[.ca] R.O.D. - Read Or Die

From Amazon.com:
Yomiko Readman is a bespectacled substitute teacher who spends every cent she earns on books. When a weird humanoid riding a buglike monster tries to steal a rare book from her, Yomiko performs some amazing battle moves using pieces of paper as weapons. She's immediately drafted into the British Library Special Engineering Force, assigned to Operation Manuscript Retrieval. The mutant clones of a demented scientist are stealing rare books from libraries around the world. The resurrected scientist plans to destroy the human race by reconstructing and broadcasting Beethoven's lost "Death Symphony," which will compel everyone who hears it to commit suicide: it's up to Yomiko and her teammates to stop him. This slight, off-the-wall sci-fi adventure boasts handsome designs, polished animation, and skillful direction; it's a pity the artists weren't given a better vehicle for their talents. (Unrated: suitable for ages 14 and older: considerable violence, grotesque imagery) --Charles Solomon

X-Men meet the Dewey Decimal System:
This OAV was an anime I really looked forward to viewing. Unfortunately, the promising premise was undercut by flaws too sizable and numerous to overlook. The story focuses mostly on two characters, Yomiko and Nancy. They`re the only `good guys` who have extraordinary powers, and the nature of these powers is very similar to those displayed by Marvel`s X-men. First off, we have the main character, Yomiko Readman, aka The Paper. She can manipulate paper to effects ranging from mundane to deadly (think Magneto`s ability with magnetism). The combination of the element involved, paper (which is hardly your usual super-hero material), and Yomiko's nebbish, librarian, yet compelling demeanor make for a winning character rather than the feel of a rip-off that might have easily occurred. Then there`s Nancy Makuhari, aka Miss Deep, who can phase through any and all matter with moves that rival Nadia Comaneci (think Shadowcat, aka Kitty Pride, with Nightcrawler`s gymnastic ability). The first incongruity we come across regarding agent Yomiko is her level of experience with, and working for, British intelligence. When she first meets Miss Deep, she introduces herself using her real name. Deep admonishes her for this rookie mistake. But Yomiko isn`t supposed to be a rookie. Her familiarity with the upper brass is evident. She`s a known quantity in British Intelligence and is being tapped for a very important assignment that has implications for international diplomacy as well as military and security objectives. Secondly, the extent of her ability to manipulate paper appears inconsistent. The show can`t make up its mind if she can control paper that`s simply nearby, or if she has to be in contact with the paper, along with any sheets touching the first. In one life-and-death situation, she is bound, and cannot manipulate the paper ribbon in her braided hair until she can grasp it with her teeth. Yet in another scene, she can control pieces of paper floating around her without making contact with them, either directly or via other paper. The first case itself seems rather odd; since the paper ribbon is in her hair, she is technically already touching it (even though it was tied by Miss Deep). Perhaps once she has touched a piece of paper, she can manipulate it ever after by proximity (at one point we do see her flipping through a stack of currency). But that still wouldn`t explain the former case above. Even if this is true, why reach for, grab, and then throw paper that she's obviously already touched from a briefcase, instead of just commanding it to fly on it`s own? I`m sure there`s some rational explanation for these apparent variances, but one can't escape the feeling that her ability is dictated by whatever the director needs at the moment to create the desired dramatic effect. Third, is Yomiko a bumbling bookworm, or a ninja warrior? For the most part, Yomiko behaves as someone more likely than most to trip over or bang into something out of clumsiness, or inattentiveness. Yet she holds her own in battles with master samurai. If she doesn`t understand the basics (never give your real name in an operation), how did she manage to hone her martial arts skills to such a degree? There are some problems in directing as well. In one shot involving the Statue of Liberty, everything happens in normal speed?except for Yomiko, who is suspended in mid-air, coat flapping, seemingly going slow motion, left-to-right in a straight line. There`s nothing to keep her from falling, which she eventually does in the next shot. I`m surprised this got passed the editing process. The show also has the rather annoying habit of shuttling you from place to place without any indication of travel, or identification of the new location. With a little thought, one can suss out soon enough what has happened, but time has to be spent wondering exactly where you are now? Japan, Britain, or Washington? One other thing that bothers me. The story seems reluctant to define the era in which it takes place. There are steam powered contraptions from the 1800s, clothes from the 1920s, conveyance systems from the 40s, manual typewriters from the 50s, James Bond style music from the 70s, computer monitors and satellite imagery from the 90s, genetic replication technology that hasn?t been invented yet, just to name a few. Half way through the first episode, I found myself wishing that they would choose a time period and stick with it. Yet even given all this, it`s definitely not a complete waste of time. As others have pointed out, the story is engaging enough, the characters interact in an interesting manner, and the artwork is very pleasant. Yomiko`s character has a child-like sincerity that`s devoid of cynicism, coupled with a hard-core tenacity to accomplish her mission. It`s a difficult combination that comes off in spades and saves the show. We quickly come to really like and care about Yomiko. Even though Read or Die has been somewhat overhyped, it is still worth a look. I would recommend seeing it before buying. This anime had the potential to be an immediate buy-off-the-shelf keeper, but the gaps and incontinuites lessened what should have been an excellent show.

