Sorry for posting so many threads, but I'm about to go offline for another two months again (travel & work), so am gathering reading material before I leave next week. Anyone who helps me gather that material is super nice.

Looking for:

1) Well-researched manga about European history. NOT some sort of fantasy-land that's pseudo-European, please! I mean a historical manga with recognizable geography and actual European countries that we all know exist(ed).

2) Preferably not romance, or not primarily romance. E.g. not Emma, even though it's European and historical. Romance plays too large a part; I'm not looking for that. I want the focus to be on historical events/figures/wars/politics, or maybe on historical art/music/science/philosophy.

3) Little or no supernatural elements. So I don't want historical fantasy, as stated above, and no overtly "magical" adventures... E.g. not Crystal Dragon, because even though it has roots in European history, it has too many magical/fantasy elements.

Examples of what I am looking for: Vinland Saga, Historie, Cesare, Adolf, Rose of Versailles, Monster, My Name is Nero and Mozart Doesn't Sing Lullabies.

Any more titles like these? Basically, realistic manga about European history...

The Window of Orpheus - most of the later chapters are about the Russian Revolution with real historical events and persons
Bronze no Tenshi - has poet/poetry/art, I think?

It's a pity that not much of them are scanlated.

How about Gunslinger Girl? It should have some historical and cultural reference.

Some other IKEDA Riyoko works are real history based too.


Last edited by base_coat at 5:51 pm, Jul 4 2009

Holy...! I never knew about Orpheus before... Thanks, base_coat. Will definitely read that. Although Bronze no Tenshi & Gunslinger Girl don't really qualify, since the first places emphasis on romance and the second is more sci-fi than historical. Thanks, anyway; they're interesting suggestions and I'll keep them in mind for a rainy day.

I haven't started reading it myself so I can't say whether it's really the type you are looking for. But I think Joan should interest you?

Edit: I found out that it's by the same author of My Name is Nero.

Last edited by base_coat at 12:39 pm, Jun 26 2009

Mercenary Pierre ?

Dont know many other ones...

Whoa. Both Joan and Mercenary Pierre are PERFECT! Thank you both!

If you like Rose of Versailles, then Orpheus no Mado fits perfectly. Overall it's great, very enjoyable, and carefully researched historical manga, though there's minor discrepancy with real history (I laughed so hard when I found out that real-life Yusupov, mastermind behind the murder of Rasputin, used to be a crossdresser, instead of rigid (and dashing) military general Ikeda Riyoko made him to be. Apparently she also changed his first name, I wonder if it's to avoid problems with his family)

Last edited by yuuri097 at 5:34 am, Jun 27 2009

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Thank you v. much, yuuri097! I loved all the links you provided - lol, cross-dressing! Don't you just love history? Truth is stranger than fiction, indeed...

I love finding out about history through fiction; Umberto Eco books taught me that one. Even if you never know how much is history and how much is just based on the urban myths of a few hundred years ago, it's all good..

There's always Cesare if you like keeping track of intricate plots.
Not sure how historically accurate the characters are, and the main character is one of those clueless boys who are just screaming for a traumatic character re-adjustment, but it looks quite well researched as far as the time period and the way things worked.