R. O. D. The TV Series

Publisher
Geneon / MVM
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
26 episodes / 25 minutes
Year
2003

Read or Die UMD V. 1

By David Rasmussen
6th Aug 06

Finding new ways to justify that PSP purchase, huh? Me too.

Well if you bought it and want justification feel free to be comforted by the fact that the PSP IS considered “next gen technology” which means you won’t have to scramble right away to get another handheld anytime soon (which is a great thing since those looking for a next gen console have to do lots of soul searching on that score, what with it being like $400-$600 or so dollars depending on the specifics of the model you’re presently got your eye on be it XBox360, Nintendo Wii (as in “we“ or “Whhhheeeeeee“ if your nasty) or the PS3.

Anyway one of the things that might be of a comfort is that, yes, you can buy those UMDs for your PSP to watch movies on if you can actually find any worth buying.
Good luck on that score since, as you know, if you go to a place like Wal-Mart or something looking for a GOOD UMD you’ll be disappointed by the lacking selection they have.

Sure, you might want that copy of Underworld UMD or maybe they might have Return of the King UMD or something that you really really want, but they are still plonking down 50% UMDs that are just no good (and barely have any recommendable ones at the usual suspect stores short of those custom video game stores like GameSpot or whatever).

So, then, short of going to one of those or ordering through Right Stuf International (which I do often, bless you Right Stuf International and your wide wide selection that I love so -- even if sometimes it takes forever for something I really want to review to be in stock) you’ll be hard pressed to find Anime UMDs worth your time in buying… this is, yes, one of those worth buying.

First off this didn’t get a 5 out of 5... However don’t think it didn’t get it because of episode content, that I loved (I watch this often). No, it got marked down because of the LACK of episode content AND a lack of follow through (but more on that in abit, let’s talk episodes).

If you are a newbie to the Read or Die universe and only know of the manga (which I recently recommended at an attention grabbing score of 5 out of 5) then you’ll be surprised to know that this is NOT the adaptation of the manga as much as it is the sequel… (I think I was the most disappointed when I learned that)… which is, yes, a good thing (yes).

I know, I know, if you read the manga before even going near the Anime you probably had your heart set on the anime adventures of Yomiko Readman, and so did I (oh boy so did I) because if you liked the manga then why wouldn’t you have wanted to have your bad self deadset on seeing literature addicted book junkie Yomiko Readman in action animewise!

Yes, of course if you know the Anime then you know that you will eventually see her swing into action from my understanding of this series… just not right now -- or the near foreseeable future if they really take forever to put each and every UMD out.

Let me put it to you this way… the day the UMD with Yomiko Readman comes out you might be watching it on your PSP while waiting in line for tickets to see Harry Potter Year 7 the Movie sometime in 2010 or so if it takes them forever and a day to get each volume out… if ever).
But enough about that, let’s talk ROD the TV Series.

Episode 1 : The Papers Have Landed
First off, note that the series takes place at about 4 or so years after what I think is probably the end of R.O.D. the Manga... why? Guess who’s back… no, no, not that refuge from the Hellsing Universe (Joker) -- or is he back -- anyway the one I mean is the one whose name could stand to lose a Ne in it, I.e. the formerly wildchild high school author named Nenene (if you remember my Read or Die V. 1 review you might remember her… but a brief recap).

Nenene is an insane wildchild female writer (extremely popular when Yomiko first crosses paths with her) who was being watched over by Yomiko when some nutjob threatened to kidnap her (and because Yomiko was a big fan of Nenene’s work so she had to protect her). Eventually she fails and they’re captured by this nutjob and his henchwoman (the natural enemy of Yomiko because she is a pyro who can burn paper).

For his part he’s kinda… out there… which is a nice way to say he’s a (bleep)ing (bleep)ed up (bleep) who kidnapped Nenene so he could make her his, and then he threatened to rape her on top of a pile of her own work or something entirely adult in nature before Yomiko managed to save her.
In the end they parted company, after Nenene gave Yomiko an autographed copy of her book.

Then she pops up again during Yomiko’s next case as she hunted down Yomiko and parachutes into the middle of her mission to uncover a secret underground library and becomes embroiled in her life again, but that’s for another review (my Read or Die V. 2 review for instance).

But now it’s years later after the two have parted company (four years ago) and Yomiko seems to have gotten under Nenene’s skin because she hasn’t written a thing since four years ago, when Yomiko vanished from her life without so much as a by your leave (and no amount of searching managed to turn her up unlike what happened in Read or Die V. 2).

Well, now one of her books is being turned into a movie in Hong Kong (probably helmed by whoever is doing the big mushy romantic movies in Hong Kong right now though nobody drops a director’s name in the episode), and Nenene is there doing the press the flesh (handshakes only please) and sign the book thing to promote her books (of which she’s finally penning a new one) and the upcoming movie. Only it looks like somebody is NOT happy with her getting big air in Hong Kong and wants to blow her balloon ride return to relevance to kingdom come… good thing her Editor hired three guides of a certain ability to watch over her while she‘s there.

And thus it’s time to meet the -- the -- what do I call them?
Yomiko Readman was the 19th Paper Master, when she started in Read or Die V. 1... But nobody really talks about what these three are (yet), though there is a flashback at the start of the episode -- good luck making sense of that, by the way.

Anyway as you probably noted I didn’t watch the DVDs before watching this, so the series is (yes) “new to me”… and, come to think of it, for some of you reading this review this series is new to you too… so let’s stick with that premise that it’s new to the both of us and run with it by calling these three sisters the 20th, 21st and 22nd Paper Masters just for convenience sake until somebody says otherwise, like another two or three UMDs.

