R. O. D. The TV Series
Publisher
Geneon / MVM
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
26 episodes / 25 minutes
Year
2003
R.O.D. The TV Series Volume 2: The Undercover Student
By otaku_kei
2nd Jul 05  R.O.D. The TV Series is a bit of an odd anime. This series is set in the same world as Read Or Die (the OAV) and Read Or Dream (the manga), and yet has no bearing on either of them. Having never experienced any of these forms of R.O.D. before volume 1 I was not sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised to be enthralled in a show that successfully mixes comedy, action, emotion and fan service. That perfect balance continues across into this second volume as we see the Three Sisters take two excursions to take on dangerous jobs, as well as a couple of episodes that focus on how Anita is settling in at school. As well as learning a little bit more about the mysterious assailant from the closing chapters of volume 1. For a show that is as heavy on action as this show some of this still remains centered around the character growth and relationships of the three paper masters. There are constantly new layers and depth being added to the sisters, and the way these characters care for one another as well as grate on each other. The fiery relationship between Anita and Michelle as these two clash constantly is one of the main focal points of the show. But as with all sibling relationships there is always the underlying affection and bond that comes from family. Maggie is my personal favourite out of the these paper masters, and who already is showing some of the depths of talent and decisiveness that she generally kept hidden in the first volume. Nenene is also lots of fun when on screen with her constant bitchiness and bad temper being a great foil against the other girls positive outlook on life. This show just oozes class the visuals are stunning, from griffins made of paper flying across lakes, to the book district of Tokyo down to the minutae of Japanese schools. Nothing looks out of place as all the aspects of the visuals complement each other. The soundtrack is also impressive, something which really adds depth and excitement to the events onscreen. Whilst it may not be up the standard of Yoko Kanno's work it still helps to carry along the effect of one of the most complete shows being released in the UK at the moment. And by complete I mean this shows ability to please on the issues of visual, soundtrack, action, comedy, drama, excitement etc etc. Very few other shows getting released at the moment provide so much bang for your buck. Also the extras for this release also do shine. Rarely are anime titles given commentary tracks, and when they are the track usually is not worth listening too, but once again R.O.D. raises the bar for what is being done in anime today. If you like you shows action packed, but with a solid emotional core then this show could well be for you. Check it out!
R2 DVD Notes
Features: English Language 5.1; Japanese Language 2.0; English Subtitles; Art Gallery; Commentary by Taliesin Jaffe (Dub Voice Director), Rachel Hirschfeld (VA Anita), Sara Lahti (VA Maggie) & Hunter Mackenzie Austin (VA Michelle); Japanese Previews eps 5-8; MVM Trailers
Release information: COMING SOON - 18th July
Notes: Visual and audio quality is as good as always from MVM releases since they partnered with Madman.
But where some releases scimp on the extras front, R.O.D. The TV Series provides quite a good selection of extras. Of course we get the almost standard Art Gallery and MVM Trailers. But we also get a lot more. With the episode previews we get the 4 principal Voice Actresses sounding like they are having a lot of fun just making up what could be happening on future episodes. I would swear this was all ad-libbed and makes for some pure comedy after the show. This comedy also comes from the commentary for this release as the VA's for the Three Sisters and the VA director all sit around and just chat about everything and anything. Nice to see commentaries making there way onto these releases, be nice to see more titles getting this same type of treatment.
-- otaku_kei 2nd Jul 05
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