Rozen Maiden (ローゼンメイデン （薔薇乙女）) is a manga by the group PEACH-PIT, with an anime series of the same name.[1] It deals obliquely with the pressures placed on children in Japan by telling the story of a student, Jun Sakurada, who cracked under the strain. The series chronicles Jun's reluctant mental recovery through experiences with the Rozen Maiden, a series of enchanted dolls with a mysterious purpose.
Background information
Rozen Maidens and the Alice Game
The Rozen Maidens are a collection of dolls created by a craftsman named Rozen, whom the dolls refer to as "Father". Their primary source of power is a human host (a "medium") that wears a ring to symbolize their bond with the doll, although dolls have been shown to act without a medium. Each Rozen Maiden has her own distinct personality, guardian spirit, and supernatural ability. Their apparent purpose is to participate in the "Alice Game", a lethal competition that promises the winner the right to meet "Father" by becoming "Alice", a girl of supreme beauty that lives inside of "Father", which is said to be "more sublime than any flower, purer than any gem, and without a touch of impurity".[2]
The game is played through duels in which the dolls fight using both their guardian spirits and respective abilities—such as the manipulation of strawberry vines—as well as the spiritual energy from their medium. The doll that loses the duel loses her "Rosa Mystica", the very essence that endows her with the ability to move, thus becoming "junk". The lost Rosa Mystica is then collected and absorbed by the duel's winner. The doll that gains all of her sisters' Rosa Mystica will become Alice. Shinku, the central doll of the series, is notable in that while she does not refuse to fight, she does refuse to take the lost power and kill a sister doll.
A doll can no longer become Alice if she loses her Rosa Mystica or her ring, which is used to transfer power from a medium.
Story
Jun Sakurada is a Junior High School student who refuses to go to school due to mental issues resulting from traumatic experiences there (see Hikikomori). He normally locks himself in his room and has a hobby of ordering supernatural goods online and returning them before the trial period ends and he has to pay for them. His older sister, Nori Sakurada, does everything she can to help but is unable to reach Jun.
One day, Jun receives a letter claiming he has won a prize, and asking whether or not he would "Wind" (まきますか？） or "Not Wind" （まきませんか？）. After putting the letter in his drawer as per the instructions on the letter, he receives a beautifully crafted box right after Nori comes to complain about his habits. Within is a humanoid doll wearing clothing in Victorian style. Curious, Jun winds up the doll. The doll then gets up on its own, and walks over to him and slaps him. She later on says, "My name is Shinku, the fifth doll of the Rozen Maiden."
Shinku is a doll from the "Rozen Maiden" collection, and before Jun can take in what happened, Jun now holds the responsibility to protect Shinku's "Rosa Mystica" whilst they are engaged in mysterious battles with other dolls.
Suigintou is the first doll of the Rozen Maiden. Her desire to win the Alice Game is the strongest of all the Rozen Maiden, and is primarily driven by her wish to meet "Father". Sadistic, spiteful, and arrogant (all as a result of her spectacular inferiority complex), Suigintou has no inhibitions in the Alice Game. She will use any method possible, regardless of how cruel they are, to win. She has a particular dislike of Shinku, her rival, and can approximate how many hours and minutes it has been since they last fought.
In the first season, Suigintou's emotions and will are so enduring that she can move and fight without the spiritual aid of a medium. She is against the use of one not only because of her strong sense of independence, but also due to her disdain towards humanity. Along with her artificial spirit, Meimei, Suigintou's weapons are her ragged black wings. With their feathers, she can conjure up two dragons as well as a large sword. Her wings also serve as shields when necessary. Suigintou can also utilize destructive blue flames in battle, and this seems to be her most vicious attack.
