Anime Read or Die and R.O.D the TV

[Dagger]

Ever since it was first released in North America (sometime last spring), ROD has been one of my favorite anime titles. For those of you who don't know, Read or Die is a three-episode OAV that revolves around bizarre superpowers, secret agents, and a couple of surprisingly powerful rare manuscripts.

Although it's fairly violent and features quite a bit of fan service, ROD is no more inappropriate than, say, a Bond film. And despite its oddities--for example, the main character is a bookworm who fights solely by using her ability to manipulate paper--the OAV has a lighthearted, almost cute atmosphere that makes it instantly loveable.

Read or Die also has the most innovative and interesting action sequences that I've ever seen. It doesn't hurt that its animation is very smooth, slick, and modern-looking; when it was first created, ROD was (and may still be) the most expensive OAV ever made. This shows in everything from its detailed backgrounds to its sheer originality.

So if you've had the chance to watch this and feel like discussing it... well, you know what to do. ^_^

~Dagger~

[MaggieMehve]

I've seen the first OAV at an anime convention for Inuyasha: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass down at the University of Arizona. We weren't supposed to view it, actually, they were testing for its volume (there were problems with the stereo before the movie), so I only got to read the subtitles.

I agree, the backgrounds are gorgeous! Almost as close to the ones made by Studio Ghibli. What I saw in the OAV, was a wonderful plot and I wanted to find out more. Its a very interesting story from what I could tell. O.o

[Dagger]

Interesting indeed. Read or Die's storyline is rather quirky and over-the-top--to say the least--and I'm willing to bet that certain people would be turned off by its relative lack of realism.

I personally found the OAV very amusing. Its artwork and engaging characters allowed me to suspend my disbelief and simply enjoy the ride.... humor, drama, bizarre enemies and all.

Am I, by any chance, the only person who saw strong shoujo-ai hints between Yomiko Readman and Nancy Makahari (the two main characters)?

~Dagger~

[Tog]

Hah! Ever since I was a few months ago I was thinking about whether or not it as shoujo ai or just strong friendship. I still have no answers. And yes, RoD is very good, although very quick. I think it would do well as, perhaps, a full series. Do you know if there's a manga? (I'm not talking about in English)

[Ani_Freak]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Dagger IX1 [/i]
[B]Interesting indeed. Read or Die's storyline is rather quirky and over-the-top--to say the least--and I'm willing to bet that certain people would be turned off by its relative lack of realism.

I personally found the OAV very amusing. Its artwork and engaging characters allowed me to suspend my disbelief and simply enjoy the ride.... humor, drama, bizarre enemies and all.

Am I, by any chance, the only person who saw strong shoujo-ai hints between Yomiko Readman and Nancy Makahari (the two main characters)?

~Dagger~ [/B][/QUOTE]

[color=darkblue]Well, to me, ROD is one of the few OVA's that I found to be just plain perfect. I loved the plot, wich is like one of the most original plots I've seen. Yes, it's very unreal, but that's one of the things that makes this Anime great.

From the characters to animation to artwork this OVA is simply amazing. I loved Yomiko, bacause she is your not so average heroine. The animation is just superb. Come on, how about the last showdown [i]a la[/i] Empire Strikes Back? Simply great, very detailed.

About the little [i]shoujo-ai[/i] relation between Yomiko and [i]Mrs. Deep[/i], the way the plot revolves makes you at first think there is something going on between the two. But at the end, I kind of got to see what I expected. It's one of those relationships like the one Kirika and Mirielle of [i]NOIR[/i] had.[/color]

[MamoruAlpha]

Have any of you bought a defective copy of this series? I bought mine at Best Buy last week and when I watched it, it froze during the first ep. I had it exchanged, but the new copy also froze in the exact same place.

[densuke]

The ROD OAV is one of those OAVs which make people think that [i]all[/i] OAVs are incredibly well-made, hehe (far from it actually). It's a great adaptation of a stinko manga. The plot is a little over-and-under (some of what is going on got left somewhere in the manga I think) but the show goes well enough from scene to scene and pays off very well in the finale.

What struck me most about ROD is the style, which is derived from flashy 60s/70s nonsense like the early Bond films. The show is very well orchestrated and plays off its classy score for maximum impact. I think the style is big enough to support the loopy plot and variety of settings.

