. Especially during sex-if it hurts, he cries; if he enjoys it, he ALSO cries. The contrast between his propensity for crying and his imperial/military standing and prowess is jarring. That said, it could be Inariya's way of showing readers the mental and emotional turmoil Taki goes through. Being in love with someone of an enemy country, enjoying carnal pleasure with said person when your place as an army commander and figure of faith forbids it- it's gotta give anyone a reason to angst. He grew up knowing his place and was constantly placed under the eyes of society and the imperial court. Most importantly, he has a real self-willed dedication to playing his role. I reckon that going against societal mores for the sake of love for him is not as simple as it is for Klaus (not that it was easy for him either). Thus, the uke-ish behaviour. I'd say that it is still a work in progress. Inariya is hinting at something apparently crucial that happened in the past, and we still don't know much about Klaus' background. Right now it's a lot of angst angst angst with little explanation for things. When the plot fills out a bit more, we can maybe then better understand the characters' motivations. In the meantime, the artwork is absolutely gorgeous- Inariya definitely carries the military fetish well. The smex is also angsty and hot, so all's good :D |
Queen2408 said: shinkeikaku said: Well written review :) I agree with some points--I remember getting confused too with the setting/timeline. Here's where I probably go against the grain of everyone else (so don't mind me ;_;). There is something I just don't like about the manga itself. There's something I really dislike about Taki. I think it's the "uke face." That pretty, teary uke face during sex, followed by the defiant face afterwards is almost comical since he still lets himself be ruled over by his station, his country/traditions, and his "lover." He does hang onto his knight of choice, despite the disapproval, so that's one thing I respect out of him. Taki doesn't come across as tough to me at all.. he's someone trapped in a violent war and repressing traditions. I guess he hasn't been broken by it (yet). Maybe it's more realistic that he doesn't break away from these traditions. Klaus is a far more interesting character.. he does lash out against the traditions, the divide between him and Taki, turning those frustrations on Taki himself. That's not admirable either, so the work does seem darker. It's my least favorite work from Inariya Fusanosuke (thanks Taki), so I'm glad I read more, otherwise I might have written her off as not worth it. :O She's capable of so much more.. Somehow I agree with this, but as a reservation about Taki...I don't dislike him that much though, because I am waiting to see how this develops for him. He is physically strong (in spite of being so tiny), mentally...hmm I am not sure. Equally standing, for me: yes. So it is a matter of waiting for his next steps and for more chapters about what happened before. Hey Angie I had to share this. It was really amusing... I also agree with what Queen said, I think Taki needs to develop more as an individual character. I actually am fond of him, but I am a Klaus fan! I'm also looking forward to more of her work, and I know she has taken some time off from Maiden Rose, so when/if she ever does continue the series- I am looking forward to reading until the end. I'm gonna have to say it is one of my favourites- even with the darker side of things. Heh! Go for it Queen, that parody really is so funny and thank you again for sending it to me! I think it should be shared with everyone too! XD |
paigy_loli said: I've been dying to read/watch this.... Wai! \^_^/ I say go for it, read or watch the series! Let us know what your thoughts are if/when you do read/watch won't you? Lariela said: I haven't read the whole manga, the plot seemed too serious and tricky for me. but i like how their relationship is portrayed, if feels real in some way. Watched the OVA, of course, and liked that too, although it seemed too short plot-vise, seemed incomplete. About Queen's link, that was so funny, I giggled all the way through! XD Hmm, I agree that the plot is very confusing and the war side of things isn't to everyones taste... and Taki and Klaus relationship develops more in the manga than in the OVA, and you really only get to see the first 5 chapters animated so the story really isn't complete. I would recommend reading the manga, but only if you can stomach the violent scenes and not adverse to non-con as Klaus gets very inpatient with Taki during the first 2 volumes of the series... LOL, the parody is a great laugh isn't it?! brokenrose said: I was just thinking about starting the manga. Really? I hope you do give it a go! Please feel free to come back here and let us know what you thought if/when you do read?! Marlene_Angel said: I haven't read it yet (your vote) I've seen the anime though... Maiden Rose anime is pretty good, but I still hear the fact that the manga is better. Anyway, there are some little bad points of the anime like Seme's chin =)) or that the Omake part is cuter than the real eps. If I had to rate the anime I would say that It's very good! ^_^ As I mentioned above- the manga does go a little deeper than the OVA, you only get to see the first 5 chapters animated so the anime really isn't complete. I agree the omake in the anime was so cute and yes, Klaus has a really huge chin in the anime, but he looks so much better and doesn't have a huge chin in the manga ^_~ p.s. the chibi omake is a larger side-story in the manga and even has its own doujinshi series! ^.^b |