She is the first doll to be created in both the anime and manga, and as such, has unique physical imperfections. In the anime, she is missing a torso; Shinku explains at one point that before Suigintou was completed, her design was erased, but gives no further explanation as to why or how. Curiously, after Suigintou is destroyed in battle by Shinku, she is restored mid-way through Traumend. It is unknown by whom she is restored or whether or not she has been given a torso, but in the Traumend finale, Rozen is seen lovingly tying the ribbon at her neck. Rozen has told Suigintou that even with her flawed body, she still has an opportunity to become Alice. In the manga, her wings (notably, she is the only Rozen Maiden with them) have ravaged her back with cracks. These imperfections have caused some to call her "Junk", and much of her life revolves around demonstrating that this is not the case. However, upon meeting Megu, her attitude and motivations are beginning to shift. Suigintou is slowly beginning to show affection, and even hopes to use the other doll's Rosa Mysticae to heal Megu of her heart ailment.
Kanaria is the second Rozen Maiden doll, and is as adorable as she is eccentric. Not only does she constantly refer to herself in third person, but also speaks constantly about taking her sisters' Rosa Mystica without actually making an effort to do so. She fancies herself as quite the stealthy prowler, and makes a hobby of watching the exploits of her sisters, usually through binoculars. Kanaria's bright, somewhat arrogant disposition makes her the ideal subject for many of the comedy episodes. Despite this, she is a competent opponent and attacks with a deceptively adorable violin that destroys through its sound. Her personality mostly complements that of Hina Ichigo. She has the unusual habit of ending her sentences with "kashira" ("I wonder?" or "maybe?"), which corresponds with Hina Ichigo's habit of ending sentences with "na no" (meaning "Because"). Her favourite food is tamagoyaki. She is exclusive to the second season. Her artificial spirit is named for the Italian word meaning "pinched", referring to the plucking of violin strings.
Suiseiseki is the third Rozen Maiden doll, and is Souseiseki's older twin. She has a watering can which she uses to nourish the "soul trees" of humans. She is one of the main protagonists of the Rozen Maidens. She is, in a word, devious. Suiseiseki adores the spotlight, and her favorite activities include smashing the window of Jun's room (hitting Jun in the process frequently), stealing strawberries from Hina Ichigo, and cackling maniacally. She has a wild imagination and a fondness for telling wild lies to terrify Hinaichigo, whom she calls either "chibi-chibi" (tiny tiny) or "chibi-ichigo" (tiny strawberry). For the most part, Suiseiseki and Jun seem incapable of being civil with each other; she refuses to call Jun by name, opting for "runt" ("chibi-ningen" which translates to "little human") instead.
Suiseiseki is a good comrade, however, and can always be relied on for that extra boost in battle. Despite her attitude towards Jun, she does care a great deal for him, and her attempts to cover them up usually manifest in the form of more insults. In the anime's second season, Suiseiseki stands out among the dolls in that she values her sisters' love more than the goal of becoming Alice. She and Jun attempt - without much success - to convince the other Rozen Maiden that the Alice Game is a meaningless endeavour.
Suiseiseki makes an impression with her high-pitched voice and habit of ending almost every sentence with "desu." In battle, Suiseiseki uses her watering pot to make plants emerge from the ground and manipulate them in battle. Her artificial spirit is named for the popular Anna Sui perfume.
Medium: Jun
Artificial Spirit: Sui Dream (スィドリーム) (Also called: Sweet Dreams (Tokyopop transl.), Amethyst Dream (Jade Dream in the Anime).)
Souseiseki is the fourth Rozen Maiden doll, and Suiseiseki's more masculine twin. As with Suiseiseki, she has the power to enter human dreams, and carries a set of pruning shears that she uses to tend human soul trees. Unlike Suiseiseki, she is calm, quiet, and deeply devoted to her "Master". She attacks ruthlessly with her shears if required, even though the range required for the use of the weapon puts her at a great defensive disadvantage. Souseiseki's personality is a great contrast to that of her twin sister's, as Souseiseki is incredibly quiet, composed, and analytical. She possesses a sharpness in her speech that is similar to Shinku's, and will not tolerate sub-par actions. The twins both share the same stubbornness, however. Her presence is felt far more in the anime than the manga. Her artificial spirit is named for a fragrance by Lolita Lempicka.