Even better in many ways was the TV series ([b]R.O.D The TV[/b]), which is licensed and hopefully will be coming over this year. Based on but not limited by yet another lame manga, this series manages to update the OAV's style and cook up a story which more or less dovetails into the preceding events. It also introduces 4 new major characters (who are all simply fabulous!) and does a superb job of juggling its expanded cast. Best of all, it has 26 episodes to dish out the goodness.

Admittedly the entire ouvre has a rather tentative grasp on plotting. The TV series climax is dramatic but unspectacular. However, in dealing with the "super-powered" characters both shows adopt the approach American comic books do - the powers doled out to the characters at the outset of the story are all they get, and they have to use their wits to get into a position to use them effectively.

This approach gives the action sequences a more exciting feeling because there are no mystical rituals or kooky "getting in touch with your feelings" scenes which have to be gotten through. My eyes always glaze over at that sort of thing...

All in all the OAV and TV series are top-quality work and really stand out as huge achievements of the last few years.

[Flashlight]

I would list what I like about the OVA series as well, but you guys have already said a lot about that, so I'm going to mention what I didn't like.

One thing is that I wish we could have gotten more of [spoiler] Beatoven (I think it was Beatoven... I should turn it on again, it's been awhile) [/spoiler]
I was so cool that he was actually there, but he got so little screen time and zilch in development.

[spoiler] I also wish we could have seen Drakes daugher (Well, I assume it's his daughter he's talking about) [/spoiler]

And... That's all I can think of. Well, the only big thing. So, back to the pros:

Iwasaki Taku. Ab-so-lut-e-ly fricken amazing. The sound track was wonderful, so beautiful, I have to give praise to her. Amazing. :D

The character and background designs are eye poppingly fantastic. And it's all done so stylishly too, which was something I wasn't expected with a main character like Yomiko. I like begin wrong sometimes :D

In short, this OVA series gets a lot of praise from me. It's truly something to be cherished. :D

*Also, I may just not have been looking into it deep enough, but I didn't catch the idea that Yomiko and Nancy might have that intimate of a relationship. That's just me I guess. :)

[r2vq]

Read... or Die. What a wonderful anime. The CG of the series blends with the drawn animation so well, it's beautiful. The way the detail was put into each character, like Yomiko's hair for example, it's beautiful. The way the story makes a Hollywood movie genre seem like it's always been Japanese, beautiful.

What's not good about this OVA? The ending was kind of quick, as already mentioned. I agree with FlashLight on the subject of the antagonist having more [spoiler]screen time.[/spoiler] The other characters (except for the secretary, who I think could've had a better role) had great personalities and character designs you wouldn't find in an average OVA or anime.

Yomiko Readman, although her story could've been a bit more developed, was definately a fun character to watch. What was inside her travelling case at the end of the first episode especially had me on the edge of my seat. The chase-scene and the way Yomiko handled it was pure greatness.

As for Yomiko and Ms. Deep having shounen-ai connections? There's more hints to this in the second episode than any other in my opinion. Although, I'd rather assume that the two are just getting along like sisters! Gomen ne Dagger-dono. ^^

-ArV

[Dagger]

I seriously thought I had enough patience to avoid watching R.O.D the TV until the series received its American release (volume 1 will come out in June). Well, it turns out that I thought wrong--and at this rate, I'll have finished the show in a week or so. ^_^;

As of now I've downloaded episodes 1-4, and I plan to save the next few for sometime later tonight. R.O.D is so addictive and well-done. In fact, I've pretty much fallen in love with [i]all[/i] of the new characters, particularly Anita and Michelle. From the looks of things, the male cast is equally appealing... I can't wait to see more of Anita's cute (albeit slightly belligerent) classmate and the mysterious gray-haired boy.

The series' set-up is actually kind of brilliant, now that I think about it. ^_^ Keeping Yomiko as the main character probably wouldn't have worked too well, but I'm really happy that [spoiler]she has an important role.[/spoiler]

~Dagger~

[Godelsensei]

[COLOR=Gray][FONT=Courier New][QUOTE=r2vq]As for Yomiko and Ms. Deep having shounen-ai connections? There's more hints to this in the second episode than any other in my opinion. Although, I'd rather assume that the two are just getting along like sisters! Gomen ne Dagger-dono. ^^
[/QUOTE]

You know, that [i]would[/i] be a funny concept, especially since they're both, you know, girls...*ahem* (Shounen-ai is *boys*.^_^)

AAA!!! R.O.D.! How is it that I have not posted in this topic before??

