R.O.D. the TV 9/10

I watched the last 3 episodes of R.O.D. the T.V. last week, here's the thoughts.

This is actually a sequel of sorts to the original OAVs that came out a few years ago R.O.D. (Read or Die). I really liked R.O.D. and had high hopes for the new series. A quick note, the creators of R.O.D. the TV (RODTV) say that the R.O.D. does not mean Read or Die or Read or Dream but is meant to tie the two series of stories together. (Read or Dream has never been animated and I don't know much about it.) Following the act of an excellent OAV is difficult but RODTV pulls it off nicely. The art here is great for a TV series and thankfully very close in quality to the OAV. While the characters are different, the new designs are of the same style. The music is also very much of the same style which is all good and the newly introduced voice actors are generally better than average based on the quite different personalities the new characters have. R.O.D. the TV ran 26 episodes in 2003-2004.

The story begins with a famous female author coming to Hong Kong for a book signing and getting three girl bodyguards to protect her while she's there. The author is Nenene, the young schoolgirl author who was friends with Yomiko Readman, the paper master from the OAV. We don't meet Nenene in the OAV but the show assumes you recognize her and note that she is several years older now than the last time she was encountered in the novels you haven't read. This story takes place 5(?) years after the events in the OAV and we learn Yomiko has disappeared, has not been seen in that time and that Nenene is searching for her. As for the 3 bodyguards, they are also paper masters (they can manipulate paper into shields, arrows, blades, planes, etc.) and are new to the R.O.D. universe. Things get off to an action packed start early and the series keeps up the action throughout. I can't reveal much of the plot, as it's not clear at first, but the sisters end up living with Nenene in Japan and the forces of evil appear to threaten them all. Over the course of the series many familiar faces from the OAVs appear, the events of the past 5(?) years are revealed and the events of the OAVs are referenced to tie the two shows together.

I really liked this show. The action scenes are top notch and I really liked all the new characters. The fact that RODTV ties into the OAV is great, it's like you're watching the next chapter of a great story and I feel a story is always better when you don't have to spend time introducing the world and characters. One last note, I'm not sure if they mention this in the series but Nenene doesn't normally wear glasses. The ones she wears are those left behind by her missing friend.

I really can't find anything wrong with this series other than I wish a certain character appeared sooner in the series as she's the all time fave. I would recommend watching the OAV first though.