Japanese: 人形〈ギニョール〉宮廷楽団
English: Grand Guignol Orchestra
Synonyms: Ningyou Kyuutei Gakudan, Puppet Imperial Court Orchestra, The Royal Doll Orchestra, Camelot Garden, Orchestre Royal de Guignols
Type: MangaVolumes: 5
Chapters: 19
Status: Completed
Published: Jun 26, 2008 to Apr 26, 2010
Genres: Adventure, Mystery, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Shoujo, Supernatural, Gender Bender
Mangaka: Yuki Kaori (Story & Art)
Serialization: Bessatsu Hana to Yume
Synopsis: Lucille and the orchestra encounter a town overrun with the worst kind of audience: the living dead! Well, not really. They're people who have been turned into doll-like zombies. And they are definitely not a crowd to take lightly. Can a group of roving musicians use their skills to calm the beasts? Or is this curtains for the Grand Orchestra?!
Groups Scanlating
Aerandria Scans
Whatever
Licensed in English
Viz (5 Volumes - Complete)
Source: MAL Manga info, Baka updates
Side notes: This manga isn't easy to get if not lucky online. I managed to find 4 out of 5 volumes to read. And I'm not totally convinced that this is a shoujo,,, but as it labeled like that I put it on my B/W box diver of shoujos with happy and buffy feeling one side while the others go to that darker corner of the box. The art is confusing if it can be described so. It is not pure shoujo or shounen style but a mixer. And the story is a "horror" but I wouldn't hesitate to place the fantasy with sci-fi tag as the manga holds same type of vibe and post apocalyptic feel. Still it's not a bad manga though I needed to adjust my mind a lot to get into reading... But that's just me and probably doesn't mean that others should do same toning to enjoy the manga as it is.^-¨
P.S. There is also talking animals in the story too. Yay!
Main characters
Lucille
Lucille is the conductor, chanteur and composer of the unofficial Royal Orchestra. He has a powerful, angel-like singing voice which has the power to purify and destroy the Guignols, as well as giving them back their memories for a few moments to let them die as humans and not as zombies.
Lucille is an extraordinarily handsome man, but due to his rather androgynous appearance he is often mistaken for a woman, which leads to all kinds of awkward situations, but also gives him an opportunity to disguise.
Although he is a rather cheerful and playful character most of the time it is pretty clear that he shares a dark past with Queen Gemsilika - indicated through flashbacks he has in gloomy moments - although their difficult relationship is unclear at the beginning of the story. Lucille obviously is a royal offspring and has an own mission to fulfill. He takes a hard time in trusting other people.
Elestial
Elestial is actually a girl with the real name Celestial. Celestial had a disabled twin brother named Elestial, who loved her piano play. On his urge Celestial gave a concert for all children in town, not knowing that her play would have effect on the Guignols. The sound lead them to an attack in which all children, including her twin brother Elestial, died. Celestial was spared and left unharmed. In order to protect her from the wrath of the citizens her father forced her to take in the role and identity of her brother and burn her brother's body with her own hands. Eles, as she was called now, refused to ever play the piano again.
However, when the unofficial Grand Orchestra come to their town Eles is urged by her father to join the orchestra and travel along with them. Lucille discovers her true identity and that Eles' play has to power to bring back the Guignol's memory. After a dramatic chain of events, Eles decides to finally join the orchestra and accompany them on their journey.
Eles soon becomes the heart and soul of the orchestra, although she has some difficulties of getting along with Kohaku. She admires Lucille for his looks and abilities in vocal performance and develops a close relationship to the calm and quiet Gwindel, whose hedgehog she sometimes pets. She feels of the Orchestra as her family and is determined to keep them all together. Eles shows absolute trust and loyalty to Lucille and his plans, even if he doesn't confide them to her.
Her piano play is described as pure and clear of sound, as well as giving inner peace to the listener. Lucille once compares her style to white wings.
Source: MAL
Character mapping
Comments
Post a Comment