Oscar François De Jarjayes
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(25 December 1755 – 14 July 1789) is a fictional character created by Japanese
manga artist A manga artist, also known as a mangaka (), is a Cartoonist, comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist before entering the indus ...
Riyoko Ikeda is a Japanese manga artist and singer. She is included in the Year 24 Group by some critics, journalists, and academics, although her inclusion has been debated due to a focus more on epic stories than the internal psychology of those mangaka. ...
. She is the protagonist of the 1972
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
series ''
The Rose of Versailles also known as ''Lady Oscar'' and ''La Rose de Versailles'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Riyoko Ikeda. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Margaret'' from 1972 to 1973, while a revival ...
'', and its various adaptations and spin-offs.


Character history

Born December 25, 1755, the last of six daughters to the Commander of the Royal Guards, General (a real historical personage), she is raised by her father as if she were a boy in order to succeed him as the commander of the Royal Guard at the
Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...
. Upon the completion of her military training at the age of fourteen, Oscar is tasked with protecting the Dauphine
Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ...
when she arrives at Versailles. Despite being raised as if she were a boy and dressing in males' clothes, Oscar is open about being female. Even as she embraces her womanhood, she uses her male position to gain freedoms that she could never have as a lady of the court. She is the
love interest (; ) were stock characters within the theatre style known as commedia dell'arte, who appeared in 16th-century Italy. In the plays, everything revolved around the lovers in some regard. These dramatic and posh characters were present within pl ...
of André Grandier, her servant at the Jarjayes mansion and afterwards a soldier in her regiment. She also earns the admiration and love of Rosalie Lamorlière, and in turn calls Rosalie her "spring breeze". Other women are infatuated with Oscar, even after she tells them she is female. She dislikes the court intrigues, but remains there out of loyalty to her father and her friend, Marie Antoinette. At one point, Oscar becomes infatuated with the Swedish aristocrat Hans Axel von Fersen, who has a forbidden love for Marie Antoinette. Soon gaining the Dauphine and Queen-to-be's affection and trust, Oscar experiences life at Versailles and the pain caused by the contradictions of her being a woman whom everybody, including herself, considers a man. Later in the story, Oscar learns of the political ideals of the French Revolution and that the royalist regime is corrupt. As violence erupts in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, Oscar renounces her status and her French Guards Regiment joins forces with the people marching to the Bastille. While leading an artillery bombardment of the fortress, Oscar is shot by the royal soldiers inside; she dies right before the Bastille falls.


Development

Modeled after the revolutionary Pierre-Augustin Hulin, Oscar was originally a supporting character to Marie Antoinette and was created as a female because Ikeda was unsure if she could accurately portray a male soldier. However, Oscar eclipsed Marie Antoinette in popularity and due to reader feedback became the co-protagonist only until her death. Eri Izawa suggests that as Oscar is fictional, Ikeda could be freer in the portrayal of Oscar's life than Ikeda could be in the life of Marie-Antoinette, who had to die on the guillotine. Oscar's
androgynous Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex or gender expression. When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in humans, it often r ...
persona is based on the actresses who play male roles in the
Takarazuka Revue The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo, Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway theatre, Broadway-style productions of musicals and stories adapted from films, nov ...
and Princess Sapphire, and she was named for
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...
, as Ikeda is a fan of his. The way Oscar is drawn has been regarded as a way of showing her androgyny: she is shorter than male characters, but taller than female characters, and her eyebrows are thicker than female characters but thinner than male characters - giving the effect of looking feminine when compared to male characters and masculine when compared to female characters.


