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R.O.D -THE TV-
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Animation - 9.0 |
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Sound - 8.7 |
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Story - 8.0 |
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Character - 8.4 |
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Value - 8.1 |
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Enjoyment - 8.5 |
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Average - 8.4 |
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andy |
(2008-05-06 13:41:05) 2008-05-05 15:51:32 |
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| Average |
5.5 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
4 |
| Character |
5 |
| Value |
5 |
| Enjoyment |
5 |
| The OVA of Read or Die is a secret agent parody, perhaps poking a little fun at how ridiculous some of 007's plots are, and its overboard story of literary greats trying to take over the world has a campy charm. The TV series brings back most of the characters from the OVA, but centers itself around a new cast. Even though it's a little more heavy handed, all the style in the OVA is preserved, only drawn out to a long 26 episodes.
Where the laughably crazy plot in the OVA held a certain charm, it doesn't serve well as the plot of a TV series. The plot is fairly thin for the first half of the series. It alternates between monsters of the week and some slice of life pieces. The monster of the week encounters don't have the same elaborate design as the action packed encounters in the OVA, but they more or less have the same wackiness. The characters of the TV series are also more or less of the same quality as the OVA. They are simple characters with one or two defining quirks, some of which are a bit cliche in the Anime world. A short 3 episode stint is conducive to simple and cliche'd characters, but slice of life is not. By far the worst segment of this series is when it explores the daily lives of the 4 new main characters. The slice of life subplots are boring in and of themselves, and these characters are far too simple and played out to spark empathy.
The story suddenly and completely changes form around the midway mark, kicking out all of the monster of the weeks and slice of life bits for its central plot. It shapes into something vaguely similar to the OVA's. The heroes have to stop some maniacal villain from taking over the flow of books, and thus, the world. It's certainly a lot more complex than that of the OVA's, but to its own detriment. Far too many plot developments stem from extraordinary lapses of common sense by some of the characters. Contrivances like these are sadly, a gigantic driving force. This leaves the plot not only wacky, but also nonsensical.
As if that wasn't enough, we still have to stomach our average dose of B rate Anime melodrama, including but not limited to complete over-dramatization of trauma, loss, and depression. As per usual also, the maniacal villain has to give his share of philosophical lectures on how to make the world a better place, all of which are answered by the hot headed heroes with equally bogus, but less pessimistic philosophy.
The TV series isn't really unfaithful to the OVA. It's not quite as impressive visually, and maybe it's a bit cheesier, but it goes for the same feel the OVA does. This just goes to show that campy charm is exceedingly delicate. Where the OVA in many ways was so weird, so bad that it was good, trying to stretch that same appeal into 26 episodes just leaves it as plain weird and bad.
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1 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
5.8 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
4 |
| Character |
6 |
| Value |
4 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
| I enjoyed the OVA, so I decided to check this anime out to see if the story becomes more fleshed out. Unfortunatly, this series does not do the OVAs justice. We are introduced to four entirely new main characters, Sumiregawa Nenene, and three paper-using sisters named Maggi, Anita, and Michelle, of whom none of them are very developed and all are very cookie cutter in their personalities.
Michelle is the outgoing, forgiving, nice sister; Anita is the firey and always angry younger sister; and Maggi is the silent and shy but dependable sister. While there is a bit of development of their characters, especially Anita's character when she goes to school, you will find that the characters are the same at the end as they were at the beggining. As to Sumiregawa Nenene, who apparantly was friends with Yomiko Readman (the star of the OVAs) she is easily annoyed, quick to anger, and antisocial. Yomiko herself appears later in the series, and is a shell of her former self. Anyone who enjoyed her character in the OVAs for her strength will be completely dissapointed in how she is portrayed in this series. While in the OVAs she is able to kill if neccessary, she seems to have become a complete naive pacifisit in this series.
The villians in this series are slightly better done, with development and explanation of their actions, though of the course the objective of the villians is to "take over the world! mwahaha!".
While there are many plot twists and turns, most are fairly predictable and most occur in the final 3-4 episodes. The majority of this anime focuses on the lives of the three sisters, with a lot of cheesy comedy and a bit of adventure thrown in. This focus on the everyday lives of the sisters makes the anime extremely slow paced and decreased my enjoyment greatly, as well as leaving little room for plot development in the episodes. As to the main plot: we are left with many unanswred questions, which leaves the plot feeling incredibly incomplete and the ending rushed. We never find out much about Gentlemen or why Joker performed the drastic actions that he did.
The animation and soundtrack were both fairly well done; the jazz, fluid action scenes, and vivid colors helped to set the tone for the action scenes. My only problem was that there is a bit of inconsistency with the quality of the animation, which seems to vary from episode to episode and scene to scene somtimes. The voice actors did a pretty good job conveying their characters emotions, though for the most part the three sisters always used the same tone of voice no matter what the situation.
While I would probably not rewatch this anime, and wouldn't reccomend this to anyone who is looking for more of what they saw in the R.O.D. OVAs, I would say that this is a decent enough series on its own.
