If I could only choose one word to describe Berubara, it would be poetry.   Admittedly, the petty court schemes and torrid romances follow the shoujo manga formula to a tee.   Yet what prevents this series from becoming another forgettable soap opera is the author's deft use of language.

A good example is the naming of manga chapters.   The phrasing is concise and lyrical, with just enough imagery to appeal to the more mature readers yet not so esoteric to send a young reader running.   Granted, the author could have taken the easy way out and simply assign catchy titles like "atarashii unmei!" or "kuroi kishi" no maki ("A New Destiny!" or "The Black Knight" chapter). Thankfully she didn't. (see Translations for details).

 

Chapter	Japanese Title [1]	English Title [2]
	「ベルサイユのバラ」 & 外伝 I     "Rose of Versailles" & Side Story I
1	新しい運命のうずの中に atarashii unmei no uzu no naka ni	In the Waves of New Destiny
2	栄光の座によいしれて eikou no za ni yoishirete	Basking in the Seat of Glory
3	ゆるされざる恋 yurusarezaru koi	Forbidden Love
4	黒い騎士をとらえろ kuroi kishi o toraero	Catch the Black Knight
5	オスカルの苦しみ Osukaru no kurushimi	Oscar's Suffering
6	燃えあがる革命の火 moeagaru kakumei no hi	The Burning Flames of the Revolution
7	美しき愛の誓い utsukushiki ai no chikai	Vows of Beautiful Love
8	神にめされて   (1972) みずからの選んだ道を   (1994) kami ni mesarete mizukara no eranda michi o	God's Summon A Path of My Own
9	いたましい王妃の最後   (1972) 神 にめされて   (1994) itamashii ouhi no saigo kami ni mesarete	The End of the Sorrowful Queen God's Summon
10	外伝 : 黒衣の伯爵夫人 Gaiden: kokui no hakushakuhujin	Side Story: The Countess in Black
	「ベルサイユのバラ」外 伝 II     "Rose of Versailles" Side Stories II
1	ル・ルーと、いっしょに来た人形 Lulu to issho ni kita ningyou	The Arrival of Lulu and Her Doll
2	ジャルジェ将軍の息子あらわる！？ Jarjayes shougun no musuko arawaru	General Jarjayes' Son Shows Up!?
3	トルコの海賊と修道女 Turk no kaizoku to shuudoujo	The Turkish Pirates and the Nuns
4	悪魔の薬 akuma no kusuri	The Devil's Medicine

 

Notes

[1] The titles are based on the Margaret Comics tankoubon (1972) and Shueisha bunkoban (1994).   Note that chapters 8 and 9 are reordered and renamed in the later Shueisha bunkoban.   Judging by the titles alone, it seems like the author wants to redirect attention to Oscar instead of Antoinette.   I'm not sure if this is the actual reason.

[2] Many of these titles are hard to translate because the corresponding English words do not convey the nuances in the Japanese.   For instance, the word "uzu" (chapter 1) literally means "eddy" or "whirlpool" but with a slight implication of danger.   A literal translation would not work since neither "eddy" or "whirlpool" can achieve such a figurative meaning.   The closest English word is "maelstrom."   Yet "maelstrom" is a tough sell because it conveys a feeling of doom and is an obscure word for many people.   So I have chosen "waves" to represent the dual meanings in "uzu."   The same can be said for the other titles.