[Review] Read or Die OVA
As we’ve all pretty much learned by now, a series cannot survive on guns, glory and GAR alone. Read or Die’s original series, a 3-episode OVA from 2001, does a fabulous job mixing said guns, glory and GAR with a healthy dose of likable characters and a reasonable plot. The plot does, however, fall into the dreaded “deux ex machina,” ”zero explanation whatsoever” and “why the eff did they just do that” territories in the final third. If the creators would have taken a bit more time ensuring overall coherency, they would’ve had a near-masterpiece on their hands. Still, Read or Die is a fun, flashy and unpredictable romp with enough originality to make it worthwhile.
Unlike so many other action series, the OVA’s setting is implied to be at a fictional end of the 19th century. There’s no glitzy cell phones, F-15s or magical lolis super-duper near-microscopic spy equipment… but there are nukes, rockets, wireless headsets, and thermal imaging mixed with GPS tracking.
As preposterous as this all seems to some, it works quite well. One gets the rustic feel of steam engines and nun-like outfits as well as the excitement of rocket ships and the latest in communications technology. It’s a strange “alternate history” that some may find off-putting, but then again, who cares that much about the setting?
Read or Die’s characters are what make it really worthwhile, especially since they’re all kinda pretty to look at. The main character, Yomiko Readman, is a midly flaky but good-hearted bookworm who’s likable despite a serious lack of character development. The Joker and the other supporting protagonists are varied quite nicely, and have memorable quirks to help them stand out from their archetypes. Since not much truly original happens in terms of plot, the characters have big shoes to fill in terms of entertainment, and they do the job well. Nancy in particular is one character I won’t be forgetting for a while, thanks to the twists in her backstory and personality.
The series’ plot doesn’t even really suffer from only having three episodes to develop. Ultimately, some parts end up feeling rushed and forced, especially in the final episode. But that’s a small price to pay for a compact, filler-free story that ties up loose ends but still leaves the viewer wanting a little more. The plot’s only true flaw is its lack of character development in, well, everyone besides Yomiko and Nancy.
CJ’s Rating: 8 out of 10 California rolls
(I’d love to post some screencaps, but all of them got eaten during the Great PC Crisis of 2009 [tl;dr: CJko got a virus ;_;])