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0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Summoner |
(2007-05-13 06:54:34) 2006-12-31 03:55:25 |
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| Average |
4.5 |
| Animation |
5 |
| Sound |
5 |
| Story |
5 |
| Character |
3 |
| Value |
4 |
| Enjoyment |
5 |
| "It was in the middle of the 19th century when Mr.Gentlemen, the father of the UK and most powerful man in the country first showed signs of biological aging. The first changes reported were external features, such as hair and skin. A task force was organized immediately in order to counter his aging process, but they were unable to achieve any success. The team also looked into Asian remedies, including supernatural arts, pharmacology, and traditional Chinese medicine. This caused frequent conflicts with China and eventually led to confrontations between the UK and China in various areas. These confrontations took place behind the scenes and people with unique powers called agents were engaged in secret maneuvers."
Sounds cool doesn't it? Really cool, you bet. Unfortunately this show is not about this. Rather than showing a great story full of political influences and chilling biological experiments, this show concentrates on portraying the life of three boring sisters, who can use paper as a weapon, their trivial missions and laugh inducing worries. Then what is that quote you'd ask. These words are from the coolest episode of the show, well, more likely, the only cool episode of it. And while it sounded great and gripping, it was so out of the present show's atmosphere that I simply couldn't believe it. Really, when you have one dimensional characters fighting random enemies and a filler filled story, full of pitiable and unfunny gags, and suddenly you get such an episode thrown in your face, you can do nothing but to wonder what the hell was the show's author thinking. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the OVA of Read or Die yet, and I guess that episode was kind of, flashback of it. If it really was it, then the OVA must be a good show, what I can't say about this one.
It's been awhile since I had to literally force myself through the show. I hated the flat characters, I was annoyed by the weak story, which even being weak, managed to get dragged even more down by its cast. In some "serious" occasions I would start to laugh. The reactions of the characters were like in a poorly acted low budget movie. The story was so poorly written and unbelievable that at times when it tried to get more serious it would just become funny. Furthermore everything feels forced in the show, it didn't seem as the writer of the show even wanted to write the script for it. There is no message whatsoever, this show is just full of randomly thrown in idealistic nonesense, which even doesn't go along with the anime's atmosphere. The only reason to like this show, I guess, is because of its seemingly good looking OVA, at least from what I've seen from the flashback. Anyway if you've liked this show - you've been fooled, that's all.
I could only recommend this show to people who are still new in the anime business. On the other hand, even for newbies there is a vast amount of better shows out here. For example Rurouni Kenshin or Hunter x Hunter.
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0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
5.0 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Story |
5 |
| Character |
3 |
| Value |
5 |
| Enjoyment |
3 |
| ROD OVA had been one of the best anime OVAs I have seen. Short yet full of action and a really nice plot. It was creative and original, thus making it hugely entertaining.
ROD TV on the other hand was a huge disappointment for me. Perhaps it was because I had such high expectations after catching the OVA. I had really wanted to like this series. With each passing episode, I was hoping for a next episode that will remind me of the enjoyment I had out of ROD OVA. Alas, sad to say, I didn't get that kind of feeling all the way to the last episode.
ROD TV is really a horrible anime compared to ROD OVA. The execution of the story is bad and the relations between characters are very fake and superficial. I really don't get how a sequel of a favourite anime can make me dislike it so much.
Anime fans, watch the OVA. It is a must watch. Stay off this however, even for the most hardcore Read or Die fans.
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0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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chris |
2006-08-09 22:39:03 |
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| Average |
8.7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Interesting series. The ideas are original, a lot of potential, and good characters. This is definitely a slow-paced series with no major action sequences. If you are a fan of insane fight scenes, ROD the TV will disappoint. This series provoked my interest with the three sisters with bizarre powers: the power to control paper. This is absolutely refreshing and original compared to the stereotypical powers of most anime protagonists. The plot also had a lot of potential but turned out to be a little bit of a let down at the end. Overall, ROD the TV is enjoyable to watch and definitely worth its value if you can stick with it through the end.
Animation:
Great animation. Painstaking attention to detail. Cities like Jinboucho and especially London are impressive. Very realistic and detailed backgrounds. Most importantly, the animation flows well and is smoothly connected during the action sequences. Characters were also well-drawn and distinct. I liked all the character designs with maybe an exception of Nenene and Yomiko (the glasses). One annoyance was the blushing spots. Aside from that, the animation was excellent.
Sound:
I usually skip OPs and EDs but the catchy tune of the OP was pleasing to hear. The orchestral score was pretty good but have no variety. The voice actors are excellent. I could not imagine any other cast voicing these characters. Maggie left a lasting impression on me with her very deep and quiet voice. The music is nothing extraordinary but the voice acting is quite superb.
Story:
This is possibly the biggest let-down of the series. There were too many loose ends at the end and not sufficient explanation behind Gentleman's history or how he got to be so powerful. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I have yet to watch the OVAs. The story had a great potential but failed to deliver. Furthermore, I felt that the characters, aside from the three sisters, were not developed well enough. The history behind Maggie and Drake is never explained, nor is the past relationship between Nenene and Yomiko. Overall, the concept was extremely original and is probably what kept me watching. I just wish they would have added more history and background information to fill in the gaps.
