T5W#572-Top 5 Biggest Story Changes in The Rose of Versailles 2025 (SPOILERS, DUH)

It may not be as perfect as the late 70’s masterpiece but the 2025 musical version of The Rose of Versailles is still a pretty darn good adaptation.  While I was expecting a lot of truncated storytelling and important plot points to be omitted, there was one thing I never expected the movie to do at all: add or change key events from the TV Series that actually strengthen and I dare say better the central journeys of both Marie Antoinette and Oscar (more so Oscar actually).  And these changes rank as some of the best moments of the film as a whole, more than the fun musical numbers and gorgeous animation.  Well now that the movie has been reviewed, todays Top 5 Wednesday is a bit of a bonus look at what was added to make The Rose of Versailles better than before (still not a perfect 10 but if these had all been inserted into the TV Series, that 10 would be assured).  Anyway, these are the Top 5 Biggest Story Changes in The Rose of Versailles 2025. 

 
Kind of goes without saying but SPOILERS…duh

The Rose of Versailles (2025)

Oscar Francois de Jarjayes, born a woman but raised as a man and soldier.  Marie Antoinette, born a noblewoman but destined to rule a nation.  As France inches towards a bloody revolution, the friendship between these two will face awaken personal challenges that will forever alter their fates.  Love, honor, duty and the wish to be free of them all will drive these women to opposite ends of a conflict that will change the course of a nations history forever.

Considering the time period where it takes place and the overall focus on romance in wartime, The Rose of Versailles lends itself quite well to being turned into a musical.  After all, there have been more than a few musical iterations going as far back as the 70s and there’s an OVA compilation of the original series that came out in 1987.  I guess with the sudden resurgence of classic Anime titles like Rurouni Kenshin and Ranma ½, it was only a matter of time before someone thought to resurrect The Rose of Versailles for a new age and this time combine the Animated Film and Musical avenues together.  The end result is a film that is just as much a music laden compilation film as much as it surprisingly improves on and enhances a lot from the TV Series.  It’s a mixed bag but in an overall good or bad way?
 

The Rose of Versailles Part 8 Episodes 36-40

The day Oscar has feared has come: a full on Revolution has erupted in the streets of Paris.  As ordinary citizens and military clash for the future of a nation, Oscar must decide what side she is on while also confronting her feelings for Andre.  On the eve of the Storming of the Bastille, Oscar and Andre take their rightful pages in the history.  What will be their fate and that of the monarchy locked in the sights of the people they have neglected for so long?  The French Revolution has begun but what comes after might arguably be worse than anyone ever dreamed.

Took em long enough eh?  After almost 38 episodes of build up, The French Revolution finally arrived in the Series Finale of The Rose of Versailles.  This was the ending promised from the get go and true to any historical account of the event and its aftermath, none of it was pretty.  Heroes rose and fell.  Enemies were punished and slain.  And the age of Versailles came to a cataclysmic yet inevitable end.  But how was this blood soaked finale for The Rose of Versailles as a whole?  Overall, mostly solid though even it’s finest moments did highlight some curious storytelling missteps in the back half of the series.
 

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender

Aang, the Avatar, did the impossible and ended a century long conflict, bringing peace back to the world.  But scars still linger, most of all Aang’s own position as the worlds Last Airbender.  That is until the search for a powerful artifact reawakens a long buried Airbender named Tagah.  What should be a glorious reunion turns dangerous when two very different visions of Airbender legacy collide, threatening to burn the world Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph and Zuko fought long and hard to create.  Once more, maybe more than ever, the fate of the world and the potential resurrection of the Airbenders rests in the hands of Avatar Aang.

Special Note: Ever since I started doing them in 2015, Extended Summer Series Reviews have always had one unspoken rule about them: when they start, they run uninterrupted til they (and whatever bonus movie might come with them) are done.  Eleven years later, I’m breaking that rule for this special occasion.  Today, July 25^th, marks what would have been my Dads 75^th Birthday.  And one of the shows he loved dearly and helped me get into was Avatar: The Last Airbender.  So when I heard that the long awaited Avatar Movie wasn’t just getting released but was being released on his birthday of all times?  Well some rules are meant to be broken here and then right?  So yeah, we’re briefly interrupting my Extended Summer Series Review of The Rose of Versailles to take a look at a movie I think Dad would have loved as much as he loved the show.  Anyway, onto the review and…Happy Birthday Dad.
 