I. Absolutely. Love. This. OAV.

Every one loves it. Even those who arbitrarily hate anime as a general kind of thing love it (at least the ones I know...>_>)!

The voice-acting is done almost flawlessly (I love Wendy's voice^^), and the characters themselves are original. I love how every one has unique quirks and eccentricities that just bring them to life.
The animation is spectacular (<---obvious). Actually, my dad liked R.O.D. because of this (if you knew him, you'd know this says alot : / ). It's the clearest DVD in the house--shows up on the projector flawlessly. YOU CANNOT SEE THE PIXELS. That's how great it is.

I love the whole bit with the [Spoiler]paper[/Spoiler] and the [Spoiler]plane[/Spoiler]. The shot where [Spoiler]what'shisface is flying in his little jet-thingy and looks up...haha! Seeing Nancy and Yumiko flying towards him in a paper airplane...the machine gun was great. (I need to learn to structure what I say, methinks..._ _U)

So much to say...but, overall...I LOVE IT. Makes me wanna go watch it again...^_^

(And, yes, Skippedry, I got those shoujo-ai vibes, too...>_>)
[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Dagger]

Godel, have you seen the television series? It's mind-bogglingly great--everything that R.O.D would have been were it not for certain time constraints. Like the OVA, R.O.D TV is packed with tasteful fanservice, classy humor and a healthy dose of slick, creative action. Its character development is absolutely superb. Even Maggie, who I initially ignored, has turned out to be much stronger and more capable than her behavior in the first few episodes seemed to indicate. The romantic elements are [i]slightly[/i] stronger than those in the OVA, yet sadly that isn't saying much.

As a matter of fact, the only new character I have difficulty rooting for is Hisami. She's cute, but anime isn't exactly lacking in adorable young girls. Normally I'd be all over a potential shoujo-ai pairing... I guess the problem here is that I really, really love [spoiler]Junior, and between the two of them, I think he'd be much better suited for Anita.[/spoiler] Hisami's shy personality and high-pitched voice just don't do anything for me; if one disregards the fact that she happens to be [spoiler]in love with a girl,[/spoiler] she's basically a stock character. So far the only scene in which I felt any sympathy for her was when [spoiler]she had to tell that boy why they couldn't be together.[/spoiler]

But these are pretty minor complaints... overall, R.O.D TV is awesome. I can only hope that I won't find its ending disappointing.

~Dagger~

[r2vq]

Whoops... Shoujo Ai...

R.O.D. TV, another set of data I have on my computer never accessed via Audio/Video decompiler.

I watched the RAW for the second or third episode back in September. I honestly abhorred it from what I saw. I felt the characters took away from what I liked in the OVA and I was afraid it would ruin the name of Read or Die.

I was obviously wrong as I find constant lovers of the series telling me how the series just gets better and better. I have the episodes now and hopefully, I wont be as speculative and shtuupeeed so I can watch it properly this time.

-ArV

[Dagger]

Earlier today I finished watching R.O.D the TV, and although it has some minor flaws, overall the show is really fantastic. The storyline is epic and creative, but not to the point of being totally ridiculous; people who managed to suspend their disbelief during Read or Die should have no trouble getting through most of the anime's bizarre plot twists.

For a twenty-six episode series, it's [i]very[/i] well paced. Even the segments that might be categorized as filler contributed either to character development (of which there is plenty) or some part of the overarching story.

Heck, this show made me cry... and a good portion of it isn't even terribly serious. In my opinion, that's a real accomplishment. :p Before I saw R.O.D the TV, I'd noticed that a lot of fans were complaining about its ending. [spoiler]Apparently the final episode is "too happy." Well, I fail to understand how someone who's watched the OVA could ever think that this isn't an inherently optimistic franchise.