Characters:
I loved them. I got attached to many of the characters and the evil portrayal of Joker and Wendy were well done. Although Joker was one-dimensional, he was charismatic. The sisters are also well-done. However, there is a big flaw in them. Maggie and Anita are so far at the ends of extreme that Maggie never gets mad and Anita is screaming at the top of her lungs most of the time. Michelle was the stereotypical kind, gentle, loving sister. Now, Yomiko really was a disappointment. I have always disliked the common category of weak heroes. Yomiko is one of those characters who will follow the plan but fails to execute the final process. At numerous occasions, I found myself yelling at the computer screen for how naive and dumb she was. Aside from that, it was refreshing to find no real male leads. Despite the numerous flaws of characters, for some odd reason, I really became attached to them. Oh and the sisterly love was very touching.
Value:
Average value. I wouldn't watch this again. Nonetheless, it was a fun to watch each episode. It gets bonus points for an awesome last episode. However, it's nothing mind-blowing or something worth buying.
Enjoyment:
One point knocked down for its slow, slow pacing in the beginning. Although the first half was necessary for character development, I felt that they could have done a better job. Second half, however, compensates for the first half.
This anime is full of flaws and mistakes. But for some strange reason, I loved the series and cannot give a lower rating than this. If you can overlook couple things in the series, ROD the TV can be enjoyable.
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Kugli |
(2006-06-08 15:50:40) 2006-06-08 15:48:29 |
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| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Though definitely at a lot slower pace than its three-episode sibling, ROD TV still has all the same great action as its predecessor. Read or Dream isn't the all-out action kind of setting created by Read or Die, but it is nonetheless still just as enjoyable to watch. It takes a different route by instead trying to develop its characters thoroughly and creating a heart-felt story and engaging plot, though it is a bit of a letdown occasionally since it's pace slows somewhat in the middle episodes.
Despite somewhat lacking in the action department with which I was expecting having watched the ROD OVA, ROD TV is still an enjoyable romp where it is the paper that is mightier than the sword.
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|
| Average |
7.3 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
6 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
4 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| To be honest, I could have not watched this and my life would be no different. However, I did watch it to the end even though this series was not the most entertaining nor the most touching/emotional series ever. ROD TV can be divided into three major segments. 1) Get to know the three new paper masters as well as Yomiko Readman's 'apprentice' who was inspired to be a writer - this lasts for about 13 episodes 2) The quest to finding Yomiko Readman, discovering the true history to what happened in the past, and finally encountering the big enemies this lasts until around episode 19-20 3) Final confrontations, kicking ass, more action scenes, and wrap up. For those of you who enjoyed watching Read or Die OVA, this series is a continuation from The Great Men story, but from a different perspective and with different characters at a later period in time. So that might be a few bonus points.
My biggest complaint (and probably many others) for this anime is probably the lack of enough action and the two slow "let's enjoy life" parts. There are the occasion (yet awesome) paper usage battles and fights interspered in between story elements, but either they didn't want to make this a more action oriented anime or they didn't want to animate all the papers flying around. As for the slow parts, these are in between the three big segments that I mentioned above. During this scene, we have our characters not really doing anything at all except sitting around, and enjoying life in their own ditzy way and in an out of context, carefree way.
However, if you aren't intimidated by an anime which isn't completely mindless action from start to finish ROD TV does a little bit of everything with its characters. What I admired most about this series is how every character contributes to the overall team work feel which makes it easier to get involved. The story isn't the greatest thing in the world, but the love of the characters is what drove me to want to watch this series to the end.
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Noros |
2006-05-10 04:32:12 |
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| Average |
8.7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| A nice continuation from the OVA, ROD TV adds some interesting characters to the mix, and is an entertaining series. Overall, the concept of "paper masters" was what kept me stuck to this series. The plot, while a little whimsical was decently crafted, and flows well. The only downsides to this series would be the lack of action scenes. After watching the first episode, I got the idea that his series was going to be filled with tons of interesting and well executed paper battles, however such was not the case. This is a good series, but just don't expect non-stop action, the majority of the series is character and plot development, with occasional quick action scenes spaced throughout.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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|
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| Average |
8.0 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| Well, this anime is certainly not for everyone, since it does have some angst that can cause irritation, but as far as I am concerned, I think it was justifiable in this series, to some extent.
Animation: There were a lot of moments when I thought "WOW, this was AMAZING", and I am talking mainly about the very scarce but GOOD action scenes. They are so well done, and at the same time have this clarity to them that gives me some idea on what's going on on a fight. However, on some scenes, the animation seems to be extremely off, in terms of design, and almost puke inducing... The character designs, when they were done right, are very detailed and have a lot of personality to them, and that helps giving the anime some uniqueness. I would say that overall, the animation is a mixed bag, but the good in here is much more dominant.
Sound: I was a bit saddened in here, because there was some obvious care that went into making the soundtrack, but I guess it just never clicked with me, which makes me feel a bit evil :) Somehow, I felt that the music was on a kind of a different waveform from where I was at, BUT that is not the composer's fault, it's no one's fault... It just happens sometimes... There is an exception though, the second ending theme "Confidence" has certainly managed to grab my attention, and was a reason enough for me to get the OSTs. The voice acting was great overall, but I have to say that Anita, the main character, has a bit of a pitch problem... it sometimes causes a LOT of frustration, which wasn't really a pleasant experience.