In the manga, her master wanted to use Souseiseki's power to enter other people's dreams and exact revenge on his brother's lover, who he felt had stolen his brother from him. As Souseiseki alone can not achieve this goal, she fights Suiseiseki to gather the two gardeners' tools Lempicka and Sui Dream, which together can affect an individual's soul tree. However, she eventually realizes that it's her master's heart that needs changing instead, and sacrifices herself to free it. The dolls in the scene are shocked from Souseiseki's actions and Suigintou uses the confusion to snatch Souseiseki's Rosa Mystica.
In the anime, Souseiseki is devoted to a lonesome old man, who uses her as a substitute for his deceased son, Kazuki. In the second season, Souseiseki and Shinku are the only dolls that strongly refuse to participate in the Alice game. However, as time passes, she is manipulated by Suigintou and Barasuishou into beginning the massacre of the Alice Game. Similarly to the manga, she loses to Suigintou (who kills her by putting her hand on Souseiseki's chest). In a recent manga chapter she is shown to be gone from her box.
Even though the two versions progress differently, Suigintou is still the doll that consumes Souseiseki's Rosa Mystica (although at the end of the second season, Laplace is seen dancing around with Souseiseki's Rosa Mystica). She becomes the second doll to lose the Alice Game (the first being Hinaichigo) and the first doll to lose her Rosa Mystica.
Shinku is the fifth Rozen Maiden doll, and embodies the traditional aristocrat. She is extremely demanding and can seem unappreciative of others. Her favorite words are "tea" and "servant", and she takes pride in lecturing (or slapping) Jun at every opportunity. No matter how strong the emotion, Shinku rarely lets her sadness, joy, or fear become apparent. No matter how cold her appearance, however, she is highly protective and cares deeply for her doll sisters. When Suigintou was defeated in season one, she was haunted by the guilt of turning her into "junk" and sought her forgiveness. She does not use honorary suffixes such as 'chan', 'san', or 'kun'(excepting Kun-Kun). Despite her relative youth amongst the Rozen Maidens, the other dolls look up to her as an older sister and challenging rival. She holds a very special place in her heart for the puppet detective "Kunkun" as well as her awe for "Father". Shinku has a great dislike for cats. She desires to fulfill the position of "Alice", but refuses to employ the more ruthless methods of playing the "Alice Game". In battle, she fights with rose-based attacks. Her other weapon is a cane which she wields as one would a sword.
Medium: Jun
Artificial Spirit: Holi (ホーリエ) (sometimes spelled "Holie", "Hollier" in the Tokyopop transl.)
Hina-Ichigo is the sixth doll, and the very embodiment of childishness. Although she can be ridiculously naive and selfish, Hina-Ichigo never has anything but the best intentions for those that she cares about. Her disposition is also a mismatch for her tremendous power, which is a series of attacks based on strawberry vines. Shinku defeats her (through Hina-Ichigo's own selfishness by exhausting Tomoe's energy) in the Alice Game, becoming the first doll to lose the ability to become Alice in the Alice Game. However, Shinku did not rob her of her ability to move. Instead, Shinku let herself to be the inter-medium to allow Hina-Ichigo to tap into Jun's power. However, in the later part of Season 2, with the beginning of the Alice Game in earnest, "Father" cut off this link. Therefore, when Hina-Ichigo used up her remaining powers, her Rosa Mystica is lost to Shinku, becoming second doll to lose her Rosa Mystica. Her favorite foods are "Unyuu" - which is actually strawberry daifuku - and Nori's "Flowery Hamburger", a dish that consists of a hamburger patty topped with a flower-shaped egg. She usually ends her sentences in "na no" (meaning "that's why" or "because" in Japanese), complimentary to Kanaria's "kashira" (meaning "I wonder" or "maybe?").
In the manga, Hina-Ichigo is destroyed/consumed by Kirakishou. She sends her Rosa Mystica to Shinku through Berrybell, asking Shinku to use it to end the Alice Game.
In the anime, Hina-Ichigo's singing, as well as most of her quarreling with Suiseiseki, are actually ad-libbed by her seiyū, Sakura Nogawa (with Natsuko Kuwatani in the quarreling scenes).
Kirakishou is the true seventh doll of the Rozen Maiden. Her costume is different from that of her imitation, Barasuishou, and she has a rose in her right eye, whereas Barasuishou has a mere eyepatch covering her left eye.