Great Anime worth paying for!:
Alright R.O.D. starts off with a bang and doesnt stop. Not one dull moment in this 90 minute anime. It has a very good story which is really what anime is about. The english Dubs where great. I dont think I could have picked a better cast to do the voices. The animation is top notch and the action in this anime will figurativly keep you on the edge of your seat. In my honost opinion you would be an idiot to not pick up a copy of R.O.D. Its one of the many great animes out there. I got my copy cheap so I'm pretty sure you could find it somewhere costing around $15-20.

Creative and captivating DVD:
Read or Die is a very original series that would be recommended for a wide variety of audiences. The artwork, animation, characters and storyline are all very well done. I personally enjoyed it a lot. The only elements to be questioned are certain points in the animation that would seem slighty unreasonable. Of course, these elements are what make it all the more interesting when looking forward to the conclusion.

W.O.R. - Watch or Regret:
"Read or Die" is a fast-paced adventure full of paper-throwing, bullet-dodging, and literally heart-squeezing action. The story follows a substitute teacher named Yomiko Readman (and her gigantic glasses). Yomiko spends all her earnings on books, and she loves to read. One day while out shopping (for books), she finds a particularly rare tome, which she proceeds to bury her nose in. Unfortunately for her, it is snatched away from her buy a grasshopper-man riding a gigantic bug the moment she steps from the store. Fortunately for her, she has the power to manipulate paper in any way she sees fit, and also happens to be standing next to a tipped-over truck carrying a load of printer paper. Needless to say, Ms. Readman is a secret agent, better known among her colleagues as "The Paper," and she teams up with several other unusual characters to protect the priceless and dangerous volume from the clutches of some of history's most erratic celebrities, ranging from a German aviation pioneer to a Chinese monk who can ride clouds. As you can no doubt see by now, this is a whirlwind adventure that you can't miss. The entire series is contained on one DVD, making it one of the cheapest whole anime series that one can buy. The downside is that "Read or Die" is only three episodes long, but since they were not produced for television, each one is a full thirty minutes instead of the standard twenty-one. Each episode has several exciting battle scenes mixed with quiet character and plot development scenes. The episodes can be watched like a movie, with no "recaps" at the beginning of the episode or previews at the end. The soundtrack is composed by the incomparable Taku Iwasaki, who is best known for his work with "Rurouni Kenshin: Romantic Tales from the Meiji Era." This is music that I enjoy listening to even when not watching the series. The theme song and the general tone of the music is sort of a cross between 70's-style James Bond-esque spy show music and orchestral music, which, on the whole, came out very well. The episodes can be watched in either Japanese or English, and though I usually advise watching the subtitled Japanese version, R.O.D.'s American voice acting is very well done for a dub. The biggest gripe I had with "R.O.D." was the fact that all the writing was in Japanese except for three specific instances, yet the story took place exclusively in London, New York City, India, and over the Aegean Sea. Still, that's not a very big problem, and didn't really affect my overall impression of "R.O.D." On the plus side, all the architectural drawing was very accurate, for instance the shot of the British Museum (a real place, I've been there) was astoundingly similar to the real thing, and althought they never call it the British Museum by name, it was instantly recognizable. Overall, "Read or Die" was a terrific piece of work. The art was amazing, the humor was absolutely perfect, and the general feel of the series was exciting. From the twisting plotline to the unforgettable characters, "Read or Die" was an amazing pieve of work, perfect for anyone with a sense of adventure and especially well-suited to otaku or those with an appreciation for terrific animation... a definite thumbs-up.

More than a breath of fresh air...:
...although I notice our illustrious spotlight reviewers seem to favor that phrase. I can't really add more information about the plot or characters than previous reviews, but there's one important point that I don't feel has been brought up yet. All the superpowered characters in this anime are perfectly in touch with their powers, and use them to their full extent. The Paper makes swords and clubs and shields without thinking about it, and at one point deftly bends said club into a hook to catch herself from a fall. Ms. Deep hides inside things, reaches through things, and generally has complete mastery over when and how she is immaterial. It does seem to require a little concentration on her part -- she does occasionally get hit -- but otherwise her grace and skill are a sight to behold. The villains all use their quirks to full advantage on both offense and defense. The first two minutes give us a taste of this awesome power before starting character development. There is kung foolery, electricity, aircraft, and Zen Bhuddism (?!), all pushed to their illogical limit in pursuit of rare books. The biographical notes are a must if you want to understand all the in-jokes with the flashy abilities they wield. On the whole, there is no hewing and hawing with mortal conventions when superpowers would serve just as well. Can you imagine American cartoons with heros giving 100% constantly? Justice League episodes would be over in ten minutes; Powerpuff Girls would take five. Read or Die nailed the apparently difficult concept of superhumans doing battle with one another.