Story: The main idea in here is superb, and the themes were sometimes touched upon brilliantly. BUT, there was a big problem in dividing the series in to two halves, two that are so different that managed to give this vibe of incoherence. I want to say that the first half was EXTREMELY AVERAGE, if not boring at times. The second half though, was the total opposite, in the sense that it truly caused some nerves inside me to blow, from the sheer amount of intensity that it provided. I have to say too, that I thought the angst in the second half had its reasons to be there, though going through those reasons will let me spill out a lot of spoilers... just don't want to get into that in this review (email me if you want to discuss). The ideas represented by each side of the characters were very well explained. It was all about what's good for the future of humanity, the true way humans can evolve in their minds, without abandoning what makes us human in the first place; EMOTIONS.I am just really pissed at the first half of the series, as it ruined the chance of a potential masterpiece.
Characters: Nenene Sumiregawa... that character alone gives this series free 8 points in this category. Such an amazing woman, with some extremely powerful lines that exemplifies what a female character should be like in anime. Too bad, she wasn't the main character, as that could've raised this anime into much higher levels in my profile. The three main leads, the sisters, are probably the weakest of all. Each one of them doesn't have enough complexity to illustrate deeper feelings. I would say that Anita was the worst, as there were some forced attempts into making her feel multi dimensional... but those weren't very successful, as she just gave this impression of a snotty little brat that whines about stuff she doesn't understand. The other two sisters are good, but not good enough as main characters. Junior is okay, but the change in his character was too rushed IMO. Now, the characters from the OVA are the ones that shine the most (other than Sumiregawa), Yomiko has been given much more depth, as she appears to be a really good person with a lot of traits I appreciate in people. She WAS a bit too nice though, especially at one important scene near the end. Nancy is a heart breaking character, as seeing her drastic change in character after the events of the OVA really makes a powerful impact. Wendy was a despicable character, and that is a good thing actually, since she is supposed to appear as this heartless woman. She was heartless, but she wasn't inhuman per se, it's kind of hard to explain, but let's say she had such a strong will to accomplish what she thinks is right, to the point of doing the WRONG. Joker is also a very strong character and gives a good example of what a villain should be like, NOT a bad person, but with some really controversial ideas that cause a lot of struggles. You know an anime is good when you can't really tell who’s really at fault, since both sides (Yomiko VS Joker) has their own valid points to make. Finally, we have Drake, a big guy with a bigger heart. He has this really warm feeling to him that makes him a very likable side character. I can't believe that this one minor character, Drake, showed ten times more depth than some other anime's main characters... which really indicates some careful choices of the cast for this anime (EXCEPT the lead sisters).
Overall, I highly value this anime, or the SECOND half of it to be more precise. If it wasn't for the lousy first half, this could've easily ranked up there with one of the best shows ever. Also, I want to note that I saw the OVA before, and I wasn't really much of a fan of it. I thought the OVA was very shallow, and I still think so, but now, watching the OVA connects my memories with the TV part of it, which surpasses it in almost all aspects, IMHO. To sum up, if you're into angst filled animes, this is a must watch, if you like animes with more than typical storylines, this is still a must watch. HOWEVER, if you loathe overdramatic stories no matter what the reason is, you should think twice before viewing this anime. For me, this was a very pleasant watch that I am glad that I had the chance to come across it.
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| Average |
5.8 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
5 |
| Character |
5 |
| Value |
5 |
| Enjoyment |
5 |
| I had great expectations about R.O.D. TV when I finished watching the original OVA. Thus my disappointment was rising while watching next episodes of the series. This could have been a stunning series - unfortunately due to the storyline, character design and other minor factors it's just another average production which can be omitted. Honestly - there are far better titles than R.O.D TV.
Why do I gave this series such a bad review you may ask? Well let's start from the most important thing for all of us - the animation.
Animation in the series is quite similar to the one introduced in the OVA, but slightly better in some aspects. Those are background drawings, characters and their movement. This is a great advantage, because it gives straight away the "climate" of the OVA. What is more the battle scenes are done suberbly - especially when it comes to paper users - these are the most interesting to watch. Characters move pretty fuidly and their drawing is well done.
When it comes to sound - the actors did their job well. Voices of the characters are convincing and just sound naturally. For example you have silent Maggie who didn't even shouted once in the series. Seiyuu is a strong side of the series.
Music - it was far better in the OVA. In the series the music doesn't give for example the drama of exact scene. In the battle scenes the music is just the same - a positive tunes which in nearly every such situation mean "we will kick your asses". Thus I was disappointed by the complete lack of different themes for battle scenes, dramatical ones or those involving Yomiko Readman. The opening theme is catchy, but creators could have combined it with something more than just flashlights from the previous episodes. As for the ending song - it's in J-pop style and I liked it.
The factor which ruined the whole series is storyline. The series had a potential - great concept - paper users, conspiracy in the background, unknown past of the three main female characters and come back of the main heroes from the original OVA.
I really liked the idea of paper users and the concept of bringing to life saying: "those who have information have power". However these things were unfortuantely combined with elements which failed - and these are characters.