Actresses

In the Takarazuka Revue performances of ''The Rose of Versailles'', Oscar has been played by several male-role actresses from 1974 to the present day. In the 1974 Moon Troupe performance, Yuri Haruna played Oscar. Mayo Suzukaze has played Oscar.
Kei Aran , , is a South Korean actress and former top star ''otokoyaku'' (an actress who plays male roles) of the Japanese Takarazuka Revue's Star Troupe. She joined the revue in 1991 and became the top star in 2007, five years after her classmates Sumire ...
and
Hikaru Asami Hikaru Asami (朝海 ひかる, born January 24, 1972) is a Japanese performing artist and a former member of the Takarazuka Revue, where she specialized in playing male characters (Otokoyaku). She joined the revue in 1991 and resigned in 2006. ...
played Oscar in 2006. In the 1979 anime adaptation of ''The Rose of Versailles'', Oscar was voiced by Reiko Tajima. In the 1979 film ''
Lady Oscar also known as ''Lady Oscar'' and ''La Rose de Versailles'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Riyoko Ikeda. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Margaret'' from 1972 to 1973, while a revival ...
'', Oscar was played when a child by
Patsy Kensit Patricia Jude Francis Kensit (born 4 March 1968) is an English actress and singer. Beginning her career as a child actor, Kensit gained attention when she acted in a string of commercials for Birds Eye frozen peas. She went on to appear in films ...
, and when adult by
Catriona MacColl Catriona MacColl (born 3 October 1954) is an English actress who has worked extensively in both film and television across Europe. She is best known for her work in Italian horror films, as she has appeared in Lucio Fulci's ''Gates of Hell'' tr ...
. MacColl's feminine and weak portrayal of Oscar was criticized, and it was felt that she was not androgynous enough to play Oscar. In the South Korean musical of ''La Rose de Versailles'', Oscar played by
Ock Joo-hyun Ock Joo-hyun (; sometimes spelled Ock Ju-hyun; born March 20, 1980) is a South Korean singer and musical theatre actress, known mostly for her role as the lead singer of the South Korean girl group Fin.K.L. After their unofficial breakup in 20 ...
,
Kim Ji-woo Kim Ji-woo (; born November 22, 1983), birth name Kim Jeong-eun (), is a South Korean actress. Filmography Television series Film Variety show Musical * Note: Most, if not all, large scale South Korean Musicals are generally double ...
and Jung Yoo-ji (U.Ji) because most, if not all, large scale South Korean Musicals are generally double or triple cast for a role, the actresses share the role equally and alternate throughout the eight show week. In the 2025 film, Oscar is voiced by
Miyuki Sawashiro is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator. She has played voice roles in a number of Japanese anime/games including ''Beelzebub'', Bishamon in '' Noragami'', Petit Charat/Puchiko in '' Di Gi Charat'', Mint in '' Galaxy Angel'', Sinon in ...
and
Caitlin Glass Caitlin Tiffany Glass (born November 16, 1981) is an American voice actress, dubbing director, and script writer who provides voices for English versions of Japanese anime series and video games. Biography Caitlin Tiffany Glass was born on No ...