Her first appearance is in volume 6 of the manga, which is as mysterious as Barasuishou's first anime appearance. In the anime, she has yet to be properly introduced. According to her, the seventh doll lacked a physical body and could only exist in the N-Field. She therefore destroys and consumes Hina-Ichigo in order to be able to materialize in the human world. It has also been shown that although Kirakishou could not initially materialize, she could still affect real world events, such as when she gives a rose ring to the granddaughter of Corinne, Hina-Ichigo's former master. Kirakishou's strongest personality trait is her obsessive admiration of Suigintou, whom she refers to as "Onee-sama" (older sister), and to whom she has offered her Rosa Mystica... although Suigintou refused it, saying she would take it herself later. Much about Kirakishou remains unknown.
Barasuishou introduces herself as the seventh Rozen Maiden doll. She is clad entirely in lavender, and shows no hint of a conscience. She acts with a unnatural calmness at all times, and possesses a significant amount of power in battle. Her appearance heralds the true start of the Alice Game. However, she is a fake, and was not created by Rozen. Her "Father" is Enju, who is merely Rozen's jealous apprentice. Barasuishou can manipulate and create any sort of crystalline elements, including glass. Her true origin is revealed in the final episode of the second season. She is exclusive to the second season of the anime, and does not exist in the manga.
A traumatized boy who lives a hermit's existence in his room and does not go to school after cracking under the pressure of entrance exams. He suffers from what is known as tōkō kyohi, or a refusal to go to school, as well as hikikomori, or the phenomenon of isolating oneself from society.
He spends a lot of time in front of his computer, and has a hobby of ordering things from the Internet— mostly fake magical or occultic implements— and then returning them before he has to pay, for the thrill of receiving something ridiculously stupid. He is also interested in cars and collects miniaturized cars. When he unknowingly came in possession of Shinku, one of the Rozen Maidens, and winds her up, he becomes caught in the crossfire of the Alice Game—particularly due to Shinku declaring him her "servant" and insisting that he obey her at all times. Jun is skilled at crafts and sewing. Although he is arrogant, and occasionally cold and rude, he cares for others but refuses to show it. He is especially friendly with Hina Ichigo, and at times, blushes around Shinku.
Jun's older sister. She is his caretaker, as their parents are out of the country on business and apparently unaware of Jun's plight. Nori is kind and gentle but sometimes has an amusingly "dirty" mindset (which carries into her dreams, where she fantasizes about her brother). She unfortunately takes the brunt of Jun's abuse and criticism. Shinku constantly provides Nori with advice on everything from proper tea-brewing to Jun's care. Nori is very fond of the dolls who live and play in her house.
A girl who attends Jun's school. She is quiet, and kind-hearted, although her speech and style tend to be very dry and she will often hide her true feelings. An honour's student, Tomoe was originally Hinaichigo's medium, but the bond between them was broken when Hinaichigo drew on too much of Tomoe's energy and was defeated by Shinku. Currently, Tomoe aids Jun in his dealings with the Rozen Maiden. Tomoe consistently seeks out Jun and laconically helps him in his efforts to return to school, despite his fear of her.
She was taught kendo by her father from an early age and is a member of the kendo club at school. Tomoe is often seen carrying a shinai in a bag after school.
Despite being a member of the school committee, it appears Tomoe would rather not be doing the job.
A boy in Nori's class who is continually trying to confess his love to her, only to be interrupted by wild coincidences or unfortunate happenings, many of which are (unintentionally) caused by the dolls, but mostly, Suiseiseki. Nori is blissfully unaware of his romantic interest. He doesn't exist in the manga.
The salesperson at the doll shop. He has a genuine passion for the dolls, even going so far as to explain dolls' feelings to Jun and Tomoe, but there is a sinister air about him. He is really the Laplace no Ma, the devil of Laplace. He only appears in the second season of the anime.