One Nancy survived in the final episode of Read or Die--against all odds, I might add--so how could you expect the TV series to end with any kind of enormous tragedy? The characters suffer enough over the course of the anime to lend it emotional credibility.[/spoiler]

I guess my main complaint is that the artwork gets a little weird in later episodes. The facial shading becomes rather imprecise, sometimes to the point of being incredibly unsightly. However, R.O.D the TV's action is fluid and exciting (albeit never very lengthy), and while it lacks the OVA's visual shininess, it has much better characterization and a more satisfying plot.

Once again, [spoiler]Junior[/spoiler] is just too damn cute. That makes three series in which my favorite character is voiced by Saiga Mitsuki--Peacemaker (Okita Souji), Kyou Kara Maou (Wolfram) and R.O.D the TV [spoiler](Junior)[/spoiler]. I seriously can't wait to get this on DVD. Hopefully, the English voice cast will be as good as the Japanese.

Should I split this thread? It might be easier to have one topic for discussing the OVA, and one specifically for R.O.D the TV... but then again, it might not. I'd like to hear your opinions.

~Dagger~

[Moses]

I have seen RoD the OVA or movie whatever it is, but I am yet to see the TV series. RoD as everyone has said is a very visualy apealing anime with smooth action seens and very beautiful character design. I have to say that some of this is little far fetched but is pulled off very well by the production team. In the sense that it fits really well into the present day back drop of RoD.

I hear from my friends that RoD the TV series is an awsome anime that does not have the same main character as RoD OVAs. When I heard this I was a little bit unsure of the series but the more I read up on it and hear about it, the series seems to be awsome.

I personaly love the background settings they have so much detail and provide a lovely backdrop to the action. They seem to bring a life of their own to the OVAS.

[Dagger]

[quote name='Moses']I hear from my friends that RoD the TV series is an awsome anime that does not have the same main character as RoD OVAs. When I heard this I was a little bit unsure of the series but the more I read up on it and hear about it, the series seems to be awsome.[/quote]

The fact that there are several new additions to the cast is actually sort of misleading, since [spoiler]Yomiko and Nancy show up about halfway through R.O.D the TV and play very important roles from that episode onwards. Drake makes his first appearance even earlier.[/spoiler]

Volume 1 comes out on June 29, in case you're interested. ^_^ I am so psyched about this show's dub. Two excellent early reviews (which deal solely with the English track) can be found [URL=http://www.dubreview.com/fl_rodtv1.php][u]here[/u][/URL] and [URL=http://www.animeondvd.com/news/article.php?article_view=312][u]here[/u][/URL].

The second link also addresses Gungrave, while the first offers a very specific examination of R.O.D the TV, even providing numerous audio clips of the main characters' lines. Though nothing can compare to actually sitting down and watching a couple of episodes, right now I'm really impressed by the English voice actresses' work. They seem totally capable of matching the energy and overall tone of their Japanese counterparts. Nenene in particular sounds [i]perfect[/i].

~Dagger~

[dposse]

This thread is going to be about both Read or Die Tv and the Read or Die OVA.


I just saw the first two epiodes of Read or Die Tv last night. It seems that G4Techtv got lucky and got Read or Die Tv. I'm glad they did too. G4TechTv has never edited there animes like Cartoon Network does. They have always taken animes that Cartoon Network could never have shown (look at SE:Lain).

Well, i saw the first two episodes of Read or Die Tv. And i really like it. The first two episodes were really good in starting the story. They showed why the main charcter needs bodyguards and how she meets up with them. It also sets up nicely the other 24 episodes.

There powers are really interesting too. Making anything out of paper is a really cool and useful thing. [spoiler] We already saw in the first two episodes that they can make clothes, plates, birds, and a few other things out of paper [/spoiler] It is going to be interesting what kind of things they can do with this power and how they will use it to protect people.

I really like Read or Die Tv. I really want to see all 26 episodes of this anime. I also want to see the Read or Die OVA, which will air on Adult Swim in november. I cant wait to see the OVA. I just hope that they dont edit it so much that they kill it.

So, discuss Read or Die Tv and the Read or Die OVA! :D

[COLOR=#503F86][b][SIZE=1]I merged your thread with the existing Read or Die one. Please be sure to check for existing topics first, either by searching the forum or by looking through the Official Threads Directory Sticky at the top of the forum. -Solo[/COLOR][/SIZE][/b]

[Otaku Princess]

[color=Green]Well, being financially strapped, I haven't had the pleasure of purchasing the OVA, but I have been watching R.O.D. the TV, and I really like it. Maybe around New Year's I could afford to buy the OVA.

