Beautiful and serene, Cesare is the central figure in the story of Cantarela, none other than the historical figure of Cesare Borgia. Of Spanish heritage, he is a member of one of the wealthiest families living in the Italian Rennaisance, the son of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza Catanei, a skilled militarist, leader, and nobleman. By 1493, just a year before the descovery of the Americas, Cesare became Cardinal, after years of serving as Archbishop of Valencia, with thousands of despotic actions surrounding his name. However, Cesare is yet to become any of this. At present, he is merely a young nobleman who mostly spends his time alone and possesses a melancholic stare. Cesare is fiery and passionate even if he is quiet and childlike. He is a wonderful sword fighter, an astute nobleman, and a good rider. Something in his face betrays arrogance and conceit, but he still possesses a good heart. How this heart might become corrupted and dark enough to kill and commit the evils Niccolo Machiavelli describes in The Prince, we are not sure yet, being that the manga is currently being released and the story is barely begun.

To discover Cesare is to find an alcove full of strange and wonderful things. For ages, Cesare stared at me from the pages of the book The Prince by Machiavelli, a book that details the exploits of a strong prince. To the dismay of my friends, I always loved this story, and admired the prince, who was ruthless and cruel at times. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," he advises in a chapter. I'd not realized Cesare to be the same Borgia history loves so well, being that I was too young. It was not until my best friend, and fellow team bonet member, researched the Borgias due to the fact that he was the center of one of his most favorite manga, Chiho Saito's Kakan no Maddona, that I linked The Prince with Cesare. The same Cesare Borgia? Amazing. However, his figure already had won my admiration for ages, strange as that may sound. A king must be cruel and stoic, I remember writing in the edges of my notebook or some loose leaf during my Religion class in 7th grade, as my teacher tore Cesare apart by the blackboard. How as I to know years later Cesare would enchant my friend through the drawings of Saito, and later enchant me through the beautiful art of Higuri? Life is strange that way. In Kakan no Maddona, Cesare is seen a lot older and acting in ways closer related to The Prince. Saito chose to present him as older, wiser, more cool and collected, and incredibly devoted to Italy, his beloved Italia. Kakan no Maddona follows Cesare in his quest to unify Italia and bring it to grandious glory, as he believes this to be represented in the beautiful Leonora, the Lady of Flowers. In this manga, he is ever so much more romantic, sensual and dashing, like one of the heroes in an epic or a Shakespearean noble. He truly loves Leonora, whom he wishes to possess. Saito, famous for her mature, romance storylines and adult topics such as Shoujo Kakumei Utena and Kanon, illustrates Cesare as a man who will not stop at anything to win Leonora over, even to abuse her or attempt to kill her. However, without disrespect, Higuri's Cesare is my favourite since he is ever so pretty and vulnerable.

Mischievious, Juan is Cesare's brother and the duke of Gandia. He is also the son of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza Catanei; the Pope sired other children with other mistresses. A young noble lord, he is spoiled, brash, harsh, and incouregible. He acts as if the world owed him a living and demands attention from everyone. He acts as a common brat, and is quite mean, even to his father and sister. He is a good rider and hunter, even if he is cruel. As history will tell, Juan, which is Spanish for John, and Cesare will become fatal enemies, an act that will result in the death of Juan.

Youthful and spirited, she is Cesare's youngest sister, also the daughter of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza Catanei. She spends her childhood with nuns and other noblewomen, seclustered behind walls out from the populace of Italia. She harbours an infantile, sweet, and carefree spirit. She doesn't really share a good relationship with Juan, who is extremely mean towards her, and she seems to be afraid of. Juan even drops her from his horse after forcing her to ride with him, so Lucrezia's got her reasons. She's yet to interact with Cesare, but ther relationship should be warm. Historically, it is rumoured she and Cesare shared a romantic relationship.

The father of Cesare, Juan, and Lucrezia, Rodrigo is merely a Cardinal in the start of Cantarela. A mang persecuted by mistakes, and in search of glory and personal advance. However, although history and other storytellers paint this man to be a despot and a vicious person, Higuri is quite nice towards him. He is paternal, confused, and tormented. Nothing like the cruel and fastidious pope you'd read about if you were to research in history books. I am unsure what to think of him, since this is the first time I see him in such a fashion. I'm used to loathing him from Saito's version of him, where he's a corrupted little man. However, if Higuri treats him as a noble person, I will find myself in a predicament: how to care for a man who's been so vile in my head for so long?

 
Youthful and bravarious, Michelloto is Cesare's closest relationship, although it is not yet revealed how they share this relationship. Historically, it is known that Michelotto was Cesare's right hand assasin and faithful follower, but for now in Higuri's manga all we know is that they share a harmless friendship. Both young men fight each other to test their strenghts, playfully. Michelotto is a brash young man. He rests with his feet up in a playful way in the city walls, rides his horse in a wild way around the streets, yet is a kind person. He displays loving care towards Lucrezia when he rescues her from Juan. Yet, he seems to harbour secrets, the kind Higuri seems to be about to reveal with each new volume of her manga. I, in some silly fashion, connect Michelotto with angels and paintings of angels. Perhaps is his name, which reminds me of Archangel Michael's name, or the fact that the story is Rennaisance and I can't help but picture Michael Angelo's paintings. However, Higuri's placed wings around him; he is the second most important character in the manga. What will his story be like? How will his relationship with Cesare change?