What can really be said about Avatar: The Last Airbender that hasn’t been said already other than it’s basically perfect?  I guess one thing you could always say, or rather ask, is: when are we getting a sequel?  And I’m not talking about something like The Legend of Korra or the forthcoming Seven Havens.  I mean when are we getting a brand new Avatar adventure with the OG Team Avatar?  Well folks, that day has finally come.  Somehow, despite a very public near termination by Paramount itself, Aang and the team are back in an adventure a long time coming for both viewers and for Aang himself.  And it’s a good thing too because if you love the series, this is one feature film continuation that takes the entire Avatar experience to the next level in mostly good ways but not without a few Toph placed stumble blocks. 
 

The Rose of Versailles Part 7 Episodes 31-35

For the first time in centuries, the Etats-Generaux has been called: a meeting of the three ruling bodies of France.  But what should be a chance to better the lives of all living in Paris becomes a power keg ready to explode as Nobles and Rebels alike threaten to damage the conference for their own nefarious ends.  Oscar and Company B find themselves in an impossible situation.  Will they obey orders to put down any resistance by any means necessary?  Or will Oscar be forced to take a stand against the very Nobility she has served without hesitation?

After Monday’s…questionable storytelling choices, The Rose of Versailles re-righted itself by doing what it arguably does best: turning up the heat with its depiction of historical drama.  And yes, even Oscar and Andre found ways back to their more familiar selves, settling into new roles and even making some interesting discoveries themselves (nothing we didn’t already know on Andre’s end though).  Honestly, it’s just good to get away from all the romantic drama and back to the steady escalation towards the French Revolution.  Which does make me wonder: how much of the show is going to cover that event?  That’s a mini discussion/rant I can get into later.  For now, only the start of the final 10 episodes.
 

T5W#571-Top 5 Anime Series That Failed to Live Up to the Hype

The first official (full) trailer for Avengers: Doomsday dropped this week to much fanfare.  For me though, it didn’t have nearly the same impact on me as the teaser trailer for Avengers: Infinity War back in the day.  While I do still love the MCU, it’s hard to deny it’s in a rough place right now and it’s attempt to build hype with a mega fanservice cast could backfire on it (especially with its commitment to it’s December release date going toe to toe with Dune: Part 3 but that’s a chat for another time).  Idk, it makes me think of Anime series that had similar aspirations of greatness with a lot of anticipation heading into their premieres, only to see them crash hard and either become so bad theyre good or just plain bad.  On todays Top 5 Wednesday, I’m looking at five such titles with the Top 5 Anime Series That Failed to Live Up to the Hype

 

The Rose of Versailles Part 6 Episodes 26-30

When a mission to capture a charming thief: The Black Knight, leads to unexpected tragedy, Oscar and Andre’s friendship is changed forever.  Oscar quits the Royal Guard, looking to escape heartache and her longing for the man she cannot be with.  Meanwhile Andre’s fear of losing the woman he loves drives him too far to remind Oscar of who she truly is.  Between thieves and assassins, France is on the tipping point of conflict and if Oscar and Andre cant reconcile, nothing will be able to stop it.

We’re about to head into the home stretch of The Rose of Versailles.  So far the show has excelled beyond all expectations when it comes to depicting the turbulent and tragic events of this point in French History, with amazing character writing and nail biting drama.  This episode set takes a step back from the historical roller coaster for some quality time with two of our lead characters…to sadly mixed results.  I’m not going to lie, this was a rough set of episodes to sit through, not because it was hard to see a poor girl meet her untimely end because of her mothers machinations or because Jeanne was getting publicly branded.  No, it was hard to watch because Oscar and Andre were all over the place and suddenly going through mood swings that were meant to be important steps forward for their characters and their inevitable romance.  They just went about it all wrong and the end results cant be ignored.
 

The Rose of Versailles Part 5 Episodes 21-25

Four years ago, a desperate Jewler tried to sell Marie Antoinette a Diamon Necklace for an impossible price.  She declined.  Now this necklace has fallen into the hands of the duplicitous Jeanne and her schemes to become rich beyond all imagination.  But when she is caught in the act, Jeanne begins a snowballing social upheaval that threatens to ruin the once loving image of Marie Antoinette beyond repair.  As a desperate Oscar tries to contain the spread of lies and misinformation, the people of France take their first steps towards striking back against the Queen and the Nobility.

