Lady Oscar: 50 years of a pop icon celebrated in Milan exhibition and new book

A small exhibition at Yamato Shop in Milan on May 27-28, 2023, celebrated the 30th anniversary of the store and the enduring legacy of Lady Oscar (Oscar François de Jarjayes), the cross-dressing heroine of Riyoko Ikeda's manga "Versailles no bara" (1972). The event featured Cinzia De Carolis, the Italian voice of Lady Oscar, who autographed copies of "Album de l'Art de l'Animation 'Lady Oscar' La Rose de Versailles" published by Yamato Edizioni. Memorabilia included original manga volumes, Japanese Laser Discs, dolls, gadgets, and the soundtrack by Kōji Makaino. A cosplay tea party with a Marie Antoinette impersonator added to the festivities. Concurrently, Weird Book released Laura Luzi's essay "Lady Oscar – Il vento della rivoluzione" (540 pp., €25.90), a comprehensive study of the phenomenon from manga to anime in Japan and Italy, with firsthand testimonies. The manga, originally intended to focus on Marie Antoinette, shifted to Oscar, a woman raised as a soldier in pre-revolutionary France. It sold over 20 million copies in Japan alone, sparked a 1974 stage play with thousands of performances, a 1979 anime series, and a live-action film by Jacques Demy starring Catriona MacColl. Ikeda herself was a pioneer, leaving home to support herself as a manga artist. The character became a symbol of female empowerment and freedom, resonating with 1970s social and political movements in Japan.