Laplace no Ma is Shirosaki in the appearance of a white rabbit in a tuxedo and a top hat with human mannerisms. He is neither sinister nor kind, and has a tendency to speak in riddles. His brief appearances in the N-Field leave the Rozen Maiden with nothing more than poetic and seemingly nonsensical advice. Despite the fact that he was seen supporting Barasuishou (and later, Kirakishou), Shirosaki's true motives remain a mystery. His rabbit form is named for Laplace's demon. Featured in the manga and only the second season of the anime.
The young doll craftsman that runs the doll shop with Shirosaki. He leaves the customer service duties to Shirosaki, and relegates his time to creating dolls in the workshop. Enju obviously takes his art seriously—he even goes so far as to give brief words of reassurance to halfway finished creations—but occasionally seems bitter. He bears an unnatural resemblance to Rozen, but is revealed to be nothing more than Rozen's jealous apprentice. He is featured in the second season of the anime.
Souseiseki's medium in the anime. He is an elderly watchmaker who became delusional when his son died in an accident. His wife fell into a deep coma from the shock around the same time, leading him to become lonely and beginning to think Souseiseki was his son still alive, which, due to Souseiseki's strong loyalty, puts the doll in danger.
Motoharu's wife (only in the anime). After the death of her son, she fell into a long dream-like sleep state from the shock. Souseiseki and Suiseiseki's dream entering abilities were initially unable to wake her up, but that changes after obtaining the surprise cooperation of another character.
Mitsu is Kanaria's doting medium. Her absolute love for dolls (or, more fittingly, obsession) shows in both her love for Kanaria and her room's decor. She has shelves upon shelves crammed entirely with dolls, and makes frequent trips to the doll shop to purchase gifts for Kanaria. Although her work attire is that of an office lady, Kanaria introduces her as a professional photographer to the other dolls. "Mi-chan" is generally as harmless and eccentric as the Rozen Maiden to which she's bonded. She only appears in the second season.
Megu is a sickly girl (she has congenital heart disease in the anime, but the disease is not specified in the manga) that is Suigintou's medium. She lives entirely in a hospital room, and is under constant care from nurses. Megu has a very bleak outlook on life and often prays for an Angel of Death to take her away. She sees herself as a burden upon her parents, whom she claims are "guilty" of having her. After becoming Suigintou's medium, she immediately calls her an Angel of Death and requests that Suigintou kill her by draining away her energy. Despite her apathy (and, at times, contempt) towards life in general, she is quite needy, and increasingly desires Suigintou's company. Megu has a habit of throwing tantrums when Suigintou is elsewhere, demanding that Suigintou be with her at all times. Megu's blatant disrespect towards her father also shocks Suigintou, who would never even consider such an attitude toward her own "Father", Rozen. It seems that Megu continues to surprise Suigintou. In the anime, Megu is exclusive to the second season.
Rozen is the mysterious creator of the Rozen Maiden. He is known to all of the dolls as "Father". He continues to exist in some form (presumably in the N-Field) but will only meet with "Alice", the winner of the Alice Game.
Detective Kun Kun (くんくん探偵)
A fictional doll character who stars in his own detective TV show, which is a parody of other detective anime. The dolls--Shinku in particular, and, humorously, Suigintou--are fans of the show. In both the anime and manga, Jun has pointed out the irony of dolls watching a show starring a doll.
Yuna Kuwata (桑田 由奈), she is the class beauty of Jun's class. Jun had a crush on her in the manga.
Kazuha Yuibishi (結菱 一葉), he is Souseiseki's Master in the manga, and he lives in a place called Barayashiki (薔薇屋敷) which translated means "The House of Rose".
Hataba Yuibishi (結菱 二葉), he is Kazuha's younger twin brother. He died in a ship wreck in 1957 while eloping.
Corinne (コリンヌ・フォッセー), Hina-Ichigo's former master.
Manga
The manga currently has 7 volumes in print, and is continually being serialised in Monthly Birz Comics.
The storyline between the anime and the manga have significant differences, including different stories, characters and sequence of events. Each volume costs 590 yen (excluding tax).
Note: Besides Japanese, it is also available in Chinese, Thai, French, German, Italian and English.
TV manga
A series of manga based on the anime have also been released. It uses the anime storyline, and is in full colour with scenes taken from the anime itself and fitted into manga format.
