Charles-Henri Sanson reigns as the head of a family of executioners. His dreams of a world without execution have faded as the legacy of House Sanson takes precedence. His younger sister Marie-Joseph, stationed at the office of Versailles, lives free—unshackled by the precepts of society, jeopardizes the sanctity of that legacy. Following the death of her first love, Alain, she sets herself on a crimson-soaked path of vengeance and will stop at nothing to expose the murderer and overthrow the unjust system that cost him his life.

Innocent Rouge has art and story by Shin'ichi Sakamoto. English translation is done by Michael Gombos. Published by Dark Horse (October 21, 2025). Rated M.

Erica Friedman
Rating:

It's fair to say that I have spent more than my fair time with the French Revolution, as editor of Udon Entertainment's edition of Riyoko Ikeda's The Rose of Versailles. I came to this story relatively well-versed in the people and places, but was not ready at all for how good this manga is.

With absolutely stunningly gorgeous art, hyper-realistic to the point of surrealism, this take on the end of France's royal line is breathtakingly beautiful, brutal, ugly, nuanced, and clever at the same time. But let me be clear here – it is very brutal.

The story can be a little confusing, as it shifts perspective frequently, and Sakamoto plays a little fast and free with fashion, language, and gender roles, but that also adds to its appeal.

“This is some trippy shit” - Charles Henri Sanson

One of the most engaging and enigmatic characters, Marie-Josèphe Sanson, Charles Henri's older sister, shaves her head, wears men's clothes, and is deeply emotionally broken, but wholly okay with that. Her mother Anne, accuses her of being unlovable…But I like her, she's a modern woman stuck in an 18th-century story. Marie is clearly Sakamoto's iteration of Oscar from The Rose of Versailles, given her proclivity for men's clothes and roles in society, and her servant Andre, just to make the point. Marie, however, is an enemy of Marie Antoinette, as is the queen of depravity, Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy, who is introduced and, when told she will hang, expresses delight that she can look down upon everyone. Absolutely ftw.

All the characters are awful, but each, in their own way, is relatable. Everyone is unhinged from reality, except the poor people stuck in it — and they are deranged by despair and the madness around them, which makes for an incredible and fascinating story.

I can't wait for the next volume.

Jean-Karlo Lemus
Rating:

Having never read Innocent, I think I might have done myself a minor disservice in diving into Innocent Rouge. Not that I regret it, mind; Innocent Rouge is a positively stunning piece of artistry. Sakamoto's art tells the tragic (albeit fictionalized) tale of Charles-Henri Sanson, quite possibly the most infamous executor in eighteenth-century France. The story holds no restraints in illustrating the beauty and the horror of those days: Sanson and his family are darkly beautiful, like living ghosts. The world that surrounds them is flanked by the effervescent and ethereal realm of the French aristocracy, with their ruffles and flamboyant hair, and the grimy shadows of the peasantry, who live surrounded by squalor. Sakamoto lavishes equally upon both the intricate outfits worn by Marie-Antoinette and her retinue, as well as the horrid visages of people dying of smallpox or rotting alive from syphilis.

The horrors continue with the characters themselves; the Sanson family live upon the razor's edge of medical brilliance (a chapter details how Charles-Henri manages to perform a successful cesarean section, which at the time was a guaranteed death sentence), and gruesome responsibility (the mother was a 12-year-old who was to be hung after giving birth for murdering her abusive husband). Love is just one of many poisons and implements of torture, even for the Sanson family, stemming all the way from their dark origins.

Innocent Rouge is an unparalleled read; if I don't give it a whole-hearted recommendation, it's because it is absolutely not a story for people with sensitive dispositions. The content warnings are many, and the horrifying twists are equally so. But as far as stark historical fiction goes, I am definitely captivated by this one. Strongly recommended—with some minor reservations. Please note, Innocent Rouge has content warnings for sexual violence, child sexual abuse, gore, nudity, medical gore, and medical horror.