Reception

Oscar has been described as "iconic", as an archetype, "thrilling", and credited with the success of ''Rose of Versailles'', as she illustrates the performative nature of gender. Ian Buruma and Deborah Shamoon consider that Oscar's politics are less important to the audience than her romances. Shamoon sees the Oscar-Andre relationship as very different from the Cinderella-Prince Charming stories which "dominated" shōjo manga in the 1960s, where the female protagonist would lose her identity to her boyfriend. Shamoon considers that the Oscar-Andre relationship follows the pattern of pre-war douseiai shōjo novels, which featured same-sex love between girls. Kazuko Suzuki says that after RoV, "several works" were created with "nonsexual" female protagonists like Oscar, who realise their "womanness" upon falling in love. Suzuki sees her as being a transitional figure between the heterosexual romances of 1960s
shōjo manga is an editorial category of Manga, Japanese comics targeting an audience of adolescent girls and young adult women. It is, along with Shōnen manga, manga (targeting adolescent boys), Seinen manga, manga (targeting young adult and adult men ...
and those of
shōnen-ai , also known by its abbreviation , is a genre of fictional media originating in Japan that depicts Homoeroticism, homoerotic relationships between male characters. It is typically created by women for a female audience, distinguishing it fro ...
. Oscar's "gorgeous androgyny" has led to her being interpreted as belonging to the ''
bishōnen is a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth (boy)" and describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in East Asia: a young man of androgynous beauty. This word originated from the Tang dynasty poem '' Eight Immortals ...
'' - beautiful young men. Oscar's relationship with Andre has been interpreted as being male-male, and Andre vows to die for Oscar if he needs to, like the Kabuki samurai. Oscar's conflict between her principles and her loyalty to Marie-Antoinette has also been compared with a "
samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
who must be faithful to an unworthy master". Oscar has appeared in the
Animage is a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine published by Tokuma Shoten since July 1978. Notable works serialized in the magazine include Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli a ...
top 50 character list as recently as 1992.
Susan J. Napier Susan Jolliffe Napier (; born October 1955) is a professor of the Japanese program at Tufts University. She was formerly the Mitsubishi Professor of Japanese Literature and Culture at the University of Texas at Austin. She also worked as a visit ...
described Oscar as a "truly complex and three-dimensional figure who offered young Japanese women a different kind of role model", citing her influence in
Utena Tenjo ''Revolutionary Girl Utena'', a Japanese anime television series created by Be-Papas, features an extensive cast of characters. The series' protagonist is Utena Tenjou, a tomboy middle school student who is drawn into a series of sword duels to ...
of ''
Revolutionary Girl Utena is a Japanese anime television series created by Be-Papas, a production group formed by director Kunihiko Ikuhara and composed of himself, Chiho Saito, Shinya Hasegawa, Yōji Enokido and Yūichirō Oguro. The series was produced by ...
''. In 2007, a manga series called ' was serialised in ''
Chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...
'' and was compiled into one volume. It told the story of an
office lady An office lady (), often abbreviated OL (, ), is a female office worker in Japan who performs generally pink-collar tasks such as secretarial or clerical work. Office ladies are usually full-time permanent staff, although the jobs they perform ...
who is inspired by the character of Oscar to defy her managers. It was adapted into a six episode TV series and renamed ''Haken no Oscar ~"Shōjo Manga" ni Ai o Komete'', which aired starting from 28 August 2009. In the 1990s and 2000s, Oscar inspired ''
Revolutionary Girl Utena is a Japanese anime television series created by Be-Papas, a production group formed by director Kunihiko Ikuhara and composed of himself, Chiho Saito, Shinya Hasegawa, Yōji Enokido and Yūichirō Oguro. The series was produced by ...
'' and ''
Le Chevalier D'Eon is a Japanese anime television series produced by Production I.G based on an original story by Tow Ubukata. The anime originally aired in Japan on WOWOW from August 19, 2006, to February 2, 2007. The story has also been adapted into a man ...
''. Anne Duggan describes Oscar as a "maiden warrior", a young woman who disguises herself as a man to take up arms and protect king and country, as in '' The Ballad of Mulan'',
Madame d'Aulnoy Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness d'Aulnoy (September 1652 – 14 January 1705), also known as Countess d'Aulnoy, was a French author known for her literary fairy tales. Her 1697 collection ''Les Contes des Fées'' (Fairy Tales) ...
's ''
Belle-Belle ou Le Chevalier Fortuné ''Belle-Belle ou Le Chevalier Fortuné'' is a French literary fairy tale, written by Madame d'Aulnoy. It is a story about a female wartime cross-dressers. In the story, a king forms an army for his war against an emperor. He demands a soldier fr ...
'', or
Marie-Jeanne L'Héritier Marie-Jeanne L'Héritier de Villandon (12 November 1664 – 24 February 1734) was an aristocratic French writer and salonnière of the late 17th century, and a niece of Charles Perrault. In the 1690s, she published three fairy tales, and is cr ...
's ''Marmoisan ou La Fille en garçon''. At the close of the tale, the typical maiden warrior hangs up her sword. Duggan describes Oscar as a case where the maiden refuses to put away her sword, and fights against the order that she was supposed to defend. Oscar's masculinity is central to her character, unlike in the earlier maiden warrior tales, and Oscar also helps usher in a permanent change to French society by supporting the French Revolution.


Crossover

Oscar makes a crossover appearance in the ''
Lupin the Third Part II ''Lupin the 3rd Part II'' is a Japanese anime television series produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha. Part of the ''Lupin III'' franchise, it is the second anime television adaptation of the ''Lupin III'' manga series created by Monkey Punch. Al ...
'' episode "Versailles Burned with Love", in which Oscar recruits Lupin in helping her steal the crown of Marie Antoinette. The series is mentioned as a frame of reference for the Rose Knights in the light novel series ''Gate: Jieitai Kano Chi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri''.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jarjayes, Oscar Francois De Anime and manga characters introduced in 1972 Female characters in anime and manga Fictional female soldiers Fictional military personnel in anime and manga Fictional androgynes Fictional bodyguards Fictional brigadiers Fictional colonels Fictional commanders Fictional cross-dressers Fictional fencers Fictional female knights Fictional French people Fictional lords and ladies Fictional revolutionaries Fictional swordfighters in anime and manga The Rose of Versailles