R.O.D: Read or Die

Yomiko Readman is a lovable, near-sighted bibliomaniac working as a substitute teacher at a Japanese high school. Her real identity, however, is that of a secret agent for the British Library Special Operations Division. Her codename: "The Paper." The moniker denotes her supernatural ability to freely manipulate paper into any object she can imagine, including tools and weapons in her fight against the powerful and self-serving IJIN (Great Historical Figure) Army! Along with her partner, the enigmatic "Ms. Deep," Yomiko travels across the world in attempt to solve the mystery behind the reincarnation of historical figures and their attempt to control the world.

(Source: RightStuf)

Readman, Yomiko Main

Miura, Rieko Japanese

Makuhari, Nancy Main

Neya, Michiko Japanese

Anderson, Drake Main

Iwasaki, Masami Japanese

Sanzo, Genjo Supporting

Takahashi, Hiroki Japanese

Carpenter, Joseph Supporting

Gouda, Hozumi Japanese

Earhart, Wendy Supporting

Sakenobe, Mika Japanese

van Beethoven, Ludwig Supporting

Lilienthal, Otto Supporting

Kaneko, Harii Japanese

Mr. Gentleman Supporting

Hiraga, Gennai Supporting

Ohtani, Ryousuke Japanese

Matsuda, Keiichi Producer

Masunari, Koji Director

Matsutake, Tokuyuki Episode Director, Key Animation

Jaffe, Taliesin Script

Reviews

Jan 22, 2025

SgtSalamander

Recommended

Read or Die is an extremely fun, distinctly unique OVA from anime's transitional period into a largely digital medium. It is also a love letter to campy, 007-style spy movies, as well as a celebration of the unbound, freeing nature of anime as a medium of storytelling. It is unapologetically its own, weird, wonderful self, and it is this dimension of it that makes me love this anime quite so much. All of this is borne out and encapsulated in the story, which is where this review will begin. Its premise is striking and strange, focusing on a globe-spanning secret ... network of rare book hunters who also task themselves with saving the world. They have agents with special powers who work for them, and this OVA focuses on their conflict with a terroristic group of famous geniuses from history who have been cloned in order to carry out a nefarious plot against mankind. It is so in-your-face wild, but plays this premise completely straight, taking this state of affairs for granted while the story plays out. One of these agents, the bookish and disheveled Yomiko Readman, has the power to manipulate paper at will, and finds herself in a central role throughout this conflict. In this way, it is completely unpredictable, and keeps you firmly on the edge of your seat from start to finish. It feels both classic and totally original, hitting many of the well-worn spy movie tropes while somehow preserving all of its mystery. However, due to its brevity, things can feel a little rushed, and its fascinating world feels relatively unexplored as a result. Still, even if there's only so much you can really do with 3 episodes, this OVA manages to do quite a bit, and packs in one hell of an adventure along the way.

The strongest aspect of this anime, however, is the art. As I mentioned earlier, this anime is from the transitional period of the medium between hand-drawn and digital production methods, and I believe that plays out here in its unique and at times experimental aesthetic. The world of Read or Die is brought to life in this visually complex, detailed manner, and coupled with that distinctive early 2000s palate of muted colors and warm, unassuming highlights. The animation is also fluid, with a lavish use of frames given to moments of distinct movement, even outside of combat. Furthermore, the fight choreography has a sense of weight, consequence, and overall lethality that many anime tend to fall short of in some capacity. This feeling of impact gives the whole title a kind of weight that is absolutely essential for a good story, especially for an anime that's quite as short as this. Though, perhaps my favorite aspect of the art is the fact that it embodies the aesthetic spirit of early 2000s anime perfectly, and expresses the lengths of that period's overall creative potential. This resonates with me on a personal level, but I feel it still bears mentioning here.

The sound is wonderful, and has that same characteristic flair that the rest of the anime enjoys. The soundtrack is populated by a rich, orchestral score, with significant tracks that stand out on their own as distinctly energetic, jazzy, and original, and it is these pieces which really capture the spirit of the anime as a whole in musical form. The sounds of life play their part as well, with the sounds of crinkling paper and splattering blood playing a significant role, making this world feel three-dimensional and lived-in. The voice work is also a good fit for this anime. For reference, I actually watched the dub for this anime on DVD, and while I have heard more technically skillful English dubs, this one is still a perfect fit, and should be the preferred method for watching this OVA. This is especially true for the main character, Yomiko, as her VA is spot-on from start to finish.