The first season of Rozen Maiden focuses primarily on the psychological rehabilitation of Jun Sakurada. He is a hikikomori, and spends most of his time locked in the safety of his room and ordering items from the internet. However, through a strange order form, he finds himself in possession of an enchanted doll that calls herself "Shinku, the fifth Rozen Maiden". Much to Jun's displeasure, Shinku calls on him to create a strange bond with her, and the socially disinclined boy winds up being her "servant". The series follows the two of them as they encounter more Rozen Maiden, dolls that for the most part seem to want nothing more than to drink tea, destroy windows, and draw on his floor with crayons. In this season, five dolls are introduced: Shinku, Hinaichigo, Suigintou, Suiseiseki, and Souseiseki. Suigintou is the primary villain.
Rozen Maiden's first season consists of twelve episodes that began airing on October 7, 2004 and ended on December 23, 2004.
Rozen Maiden ~Träumend~ (second season)
The second season of Rozen Maiden has a slightly darker tone. The episodes are more plot-driven and deal with topics such as "Father"—the Rozen Maiden's creator—and the inevitable conclusion to the "Alice Game". Jun does not yet attend school (he has too much catching-up to do), but studies at home and in the local library, happily goes outside, and seems to have even grown fond of the ever-present dolls. Shinku has been changed due to the events of the previous season, but she is generally as aristocrat-like as ever, lecturing and punishing Jun at every opportunity. Several new non-doll characters have been introduced. These characters include a riddle-spouting, formally-dressed rabbit and two mysterious men that operate a doll shop, one of which bears an unnatural resemblance to "Father". The final two dolls are introduced in this season: Kanaria and Barasuishou. Barasuishou is the primary villain.
Rozen Maiden Träumend consists of twelve episodes that began airing on October 20, 2005 and ended on January 26, 2006.
Detective Kunkun - Duell Walzer OVA
Duell Walzer OVA is a 7 minute Detective Kunkun episode. The show is presented as an opera performance with curtains, showtime buzzer and stage. The story is about how Detective Kunkun foils the evil cat's plans to steal a beautiful gem from another character. The story may be short, but the means Detective Kunkun uses to solve the crime is brilliant and well thought out. This episode portrays watching Detective Kunkun's show from a Rozen Maiden doll's perspective.
"Duell Walzer OVA" consists of only one episode and has been said to be ripped from the Rozen Maiden-Duellwalzer PlayStation 2 game disc.
This new Rozen Maiden special will be aired on the 22nd and 23rd of December on TBS in Japan. It is a brief prequel to the events of the two TV series. Ouverture, meaning "beginning" in German, is set in the nineteenth century and will focus on Suigintou. A recent Megami article has promised that this OVA will answer critical questions about Suigintou's past, particularly those pertaining to the rivalry she holds with Shinku. ALI PROJECT will once again lend their talents for the opening song.
Theme songs
Opening
Kinjirareta Asobi (禁じられた遊び Forbidden Game) by ALI PROJECT (Season 1)
Seishoujo Ryouiki (聖少女領域 Domain of Holy Girls) by ALI PROJECT (Season 2)
Baragoku Otome (薔薇獄乙女 Rose Jail Maiden) by ALI PROJECT (Ouvertüre OVA)
Barasuishou, as it turns out, is not the seventh Rozen Maiden, but the copy of one. Kirakishou, the original, is revealed toward the end of the last episode. Her purpose, motive and role remain unknown.
Laplace
At first, he seems to support Enju and Barasuishou in the battle against the Rozen Maidens, but at the conclusion, he slips away, declaring that this amusement has come to an end. Toward the end of the last episode, he is shown dancing with Kirakishou, holding two Rosa Mysticae in his hands. Most likely, they are Souseiseki's and Hina-Ichigo's.
