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Roses of the Rhine
The proud and noble Lord Dietrich of Bern and his loyal mentor, Hildebrand are on their way to Rhineland. There, a tournament with the immortal Siegfried awaits... When tragedy strikes, what shocking move will Dietrich make?
176 pages, Paperback
Published November 14, 2007
About the author
Megumu Minami
74 books7 followersSee also みなみ 恵夢
Also writes under the pen-names of Mauriya and Tokihiko Hinatsu.
Also writes under the pen-names of Mauriya and Tokihiko Hinatsu.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 4, 2013
Many mangas have similar looks to them. But Minami’s characters are a breed apart, instantly recognizable. Her men are bewitchingly beautiful, the clothing is sumptuous and richly detailed and the stories are full of rousing adventure.
Based on “The Sagas of Dietrich” and “The Songs of the Nibelung”, this tale upends the usual storyline of the boldly swinging hero and his loyal advisor. The king is lazy, his advisor performs magnificent deeds and heroism doesn’t necessarily result in wedding bells with gorgeous shoulder candy (damsels in distress). The original sagas are a lot more convoluted and involved than what is shown here but the unusual paths the individual stories take inject them with welcome notes of humor.
In terms of sexual heat, there’s plenty of that to spare and there is consummation between the main leads. However, the expected sexual payoff is much too brief. The men’s bodies are quite lovely with just a hint of androgyny in one of the characters. But cones of light are substituted for male genitalia and I always find that a bit of a letdown.
There are additional short stories added with this but I found them much too confusing, with too much exposition packed into the pages. There was also that touch of brother-on-brother incest that seems to pop up unexpectedly in manga. I've seen it elsewhere and realize that it's a common trope. It's not something I find agreeable in my yaoi, which is why it tends to detract from my enjoyment and causes me to give such manga a lower rating.
Based on “The Sagas of Dietrich” and “The Songs of the Nibelung”, this tale upends the usual storyline of the boldly swinging hero and his loyal advisor. The king is lazy, his advisor performs magnificent deeds and heroism doesn’t necessarily result in wedding bells with gorgeous shoulder candy (damsels in distress). The original sagas are a lot more convoluted and involved than what is shown here but the unusual paths the individual stories take inject them with welcome notes of humor.
In terms of sexual heat, there’s plenty of that to spare and there is consummation between the main leads. However, the expected sexual payoff is much too brief. The men’s bodies are quite lovely with just a hint of androgyny in one of the characters. But cones of light are substituted for male genitalia and I always find that a bit of a letdown.
There are additional short stories added with this but I found them much too confusing, with too much exposition packed into the pages. There was also that touch of brother-on-brother incest that seems to pop up unexpectedly in manga. I've seen it elsewhere and realize that it's a common trope. It's not something I find agreeable in my yaoi, which is why it tends to detract from my enjoyment and causes me to give such manga a lower rating.
July 30, 2017
Romantic perfection!
I bought this manga because I found a really cheap copy on eBay while searching for inexpensive yaoi. I was blown away. I have dozens of yaoi mangas and have been reading them since 2001, but this is my absolute favorite. As soon as I read the first chapter I excitedly told my best friend all about the plot so we could get giddy over it together! I did the same with the remaining chapters.
This is a fantasy book with dragons, giants, magic, and an elf. But it's also a retelling of an actual historical event, with magical elements and a love story interwoven. The first chapter is about how a king and his advisor, who have pined for each other in secret for many years, finally confess themselves and find true love. It's very romantic but there's also some very entertaining comedy and lots of action (rescuing maidens and then refusing their advances; slaying dragons; dueling knights). I would recommend this to someone who likes medieval fantasy or Arthurian lore.
The remaining stories are flashbacks to how the king and his advisor pined for each other, and how they once did something about their feelings but didn't confess at the time just how deep they were.
Finally, the last story is a modern-day yakuza tale. I get the impression that the two main characters are reincarnations of the king and his advisor. It's also about pining in secret, danger lurking around every corner, sweetness that makes your heart swell, and a satisfying conclusion.
I can't recommend this highly enough. The story is incredibly romantic and entertaining, and the art is absolutely gorgeous. I can only find one other manga by this author that's been translated into English, so please let me know if you find any more! Fantasy is my favorite genre and medieval tales are just wonderful. I haven't found another manga that has so many of my favorite elements in one volume.
I bought this manga because I found a really cheap copy on eBay while searching for inexpensive yaoi. I was blown away. I have dozens of yaoi mangas and have been reading them since 2001, but this is my absolute favorite. As soon as I read the first chapter I excitedly told my best friend all about the plot so we could get giddy over it together! I did the same with the remaining chapters.
This is a fantasy book with dragons, giants, magic, and an elf. But it's also a retelling of an actual historical event, with magical elements and a love story interwoven. The first chapter is about how a king and his advisor, who have pined for each other in secret for many years, finally confess themselves and find true love. It's very romantic but there's also some very entertaining comedy and lots of action (rescuing maidens and then refusing their advances; slaying dragons; dueling knights). I would recommend this to someone who likes medieval fantasy or Arthurian lore.
The remaining stories are flashbacks to how the king and his advisor pined for each other, and how they once did something about their feelings but didn't confess at the time just how deep they were.
Finally, the last story is a modern-day yakuza tale. I get the impression that the two main characters are reincarnations of the king and his advisor. It's also about pining in secret, danger lurking around every corner, sweetness that makes your heart swell, and a satisfying conclusion.
I can't recommend this highly enough. The story is incredibly romantic and entertaining, and the art is absolutely gorgeous. I can only find one other manga by this author that's been translated into English, so please let me know if you find any more! Fantasy is my favorite genre and medieval tales are just wonderful. I haven't found another manga that has so many of my favorite elements in one volume.
August 24, 2017
The artwork and storyline are ok, but this is an early acquisition for me when I started collecting yaoi so I hold on to it...
August 22, 2020
I actually finished this a few months ago. Just forgot to add the date (￣▽￣). Loved the story and artwork is beautiful.
July 24, 2022
I was very sleepy when reading this so at some point I may try it again but I found it to be a bit choppy in transitions and was it meant to be comical?
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews