this mangaka is amazing. her usage of visual imagery in being symbolic of the main characters' relationship and feelings for each other is BRILLIANT. even the poetry of some of the inner monologue is genius and spot on. GOD I LOVE YOU FUSANOSUKE-SENSEI.

i agree with everything silver_sky said. the contrast between the two characters, being from different countries altogether with different lives and backgrounds and different futures planned for them, but fate brings them together time and time again. they yearn for each other despite their distance, both physical distance and at times, emotional distance. something inexplicable binds them together despite all the odds stacked against them. their romance amidst a terrible war is like a flower trying to blossom in a crack on the road, but it does anyways. even they themselves begin to get in the way of their love, what with taki vehemently rejecting klaus for the sake of his image and position in a delicate time during the war and klaus' violent reaction to that denial (i think the questionable scenes are just dub-con at its finest. taki desires klaus just as much as klaus does him, but doesn't give in for both of their sakes and even seems to take the violent treatment as punishment for his cruel rejection.).

i also love the strong role women, specifically mothers, play in this manga; a rarity, especially in BL. both taki and klaus are compared to their strong and spirited mothers, both whom many characters in the story held in high regard.

dont miss this highly poetic and beautiful story! i want more so badly.

This series will make you want to read it over and over again...and each time you read it, you will discover something new to fall in love with.

The relationship between Taki (uke) and Klaus (seme) is one of extreme complexity which is only heightened by the setting in which it takes place: They are in the middle of a war in which Taki has an important role and Klaus is his personal knight.
The theme of forbidden love is done really well in Maiden Rose: Taki is extremely aware of the difference in their positions, and tries to do what is best for his country, but his love for Klaus frequently takes over. The contrast between his exterior facade and his underlying gentle demeanor heightens the romance which tugs (read as "yanks") at the heart strings. Klaus, on the other hand, is very devoted to Taki and wants them to be happy together, regardless of the loyalties to their respective homeland. He has frequently shown the desire to be gentle with Taki, but is unable to do so properly.
As the setting takes place directly on the battlefield, there is an atmosphere of both hope and hopelessness. This helps emphasize the state of Taki and Klaus' relationship. Each has sacrificed something in the hopes of being together: Klaus has abandoned his home country and a conflict-free life; Taki has sacrificed his pride and his freedom. Yet, at any moment, either of them could die and all of their hardships would have come to nothing. Still, they struggle, they fight and they step forward for the sake of a better and peaceful future.
Their relationship troubles mainly lie in Taki's position and representation of purity, and Klaus' life as a soldier which frequently haunts him. However, although their relationship is difficult, they are completely devoted to and trust in each other. .

Another thing that I love about Maiden Rose is the theme of fate. They seem to have met several times throughout their life though neither really seem to remember the meetings very clearly. There are frequent references to the two yearning for another country though neither knows why. There are also mentions of those in the Reizen (Taki's) household and Wolfstadt (Klaus') family who are drawn to a "far off land" and "flowers" (respectively). These implications heavily suggest that Taki and Klaus are meant for each other regardless of the difficulties in their relationship; it's done beautifully, in vague mentions and panels with a recurring image of flowers.

Maiden Rose has a really strange organization. It begins with their relationship at the most complex time (when Taki is resisting the most, and Klaus is the most reckless) so it almost makes you think that Taki is just being abused. However, as the series progresses, the two manage to improve their relationship (albeit slowly), and you get a glimpse of how much they really care for each other.

Anyway, Maiden Rose is probably one of my favourite yaoi manga series ever. The art is beautiful, the story is unbelievably good, and (IMO) has one of the best romances once you start getting into the complexity of their relationship. You can't help but want a better future for them after all they've been through.

Personal opinion --> 10/10 (rating may vary from person to person due to the rape scenes)

Oh yes, here's a quote from the manga which basically says everything about their relationship:

"You'll never understand what it is like to meet a person, once in a lifetime, that you are willing to give up everything for" - Klaus Von Wolfstadt

... Last updated on June 1st, 2012, 8:14pm

Maiden Rose is so, so good.
Two times, I was about to read it but dropped it after a few pages due to the artwork. Do not be deterred by Klaus's physical appearence!! At first I thought he looked really awkward with the big mouth and all, but after two chapters, I fell head over heels in love with him. He is sex.
The plot is complicated, intriguing and absolutely amazing. The realism of forbidden love is spot on. The smut is... WONDERFUL. You can practically feel the passion being excruded from them. Yeah, the sex is really good. Like most of the reviewers here, I don't think it was rape because Taki could have stopped it if he wanted too (even just by physical strength).
While this is possibly one of the best yaoi mangas I've ever read, the setting changes were slightly confusing. The first time I read this, I didn't quite understand. The second time, I picked up a lot more details, but there's still some parts I'm not too sure about.
ANYWHOOO, this is a MUST MUST MUST read.
Anything by Inariya Fusanosuke is gold.