I’ll admit, I was a little worried when we began the second half of The Rose of Versailles as we circled back around a character we’ve seen do very little after her promising introduction. But as the set went on, those concerns were dashed and I learned quite a bit about French history through the fascinating and hyper intense Diamond Necklace Incident (even if it apparently ended not so historically accurate).  By comparison, there’s other stuff that happens here and it’s good but if The Rose of Versailles knows where to put the bulk of its storytelling powers for maximum impact and Jeanne, she was the focus of all the best efforts.
 

T5W#570-Top 5 Hottest Ladies in the Final Fantasy VII Remake Saga

The women of Final Fantasy are some of the greatest in gaming history.  Warriors.  Healers.  Thieves.  Rulers.  You name the role, someones probably taken the mantle.  They aid in battles or stand in your way if theyre an enemy and my God…are they all gorgeous.  This has only been reinforced during my ongoing summer journey of finally (no pun intended) getting to play Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth.  The level of beauty fighting side by side or assisting in minor roles is incredibly distracting and any of them can heat up a room or calm the heart in seconds.  And since we’re in the midst of major summer heatwaves, let’s just kick it up a notch on todays Top 5 Wednesday as we look at the Top 5 Hottest Ladies in the Final Fantasy VII Remake Saga.

The Rose of Versailles Part 4 Episodes 16-20

Vengeance comes to Versailles as Oscar takes in the beautiful Rosalie as her protegee, all to help her track down the woman in court who killed her mother.  Meanwhile Marie Antoinette continues to be poisoned against herself by the scheming Madame Polignac.  But nothing can prepare her or Oscar for the return of Hans Fersen, who brings new that will forever alter their bonds.  Knives are out.  Loves are confessed.  But who will ultimately pay the price for the sins of Versailles past?

Today’s review marks the mid point of The Rose of Versailles and holy crap, someone just put their foot on the pedal and didn’t let up for five straight episodes.  There was hardly time to breathe between all the confessions, revelations and basically all of Episode 19, which had one of the most nightmare inducing finales I have ever seen (oh we’ll talk about it but wow it was…wow).  I’m still kind of trying to recover myself from everything that happened so hopefully typing will help me simmer as I go over everything that went down in the mid series events of The Rose of Versailles.
 

The Rose of Versailles Part 3 Episodes 11-15

Lady Marie Antoinette is now the Queen of France.  What seems like the promise of a bright new future for the country begins to sour when Marie focuses on lavish expensive ventures, breaking the back of an already financially fragile nation.  While Oscar tries to keep her charge and friend in line, a trip to inspect those living on her families estate reveal harsh realities of the true state of the lower folk of France.  Can Oscar get Marie to see how desperately her people need her or is this the beginning of a darker future inching it’s way to Versailles front gates?

 
While there wasn’t anything that was as mind blowingly amazing as Monday’s’s Episode 9, that’s not a bad thing for The Rose of Versailles  in the slightest and that’s largely in credit to the shows writing and overall entertainment value.  The story did press forward on several fronts, mostly centered on three protagonists whose worlds are forever altered at one point or another, sort of for good in one regard but largely not great for two poor souls.
 

T5W#569-Top 5 Ghost in the Shell Movies

It’s been two long years since the announcement but the wait is over: The Ghost in the Shell has finally dropped.  While It has been a couple years long wait for most, for day one fans of the original Manga, it’s a dream come true to see Shirow Masamune’s true artistic vision brought to life.  It’ll definitely be a bit of a jarring change for viewers who have only experience the adventures of Motoko Kusinagi in her long library of Anime centric adventures dating back to 1995.  So to celebrate the return of Section 9 to the Anime scene, Top 5 Wednesday is looking back at the theatrical outings of the lovely Major and her crew of stalwart, trigger happy mercs with the Top 5 Ghost in the Shell Movies.  And yes, I will be looking at the first couple of episodes of The Ghost in the Shell when First Impression Fridays returns in August after Otakon.  Trust me, as a long time GitS fan I’m never missing the chance to cover my second favorite Anime franchise after Gundam.