I think Maggie is my favorite on R.O.D. the TV. She's oddly tall like me, and quiet.

It's a lot of humor, but when there is action, man is it good. I think I may not be able to wait till December to buy that DVD. I just shiver thinking about it. I've read alot about it in magizenes and everyone says its awesome, so that has just further cemented my determination to get it.

I still don't understand what's up with Ms. Deep. I read that she was a clone of someone, and killed someone and took their identity. And that she has the mentality of a child. So, what is it? So... confused, I'm going crosseyed. :wigout:[/color]

[liubei013]

[QUOTE=Otaku Princess][color=Green]Well, being financially strapped, I haven't had the pleasure of purchasing the OVA, but I have been watching R.O.D. the TV, and I really like it. Maybe around New Year's I could afford to buy the OVA.
[/color][/QUOTE]

I'm currently at the reverse situation. (got the OVA, can't get the TV series yet) T_T *looks at dwindling bank account*

I heard about R.O.D. about a month and half ago, both the OVA and the TV series. So I finally went to the nearest Suncoast and got the OVA and watched it right when I got home....Whoa. I can't really comment on the OVA since pretty much most of the previous posters already covered the same grounds but the animation, plot and character designs/development was just awesome.

Oh, and to answer Otaku Princess, you gotta see the OVA to understand that. But i'll briefly explain without giving away too much (i hope): [spoiler]Ms. Deep was one of the I-Jin, (bad guys in R.O.D.) the cloned and enhanced Mata Hari. She was the one who was friends with Yomiko. In the third episode of the OVA, the boss created second Ms. Deep, who had to fight her 'good' clone. The 'evil' clone lost and had memory loss due to oxygen deprivation. That's why that Ms. Deep has mental problems.[/spoiler]

[Otaku Princess]

[quote name='liubei013']I'm currently at the reverse situation. (got the OVA, can't get the TV series yet) T_T *looks at dwindling bank account*[/quote]
[color=Green]The only reason I have the TV is because it's currently airing on G4TechTv (check local listings). I really am too cheap to buy a whole lot, especially if I can record it off of the tv. But since the OVA is only on 1 DVD I may as well spring for it instead of waiting for it to come on tv. The characters are just so interesting. I love the paper sisters, and what I've read about Yomiko so far.

The whole mentally scared thing fits me perfectly. I can almost relate sometimes... I have lympnode prob's. I'm a little wacked too. Hormones are even more crazy than usual for a teen.

Thank's for the un-spoilerish details on Ms. Deep. I sort of understand now. [/color]

[Dagger]

Last night I finished watching volume 3 of R.O.D the TV. I can't even begin to express how pleased and thrilled I am to be seeing this wonderful series again. The English-language version is already well on its way to earning a place among the best dubs ever made--Rachel Hirschfeld, the young lady who plays Anita, deserves special attention for her stunning performance (which should put many adult VAs to shame).

R.O.D the TV has a ton of replay value, perhaps even more so than the OVA. I'm happy to confirm that the animation was cleaned up for DVD; it looks significantly more detailed and slick. Episode 11, equal parts heartwarming and bittersweet, brought tears to my eyes--for the second time, no less! It can be hard to find anime that boast both breath-taking action and solid characterization, but R.O.D the TV delivers admirably in both categories.

I can't wait for volume 4--I'm already psyched about revisiting [spoiler]the big "boss" fight in episode 13.[/spoiler]

~Dagger~

[Ayokano]

I've been whatching R.O.D the TV on G4TechTV lately, and I really enjoy it. It's cute, and has depth. I really like the character designs, even though there are some I dislike. I haven't really been able to grasp the storyline though, because I missed the first episodes and it seems G4 doesn't show anything in order. But every episode is a treat, and it all seems well written.

The voice acting seems a little icky at times, but most of the time its good. I really like the ideal of using paper as weapons, too. Overall, I like it alot.

I liked the OVA too when it aired on CN, but I also didn't see all of it. Though, I disliked the voice acting more on this one, because everybody seemed to have a fake Birtish accent. Nothing wrong with the British part, but it seems a little too pushed. Because I didn't see all of it, I was really lost on the plotline, but I did like the battles. The were fast, but you didn't fell sheated when someone died.