The three sisters could have been a strong lead in the series, but somehow it turned out to be that the person which they had to protect - Sumiregawa sensei is the most normal and sober-thinking character in the series. Also adding angst to the plot wasn't the best idea - this is mainly about Anita acting as stubborn kid. The series has storyline and music which should not be combined with such factor. Take a good look at Neon Genesis Evangelion - there the plot, personal problems of each character and music which created a very dramatical atmosphere - the whole series was dramatical. Thus in R.O.D. TV this idea would pass if there was at least a good music in it.
Next thing which failed are the characters. In R.O.D. TV there very few which I liked. Why? Mainly because most of them were presented one-dimensionally. For example Joker - he is introduced as complete and wise leader who always foresees his opponents moves. On the other hand there ha wasn't showed as a simple human being - always acting in one-sided pattern.
We have naive as always Yomiko Readman and three sisters. They all lack in such things like strong character which would naturally evolve - they were paper users after all - nearly indestructible. I don't mean that they should act as heores from American comics - they are human beings with their own problems - but acting more decisively would make them more belivable.
What is more some characters were drawn in a way that made them look completetly mistrustfully - not only from their apperance, but also from the way they behaved. For instance Junior is total abomination in the series (at first I couldn't distinguish if he was a boy or a girl).
The most important thing - the plot. The series could consist of only 13-15 episodes due to the fact that most of the scenes were about three sisters reading books, talking, Anita having lessons in school which did nothing in common with the main storyline and so on. The first 4-6 episodes could have been made into 2 or 3 episodes.
The problem is that the great conspiracy which was the main source of all action in the series went "stupid", because creators just didn't know how to end the series. The whole idea of placing mind of man who passed away into the body of a living person was quite astonishing, but the way they visualized it in the series showed complete lack of care about details. If this wasn't enough the HQ of the Imperial Library was made in "Evangelion style" - as if the creators didn't have any ideas at all how thing s should look like.
To sum up - R.O.D. TV is an average production. It has some advantages like a few strong characters and the whole idea which revolves around the Imperial Library. However - majority of weak characters, many characters presented one-dimensionally, music which is only used as background (no really good tracks except for the main opening theme), story which just ended horribly - have turned this series into an average title which can be easily omitted. If you have nothing to do with your free time or are interested in how to destroy a sequel of an anime which already is a legend then feel free to waste your time and watch it. People who would like to see something more ambitious will be surely disappointed. Only for hardcore fans of anime.
What is more - this title is in my opinion not for the ones who would like to see "what is anime so show me something good". They should begin with such classics like Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Neon Genesis Evangelion or Cowboy Bebop.
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| Average |
9.8 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I've just finished watching this show after saving it for some time, so i had high expectations of it, and i can only say, it delivers enourmously.
This is the first anime show i've seen in a few months and to be honest, i was getting a bit uninterested in anime in general, but this show reminded me of all the things i loved in anime, and then some!
I can say that all aspects of the show are top notch and that all will attract you equally; the animation, music, sound, story and characters are of the finest caliber and are all memorable.
the animation is detailed, full of life and personality and very well done.
The characters' faces and movemts are very expressive and the action scenes that are sparsed through the show are absolutely amazing and creative, really fun to watch and exciting.
The music is very very good, and builds upon what you heard in R.O.D OVA(if you've seen in it)and it's a nice mix of 70's spy show music, jpop and more.
The story is wonderful and IMHO excelently paced.
You get a begging, middle and end properly stablished, and defined, and the story never looses it's steam.
In the first half of the show we are introduced to the main characters, their personalities, their "daily" lives and a few key mysteries are introduced.
In the second half the story takes a huge turning point and becomes very complex and engaging, all the mysteries established in the first half as well as in R.O.D are clarified or built upon.
This structuring gives chance for all the characters to really flesh out, before getting tossed in to the complex story and situations, so you really get to care for what happens for the characters.
I won't tell anithing about the story because i would spoil it, but it's awesome.
The only fault i find in it are that a few events aren't very clearly explained , but nothing really "major", just small details.
Now, on to the characters:
This show follows the adventures of 3 sisters, Michelle, Maggie and Anita, they are paper masters, so they can use paper at will and use it as clothes, weapons, means of trasportation, etc.
They have a detective agency in Hong Kong, and are hired to protect Nenene Urusegawa, a talented japanese writer who is friends with R.O.D's hero Yomiko Readman, who has been MIA for 4 years now.
At first their personalities clash specially Anita's and Nenene because both are fiesty and though, but suddenly the 4 of them find themselves living like a family, and the the real adventures start.
The characters are all charming and you'd be hard pressed not to be rooting for them since early on.
All i can really say about this show is that it's immensly enoyable, deep and action packed at the same time, and that as of now it's on my top 5.
If you liked R.O.D, watch this NOW i you haven't watched it, watch BOTH NOW !!
they're great gems you cannot afford to miss.
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| Average |
9.8 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I really think this anime series is great!
I watched the OVA too, that was good, too, BUT the TV series is better in many aspects.
It has a pleasing way of story-telling, there are exciting action scenes, but I liked how the characters interacted with each other, so the non-action, but real-life scenes drew me really into the series.