Father
At the end of Rozen Maiden Träumend, it is revealed that Enju is not the man known as Rozen or "Father", but a jealous apprentice of his who seeks to eclipse his master's art. To this end, Enju has created Barasuishou to destroy the Rozen Maiden and become the perfect doll. She succeeds in doing so, but as she is not being made by Rozen, she fails to contain the Rosa Mystica and falls apart. Rozen then steps in to repair/resurrect all of the dolls but Souseiseki and Hina-Ichigo, who were defeated by legitimate Rozen Maidens. He then leaves after telling Shinku that there is another way to become Alice without playing the brutal game and killing her sisters for their Rosa Mystica. He also tells Shinku that it is her role to find out how to do this and "fix things." How precisely this may be accomplished, however, is left unsaid.
The Magical Power
It is known that Enju and Rozen have the ability to bring dolls to life. However, Shirosaki, or more precisely Laplace, can change his appearance and move to and from the N-field at will. Jun (at the end of season 1) was able to repair Shinku's arm with magical power, which Suigintou commented is an ability only Rozen possesses. Clearly, Jun is no Rozen, as it was only performed in Jun's dream world, however Jun's sewing talents were able to restore a doll to life earlier in the series.
There are significant differences between the art style for the manga and the anime.
In the anime, the art is much "cleaner" and sharper than the manga. For example, the eyes in the manga consist of crosshatching lines and screentones as opposed to the clearer version of the anime (see comparison on right).
The manga uses much softer, almost pastel-like colours for illustrations. The colours used in the anime are much harder and easily distinguishable, while colour illustrations for the manga use shading and the mixing of colours.
Some costume details that are in the manga were not included in the anime. The most noticeable are the edges of the dolls' dresses: in the anime, the extra lace was taken out in favour of straight edges. Kirakishou's clothing is described as pure white in the manga, but is light pink in the anime.
Story and characters
While the anime's first season portrays Shinku as extremely serious and composed, in the manga she is often shown in compromising and amusing situations using a simplified version of her face.
In the anime, Souseiseki's master is shown to be an old man, who uses her to 'replace' his dead son. In the manga, Souseiseki's master is completely different: he is rich and affluent and uses her for different ends: to get revenge on the girl who eloped with his brother, leading to his brother's death.
In the first episode of the anime, and the first chapter of the manga, Suigintou sends a doll to kill Jun when Shinku first arrives. In the anime, it is a clown doll, but in the manga it is a teddy bear named "Bu Bear" (クマのブさん)or "Booh Bear" in the English translation.
In the manga, Suigintou tears apart the bear after it has failed its mission, but leaves the remains in Jun's room. In the anime, the Clown is torn apart after being hit by feathers from an attack by Suigintou as it protects Shinku. In both cases, Jun is able to restore the dolls.
Barasuishou, Enju, the Shibasakis, Shirosaki and Yamamoto-kun do not exist in the manga.
In the manga Jun withdraws from school in humiliation after everyone finds out at assembly that he likes to design girls' clothing. This is completely different from in the anime. In the anime, Jun withdraws from school in humiliation after everyone in his class started whispering behind his back about how he did poorly on a test— most likely, an entrance exam for a competitive junior high school. This turned out to be traumatic for Jun because he was previously thought of as a genius in school.
Hina-Ichigo runs out of power after Father cuts off her spirit link in the anime. In the manga her body is taken by Kirakishou, who otherwise would have no physical form, in the field of N. In both versions, Shinku gets her Rosa Mystica.
Video games
Rozen Maiden: Duellwalzer is a visual novel game developed by TAITO. It was released in Japan for Sony's PlayStation 2 console on 27 April2006. Two versions were marketed for release: a "normal" one, which only included the game, and a special edition which also included a Rozen Maiden handwatch, similar to the one Shinku is seen using. There are currently no plans to release this game outside of Japan.
Rozen Maiden: Gebetgarten is the second official Rozen Maiden game which will be released in March, 2007. Like Alibat, it is a 3-D fighter, but made by TAITO with cel-shaded graphics. It will also be for the PlayStation 2 console.
Rozen Maiden ALiBAT (Record of Rozen War) is a 3-D fighting doujinishi game. Alibat, short for "Alice Battle", was originally released at Comiket 69 (and also through the internet) as a basic demo, where only Shinku, Suigintou, and Suiseiseki were playable characters. The final version included Hina-Ichigo, Kanaria, Souseiseki, and Barasuishou as further playable characters. There is also one secret unlockable character, Detective Kun-Kun. As it is a fan-made game, the available abilities and graphic design are basic.