So that's my two cents.

[Readordie]

[QUOTE=Dagger IX1]Am I, by any chance, the only person who saw strong shoujo-ai hints between Yomiko Readman and Nancy Makahari (the two main characters)?

~Dagger~[/QUOTE]
No, you're not the only one who noticed like when [spoiler]Nancy's clone kissed Yomiko's neck. Sure it was to put the tranquilizer on her, but couldn't she have just smeared it on her from her finger or when Nancy asked Yomiko about whether real love or fictionalove was better, which I think was suspect in itself even though she was talking about the I-gin guy[/spoiler]

[COLOR=#503F86][SIZE=1][b]Added [spoiler] tags. I don't know how much of a spoiler it actually is, but I didn't want to risk anything. And I removed the code, too- it'd be much appreciated if it could be posted normally in future. It's just easier to read and quote from. -Solo[/COLOR][/SIZE][/b]

[Solo Tremaine]

[quote name='Godelsensei][color=gray][font=Courier New]The voice-acting is done almost flawlessly (I love Wendy's voice^^), and the characters themselves are original. I love how every one has unique quirks and eccentricities that just bring them to life.[/font'][/color][/quote][COLOR=#503F86]The only thing about the voice-actingthat really annoyed me was when some of the actors tried (and failed miserably) to produce English accents, ever-enforcing the Dick Van-Dyke stereotype which doesn't exist >.>

But apart from that, I thought the OVA was simply gorgeous, heh. Crispin Freeman had a lovely voice, as did characters like Wendy (even though I thought her accent was a tad edgy at times, could just be me being picky though), and Yomiko and Nancy were simply two of the best characters I've ever seen in an anime. It took less than five seconds to start liking both of them after their introductions and they only continued to grow as the story went on.

I do have a complaint with the OVA- something about it felt rather rushed and hurried, although with any three-part OVA it'll probably always feel a bit like that. Although there was character development, it almost felt as if things happened for the sake of it and there wasn't enough build-up to [spoiler]Nancy's apparent betrayal[/spoiler] for it to really shock me (although I'l admit, I did feel for Yomiko).

That aside, the characters were great. I thought Paper's powers were fantastically original and that's something that'll always stick in my mind about it. You wouldn't have thought the ability to control paper would be used so effectively, and that's something I applaud the writers for.

I'm very interested in seeing R.O.D. the TV now, although knowing the UK market it'll never show up. Imported DVDs for me, then...[/COLOR]

[Dagger]

[quote name='Solo Tremaine][COLOR=#503F86']I'm very interested in seeing R.O.D. the TV now, although knowing the UK market it'll never show up. Imported DVDs for me, then...[/COLOR][/quote]

Based on your comments about the OVA, I think you probably wouldn't have any trouble getting into R.O.D the TV. Its pacing is somewhat better than that of the OVA, and it introduces a whole new arsenal of great female characters. There are some negatives, though--neither Crispin Freeman nor the actor who played Drake were able to return for the series. Mr. Freeman's replacement sounds fine (if not quite as, er, delicious). I can't exactly [i]object[/i] to the casting choice for Drake's new VA, as his voice suits the character's appearance. At the same time, every one of his lines makes me twitch because I'm so used to the original actor, who really made Drake his own.

Other than that, though, the dub is pretty remarkable. There are at least two extremely important school-age characters, both of whom are played by children, and they deliver very believable performances. Additionally, the show's ratio of real accents to fake accents is a good deal better than the OVA's.

I'm just a huge fan of this show... it has plot and character development in spades. The storyline is tight without being hard to follow, and ties into the OVA very nicely. The animation is pretty darn good for a TV series. What I found interesting was that the three main characters all have different paper-related powers. [spoiler]Michelle uses paper to create a nifty-looking bow and arrow, Maggie makes giant paper golems and Anita is basically a crazy little paper ninja.[/spoiler] They function very well as a team.

There's plenty of action, but since it has more time to work with, R.O.D the TV places more of an emphasis on friendship, loyalty and relationships in general than the OVA. This definitely pays off once the plot twists start hitting (and believe me, there are a ton of them). I could go on about this anime forever, so I'll finish by saying that--at least for me--it managed to hit all of the right spots.

~Dagger~