... Last updated on April 21st, 2012, 8:04am

I'm shocked....because of the rape parts. Taki is strong. really, really strong. Even I think he's stronger than Klaus. But Why did he was like, he didn't fight back when Klaus did it. It's finally revealed on the later,

If you read it till the latest, you'll find it as a beautiful forbidden love story. The actions are great (especially for volume 2), the smex are hots, and the plot is really complicated (that i have to read for two times to understand it. LoL). Sometimes you'll find it confusing with the background story. FYI, It's AU. For the example, there's no Japan here, only an east country which is looks like a Japan. Read it carefully, then you'll understand

I give it 9.5 because it made me confused for the first time I read it xD

Wow, this is honestly a good read and like most of the comments on here I recommend this sorely for the purpose of it being a different kind of relationship. It's not your everyday bishie seme you were looking for, in fact totally the opposite. But one can learn to grow onto Klaus. Not only is the relationship something you would not suspect but this is also one of those manga's that surprisingly gets one hooked for all eternity. No joke.
And at first I was kind of skeptical about Taki and his dealings with Klaus but then I realized not all manga's have the same purpose....so let Klaus and Taki do what they do best.

This is my favorite BL for obvious reasons:
The art is beautiful, the story is interesting ( even though its also complix ) and the sex scenes, well, dont read MR if you dont like noncon . Even if some people will argue that there isnt any rape, just in case, dont read if you arent into noncon . If you dont mind it, i say that if you like BL its a must read.

I agree with the earlier comment about "it doesn't belong to your "You typically fall in love with your rapist" category."


For the comment about not reading the sex scene because he/she wants to take the story seriously; I must object. This is a romance, more than it is about war....(people can object that, but im here to read more about the romantic aspect of it, which is obviously influenced and shaped by the war). Sure the backdrop is a battlefield, but the romance takes the lead in my opinion. You won't understand the relationship between the two men without reading the sex scene; their interaction, non-erotic wise, gives clues to their dynamic relationship. I find it fascinating; kind of like a love and hate relationship, but really based on miscommunication. Their interaction is filled with love, devotion, trust, and sexual tension. Tension. Tension... It's really cool to read.

It's about a very intense love between the master and the "mad dog."
It's about a very intense and trusting relationship between the Japanese commander (during Imperial era ~late 1920s) and a Western soldier (who abandoned everything to be with Taki, the Japanese commander).

The art is beautiful---beautiful!!! It's a bit rough here and there, but that cannot be helped since it IS a military manga after all.

I must admit, though that I found it hard to follow... maybe its because Im not really a seinen fan...It skips scenes too often for me...

Unlike most of your standard yaoi where the uke is raped and as a result falls in love with the seme (which is often so stupid it makes you wanna puke) here Klaus' forcefullness and their mutual love have little to do with each other. I mean that it actually seems like they were in love before and only after Klaus became Taki's knight did their relationship take on this twisted abusive quality... This to me is definitely unusual and interesting. I find this kind of development really believable too, it's all well developed and perfectly logical. Taki pulls away causing Klaus to push harder. (Uhm figuratively... lol) It is a bit hard to stomach at times though for me too and I do find the background into their relationship much more enjoyable and am looking forward to knowing more about their earlier days... Still, this is an amazing story with intricate plot, deep characters and stunning artwork. 10/10 so far...

... Last updated on October 24th, 2011, 3:20am

Maiden Rose should have the honor of getting my very first review as well as my very first ten because it's just that good. Like I said, MR is great for my taste but it is definitely not for everyone. I've read a lot of the reviews here and elsewhere and the biggest problem people seem to have with this manga is the rape. I actually liked how Taki forgave Klaus so easily for the rape issue. It shows how much complexity Taki has in terms of personality and decision-making. But I think that it's good that for once, the rape didn't lead the uke to fall in love, but lead the seme to understand the uke's position more and show the uke that he loves him by actually REFRAINING from sex. You don't get that very often from a BL manga. Even The Tyrant didn't pull that off consistently.

The characters are definitely more complex than the usual yaoi characters. I thought Taki was the more brilliant jewel in the lot with his stoic face and the fact that everything happens from Klaus' POV but Klaus is becoming more and more brilliant than ever in the later chapters. Also, one extra chapter had Taki's monologue and it was just... brilliant.

The art speaks for itself. I found the first chapters a little cluttered in terms of layout but the art itself is still breathtaking. It seems Inariya-sensei had difficulty with the cluttered layout too because her later chapters seemed to be more free and fluid and breathtaking.

Finally, the plot is kinda hard to follow and digest. It's not for people looking for a fluffy romance. MR has RAPE, politics, mysteries, war and more. There are intrigues left and right and touches on a lot of delicate philosophical issues mainly on religion, war, love, government, culture, society and even existence.
This is a very fine piece of art. Very intelligent in terms of plot construction and character development as well as possessing a great amount of symbolism through out the entire work. Also, I would have to say that no other manga has ever utilized visual symbols better than MR. The symbolism in the manga shows you just how much thought has been invested in this manga. I'd like to make a longer review than this. Maybe I should make a livejournal for it but anyway, long story short, this manga is absolutely not something to pass up.

... Last updated on August 31st, 2011, 9:12am

Don't ever touch this series if you're lacking sleep or needs adjustment in your glasses.

First, before ppl start to complain about how Taki could still love Klaus even after he raped him, please digest the later chapters, that they actually had deeper connections and memories in the past during the time when they were studying in military school. And Taki knew it was his change that caused Klaus to be sexually frustrated (and his fault for no telling the reason). So I'm sorry, but it doesn't belong to your "You typically fall in love with your rapist" category, unless you can't read properly.

Aside from the super fugly seme (seriously I prefer Ashiya Douman in Hari no Hana any day) and confusing war themed story, this is a good read......................if you're into using brain. Seriously I don't (usually) so reading this series is like a torture at first (plus the art is so detail and divabulous that my myopia get worse), but at the same time it's addictive. It's so yummy I could cry.