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|
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| Average |
7.2 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| Die ROD OVA gehört für mich zu den wohl besten OVAs bis dato und überzeugt mit knalliger Action die allein für genug Unterhaltung sorgt um selbst die offensichtlichen Schwächen in punkto Story und Charaktere locker auszugleichen. Die Action ist ganz klar das Herzstück dieser OVA und würde man diese heraus nehmen wäre ROD keinen Pfifferling mehr wert. Leider Gottes hat man genau DAS bei der TV-Serie getan und außer ein paar wenigen recht gut gelungenen Szenen wird dieses Mal nicht einmal im Ansatz das geboten was man aus der OVA gewohnt ist und was diese ausgezeichnet hat. Besonders bedauernswert und auch sehr ärgerlich ist das hier Unmengen an Potential vergeudet werden, denn von der Animationsqualität her ist die Action der TV-Serie auf jeden Fall ein echter Hingucker. Diese Tatsache ist natürlich etwas enttäuschend und dürfte besonders Fans der OVA negativ aufstoßen. Dennoch ist die TV-Serie deshalb nicht gleich von vorne herein in die Tonne zu treten, denn zumindest von Seiten der Story und der Charaktere her ist ROD TV seinem Vorgänger deutlich überlegen und bietet weit mehr Informationen und Hintergründe in diesen 2 Kategorien. Bis die Serie allerdings dahin kommt müssen erst einmal ganze 11 Episoden vergehen in denen es so gut wie überhaupt keine Hints gibt die weder Schlüsse in Hinsicht auf einen sich anbahnenden Handlungsverlauf zulassen noch in irgendeiner Weise tiefer auf die Figuren eingehen. Zwar sind diese Episoden nicht durchgängig zum Gähnen, was hauptsächlich daran liegt das der sympathische Cast die Serie in dieser Phase über die Runden trägt, aber auf Dauer wird man dann doch sehr ungeduldig und will endlich mit etwas Handfesterem konfrontiert werden. Doch ROD TV gehört zu den Serie bei denen sich Beharrlichkeit auszahlt und von Episode 12-23 wird dem Zuschauer eine durchweg interessante und vor allem sehr spannende Handlung geboten die nicht zuletzt durch die Verwebung der Ereignisse aus der OVA, und dem damit verbundenen stopfen der Plotlöcher die sie hinterließ, ungemein zum Weiterschauen anspornt. Auch die Charaktere sorgen für den einen oder anderen Twist der die Geschichte vertieft und einiges an Brisanz und Würze mit hinein bringt. Damit schafft es die TV-Serie auch ohne turbulente Action am Fließband unterhaltsam zu sein und am Ende hat sie mir dann doch ziemlichen Spaß gemacht. Fest steht allerdings dass hier viel Potential nicht genutzt worden ist und in Hinblick auf das was hier actionmäßig möglich gewesen wäre ließ mich ROD TV letztendlich mit etwas Ernüchterung zurück. Trotzdem ein wirklich guter Anime, der zwar nicht durchgängig vom Sessel reißt aber dennoch unterhaltsam genug ist um stellenweise vor den Bildschirm zu fesseln, besonders wenn man seine hohe Erwartungen (nach der OVA) etwas zurück schraubt.
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| This is the best anime ever made, i wish it was longer like 52 episodes or something, i wish to see what happen more of the past, and also the future like where are they living at the end? are all of them living together? is yumiko and nenene living together? I think this anime (ROD) is better than bleach or naruto or elfenlied or basiliks which are my favourite anime too. Hopefully there will be a second season of ROD tv series showing the future or the past i wouldnt mind. I also like Yumiko's voice very much. She has such a sweet adorable innocent baby voice, i really really like her so much i wish i can meet the voice character someday. ROD is the best series so far and i have watched most of the series and it's hard really hard to get me watching a series more than once but i just couldnt stop myself from watching ROD series again and again. Its very addictive and highly recommended for everyone all age to watch! ENJOY :)
Such a great STORY PLOT i love it, it contains the most diverse palette of feelings. Best ever and then basiliks comes next.
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| Average |
9.0 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| I liked the TV series more than the OVA, which only served as an introduction to the more extensive uses of paper mechanisms possible. Blended with humor and irony along with a little twist in the end, it is an anime I highly recommend (although my brother does not seem to enjoy it as much as I had). I found the uses of paper fascinating.
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| Average |
9.3 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| R.O.D. TV is the sequel to the Read or Die OAV series. This time however, the anime centers on the Paper Sisters of Maggie, Michelle, and Anita. The OAV had great animation in its battle scenes, but there was little time to give character depth to each of the characters. This is where R.O.D. TV shines over the OAV. The first half of the anime is devoted into fleshing out the characters of Nenene, Maggie, Michelle, and Anita. This was where some fans complained of because it was a bit slow moving and lacked any action. But I liked the comical moments which went on between the sisters and Nenene, especially Nenene's interaction with Anita. The second half jumps into the dark plot of Joker's plans to restore the British Empire to the world power it once was. This made for a more interesting and darker plot than the I-Jin from the OAV whom I had found more humorous than serious.The original cast of the OAV returns in R.O.D TV with Yomiko, Nancy, and Drake whom are also given a bit more depth in their characters making things all the more better for the series. The animation in R.O.D. TV is just as smooth for the show's battle scenes and the music choices were of good choices for the show, along with music from the OAV. Overall, I enjoyed R.O.D. TV a great deal more than the OAV, but I still like both the TV show and OAV. Who says bibliomaniacs don't make for a good, solid action anime?
