Hyakujitsu no Bara
Encyclopedia
is an ongoing fictional war romance manga
written and illustrated by Inariya Fusanosuke. It is currently licensed in English by Digital Manga Publishing
, but was previously licensed by DramaQueen
. Digital Manga Publishing released vol. 1 on May 18, 2010.
A two-episode original video animation
adaptation based on the first volume of the series was released on May 29, 2009 and October 23, 2009.
Geneon
released a Drama CD for the first volume on June 29, 2007.
The story takes place in a fictional world that has just begun a great world war
. Klaus von Wolfstadt, from one of the nations of the “Western Alliance,” has left his duty as a soldier to his nation in order to be a knight
to Taki Reizen, commander of the 15th division “Rozen Maiden” whose country has an alliance with “Eurote,” an enemy of the Western Alliance. The story follows their romance as it evolves from friendship, to love, and finally, to hatred.
ceremony. After having gotten lost in the gardens surrounding the area, he stumbled upon a young Taki, who asked him to help him pick some flowers from one of the trees above them to place them on his ceremonial headgear. Klaus agreed, and after picking the flowers for Taki, Taki asked Klaus if he would give himself to him and be his knight.
Nine years later, Taki and Klaus met again at Luckenwalde Military Academy
, where Taki had gone to learn how to operate tanks. Klaus was given orders to befriend Taki, and both observe and protect him. Through the course of the year, the two fell in love. When Eurote broke a treaty with the Western Alliance and invaded Dheedene, Taki was ordered to be deported back to his country. The night after he was ordered to be sent home, he and Klaus had their first romantic encounter.
A few days later, they met at Luckenwalde station, and rode on a train heading back to Taki's country. During the train ride home, Klaus nearly took Taki's purity
, in a moment of passion. However, Taki, being a member of the Reizen family which is favored by the Gods, has the burden of remaining celibate until marriage. Considering the consequences on himself and on the people who believe in him, Taki ended his relationship with Klaus, but only after Klaus was sworn to him as his knight. This binds the two together for the rest of their lives.
Now the two have to fight in both the war between Taki’s country and the Western Alliance, and the war between each other.
felt that although she should object to some aspects of the manga, she was "swept along" by it instead, enjoying it immensely. She found the use of flashbacks added depth to the work, and praised the art and emotional complexity of the work. Michelle Smith of Pop Culture Shock found the manga "promising" and "confusing", cautioning that it is "not for the faint of heart".
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
written and illustrated by Inariya Fusanosuke. It is currently licensed in English by Digital Manga Publishing
Digital Manga Publishing
Digital Manga is a company that licenses and releases, in English, Japanese anime, manga, and related merchandise. The company has several subdivisions: Digital Manga Publishing, which publishes Japanese manga, novels and instructional and illustration books in North America with multiple imprints,...
, but was previously licensed by DramaQueen
DramaQueen
DramaQueen is a Houston based English-language publisher of domestic, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese comics founded in 2005. DramaQueen also publishes an original English-language yaoi anthology called Rush, which made its debut in 2006. RUSH ceased publishing when the company experienced...
. Digital Manga Publishing released vol. 1 on May 18, 2010.
A two-episode original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
adaptation based on the first volume of the series was released on May 29, 2009 and October 23, 2009.
Geneon
Geneon
is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...
released a Drama CD for the first volume on June 29, 2007.
The story takes place in a fictional world that has just begun a great world war
World war
A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
. Klaus von Wolfstadt, from one of the nations of the “Western Alliance,” has left his duty as a soldier to his nation in order to be a knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
to Taki Reizen, commander of the 15th division “Rozen Maiden” whose country has an alliance with “Eurote,” an enemy of the Western Alliance. The story follows their romance as it evolves from friendship, to love, and finally, to hatred.
Plot
Klaus von Wolfstadt met Taki Reizen in 1918. Klaus and his family (parents, brother and sister) visited the Far Eastern country to attend the coronationCoronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
ceremony. After having gotten lost in the gardens surrounding the area, he stumbled upon a young Taki, who asked him to help him pick some flowers from one of the trees above them to place them on his ceremonial headgear. Klaus agreed, and after picking the flowers for Taki, Taki asked Klaus if he would give himself to him and be his knight.
Nine years later, Taki and Klaus met again at Luckenwalde Military Academy
Military academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps of the army, the navy, air force or coast guard, which normally provides education in a service environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned.Three...
, where Taki had gone to learn how to operate tanks. Klaus was given orders to befriend Taki, and both observe and protect him. Through the course of the year, the two fell in love. When Eurote broke a treaty with the Western Alliance and invaded Dheedene, Taki was ordered to be deported back to his country. The night after he was ordered to be sent home, he and Klaus had their first romantic encounter.
A few days later, they met at Luckenwalde station, and rode on a train heading back to Taki's country. During the train ride home, Klaus nearly took Taki's purity
Virtue
Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a positive trait or quality subjectively deemed to be morally excellent and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being....
, in a moment of passion. However, Taki, being a member of the Reizen family which is favored by the Gods, has the burden of remaining celibate until marriage. Considering the consequences on himself and on the people who believe in him, Taki ended his relationship with Klaus, but only after Klaus was sworn to him as his knight. This binds the two together for the rest of their lives.
Now the two have to fight in both the war between Taki’s country and the Western Alliance, and the war between each other.
Reception
Katherine Farmar of Comics VillageComics Village
Comics Village is a UK based comics website launched in November 2007 and predominantly aimed at publicizing non-mainstream comics. Over time, it has extended its remit into other forms of pop culture, into providing a different take on the so-called mainstream than that provided by the...
felt that although she should object to some aspects of the manga, she was "swept along" by it instead, enjoying it immensely. She found the use of flashbacks added depth to the work, and praised the art and emotional complexity of the work. Michelle Smith of Pop Culture Shock found the manga "promising" and "confusing", cautioning that it is "not for the faint of heart".