This brings me to the characters, who are surprisingly varied, developed, and distinct, which is an impressive feat considering this anime had about an hour and a half total to achieve that. These characters feel authentic, and are instantly memorable from the very moment of their introduction. Of them, my favorites are easily Yomiko and Makuhari. Yomiko stands out as delightfully strange, as a character that is simultaneously capable, eccentric, optimistic, and unapolagetically herself, just like the OVA is as a whole. In many ways, this anime feels like a wider extrapolation on her oddball personality. Meanwhile, Makuhari, beyond her role as a badass femme fatale, stands out for how her friendship with Yomiko changes and develops over time, in a way changing her as well. Overall, Read or Die is a wonderful early 2000s anime OVA which is for sure more obscure than it should be, but perhaps that's a good thing, adding to this sense of it as its own unique thing, outside of the mainstream, like nearly all anime was in the west during the time of its release. It is an artistically impressive, high-production OVA that is easy for me to recommend to just about anyone. If you're looking for a real gem that's a little off the beaten path, Read or Die is the perfect fit.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Dec 6, 2023

coolman6446

Recommended

I would recommend watching this 3 episode OVA! I went in with no knowledge of the franchise and had a good time! The art was nice, the characters were fun, and the story was short and sweet! It strikes that nice balance of seriousness and comedy that I am always a fan of with anime (such as Hokuto no Ken or Trigun).

I had an overall good time, and have very few negatives to say. The main reason I gave it an Very Good (8) rather than a perfect 10/10 was for two reasons. The first and main reason I docked points was because although ... I enjoyed my time with the show, it didn't pull me in strong enough to fully focus on the show and would occasionally view notifications on my phone. Again I don't think the show or the story was bad, but there were times where I didn't feel too bad for looking away since nothing of note was going on. The other reason was that the epilogue was a bit too short for my liking, but I think it is a fine way to conclude the OVA. But again with this said, I still had a positive time and would recommend the show to anyone who wants a movie-sized story!

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Jan 26, 2017

Hedgie

Mixed Feelings

R.O.D is a three episode OVA which is received two TV series, one coming out in the sometime in the near future? Hoping 2017. Yomiko Readman is the biggest bookworm to date, and secret agent name 'Papermaster' that works for British Library secret agency.

The series starts off Yomiko purchasing multiple books leaving her pennies less. After not being able to purchase a certain book, Yomiko ask for it on a loan. The title of the book is “Immortal Beloved” after leaving the bookstore, out of the blue the city is bombarded with by a swarm of bees. Eventually they are dispersed only have ... enormous grasshopper follow from behind. Jean Hernri Fabre is the man seeing riding the horse life grasshopper. It was claimed Jean was long dead in a report. Spotting Yomiko and her book, Jean steals it wanting for a particular reason. However, after a mine scuffle Yomiko is able to retrieve her book.

Joseph Carpenter arrives to the scene seeing the catastrophe and mess at hand. Joseph is Leader of British Libray secret agency. He sends Yomiko on mission to the library their organization duty is collect and retrieve rare books. It’s at this location Yomoko meets Nancy Makuhari “Miss deep”, her ability is to pass through solid objects. It’s after the two meet that their adventure and friendship begins.

Animation is pretty solid for it being a much older anime, releasing in 2001. Very nice and crispy flowing seemingly, not a huge drop of quality. The music is also fitting to the to their secret agency, and the opening with a spy feel to it. I believe the English dub excelled at doing an amazing job. The characters are really plain but there isn’t that much time to give them time to develop or expand on.

Overall all I say give this one watch if you feel looking back memory lane or hoping to catch a glimpse at what the new series might be. The way Yomiko uses her paper ability is all there more intriguing and creative on how it’s implement in the anime. It’s a smart, fun, and action packed, miniseries with a lovable main lead Yomiko Readman the biggest bookworm to this day.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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	Poll: R.O.D. OVA Episode 3 Discussion Kana - Apr 8, 2008	39 replies	by GabiShy »» Feb 24, 10:26 PM
	Poll: R.O.D. OVA Episode 1 Discussion datsunvic - Feb 9, 2009	28 replies	by j10 »» Sep 25, 2024 6:38 PM
	Poll: R.O.D. OVA Episode 2 Discussion Dodecahedron-O24 - Jan 9, 2010	13 replies	by Ronninn »» Jul 3, 2024 12:08 AM
	Anyone else cry at the end? MarryMeSenpai - Feb 23, 2023	1 replies	by THEherro »» Feb 24, 2023 2:02 AM
	can I watch the OVA without having read the manga? UnmeiMinmay - May 7, 2018	2 replies	by UnmeiMinmay »» Sep 24, 2020 5:01 PM

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