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 3: The Past

By otaku_kei
16th Dec 05

Michelle, Maggie and Anita are back for more adventures as these three Paper Masters continue their mission to protect Nenene Sumigawa. But this happy home of book enthusiasts is due to be broken with a series of upheavals and treachery that will leave lasting damage to this quartet. This show sets out to deliver action and adventure from the start and once again succeeds on every front. Finally we get to see the Three Sisters unleash their abilities to the full, as well as showcasing just how powerful a Paper Master can be. And of course moving the plot along we get to see what secrets the Dokushensha group are hiding!

With this show there have so far been two distinctive type of episodes the ‘character development’ and ‘action’ episodes. For this volume we get an equal split of what type of episode we get – from tracking down stolen manuscripts, to a formal awards ceremony for Japanese writers, a bit of back story on how the sisters came together in the first place all the way up to an all-out assault on the HQ of the Dokushensha group. There is pretty much something here for everyone, a level of accessibility that proves yet another feather in the cap for this series.! Yet with so much action going on you would think that the characterisation would be sidelined, and yet this show remains as focussed on the development and characterisation of the girls as it does to any missions that they undertake.

It is Nenene finally overcoming her writers block in these episodes that provides the impetus for all the drastic change in this series! The sisters have played no small part in helping Nenene overcome this obstacle even if she cannot admit it out loud. But this little success leads to the fallout for the rest of the show. No longer necessary to protect Nenene or help her with her writing the Sisters are relieved of their duties and sent back to Hong Kong. Saddened by this turn of events, even the three sisters were completely blind-sided by the betrayal that results in Nenene being captured and taken by Dokushensha for torture and slavery!

R.O.D The TV Series remains a show that excels in what it tries to do. The action scenes remain some of the most impressive around, with the movement fluid and natural, with the powers of the Paper Masters allowing for a vast scope of inventiveness. The Three Sisters must go up against some rather dangerous individuals from a bodyguard versed in anti-Paper Master tactics, to possibly a Paper Master stronger than all three girls combined. But whilst the action may be breathtaking, the reason the action keeps you on the edge of your seat is the characterisation of the show that has made us care about these sisters, and to understand the motivations and fears of the central characters. This establishment of the characters also never looks forced, and any revelations about the characters do not come completely out of the blue, as is so often in anime.

Volume 3 provides a solid transitional volume, bringing to an end the introductory episodes that established the characters, and taking the first steps to setting up the main plot that will carry the title forward to its conclusion. This show has me hooked right in now, I’m caring for the characters and enthralled by the action, so for those of you who have been enjoying the show so far I highly recommend you pick this volume up as everything changes and we are left on one major cliff-hanger!

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English Language 5.1; Japanese Language 5.1; Japanese Language 2.0; English Language Subtitles; Art Gallery; Episode Previews Episodes 9-12; Audio Commentary by Jonathan Klein (producer of English dub and subtitles) and Talesin Jaffe (English dub voice director and script adaptor); MVM Trailers

Release information: OUT NOW

Notes: This remains one of the most polished UK anime releases around. As we have come to expect from MVM the audio and visual quality is superb, but factor in an audio commentary and you are sure getting value for money.

-- otaku_kei 16th Dec 05

R. O. D. The TV Series Images