Anime [Review][Spoiler] Read or Die OAV

!! WARNING !!
The following review may contain spoilers. Proceed at your own risk.

C-info
Title: Read or Die
Length: 3 episodes
Genre: Action / Adventure
Creator: Kurata Hideyuki
Production Studio: Studio Deen
Rated: PG-13

C-synopsis
Yomiko Readman loves books. In fact, she loves books so much that she tends to forget everything else: food, bills, speeding cars — that sort of thing. The bibliophile's posterchild, this 25-year old substitute teacher lives in a world of her own. But when a newly acquired rare book once owned by the famous composer Ludvig von Beethoven is stolen right out of her hands by a giant grasshopper, this absent-minded bookworm leaps into action — with a few suprises up her sleeve.

It turns out that Yomiko is no ordinary schoolteacher — she is in fact a secret agent of the United Kingdom's Section A Library Special Force, codenamed "The Paper", with a special ability to manipulate paper. Making short work of the giant insect and the mysterious man who controls it, Yomiko retrieves her book, but finds out that her adventures are far from over. Apparently, rare books around the world are being stolen — and the thieves appear to be some of the greatest men in history, somehow brought to life and given horrible powers. Teamed up with "Ms. Deep", a beautiful and mysterious woman with the ability to phase through objects, and Drake Anderson, a surly military man, "The Paper" sets out on mission to retrieve the stolen books — and save the world.

C-comments
Read or Die was originally an illustrated novel, then was later transformed into a manga. The 3-part OAV is set somewhat after the events of the manga, so we don't get to see the beginning of Yomiko's stint as "The Paper". Even so, you don't need to know the novel and manga to appreciate the anime — ROD works well as a stand-alone OAV.

The series redefines the whole concept of secret agent stories; Yomiko Readman is certainly no James Bond. But despite her lack of secret agent-like characteristics, she's an extremely likeable character, and it is Yomiko who carries the whole show forward. She has a certain charm and naivete, for all that she is twenty-five years old, and her personality is so direct and unassuming that one can't help but like her. She's a refreshing change from the often brash hero so prevalent in today's anime.

Yomiko may not look the part of a secret agent, but she is definitely not one to cross. Her power — the ability to manipulate paper — is a versatile one. Throughout the series we get to see her use paper to stop bullets, turn a stack of paper bills into a sword, and ride on a giant paper airplane. It's that versatility that makes "The Paper" so dangerous — that and a personality that refuses to quit no matter the circumstance.

The other characters are also well-defined. The enigmatic Nancy Makuhari, aka "Ms Deep", provides a startling contrast to Yomiko's open, often absent-minded persona. A thoroughgoing professional, Nancy keeps herself cold and aloof — traits that the irrepressible Yomiko tries to batter down. Much of the story rotates around the relationship between the women, and it enriches the whole series.

Drake Anderson, Joker, and the rest of the Special Forces crew are there mostly to provide foil for Yomiko and Nancy, though they too show their individuality. Their personalities come across clearly — and that's rather impressive for minor characters in a 90-minute anime.

The character design for the villains are, quite frankly, unique. Turning famous historical figures into super-villains is something I've never seen before — although, to tell the truth, the whole concept of someone wanting to destroy the world is rather cliche. Still, I liked how they turned out. Otto Lillienthal and Hiraga Gennai in particular were pretty impressive.

The story itself is rather straightforward... until we reach the later parts. The unexpected plot twist was an inspired touch, and it prevented the series from becoming a bland save-the-world type of anime.

The animation and track of the series is superb. The opening theme alone fits the series perfectly. Fight scenes were superbly choreographed and contain enough action to satisfy any action fan. All in all, the technical aspects of the series couldn't have been more perfect.

If there is one negative thing about ROD, it's that the last battle was somewhat disappointing and that there are a few questions left unanswered by the end of the series. But those are relatively minor points, and one I can afford to overlook. Read or Die is a good anime overall, and one I recommend you take the time to watch. You won't regret it. ^_^

C-rating

— C-chan

 

Arigatou gozai masu for the review :catgirl:
I watched this anime, and pretty much liked it ^^ specially Ms Deep, I think she is awesome :anime: Too bad its only 3 ovas :anger2:
But didn't realized that in this anime, they draw the female characters pretty good. but as for the male character is was really aweful :anger2: dont know why ^^