The 20th Paper Master, at the start, is the oldest of the three sisters (who may or may not have ever worked for the L.L.L.U.K. like Yomiko, but run their own detective agency) who is not the best at physical activity, and is kinda -- uh -- “blonde”… yeah, that wasn’t a compliment despite the fact that she is blonde (really). Paper Master the 20th, Michelle Chan (favorite books - the Harry Potter franchise, plans to cry and weep uncontrollably in the Summer of 2007 when the final novel is published -- if she lives that long).

Next is the 21st Paper Master, she who seems to be the long lost sister of… Sakaki?!?
She may not exhibit the need to pet the kitty (and get bitten by the kitty), nor does she have friends who admire Fujiko (Lupin III), constantly die -- I mean practices weight control measures, hails from Osaka or has a father she believes is an alien cat, but she does have the height and the soft spoken nature… and maybe even the athletic prowess, maybe.

Anyway she’s dreadfully tall which would mean… she’s about my height. Wow. Paper Master the 21st, Maggie Chan. (Favorite books is Hemmingway and those of Nenene… hmm, just like Yomiko though Michelle is also hooked on Nenene, which you’ll see).

Finally the 22nd Paper Master, whose first appearance coincides with a rare book flood that washes through the front door of the three sisters’ detective agency apartment (she is found buried amongst copies of the works of Stephen King, though press releases have confirmed that the author denies that his books had it out for her and were possessed with the dark desire of trying to kill her in an attempt to herald the dark age of the pagan god Mr. Froggy).

She is the loud, nasty, rude, childish, loves things like Mr. Froggy (of which she has much merchandise) and things like Tokyo Disneyland (while her sisters love bookstores), and she is completely opposite sister of her three sisters (which is also the life and energy of the trio since having three similar personality would have so terribly sucked). Paper Master the 22nd, Anita Chan… who should be banned as a paper master because she is a paper master who isn’t hooked on reading (a definite no-no in the business I take it)… oh, and she should have a censored mark slashed on her face for her approval of Tokyo Disneyland.

In the first episode they have to watch over Nenene, which is not easy since somebody is ready to bomb bomb bombs away to get her (bombing her penthouse room at the hotel she was staying in which she missed out on because she was late in arriving in Hong Kong). Things are not much better when the three sisters house Nenene in their apartment only for her to up and vanish during a rainstorm (which sends them looking all over for her).

It is here, while she’s out in the rain, that she confides in the noisy sister (Anita) about her missing Yomiko and wanting to hear her words on how she felt about Nenene’s newest work. She doesn’t come right out and ask if the sisters know her, she has to realize they’re paper masters before she does that, but once she does (after they stop the mad bomber at a book signing where he takes Nenene hostage briefly) she is disappointed to find out they know nothing of her (Yomiko).

Anyway the bomber’s put on ice, the trip is over and all’s well that ends well… except for the twist ending which leads to the dramatically exciting ending of the episode which scores high points for being good.

Episode 2 : Rise Up, Oh Dregs of Humanity
You’d think, though, after Episode 1’s dramatic ending that all’s well that ends well… not really.
Conned into staying in Japan (last episodes sorts out how that happened) to “bodyguard” Nenene, the trio soon find themselves unceremoniously booted from the comfortable friendship level right on down to the “parasitic lifeforms” level as they end up (through circumstance) raiding Nenene’s apartment and driving her crazy (first on a “sleepover”, and then in an attempt to remain permanent guests after they end up becoming homeless in order to replace a very expensive widescreen TV of Nenene’s that they broke).

Nothing happens here, nobody dies… except maybe these three women’s last shred of dignity as they -- actually it’s only Michelle’s dignity that seems to die a horrible death this episode as she dresses up rather badly and tries to “seduce” Nenene in order for them to stay in her apartment… or something… whatever. And they were so cool last episode, what the hell happened!

(Not that this is a bad thing or anything, it’s not, but… well, they’ve fallen on hard times so fast!)
That and the last 30 seconds yields a surprise and… uh… we run out of episodes.
The breakdown now shows why this didn’t get a 5 out of 5... I wish it did… damn you, Geneon, I wish I could give this a 5 out of 5!

Read or Die the UMD Breakdown 1st
I liked the first two episodes. I mean, damn, I was abit iffy about it once I learned it wasn’t about Yomiko Readman and all, but once I got into it (and made sure I didn’t know more than I should have by reading the reviews by others on the DVD Series) I really liked what I saw. It’s a nice series, and I want to see more…

…yeah, good luck on that one. As of right now there is just the ONE UMD and nobody seems to be killing themselves over putting out Read or Die UMD V. 2! That and… well… it’s only TWO EPISODES LONG! Why can BANDAI, who has no doubt access to the same technology and UMD release development as Geneon, put out a UMD that has an ENTIRE DVD compliment of episodes (ala Cowboy Bebop UMD V. 1 and Ghost in the Shell : Stand Alone Complex UMD V. 1) while Geneon shafts you with HALF episode content!

It’s not like they put in any extras (of which this UMD has none) so why couldn’t they deliver a full monty of 4 episodes like how BANDAI pulled in a full compliment of episodes for their UMDs!!

Thus seemingly impossible to surmise when it’ll release situation with the UMDs, as well as the half package of episodes drags this down one point from a perfect 5 out of 5 (wish it didn’t but there you go). So, yes, that's why this one gets a 4... out of 5.

Loved the product, hated the lack of follow through. Nuff said.

-- David Rasmussen 6th Aug 06

R. O. D. The TV Series Images