How Many Episodes Will Season 1 of Requiem of the Rose King Have?

How many episodes will Requiem of the Rose King have? Based on a manga of the same name, the anime is a loose retelling of Shakespeare's Richard III and Henry IV. Pair that with the inclusion of lgbtq+ elements and the now rare vintage shojo aesthetics, and this has the potential to be one of the winter season's most interesting works. The pacing, however, leaves something to be desired, causing fans to wonder in just how many episodes the creators intend to fit the story.

Credit: J. C. Staff

So far, the first episodes of Requiem of the Rose King have rushed several historical or pseudo-historical events that are further developed in the manga by Aya Kanno. This initially led some viewers to believe that this would be your typical 12-episode anime, for better or for worst. This, however, is not the case.

According to the popular anime database MyAnimeList, Requiem of the Rose King is going to have a total of 24 episodes. This suggests that, while the first episodes were rushed and hard to follow, there's plenty of space for the pacing to improve. It is a bit early to tell, but we think that, perhaps, the creators wanted to get on top of the inciting events so that they can devote more screen time to important or fan-favorite scenes.

The manga will definitely offer a fuller experience, especially since it is currently not known whether or not the anime will adapt the source material in its entirety. After all, the manga only concluded very recently.

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That being said, the anime is worth trying, not only due to the refreshing aesthetics but also due to the great representation. While Shakespeare Richard III was deformed due to a hunchback, the anime has an intersex main character instead. As was often the case with anyone who differed from the norm in the Middle Ages and Early Modern times, Richard is shunned by others, especially his mother, who treats him as a demon.

In the anime, Richard, who identifies as male but is not seen as such by those around him, fosters a justified rage for everyone, apart from his father who accepts him as he is. Other works present Richard III as a completely vile character. Kanno's Richard definitely has a dark side, but he's also a compelling character. Hopefully, 24 episodes will be enough to develop a strong emotional arc for him.