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|
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| Average |
8.8 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| As I began watching this series, I was expecting lots of entertaining action like that of its OVA counterpart. However what i got was something totally different. Rather than action be the central focus of this whole anime, this anime presents complex storyline, very deep characters, and little action. This anime is NOT about emulating its predecessor, but creating something that DIFFERS entirely in its style and approach, and i find this anime to be just as good if not better.
Unlike the shallow, but likable, characters in OVA, we have a cast that deserves much attention and detailed story telling, and they receive it. The characters are just as likable, but have extra depth which is a huge plus. From shy and tall Maggie to stubborn and upright Nenene each characters are infused with distinct personality that I loved. Even the "BAD" guys here are interesting in their own right. The character at the end are fleshed out and we are mde to associate with them.
The story however is a bit too much in my opinion. The first 8 episodes or so was use to set up all the characters and the rest of the episodes charge on with rocket like pacing. But that works as its negative for so much is thrown out at us and I was having trouble understanding everything. Close attention to the story and dialogue would be a must watching this anime unlike the OVA.
The most controversial part of this anime has to be its amount of action. If a viewer was expecting a emulation of the OVA, the amount of action would not satisfy them. However I found the quiet and introverted scenes and dialogues to be very insightful and gives us something to think about.
Animation is superb and i wouldn't expect anything less. Though the action scenes are few, all the action scenes are incredibly well choreographed and mind boggling. Some of the action scenes are downright incredible. Makers of dragonball could sure learn from this anime. All the colors are vibrant and clear. Movement are very smooth and CG work manytimes is successfully incorporated in to all the scenes.
The music also is a standout. OP is in line with the mood of the OVA and the background music never fail to provde the perfect mood for every scene. The two ED are delightful pieces that i'm listentning to right now. Especially "Moment in the Sun" is a great j-pop that I think i'll enjoy for a long time.
Who said a sequal has to be like its predecessor to be sucessful? This is not a emulation of the OVA but something else entirely and it is a good one. From start to finish I was not able to take my eyes off the screen. Whether it be insightful dialogue, or mind boggling action; I LOVED THEM ALL. If you watched the OVA this is a must watch and yes i would recomment watching the OVA first.
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|
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| Average |
8.3 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| The sequel to ROD OVA is a letdown. Thats the first thing. Its not that bad, only that there are too many slow moving scenes which hamper the anime. In the end everything comes trhough leaving a satisfaction, but done in a way to fool you when taking the whole anime. The anime done by a different company tries very hard to emulate the original, but unconvinsingly done.
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Rainy |
(2005-07-11 18:48:15) 2005-07-11 18:46:23 |
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| Average |
8.3 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| "This is the power of will, which is greater than any ability."
How could I ever imagine one of the greatest quotes in anime came from the mouth of a villain? Mr.Joker is an intelligent and adamant man who, when it comes to resurrecting Gentleman and in turn, raising Great Britain to the most powerful nation in the world, he is willing to bide his time and working laboriously to achive his goal. How could I NOT admire such this person? It is only too bad the anime director hesitates to bring the long delayed violence and death to the screen, thus I got a lot of empty promises of great actions and angst. In the end, of course, the Good Guys triumphed, while the Evil Ones disbanded when their plans went awry. I couldn't help but feel a tad sad and angry at the organization's untimely demise. I have never wished so fervently for the bad guys' victory, not only does their dream sounds appealing - Global peace and equal sharing of knowledge, but it is just not right for them to work tirelessly only to fail miserably in the end, especially when the disruptive elements could be easily gotten out of the system.
To recall the details of the final episode is painful: had the anime director not being so lenient with Paper masters and their gang, had Ms.Wendy shot one or two of the rebels, there should be nothing in their way to the long awaited goal. A happy ending does please me, and it's only brought about by British Library's collapse, yet on the other hand I couldn't help but feeling sorry for Mr.Joker, whoes hair turned white for some mysterious reasons the anime never bothered to explain, and Ms.Wendy, the capable henchwoman of Mr.Joker. She is the epitome of the type of woman I admire with all my hearts, extremely reliable and unruffled even when she is trapped in some desperate situations.
Bad guys aside, the anime does an equally impressing job with characterizing the good guys, specifically Nenene-Sensei and the three Paper Sisters. The former was skyrocketed to fame when her debut work <<Midnight liberation zone>> was published four years ago, yet unfortunately, ever since the mysterious disappearance of Rumiko Readman, a close friend of Nenene-Sensei's, her inspiration was dried up, thus not one book was published again...until the three comedic Paper Sisters barged into Nenene-Sensei's life. The earlier episodes where the three Paper Sisters practically annoyed the hell out of the poor sensei is hilarious to behold. Note that animes which manage to squeeze a chucle or two out of me is a rarity. What more should I say about Nenene sensei other than that I absolutely love her to death? She is bold,she is direct and more than anything, she is kind. Her inherently femininity is accentuated by her artificial manliness. Once I looked beyond the tough and careless "shell", Sensei is perfectly capable of being kind and understanding all at once. In addition, the courage she demonstrated in confronting Ms.Wendy directly addes another even deeper dimension to her character. It's small wonder then that Lee-San is willing to sacrifice his life for Sensei.
