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Romeo × Juliet

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Romeo×Juliet (ロミオ×ジュリエット, Romio to Jurietto) is a TV anime series, very loosely based on William Shakespeare's classic play, Romeo and Juliet, along with numerous references and characters from other Shakespearian plays. Though the anime borrows from Shakespeare's story, the adaptation differs greatly from the original. It premiered from April 4, 2007 across Japan on CBC, and later on TBS, KBS Kyōto and SUN-TV. It ended on September 26, 2007 for a total of 24 episodes. In 2009, Romeo x Juliet will be translated into English and released by FUNimation Entertainment.[citation needed]

Romeo×Juliet
File:Romeo X Juliet Logo.jpg
Romeo x Juliet
GenreFantasy, Dystopian, Romance
Anime
Directed byFumitoshi Oizaki
Written byReiko Yoshida
StudioGonzo
Released April 4, 2007 – September 26, 2007
Manga
Written byCOM
Published byJapan Kadokawa Shoten
MagazineJapan Monthly Asuka
Original runMarch 24, 2007 – ongoing

Plot

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 disposed 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 Laertes 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.

Notes

  • Neo Verona (ネオ・ヴェローナ, Neo・Verōna) - An aerial city in which the story is set.
  • Ryūba (竜馬, Dragon Horse) - 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 (大樹エスカラス, Taiki Esukarasu) - 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.

Main Characters

A list of supporting characters can be found at List of Romeo X Juliet characters.

Juliet (ジュリエット, Jurietto) Voiced by: Fumie Mizusawa
Juliet Fiamatta Asto Capulet is the last member of the Capulet family. She masquerades as a boy, Odin, in order to avoid being caught by the usurping House of Montague, who still actively look for the Capulets. An excellent swordswoman, she also masquerades as a vigilante, the Red Whirlwind (赤い旋風, Akai Kaze), in order to aid the people oppressed by the rival Montagues. She unwittingly falls in love with Romeo, which leads to several complications for her in the series.
File:RxJ Romeo.jpg
Romeo
Romeo (ロミオ, Romio) Voiced by: Takahiro Mizushima
Romeo Candolebonte Montague is the son of Lord Leontes Montague and Lady Portia and heir to the throne of Neo Verona. For political reasons, he has been forced into an unwanted engagement with Hermione, a young noblewoman. As a nobleman, he rides and owns a ryūba named Cielo whom he later freed. In contrast to his father, he is obedient and kindhearted, often disapproving of his family's tyranny. He is ostracized by the nobility save for his friend, Benvolio. He falls in love with Juliet at first sight.
Lord Montague (モンタギュー, Montagyū) Voiced by: Kōji Ishii
Laertes Montague is the ruthless, Machiavellian Duke of Neo Verona. He, an illegitimate Capulet offspring, and his mother (a prostitute) was born and raised into poverty. The death of his mother sparks his unrelenting and ferocious grudge against the Capulet name and his ambitions for being Duke. He acts coldly to all around him, only seeming to care about the Great Tree Escalus. He is killed late in the series by a mad Mercutio, moments before surrendering to Juliet.
File:Uu Tybalt.jpg
Tybalt
Tybalt (ティボルト, Tiboruto) Voiced by: Ryōtarō Okiayu
A mysterious warrior later revealed to be the half son of Laertes Montague. He wants vengeance for his mother, a Capulet woman used by Lord Montague. He eventually acts as the medium between Juliet and Romeo. His name is an obvious reference to the character of the original play, though in the Shakespeare version, he is Juliet's cousin and is not related to Romeo.

Differences between media

Although the series is loosely based on Shakespeare's original play many characters that were based on Shakespeare's original characters in Romeo & Juliet have gone through drastic changes concerning personality, relationships, role in the story and final outcome.

