Riyoko Ikeda Performs at Versailles

I don’t usually post stories like this, but it was too cool to pass up.

As you know, Riyoko Ikeda is the creator of The Rose of Versailles, a manga which is set in the court of Versailles pre-French Revolution and has to be one of the most revered and classic shoujo manga of all time. Ikeda has been at the French mega-comic-con, Angoulême, as a guest of honor these past few days. And apparently singing ditties penned by Queen Marie Antoinette herself, while in full Rococo garb, at the Palace of Versailles itself.

Here’s a excerpt from the Mainichi Daily News article:

Wearing a costume like a woman in the palace at the peak of its flourishing days, Ikeda entertained the audience of some 80 invited guests with her songs, including a piece written by Queen Marie Antoinette, the wife of Louis XVI and a key character in the comic series, at a theater inside the palace.

“I can’t describe enough in words how joyful I am to perform on this stage,” said Ikeda, who studied singing after entering a music college in her 40s.

“I thought I was not brave enough to sing Marie Antoinette’s song in French in front of a French audience, ” she added, drawing laughter from the crowd.

How much cooler can you get than that? My inner history and manga fangirls are dying to have seen this incredible spectacle!

Thanks to Helen McCarthy for tweeting about this super-awesome story.

UPDATE: Here’s a video of Ikeda performing. Pro-tip- if it’s not working in Firefox or another browser, try Internet Explorer.