Berusaiyu no Bara Gaiden

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Berusaiyu no Bara Gaiden


caption = Cover of the manga
ja_name = ベルサイユのばら外伝
ja_name_trans = Berusaiyu no Bara
genre = Historical, Drama, RomanceInfobox animanga/Manga
title =
author = Riyoko Ikeda
publisher = flagicon|Japan Shueisha
demographic = Shōjo
magazine = flagicon|Japan Margaret
first = 1974
last = 1985
volumes = 2

nihongo|"Berusaiyu no Bara Gaiden"|ベルサイユのばら外伝| are "gaiden", or side stories, written by the creator of the manga/anime The Rose of Versailles. These stories were published in two separate magazines in 1974 (first publication) after the serialization of the manga Berusaiyu no Bara, and 1984-1985 (second publication).

First publication

The first publication of "Berusaiyu no Bara Gaiden" started weeks after the release of the last chapter of the manga "The Rose of Versailles", in 1974. The gaiden was serialized, like the manga, in "Margaret" magazine.

This publication consists of one gaiden, "Kokui no Hakushaku Fujin".

Kokui no Hakushaku Fujin

"Kokui no Hakushaku Fujin" is situated during the incidents of the Black Knight and is inspired by the legend of the countess Elizabeth Bathory, who tortured and murdered many young women by the end of the 16th century.

Plot

Oscar, André and Rosalie go to visit one of the older sisters of Oscar, Hortense de la Lorancy. While driving to the Lorancys' place, Oscar's carriage is outrun by another carriage with an elegant lady and a beautiful young man sitting in it. When the three arrive they are meet by Hortense and her cheeky daughter Loulou, a girl about eight years old. During a conversation, Hortense comments to her visitors on the strange disappearances of young women that lately were happening in the place where she lives and that is speculated that a sect of vampires is involved.

Hortense decides to organize a ball in honor to Oscar. During the ball, they meet a capricious girl called Caroline de Roufebiur, who takes an immediate liking to Oscar and thus is overly jealous at Rosalie for her closeness to Oscar. At the same ball, the same woman Oscar had seen in the carriage attends. She is called Elizabeth, Comtesse de Montclaire . Oscar is introduced to this woman by Hortense. At first the Comtesse appears to be a friendly person, taking care of Rosalie after she had been humiliated by Caroline. The next day, Oscar, André, Rosalie, Caroline and Loulou go on a picnic in the forest. After Caroline pretends to have sprained her ankle so that Oscar has to come looking for her in the forest the groups eventually looses the way and they aren't able to return to the mansion. to their luck they find themselves near the Montclaire mansion, where Elizabeth receives them warmly as their guests.

After dinner Caroline takes Rosalie along to go find the beautiful nephew of the Comtesse, Lionel, deciding that if she can't marry Oscar she can at least marry Lionel and inherit the Montclaire fortune, for Lionel is the sole relative of the Comtesse. Rosalie refuses and Caroline goes off alone. While she is killed by Lionel, who has in fact been a puppet built by a famous clockmaker the Comtesse kidnapped, the Comtesse and her servants try to kill Oscar, Rosalie and André. Yet they manage to escape with the help of Loulou.

Characters

*Oscar François de Jarjayes
*André Grandier
*Rosalie Lamorlière
*Comtesse Elizabeth de Montclair
*Lionel de Montclair
*Hortense de la Lorancy
*Loulou de la Lorancy
*Caroline de Roufebiur.
*Theo
*Monsieur Henri Jobert

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Boutique/8513/BnBGaiden.htm Berusaiyu no Bara Gaiden Fan Site]