Now on with the Paper Sisters, I always have a soft spot for pink-haired, green-eyed girls. They remind me so much of lovely tiny flowers swaying gentlely in wind. The fragile image I see in them invariably produces a bias for such girls. As for the said person, Anita-chan, she must have a personality on the very opposite spectrum from what I call a "a delicate girl". Always restless and ready to spring onto the whoever dares to insult her and her best friend Hisa-chan, She IS a total tomboy. Yet, I like her no less for that very reason. The last thing I want to see is a Haruka like girl from <<The eternity you wish for>>.
(I feel like if I keep ranting on and on about every character there is, I am gonna write a novel instead of a quick review, so I will shut up here and now. *__*'')
Since I am not particularly picky with plot in general, and this one is very entertaining and full of suspense, really nothing to complain here except a few noteworthy plot holes. Why is it that Rumiko destroyed the British Library in the first place? Merely by flashing a photo of her lover (I infer that the unlucky man has gone through some serious ordeal and trauma at the hands of Joker san), yet if I were the devastated Rumiko, I would vent out my anger and frustration on Joker san, the starter of it all, instead of demolishing the library, further more, I don't see how a bibliomaniac can burn books she loves so dearly. I guess the mangaka just didn't know what to do about it so he/she just chose the most unlikely candidate to shock the audience. And regrettably, it's harder to take a story seriously when the pivotal part of the plot is lame.
Animation is superb! Sometimes even exceeding the already high standard set by the preceding OVA. It's simply a treat for eyes to watch the intense fight scenes, they are all nice bonuses of an good anime.
Though the series loses quite a bit of momentum in middle, R.O.D TV is nevertheless a very worthwhile watch - defintely not just something to purchase on whim and let it sit on shelf to collect dust.
86%
some screencaps are on my blog. rainy.weblogs.us
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| Average |
8.3 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| ROD the tv was an original anime, with an original story and some nice characters. Now, coming from a fan of the OVA, I don't think that ROD the tv actually captures that same feeling (or basically isn't better than)the ova, but it does have some things that the ova didn't.
The animation in the series was somewhat downgraded from the ova's, but despite that, it still looks great (although there are moments when the characters might look a little weird or something, or it could just be me). They have some music that was also in the ova, but it really doesn't do much for the series. But, the music in the series (that wasn't in the ova) sets the mood for certain situation nicely (when it's sinister, we get the creepy like music, and when it's calm, we get the calm-like music)
The characters in this series are probably the strongest point (and somewhat what the series has over the ova). Maggie, Anita, and Michelle work really well together, and you can see how much they really care and depend on each other throughout the series. Nenene was a nice character to throw into the mix, providing a lot of humor with her bad attitudes at the beginning, but once the storyline kicks in, it seems like she's only being dragged along because she has to be, despite the fact that she's used for some rather important things by the enemies (which I don't understand why the chose her instead of one of the other many authors just lying around, but oh well). It's also nice to see the cast from the ova return, including Joker and Wendy (who you have to wonder why she changed so much). But...this time around Yumiko just seems a little off and depressed all the time (eventhough seein what she did, I guess it would make some sense)and drake and nancy (of course) aren't as 'kickass' as they were in the ova. But, the series does have more development to it's main character than the ova (especially with anita going to school and actually getting a friend and such).
The storyline really isn't anything special, although it is original and interesting, leaving you to know what's going to happen next. But....the problem is that the storyline never really picks up like it should. The first 10 episodes or so develop the whole relationship between the three sisters and Nenene, and then after that it just plops them down in one situation after another. After the whole thing with Dokushesha, the story kinda goes downhill, with everyone not really doing anything except running from Joker and the likes of the British library. While we do get back the cast from the original ova like i said above, they don't really do anything and become bystanders somewhat in what's going on just like the sisters have (although Yumiko's apperance does help to clear up some of the things that happened in the past, including Anita and the whole incident with the library, and the relationship between Junior and Nancy, and why he's there) But, it seems as if you're always waiting for something to happen, and when it seems like it is, it doesn't.
The ending is ok and ties up everything in the series nicely, but it wasn't that spetacular and it definatly wasn't the big build up I was hoping it to be. In short, the story really never recovers from the lag of the middle of the series. It's as outrageous as the ova's, but it's streatched out to 26 episodes, which really didn't work well (and there's not really that much action...few episodes at the beginning, one in the middle, and a tiny bit at the end). If anything, one of the episodes did help to add more depth and insight into what happened in the ovas, and connects it to the series nicely. Like I said, the story is interesting, but that only really because of Anita, Junior, and Joker's plan to somewhat take over the world. But...Joker's plan is kinda just kept in the background while we follow around our heroes, and once you find out the deal with Anita and Junior (as well as the other sisters towards the end) it's just kinda shrugged off and isn't really emphasized on (or that much of a big deal once they get over it).
All in all, I don't think this is better than the ova...but it's still a nice series to watch. The sisters and nenene kept me watching due to their development and such during the first ten or so episodes, and trying to see what Dokusesha as well as Joker and the British library were actually up to kept me tuned in to the rest. But, with following around the characters who don't do much throughout all the middle (which is the most important part of the series since everything happens then)it kinda looses steam, and by the end your hoping it'll pick it back up but it never does.
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