English Dub Review: Requiem of the Rose King “Wars of the Roses”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Civil war grips Medieval England as the Houses of York and Lancaster vie for the throne. The Duke of York’s youngest son, Richard, wants nothing more than to see his father crowned king, even as Richard struggles with an alienating secret.

Our Take:

I never expected to see an anime series that’s loosely inspired by William Shakespeare, but here we are. This is another series that premiered earlier this month in Japan before it quickly made its way here via Funimation. I guess the creators wasted no time introducing Shakespearean culture to Western anime fans sooner rather than later.

When it comes to Shakespeare, I’ve only known the author through Romeo and Juliet and the adaptations that follow. As for Henry VI, Part 3 and Richard III, the plays that inspired Requiem of the Rose King, I know little to nothing about them. So as someone who’s unfamiliar with the source materials, I found myself feeling skeptical about how I would react to the show in general, let alone its first episode. However, after experiencing it for myself, I was impressed with how it portrays the Shakespearean stories.

The first episode wasted no time introducing the show’s background, especially the Wars of the Rose period. It focuses on Richard III, the third son of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York. He dreams of fighting alongside his father and helping him win the war. Unfortunately, he is considered too young to participate in the war. To make matters worse, he has to bear the fact that he’s a “demon child”, according to Joan of Arc and his mother Cecily Neville, Duchess of York. By “demon child”, I mean he is intersex. In other words, Richard does not have a good life.

From a technical perspective, the animation style looks astounding regarding the bleak environment and the glass silhouettes during the one flashback sequence. It suitably captures the depressing and harsh part of English history. My only issue with it so far was the facials for the characters whenever they’re in the distance. Anytime a character is far away, their face is nowhere to be seen. I found this error very distracting because it made them look like Slender Man, and I don’t want it to remind me of that.

As for the story, it’s hard for me to tell since it’s only the first episode. But I would say that the plot’s introduction was fascinating. It sets up Richard’s journey to finish the war and his struggle with his secret. It can be confusing at times, but not enough to make it unwatchable, mainly due to the episode’s ability to display which character is which.

Overall, “Wars of the Roses” is a good setup for Richard’s coming-of-age journey and England’s civil war. With its engaging storyline and solid animation, the episode marks a suitable start for the show’s unique Shakespearean presentation. If the show can keep the momentum going for the later episodes, it might have a chance to convince me to look at the source materials. It probably won’t happen, but I won’t be surprised if it did.