Terms
Dream worlds
These places are mirrors of a soul, containing elements from old memories or representations of important items. Both humans and dolls have them. For example, Suigintou's dream world is an abandoned snowy city, Jun's dream world is flooded with broken computer monitors, and Shinku's dream world is a cozy Victorian house. The dream worlds of all living beings are connected via an enormous tree, and the gardener Rozen Maidens, Suiseiseki and Souseiseki, can traverse this at will. The more closely related two people are, the closer their "branches" on this tree are located. A person may be locked inside their dreams by Sui Dream or Lempicka, but the gardeners never do this as it would lead to insanity.
Soul trees
A special tree within an individual's dream world. Their size and growth reflects a person's lifeforce or mental state. The growth of soul trees can be assisted through the power of Suiseiseki's watering can and Souseiseki's scissors. This is demonstrated on Jun's tree in the anime to some extent by Suiseiseki alone, but the growth is hampered by weeds. She and her sister offer to fix Jun's tree, but it is determined that allowing him to grow on his own would be a far better choice.
N-Field
The N-Field (n のフィールド) (possibly "nth Field", due to mathematical references such as Laplace) is a region of space that is the domain of a Rozen Maiden, and contains elements that are characteristic to the doll it represents. It can only be accessed via some object that "has fragments of life"— often, this is the mirror in the storage room of the Sakurada residence, but various other objects have been used, such as Jun's computer screen. Every Rozen Maiden has an N-Field of her own, and she has a sort of home court advantage in her own Field, which can be offset by the power of a Medium. When a Rozen Maiden loses her Rosa Mystica, her N-Field is shut down, and the things within vanish from sight.
Detective Kun-kun
A puppet-based television series about a dog that solves crimes. The dolls that live with Jun are positively hooked on it, and Shinku's (formerly Jun's) shelves are crowded with the show's merchandise. This series-within-a-series appears to be satirizing such popular anime fare as Detective Conan (Case Closed) and Kindaichi Case Files.
Rosa Mystica play an essential role in the Alice Game and are vital to the existence of every Rozen Maiden doll. They can be likened to a doll's soul. When a doll is defeated in battle, the Rosa Mystica will be ejected from the doll's body and that doll will be unable to move. Another Maiden can then absorb the Rosa Mystica, gaining the defeated doll's attack abilities and even the memories and thoughts of that doll. A defeated doll can also be revived by returning their Mystica to them. The original Rosa mystica was divided into seven pieces, afterwords giving a piece to each doll.
Artificial spirits
A companion entity that every Rozen Maiden has. It is in the form of a glowing speck of colored light that can fly around and assist the doll in battles. Only Suiseiseki and Souseiseki's artificial spirits have powers that can be used to help enter dreams and take physical shapes such as the watering can and the scissors. Others can also manipulate/repair material objects. Artificial Spirits can't talk but they do seem to understand orders when their master doll speaks to them and the dolls in turn seem to understand what they say. They can also transmit their master's voice on occasion, as shown in volume 6 of the manga with Hina-Ichigo's Berrybell. When their original master is defeated, the artificial spirit will join the winning doll. These spirits can also be given to another doll, as seen in the anime when Suigintou took them from Suiseiseki and Souseiseki.
International distribution
Rozen Maiden is, of course, available in Japanese, but no English dub of the series has been created yet. TOKYOPOP Germany has released German dubs of all episodes of the first season on DVD.
Trivia
The Gothic Lolita subculture plays a significant role, and it can be said that Rozen Maiden is a series founded upon it. As well as the obvious character design inspiration, the central themes in Rozen Maiden—elements of Alice in Wonderland and a fondness for the style/habits of Victorianaristocracy—are also key to the Gothic Lolita subculture.
The popular internet "desu" meme originates from Suiseiseki's habit of appending the word--which is rarely grammatically correct, and is nothing more than a copula--to the end of every sentence. Kanaria shares a similar speech habit with using "kashira" as a sentence suffix, but this has not seen a fraction of "desu"'s success.
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