mondo0102 said: I definitely agree on the whole "teary face" part. It perplexes me-he cries in so many situations that sometimes it's unfounded. Especially during sex-if it hurts, he cries; if he enjoys it, he ALSO cries. The contrast between his propensity for crying and his imperial/military standing and prowess is jarring. That said, it could be Inariya's way of showing readers the mental and emotional turmoil Taki goes through. Being in love with someone of an enemy country, enjoying carnal pleasure with said person when your place as an army commander and figure of faith forbids it- it's gotta give anyone a reason to angst. He grew up knowing his place and was constantly placed under the eyes of society and the imperial court. Most importantly, he has a real self-willed dedication to playing his role. I reckon that going against societal mores for the sake of love for him is not as simple as it is for Klaus (not that it was easy for him either). Thus, the uke-ish behaviour. I'd say that it is still a work in progress. Inariya is hinting at something apparently crucial that happened in the past, and we still don't know much about Klaus' background. Right now it's a lot of angst angst angst with little explanation for things. When the plot fills out a bit more, we can maybe then better understand the characters' motivations. In the meantime, the artwork is absolutely gorgeous- Inariya definitely carries the military fetish well. The smex is also angsty and hot, so all's good :D O! You took the words right out of my mouth, thank you so much for this! Well said! |
| this sounds interesting but i'm not into explict things. at least, not very explicit. >.< |
 banana |
| Don't mind me, this manga often bugs me lol. I think Klaus's own sacrifice is usually ignored and simplified. Klaus is a traitor in a very real sense of the word. And everyone openly knows it. Klaus slaughters his countrymen. He abandoned his own world and upbringing and is threatening his own country's safety and sovereignty. Whenever I heard discussion about Maiden Rose before, it was usually in the squeeing fangirl community, and no one liked him and everyone ignored his sacrifice. Poor guy. (It's the chin!!! Discrimination!!! :O) In contrast, Taki is trying not to enjoy sex with someone because his religion says so? I'm not really respectful of the roles of religious figureheads I guess. It probably has more impact on say the average Japanese reader who better understands the emperor's role circa WWII era I guess, but it's just not developed enough. This is probably the root of my problem.. in my eyes, the level of sacrifice is much greater for Klaus, who does so much more readily. That's love. Taki is conflicted, crying, pushing away while at the same time keeping a firm grasp. Poor Klaus, I'd say he's being abused just as much, if not more. I'd like to know more about the guy though… It is a work in progress, but I've been reading it since 2006 (it's slow~), so I’ve grown tired of waiting for Taki to do something besides cry about his "love life." :/ I want to see the great leader that his people respect so much.. haven't really yet. I hope he breaks away from all this.. then it would be good character development. It's just taking... years... zzz.. |
Dasha9x said: I finally finished reading what was translated and I have to say I am confused. I still don’t know where it is headed or what kind of motives Klaus has. Everyone interprets it as if he was following Taki only out of love but the last chapters are showing that Klaus may have some kind of mission. For me Taki isn’t tough at all, only overly stubborn and full of pride... and maybe love for his country. He may love Klaus but everything he does seems so half-assed to me. If he loves him, he should be with him, if he feels the duty to fight for his country, which forbids such relationship, he should let him go or at least not sleep with him. You may say that it was non-con, but I don’t think he was resisting at all. He is so indecisive. Argh! He should know that he can’t have both but he doesn’t do anything and because of that he destroys both - he lets himself to be tainted and he won’t respond to Klaus’ feelings. And this was explicit?! During the sex scene in the fourth chapter there wasn’t even once shown Taki’s penis, even though there were many oportunities - I mean when he was laying on his back with his legs wide spread, you would expect something to be there, right? Ooh, I think we're along the same lines. I'm not sure what Klaus is up to.. it's just so vague. Tokyo Babylon spoiler |
| When watching Maiden Rose (both OVA and manga) I was confused about my own likes and dislikes. I acknoledge that this manga is an important piece with a unique story. I look at it and think I should really like it ... but somehow I can't really get myself to care for the characters. Taki is not my kind of person anyway. I'm not too surprised that I'm not all wobbly-knees for him. He (or is it him?) is shown as a cute girlish child first, he looks all Mary Sue and has the heart of gold to go with it. Commander or not ... he's weak spirited ... at least in some points. He's one big turn off really. By all means I should really like Klaus. Maybe it's the name. Being german that name just doesn't connect itself with any sexiness for me, too much an old-uncle's name here... Or maybe shin is right and it is the chin ... I mean even Taki's tanks have more grace and sleekness than that chin. Poor Klaus indeed burdened with an unclish name and a chin like a spade, I should pity him, but seeing as how he's raping his best friend, commander and only love I just can't get myself to him pity him either. But on the other side, the art (and the chin!) come over a lot better in the manga than in the ova, it's just the good colouring work that make the ova appear better in graphics at first. Now, despite that, it's not that I dislike Maiden Rose. I still think that this story has its place and points and I'm still interested to see where it goes. I know that I'll be reading on. @Dasha: Hmh, you are right, it isn't all that explicit, but it feels so ... probably because of the violence. And the manga has some penis on display, although I'd say the explicit feeling is still more from the violence and undercurrent. |
Geisha_XApr 1, 2010 12:09 PM
| When I first started Maiden Rose, it wasn't really my cup of tea. What kept me reading was that I couldn't figure out why Taki kept letting Klaus rape him like that but also wouldn't let Klaus leave his side. Now, I rather like it, especially as more about the past is revealed. I wonder, though, would things have still turned out the same if Klaus had fully understood what it meant to be Taki's knight? Would he still have chosen that path? |
 |
| so i read the first chapter. i thought two things.... 1. the art is very similiar to Fullmetal Alchemist its not even funny. 2. I seriously thought Taki was a girl. i still do. |
banana |
| WOW I am so psyched to read this now!!!! From the review, sounds amazing *_*. I realized that I did read Giglio by this author as well, and that was so good! I'm sure i'll like Maiden Rose too :). |
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