R.O.D. - Read or Die
June 2003 Reviewed by: Josh Barber Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Manga Entertainment, Inc. has just imported the three-episode animated series Read or Die, the story of a bibliophile substitute teacher who also happens to be a secret agent for the Royal British Library. When she's not teaching (or trying to save the world), Yomiko Readman can be found rummaging through Japan's bookstores in an effort to expand the collection that already fills most of her apartment.

While out one day acquiring books, Yomiko is attacked by an old man riding a grasshopper. He seems quite interested in the book she has just found, but she's not giving it up without a fight. This brief encounter drops Yomiko into a grand, world-spanning adventure that blends action, history, and science in a way reminiscent of television’s live-action Alias.

Joker, Yomiko's supervisor at the library's steampunkish Division of Special Operations, teams Yomiko (codenamed "Agent Paper" for her magical control over the stuff) with munitions expert Drake Anderson and the operative who will only introduce herself as "Miss Deep," a woman with unique powers. Together they hunt down the mysterious group of warriors known as I-Jin, who have been staging worldwide attacks.

This DVD collects the three half-hour OVA ("original video animation," the cartoon equivalent of "direct to video," like Lion King II: Simba’s Pride) episodes released individually in Japan. While it's good to get them all at once, it is rather disappointing that they're presented as three connected episodes rather than one long movie. The change would only have been a matter of removing the superfluous opening and closing credit sequences, and it would have made a difference.

The animation on Read or Die is top-notch, blending traditional cel-drawn characters with computer-generated backgrounds. Both people and locations are well designed and animated, and the two integrate smoothly -- the characters never look as though they are "floating" above the scenery.

The English dub is good, with all the actors' voices matching their characters. From Yomiko's shy naïveté to the over-the-top pseudo-accents of the villains, everyone sounds like they belong (though one could write a doctoral thesis on why it's okay for Japanese characters to sound American when Germans have to be voiced with full-on "ve haf vays of makink you tok" exaggerations). The only small gripe might be squeaky secretary Wendy, but she's a minor character who is never onscreen long enough to annoy. The original Japanese track is also available on the disc, which will make elitists everywhere happy.

The special features, accessed from the main menu under the "Archives" heading, include a Q&A session with the series’ creators, historical footnotes, the original trailer (composed of scenes from the very Bond-esque opening and actual scenes from the series), and previews of other Manga Entertainment, Inc. titles. The history lessons are of great value, especially for those who wouldn't be able to tell Mata Hari from Mama Cass. There are a few spoilers in the footnotes, though, so while they do add quite a bit to the viewing experience, it's best to wait until after you have watched the series through once before doing your homework on the characters.

The interview with the character designer, director, and screenwriter is rather poor quality, unfortunately, and looks and sounds like it came off someone's home video camera. The three gentlemen sit together at a table as the interviewer asks his questions, which are then translated. Though the insight offered by the trio is good, this section just seems unfinished; a bit of editing and dubbing would have helped a great deal. Of course, this is just a review copy, so there is a slim chance that this section will be improved on the final release.

Based on the comic book or "manga" story, serialized in Monthly Ultra Jump, Read or Die is a bit different from the average animé. Often manga serials become so popular that fans demand a corresponding animé series. In the case of Read of Die, the animation was created as a service to the printed page -- a visual tool designed to create additional interest in the stories. There are some questions purposefully left unanswered in the video version, including how Yomiko got her powers and why she hates having her glasses touched. For these, one would have to go back to the manga, making this arrangement a clever cross-marketing gimmick.

Overall, Read or Die is a worthwhile disc: the movie is great fun, and definitely a high-quality production. The extra content varies greatly, but one poor interview shouldn’t spoil your enjoyment of the rest.

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