malcolm21 - 2015-03-16 16:48:03

Note: There are some things you should be aware of before coming to this show or reading this review, and one of those things is that this is an actual sequel to the 3 episode OVA Read Or Die. Now it may not seem like it at first (unless you've read the manga beforehand), but later on in the show they will bring up some important facts and past events from the OVAs and you probably will either get confused about or will not care in the slightest unless you've seen them as well as read the manga. You probably should do that before watching the show and before reading this review as there may be spoilers. You have been warned.

Story: Five years have passed since the occurrence of the incident known as the "Human Annihilation Mission." In Japan, a novelist is dealing with writer's block after her friend has gone missing. In Hong Kong, three sisters, masters in the use of paper, run their own detective agency to solve cases that involve books. When these people are brought together, a bond greater than blood is formed - a bond that will be sorely tested by the evil powers intent on taking over the world.

Join Anita, Maggie, Michelle, and Nenene as they travel the globe in order to save the world from the evil mastermind, Mr. Carpenter! Of course, that's if they can find the time to put down the books they're reading...
(Source: RightStuf)

Yes, it does seem to be a bit typical and clichéd just like the OVAs, but the story actually gets a lot more complex and complicated later on that it'll be difficult to not want to watch the next episode to know what happens next. The show does a lot more than try to be a mindless action anime with comedy bits, it also throws in some suspense, drama, and slice of life!

The pacing is also fantastic. Another thing to note is that the first half is extremely slow paced. There are a ton of episodes and time dedicated to the character interactions (what you'd probably see in a slice of life and comedy anime) more than the fight scenes and they really work, as we get to know the characters a bit more before we get into the more intense scenes and want them to succeed in them. However if you're really impatient and just want to get into the fight scenes, then you're probably not going to like this anime that much. There are some fight scenes in them, but they, for the most part, don't amount to anything and are resolved pretty quickly.

The second half is where the show starts to get really good. Every episode throws something new and crazy and makes it impossible to put down until the very end. And the ending? I won't give it away but it is incredibly satisfying.

Only problem I have with it really is that sometimes the show can be a bit too melodramatic and depressing, It's hard to explain but some parts it feels that some decisions were made just to make things super sad and drag things out, and while this isn't the worst done, its still noticeable and... kinda distracting :c

Animation: Hoo boy, did they improve on the animation! Ok it looks the same as before, the character designs are the same as before (the main characters look before cool while almost everyone else is average looking), the fight scenes have greatly improved, they really upped the usage of paper and have been done in creative and interesting ways that make the OVAs look almost stale in comparison. The background designs are also the same with some more interesting locations added in to make the show more interesting... of course you can't have the entire 26 episode show take place in the same location, am I right?

Sound: The OP is still the same as the OVAs but it does have better animation in this one... still has those bad cuts to still pictures. The ED's both sound pretty nice to listen to at least, but with so much happening over the course of the show, why would you want to listen to out of place calm songs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyrYYpNkyRE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DST7ma7fSGI

The voice acting is phenomenal, the characters really show there emotions in every line from there performance which makes the scenes extra powerful. Unlike the OVAs, there weren't that many annoying voice actors in this, I can only think of one but he only shows up in one episode and has a minor scene.

Characters: All of the main characters are likeable and well thought out.

Michelle is the oldest sister, generally considered the leader and strategist of the three. She has a cheerful, apparently ditzy personality and she has a soft spot for cute things and small children. Michelle is almost supernaturally calm, and her enemies find it difficult to manipulate her emotions. She manifests her paper powers primarily through ranged weapons, such as bows and arrows. Michelle's love of books almost matches that of Yomiko's from the OVAs.

Maggie is a tall, boyish, quiet wallflower with somewhat depressed looks, her power usually manifests as familiars – beings she controls made of paper; her sisters also rely on her for her strong defensive capabilities. Maggie is known for being easily embarrassed and enjoying tight cosy spots to relax in (which is why she sleeps in the closet). She strongly looks up to her older sister, Michelle, and compares herself negatively to her. She cares for her sisters and always tries to protect them at the expense of her own safety. Anita believes Maggie to be strongest Paper Sister in combat.

Anita is the youngest of the three and is probably the most complex and well developed character in the show, especially when you get into her backstory. She specializes in using her paper offensively (by using paper "blades" and throwing index cards like shuriken), but she also relies upon her impressive physical martial arts skills in combat. Unlike all other known Paper Masters, she dislikes books (but is obsessed with collecting frogs and drinking milk).

Although Anita sometimes acts bratty and self-important, she deeply loves her sisters. She is well liked in her class and is especially admired by classmate named Hisami Hishiishi (whom Anita nicknames "Hisa")

Nenene is a prodigy novelist in her high school years, usually referred to as sensei and originally featured in the Read or Die manga as a teenage friend of the older Yomiko. She is often frustrated with Yomiko's obsession with books – and later the Paper Sisters when they move into her home (since Michelle and Maggie love her books. She frequently fights with Nenene, who is equally outspoken, but beneath their squabbles, they demonstrate a strong bond through the series.) and chides her for being absentminded, leaving post-its in her room.