  • Juliet - In the series, Juliet is presented as a strong and intelligent young woman, with a strong sense of justice and determination to lead the Capulet faction against the oppression of the corrupt Lord Montague. She falls deeply in love with Romeo and is stricken with the decision of being with Romeo or destroying Lord Montague. In the original play Juliet is shown as a shy, meek, and emotional young woman who immediately falls in love with Romeo when she meets him and does not care that he is a Montague. Her series counterpart backs away from Romeo after learning who he is, despite being deeply in love with him.
  • Romeo - In the series, Romeo is the crown prince of Neo Verona, and a confident, polite young man. He has little respect for his Montague heritage because of his father's tyranny. Unlike his counterpart in the source material, Romeo first encounters Juliet at a party hosted by his family, whereas in the play, he had secretly gone to a Capulet party in hopes of seeing Juliet's cousin, Rosaline. He holds nothing against the Capulet family and falls in love with Juliet, wishing only for them to be happy and safe.
  • Lord Montague - In the play, Lord Montague is a only a minor character appearing in only a few scenes of the play. While present, he is shown as an being a caring and overprotective father to his son, showing no interest in destroying the Capulets but desiring for them to leave the Montagues alone instead. In the series, he is shown as the main antagonist and acts as Duke of Neo Verona instead of just being the head of his own household. He acts as an uncaring, ruthless, and power-hungry father and leader, as well as an illegitimate relation of the Capulet family. His main goal in the series is to find Lord Capulet's surviving child and kill her before the people still loyal to the Capulets can rebel.
  • Mercutio - In the series, Mercutio is a sly, disrespectful, and spoiled version of a younger Lord Montague. He acts as a spy for Lord Montague to unearth why Romeo is acting oddly, and is trying to ensure that Montegue will disown his son for loving Juliet so he can become Montegue's heir (being Romeo's only male relative apart from Tybalt, whom Montague abandoned). In the play, Mercutio is not Romeo's cousin but his and Benvolio's mutual best friend, and acts as reckless free spirited jokester, who truly cares for Romeo but lets his own hot-bloodedness override his weariness of the feud ('A plague on both your houses!')
  • Cordelia - The character of Cordelia appears as a stand-in for Juliet's unnamed nurse. She is much younger than her counterpart in the source material and has been Juliet's best friend since childhood, acting as an older sister figure rather than the mother figure she appeared in the original play.
  • Benvolio - Benvolio's character has changed little in the adaptation and remains a level-headed and well-mannered friend to Romeo. However, he is not Romeo's cousin and a member of the Montague family, like in the play.
  • Lady Portia - Romeo's mother is known only as Lady Montague in the original play and appears only a few scenes; she is depicted as an overprotective and loving mother who dies of heartbreak when she learns of her son's suicide at the end of the play. In the series, Lady Montague is named Portia and remains a loving mother who wishes for her son's happiness; however, she holds no loyalty to the Montagues, having left her husband to join a convent when she saw how power-mad he was, and harbors no hostility to the Capulet faction, and shows sympathy and kindness to Juliet.
  • Tybalt - In the original play, Tybalt is an arrogant, selfish but loyal ally to the Capulet family, as he is Juliet's maternal cousin and Romeo's sworn rival. He is eventually killed by Romeo, enraged and seeking revenge for Mercutio, who was killed by Tybalt. The series depicts Tybalt as a vigilante with a bubbling hatred for Lord Montague and sympathies aligning with the Capulet faction; he is the son of a Capulet woman and Lord Montague, making him Romeo's older half-brother.
  • Lord Capulet: Although Lord Capulet was only seen at the beginning of the series before he was murdered by Lord Montague, he was mentioned several times by other characters. He was depicted as being a kind, wise and fair ruler over Neo Verona, before the murder of his family. In the original play Lord Capulet and his wife live through the entire play; while present, he appears as a loving father to Juliet, though he also acts stubborn and controlling. At the end of the play, he makes peace with Montague after the death of his daughter and son-in-law.

Episodes

Romeo x Juliet started airing in Japan on April 4, 2007.

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# Title Original airdate

Production

Staff

Theme songs

Opening theme (and special ending theme for episode 24)
Inori~You Raise Me Up～ (祈り～You Raise Me Up～))
Ending theme
Cyclone (サイクロン)) - Episodes 1 through 14
Good Bye, Yesterday - Episodes 15 through 23

Reception

Other media

Manga

Romeo x Juliet was also adapted into a manga series, which has been serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Asuka shōjo magazine since March 24, 2007.

  • Art: COM
  • Original Concept: William Shakespeare
  • Original Animation Work: Gonzo, Sky Perfect Wellthink
  • Scenario Coordination: Hitomi Amamiya

Radio

An internet radio series, entitled Romejuli×Radio (ロミジュリ×レイディオ, Romijuri×Reidio), has been streaming on Cospa's internet radio channel Onsen since April 13, 2007. It features the seiyū of Juliet, Fumie Mizusawa, and the seiyū of Cordelia, Miyu Matsuki.

Soundtrack

The original soundtrack for Romeo x Juliet was released in February 2008, bearing a catalog number of COCX-34784. It contains Hitoshi Sakimoto's music score, as well as the opening and closing songs for the anime.

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