Review of Read Or Die (R.O.D) The OVA series

Introduction

Before there was R.O.D The TV, there was the Read Or Die OVA series, and while initially the two had little in common, gradually characters in the OVA began to crop up in the series, and the original story became more relevant. As if I needed an excuse to review more anime! Both take place in the same universe though, a fascinating place where Paper Masters are heroes, they are able to manipulate paper to their will, paper cuts are fatal and a paper aeroplane can break the sound barrier. It`s a place where literature is all, where the well-read are role models, and where there`s nothing wrong with obsessing about a novel to the exclusion of everything and everyone else. Being of a bookish bent myself; it warms my heart to see someone with a pair of glasses perched on the end of their nose, and a 1st edition Jules Verne in hand, saving the world from evil. It makes a welcome change from the usual muscle-bound six-pack wielding lowbrow Hollywood chunk of the week.

The world is in danger! Someone is cloning historical personages and imbuing them with superpowers, and has put a nefarious plan in motion. All that they need to achieve world domination is a certain manuscript, and their ruthlessness becomes clear when they destroy the White House on their way to the Library of Congress. The only people standing between them and utter disaster is… the British Library?

But this organisation spans the world, and has a host of agents and resources in place to protect humanity against those who seek to harm it. The team assigned to this case includes weapons specialist Drake Anderson, Nancy Makuhari, an agent with the startling ability to phase through matter, and finally irredeemable bookworm Yomiko Readman. In fact, Yomiko Readman gets drawn into the case when she initially spots an original edition of Immortal Beloved, instantly drawing the attention of a giant insect piloted by one of the genetically engineered villains. But Yomiko`s abilities are amazing; she can do things with paper that would have origami experts green with envy, and her determination to hold onto that book beggars belief. Soon the three heroes are travelling the world, trying to track down and stop the I-Jin, and the mastermind behind the scheme.

Manga Entertainment presents the story across three half-hour episodes.

Video

Read Or Die gets a rather splendid 4:3 transfer. The image is clear and sharp throughout, and this being a digital animation, the colours are strong and consistent. If you pause the disc during one of the action sequences, you may spot some slight compression, but why you would want to pause it there is beyond me.

The animation is astounding; it goes beyond OVA into feature film quality. The character designs are excellent, the degree of thought put into the world design simply lights up the screen, and the action sequences are breathtaking. Animating nighttime scenes is notoriously difficult, but the first episode has a breathtaking dogfight between a 19th Century glider and a giant paper aeroplane over the New York skyline. It`s all edge of the seat stuff. For those who have seen the TV spin-off, there is some nice continuity in the locations.

Audio

The usual Manga plethora of soundtracks grace this disc, including DD 2.0 and DD 5.1 English and Japanese, with an optional translated English subtitle track. I chose my usual Japanese option, and was immediately impressed by the dynamic and vibrant sound design. The rears only see the occasional work out, but otherwise the action is conveyed well. Read Or Die has some awesome music to it, giving it a sixties spy thriller feel, very Lew Grade. Just like in James Bond, the main theme plays during each episode`s climactic encounter, and the mood and feel that the music establishes is very much an attraction.

Those interested in continuity will note that the Japanese cast from the OVA went on to perform in the TV series. The same can`t be said for the English dub cast however. I listened to a bit of the dub, and found it to be performed well and easy to listen to. That`s until the English characters showed up. There`s something about American voice actors putting on English accents that just has me reaching for the mute button. It`s probably just me though. I didn`t notice any problems with the subtitle track, but given the amount of Japanese text in the show, there really needs to be a signs only track for those watching in English.

Features

Read Or Die is presented in an Amaray case inside a cardboard slipcase. A mini poster serves as an insert, with a picture of Yomiko and Nancy on one side and the chapter headings on the other.

The disc comes with the usual animated menus, and in the show you can turn the subtitles off to see the original language credits. You`ll find 14 minutes of trailers for other Manga product as well as several weblinks.

Title specific extras include the original trailer for the show, a collection of 30 stills presented in a photo gallery. You`ll also find real life biographies for the personages of historical significance resurrected for the nefarious plot.

By far the most substantial, and the most pointless is the Q & A with the filmmakers. This lasts 18 minutes, and seated at a conference are Masashi Ishihama (Character Designer), Koji Masunari (Director), and Hideyuki Kurata (Screenwriter). Interviewer asks question, translator translates into Japanese, respondents answer, translator translates into English, microphone set so low that no one can hear what is being said. Subtitles not provided. Featurette abandoned after three minutes.

Conclusion

I loved Read Or Die, and it instantly went into my personal top ten anime. I guess it`s a little underrated, as it`s not a title that I often hear spoken of. That would be a shame as it`s an action packed thrill ride from beginning to end, with a smart story, interesting characters and a nifty pace. It`s a James Bond movie in all but name and lacking the gritty edge, if James Bond were a female bibliophile with a preternatural talent for folding paper. The British Library serves as MI6, dispatching its agents to all corners of the world to fight evil. Evil in this case has a master plan for world domination, a doomsday weapon that must be defeated, a secret base to be infiltrated, and a rocket whose countdown must be stopped. There`s even an ending similar to that of On Her Majesty`s Secret Service, leaving a bittersweet lump in the throat. It doesn`t matter that it`s a three part OVA and not a movie, as it means hearing that great theme tune over again.

That music, indeed everything about this show put me more in mind of those sixties high concept action dramas, with ITC in the credits, and names like The Persuaders, The Saint, The Man From UNCLE, and The Champions. All those stories would have dapper and glamorous heroes and heroines, jet setting across the world week in and week out, saving the world from unseen menaces without getting a hair out of place, and always getting the girl. Read Or Die engenders the same feelings of comfort and excitement that I remember from my childhood.

Yomiko Readman is a great character. When we are introduced to her we see her apartment with hardly a spot to stand in. She has to walk on tiptoes through all the books, magazine and papers, her bed is half newsprint, and she`s so absent minded that her life is run by post-it notes that she writes to remind her of essential things, and which she ignores as she invariably has her head in a book. While she will never be able to ditch the air of irredeemable librarian, the adventure that she goes on does bring her out of her shell and start her interacting with the real world. I can`t help but think that the world would be a more interesting place if there were more heroic role models like her. She strikes up an interesting and touching friendship with Nancy, who takes on a sort of big sister role. You can see the subtlety in the animation in one scene where Nancy braids Yomiko`s hair, and then starts playing with the end of the braid. It`s a charming but ephemeral moment of the sort that makes you forget that you are watching an animation and draws you into the story.

Read Or Die is brilliant stuff, combining entertainment and intelligence in a way that schoolteachers would be envious of. The show takes me back to the rosy memories of my childhood, channelling those spy thrillers of yore. The animation is excellent, almost theatrical quality. Even better, if like me you can`t get enough of Read Or Die, there`s a full-length television series set in the same world. Another essential anime to make space on your shelf for.