Rose of the Rhine [Paperback]

Megumu Minami (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 14, 2007

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?

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Kitty Press (November 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598831356
• ISBN-13: 978-1598831351
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,173,791 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A blend of history and Yaoi, January 23, 2008

By 

Yamato "Yamato" (MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rose of the Rhine (Paperback)

I have to say, I took a class in college just to get enough credits, and it was a Medieval studies class with an emphasis in German history. I've read "The Songs of the Nibelungs" as a result, and I never thought I'd find anything that that knowledge would serve me in, let alone see a manga that is intertwined with it. Rose of the Rhine is a blend of that and another poem "Sagas of Dietrich", and of course, Yaoi. While it's not nearly as hardcore as the author's previous work that I've read, it was striking to see the actual use of the old works intertwined with manga. I enjoyed. The characters were entertaining and drawn well, although it didn't follow the original stories of the works it draws from (that I know if, I didn't read "Sagas of Dietrich"), it took a new spin that made me very pleased I bought it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A sweet romance between the king and his advisor. Appealing characters., December 14, 2007

By 

R.Parklane (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Rose of the Rhine (Paperback)

I enjoy this romance between King Dietrich and his faithful advisor, Hildebrand, in the Middle Ages. These 2 characters are appealing and their deep love for each other is well expressed.
The plot is entertaining as they slay dragon and giant, rescue a sweet maiden, defend their honor and answer duels but the sequence of events is a trifle confusing due to the flashbacks. A fact I can overlook as their love story takes precedence. And I like the three sidekicks, with their interpersing amusing remarks.
Minami Megumu's artwork of the medieval age is lovely. After "Pleasure Dome", I am surprised with the lack of hard core sex in this one but the charming characters and sweet romance more than make up for it.

There is a short story on the Yakuza, where one homeless young man is taken in by the Yakuza boss' son. They live together as brothers but love soon blossoms. I like this one too but it would have been more effective if it is longer.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny!, May 29, 2008

By 

S. Raines - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rose of the Rhine (Paperback)

I didn't buy this for a while because I thought it was another one of the author's very hardcore depressing titles. Boy was I mistaken. It was a sweet romance, as others have said, with little sex. But it was also incredibly funny.

I know that humor is in the eye of the beholder, so this may not appeal to everyone in that way. The humor struck me as very Western though as opposed to Japanese which can go right over my head. The dialogue contributed a lot, written in a modern tone that made it very accessible. It was like the comedic parts of the movie A Knight's Tale. And it felt a bit Pythonish in places too, with the dialogue even borrowing a line from the Holy Grail. It's not that manic, but it does borrow their quirkiness that just makes you laugh at the odd things they include.

There aren't enough yaoi comedies in English. I'm glad Kitty brought this one over for us.