 

The Rose of Versailles Part 2 Episodes 6-10

It’s been three years since Marie Antoinette came to Versailles and married Louis XVI.  Now is the time when their destines arrive faster than ever expected.  With the King on his deathbed, their ascension to the throne seems inevitable.  As the young couple brace for a role they’re unprepared for, Oscar deals with a long standing threat while witnessing the potential birth of a new one.  But no lady of court could do as much damage to the reputation of the beautiful Queen of France than Hans Axel von Fersen, a handsome aristocrat who has caught Marie’s eyes. 

I’m honestly gob smacked by how much I am enjoying The Rose of Versailles.  It’s been a long time since episodes of a series have left me instantly wanting to jump to the next one to see what happens next (until I get stopped by that pesky self imposed barrier where I need to review a set before I proceed…kind of like right now).  But between assassinations and conspiracies, gossip and tests of loyalty and just the sheer awesomness of seeing history unfold in a beautiful artistic way, yeah the Premiere as no fluke.  The Rose of Versailles is the real deal and if I wasn’t already sold after the first five episodes, you better believe I’m sold now, especially after Episode 9.
 

The Rose of Versailles Part 1 Episodes 1-5

Born a girl to a Father desperate for a son, Oscar François de Jarjayes is not like any of the ladies in court in France.  At age 14, she becomes Commander of the Royal Guard, charged with protecting a young heiress from Austria named Marie Antoinette.  In an era where power is everything and gossip is the ultimate fodder for downfalls, the meeting of Oscar and Marie begins a tragedy of lies, deceit, love and delusion as France begins its march to one of its darkest and bloodiest conflicts in history.

We’re back for our annual Extended Summer Series Review and this year we’re changing things up a little bit.  Instead of focusing on sci-fi, mecha and Gundams, we’re switching to a whole different genre (ngl it might end up being a nice change of pace after the disastrous experience I had with Macross 7 last year).  The Rose of Versailles comes highly recommended from several friends and a rare chance to purchase it last year got me thinking it could slot into an ESSR nicely.  While historical dramas aren’t my first choice of genre, I’ve got to admit, I think The Rose of Versailles may have my attention right away.  So much so I’m hoping I don’t short change this review just because I want to start the next set of episodes ASAP. 
 

Avatar: The Last Airbender (Season 2)

Ba Sing Sae, the heart of the Earth Kingdom.  Some say it’s the greatest city in the world and most don’t know a war is on it’s doorstep.  Seeking allies and assistance, Aang, Katara and Sokka find themselves drawn into a sprawling web of lies, deceit and conspiracy around every corner.  And while they have the blind but powerful Toph Beifong teaching Aang the ways of Earthbending, their most deadliest enemies, Zuko and Azula, are close behind with plans of their own for the Avatar and Ba Sing Sae.  As a stealth takeover begins, Team Avatar will have to remain more united than ever or risk losing it all when the war comes to Ba Sing Sae.

While it was pretty far from the perfection of its source material, Season One of Netflix’s Avatar adaptation showed much promise as it went along, enough for me to keep interested in what was to come.  Netflix certainly seems to have a lot of faith in the project as it greenlit the other two seasons pretty much right after Season One dropped.  And it looks like that faith has been rewarded as Avatar: The Last Airbender Season Two sits right there with One Piece: Into the Grand Line as a marked improvement over its first season.  It’s still not perfect but it’s proof that the showrunners have paid attention to notes and feedback, especially knowing all of the major new players and story beats the original Book 2: Earth contains.  Thank God that aside from a few iffy visual effects, they haven’t mucked it up.
 

T5W#568-Top 5 Macross Love Triangles

Ah the love triangle, a tale as old as time and one that can get pretty annoying in any medium when handled incorrectly.  One particular series that has a pretty decent track record with it? Macross.  Yes, the Love Triangle is just as much a quintessential element of any Macross project as the transforming Mecha, epic space battles and head bopping music.  Now I’m not saying it gets it right 100% of the time (COUGHCOUGHMACROSS 7COUGH), but you can hardly call it Macross without two people pining for the same guy or lady and someone has to make the toughest call imaginable between them (again most of the time, some choices are more obvious than others).  Since we’ve wrapped up Macross Delta this week and I’ve seen/reviewed mostly everything Macross related I can, today on Top 5 Wednesday, we can finally talk about love amongst the stars and who comes out the lucky winner.  These are my picks for the Top 5 Macross Love Triangles.