Review of R.O.D. (TV Series): Vol. 5

Introduction

There`s a lot of Japanese anime flooding the UK market in an effort to cash-in on our seemingly insatiable desire for the genre. `Read or Die` is far superior to much of the flood, particularly if you like your action mixed with some genuine humour and pathos.

Where `ROD` works best for me is the English dub. Unlike so many dubs of the genre, the character voices are consistently good. Some of the dialogue feels so real, softly spoken, almost throwaway - in short, it feels real. And for an animated programme that`s some mean feat.

Despite ROD creator`s Hideyuki Kurata`s claim that the inspiration for `ROD` came directly from the first `Charlie`s Angels` movie, I`d posit that this is an infinitely richer piece than that; an action series based pretty much around an obsessive love of books, libraries and reading. Add to that global conspiracies (with the Brits as quiet fascists with global domination in mind, centering their activities at The British Library). Oh - and a weird hybrid of kung-fu and origami, though the wild `paper-master` action here is very occasional.

But there`s also time for characterisation. In this fifth volume we get plenty of that as the group face up to the `reality` of their situation - and the enormity of their mission!

The animation itself is simple (in common with much of the genre) though is frequently highly imaginative. Strange angles and point-of-view shots are used, and some of the flights of imagination are truly inspired.

I also liked the subtleties of attitudinal movement, like a foot swinging into the foreground momentarily when one of the young girls is lying on bed reading. A throwaway detail, though one that adds to the richness of the programme.

Here`s a little bit more in the way of a synopsis, though if you`re already convinced then look away as it will almost certainly contain spoilers!

Following on from the major gearshift of the last volume, (culminating in the burning down of the British Library) these episodes start at a more relaxed pace (once the girls are rescued from the scene) as the girls hide in Yomiko`s parents cabin buried deep in the forest. Through the use of a paper-based hologram (come on - you can suspend disbelief!), Yomiko goes some way to explaining why she burnt down the British Library, precious books and all.

Meanwhile, the softly spoken Mr. Joker, sends an insidious agent of his own to retrieve the precious missing volume that is the focus of his search.

Junior makes a return, attempting to steal the book that Joker needs, though Nancy manages to bring him round - and there are some revelations about his origins that gives rise to some warm sentimentality which sets a new tone for the final arc of the story.

In the meantime, the British Library (the title for the massive organisation bent on World domination) is progressing its cause by taking over bookstores the world over. (`Another bookstore has fallen…`) It`s wildly imaginative stuff!

We also discover that the final book will allow Joker to bring the mysterious Mr. Gentleman back to life.

Following the abduction of some of the girls, the fate of the world (and that book) are left in the hands of just two of them (the least likely duo - but I won`t spoil it). The final episode ends on another indecisive cliffhanger …has the book been destroyed? Where is everybody? Have all the girls been destroyed in a helicopter crash? You`ll need to buy Volume 6 to find out. I know I will!

Video

In a word, the transfer is great. Flawless with a nice rich colour palette, combined with detailed blacks in darker scenes.

Audio

I listened to the English 5.1 track (though normally elect Japanese with subtitles). The effects throughout are very impressively placed, but on occasion (particularly at the start of Episode 17) they overwhelm the dialogue which is frustrating. However, this seems to be very occasional.

Features

Not bad for an anime release which tend to be a bit lacking in the `features` department. There are the original Japanese previews for the four episodes if you want a sneak-peek before you begin. There`s also a click-through production artwork section for those with an interest in developing their own Manga drawing skills. Peculiarly, and in common with the other volumes in this series, there is a textless ending available here, though for the life of me I`m struggling to figure out why! I guess the only really notable extra this time is yet another English Voice-over artiste commentary track on the first episode which is fun. They`re certainly amongst the best-dubbed voices of the genre that I`ve heard, avoiding the `let`s shout all the lines` approach of so many dubs.

Conclusion

Volume 5 sets the scene beautifully for the final story arc, taking its sweet time to further explore the complex relationships between the various characters, as well as finally revealing the true nature of Joker`s global ambitions.

With just 6 episodes left (spread across two final volumes), this anime just gets more and more intriguing!

R.O.D is one of those anime`s that comes along from time to time that is full of great characters, good humour, and a strangely compelling atmosphere all of its own. The artwork is fresh, the music score perfect, and it`s a lot of fun.

There`s no doubt that you`ll need a huge suspension of disbelief to go with the `paper` ideas (which are highly imaginative but clearly preposterous) and there is no doubt that by the cliff-hanger end of episode 20, you`ll be thirsting for the next batch of episodes.