Romeo X Juliet

No. Not the play. This is a Manga by Reiko Yoshida. This Manga has almost nothing to do with the actual play. Except it keeps some of the names the same, and the basic meaning, but it is vastly different from the play. It’s pretty good, though. A lot more action in this Manga and Anime then what was in the play.

Plot, taken from Wiki

In the fantastical aeropolis of Neo Verona, the noble house of Capulet had ruled peacefully for generations – until fourteen years ago, when the ancient grudge held by the rival house of Montague led to a mutiny, and the Capulets were deposed and all wiped out in a bloody coup. Now, as Neo Verona suffers under the thrall of its new masters, the fates of two star crossed lovers are about to become tragically entwined… As the citizens of the city suffer, the Capulet clan struggles to strike a blow against their enemies, and the Montagues tighten their grasp on power, an unlikely love blossoms between Romeo and Juliet – but in the face of such adversity, this ill-fated love may be doomed from the outset. Triumph or tragedy; only fate knows what awaits Romeo and Juliet…

A young girl, Juliet, is the only member of her family to escape the massacre of the Capulet family at the hands of Leontes Montague. Fourteen years later, Lord Montague rules the land of Neo-Verona with an iron-fist as Juliet helps the common folk in a Robin Hood-like fashion, and Romeo Montague protests his father’s cruelty. Juliet and Romeo meet by coincidence at the Rose Ball and fall in love at first sight. However, when Juliet turns sixteen and learns the truth of her past that has been hidden from her for fourteen years, her love becomes conflicted between revolution and devotion. (Please take note that in the Shakespearean version of Romeo and Juliet that Juliet and Romeo know about the other ones family and still choose to love each other. The only conflict in the whole play is the conflict of souls in a race for power and love as Juliet and Romeo say their last goodbyes along with their vows. There is little to no revolution in the play.)

Plot, from Baka-Up-Dates (they always phrase things so much differently, just had to add it in here)

One stormy night in Neo Verona, the Montagues begin a mutiny against the ruling Capulets and murder Juliet’s family. Before they manage to kill her, Juliet is rescued by her father’s servants, thus becoming the sole survivor of the Capulet family. Fourteen years later, she encounters the son of the Montague family, Romeo, by chance and the two fall in love. However, only a cruel fate awaits them…

Okay, a few things that make it very different from the play:

Neo Verona – An aerial city in which the story is set. It is likely named after the city of Verona, Italy, in which Shakespeare’s story of Romeo and Juliet takes place.
Dragon Steed – A winged horse with the tail of a dragon, similar to the Pegasus. Ryūba are capable of transporting people on their backs and are handled using reins in the same way as normal horses. More than a means of transportation, winged Ryūba can be considered a symbol of status as they are not something that common folk can own, and are only seen ridden by members of the aristocracy or nobility. Ryūba with degenerated wings, thus unable to fly, are often owned by commoners.
Great Tree Escalus – A huge and enchanted tree inside the Montague’s castle, which is the remaining of a pair of trees that gives support to Neo Verona. According to its caretaker, a woman named Ophelia, it gives blessings to people, but it also weakens if the persons don’t have love in their hearts. When it is thriving, it drops shining fruit from its branches. Since it has been in Montague’s care, the tree has noticeably begun to wither. It is likely named after Prince Escalus from Shakespeare’s play.
Carabinieri – The Military Police of Neo Verona. The name is the same as the true Carabinieri of Italy.

Manga has nine chapters, but each are pretty long. And the anime has twenty-four episodes.

This was the promotional picture.

http://static.minitokyo.net/view/49/47/292399.jpg
http://www.basugasubakuhatsu.com/blog/screencaps/Romeo%20x%20Juliet%2009.jpg
http://www.animezet.com/products/469a.jpg
http://www.chucksanimeshrine.com/animeblog/2009/11/romeo-x-juliet.html
http://media.onemanga.com/mangas/00002342/000147112/69.jpg

Volume Covers:
Volume One
Volume One Second
Volume Two
Volume Two Second

Chapter Covers:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine

I much prefer the Manga drawing compared to how they draw them in the Anime. They just don’t look as good.

This would be something good for anyone to read, even if you don’t read Manga.

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