Since Yomiko's disappearance, she has become very self-sufficient but unfortunately wistful, cranky and bitter at times in her loneliness. She remained in Japan, despite her parents' move to the United States, in order to housekeep and tend to Yomiko's personal effects until her (presumed) return.

There's even characters from the OVAs that make an appearance and there roles have been upped to a degree. Some get more screen time and help the main character while others are villains trying to do evil things which they believe is the right thing to do.

Ok, the side villains suck, but the main bad guy is actually pretty diabolical. The things he says and does just makes you want to punch this guy, and it also makes it hard to watch when going back to re-watch the OVAs again (that is if you want to). And not to mention his plan is not taking over the world or achieving power, but someone more complex, still makes you want to set things straight with him or kick him back into reality but at least he's not one dimensional.

There's also side character but they're not really as interesting and developed as others (with the possible exception of Hisa... maybe)

Enjoyment: Apart from a couple scenes, and those cliffhangers, I still do enjoy this show quite a lot, and can definitely see its popularity with some people. This is one of the most well thought out and well written shows I've seen in quite a long time. It takes the OVAs and improves on it while also going beyond. Now this is how you do a sequel~

Overall: Uh... if you like action with drama, comedy, slice of life, and suspense thrown in and have also seen the OVAs and manga, then watch this anime.

Also recommend: I dunno, reading a book maybe? There's really not many anime that focus on books you know :S

Thanks for reading my 75th review~

pete.ohara - 2013-06-28 08:18:31

Review out of 100. 35 for Story, 35 for Characters, and 30 for Production Values.Story: (25/35) A good, but slow first half, an interesting, but convoluted second half that has a lot of flaws. Characters: (32/35) Best part of the show. Great characters that you will fall in love with (save for a few) that have a lot of character development. Production Values: (27/30) Very well done soundtrack and visuals. The music is very James Bond like and the fight scenes are nicely choreographed. Overall: (84/100) Watch this if you like shows with great characters, and really good fight scenes. If you don't mind a confusing and flawed but otherwise interesting plot, you will like this show for what it is. If you are someone who looks into every detail in the plot, be prepared to get annoyed. I really, really enjoyed the first half of R.O.D The TV. Like, it was really well done. People who can control paper and go on missions to take back important books? Count me in. The first 13 or so episodes go really slow and allow for the characters to properly develop. This part of the series feels a lot more like a slice of life/comedy more than it does an action. Of course, the show never goes more than a few episodes without a glorious fight scene, so it does keep the action coming (although a little more would have been nice). But even during this time the show manages to stay on track and advance the plot, although you wont notice it at first. But around episode 14 or so, the show takes a pretty big turn. In a good way, the show becomes more interesting because there is so much that is happening. But sadly, the plot is just isn't all that good. It is littered with plot holes and has the usual "people acting stupid for plot" problem. The plot didn't go downhill, rather it went uphill, and it went a little too far a little too fast. The sheer craziness of the plot might get you annoyed at first, and you will probably get confused somewhere along the way. There are a lot of plot twists though, so the story won't seem boring and you'll never know what will hit you next. The ending was very good IMO, although I think it left a lot of small details unanswered. If you are someone who tends to analyze a show too much, you'll probably dislike the second half of the show a great deal. But if you're someone who can just let the plot entertain you, you wont hate it. (25/35)The characters are this shows strongest point IMO. I really liked all of the main characters. This is one of the few examples of characters that are really fun to watch on their own, and are even better when put together. On top of that, they all get tons of development, especially the paper sisters. The first half did a very good job at making these characters very lovable, while the second half made them much more developed (although, a lot of the comedy the series had is also gone in the transition, as it is a lot more serious). You might get annoyed by a few characters, in particular Nancy (at times) and Yumiko for just being plain stupid. Seriously she is like the worst character here. This show gets a high score for a great cast of characters that are also surprisingly developed. (32/35)The production values for this show are extremely high, especially the music. I have heard that some of the music was reused from the OVAs, but I can't complain since I haven't seen them yet. Either way, that shouldn't annoy you since the score for this show is absolutely amazing. It is mostly jazz instrumentals that are reminiscent of a James Bond movie, while also reminding me of Cowboy bebop(just watch the opening, which was very well done). (14/15) The animation was also very well done for a show in the early 2000's. On top of being very fluid and just overall above average, they had amazingly choreographed fights and certain scenes just looked really amazing. (13/15)I really enjoyed this show, despite its obvious flaws in the plot. Honestly, I'd consider this a classic if it would have ended on episode 13, and the rest would have been a separate season or something. I enjoyed the second half, but at times it was hard to swallow everything that was going on. The plot is this shows biggest downfall IMO, but it isn't bad enough for me to not recommend it, so long as you are the right audience for it. (84/100)