R.O.D. The T.V. Series
Volume 4-The Turning Point
(MVM Region 2 PAL DVD)
(2005)
review by Blackgloves

As we get into this fourth volume of "R.O.D. The TV Series", a marked change in approach becomes increasingly evident. This television anime spin-off from the original OVA has been developing steadily over twelve episodes as we've watched young Japanese author Nenene Sumiregawa become involved with a trio of young girls from Hong Kong who are also Paper Masters: special detectives who have magical, paper-manipulating powers and run their own agency dedicated to the tracking down of rare books. The series takes place in an alternative universe where the national libraries of the world are really front organisations for a secret book-based form of espionage. Alternating quiet, character-based episodes centred on Mrs Sumiregawa's efforts to overcome chronic writer's block and finish the follow-up to her best-selling novel -- as well as young Paper Master Anita's efforts to integrate with the other children at her new Japanese school -- with action-packed adventures in-which the Paper Masters are employed by a shady organisation called Dokusensha who are trying to track down a bizarre array of books which went missing from the British Library during a mysterious fire several years previously, the show slowly built-up a set of intriguing mysteries that eventually led to the unexpected revelations in episode eleven that finally brought Mrs Sumiregawa to the very centre of the action.

It seems that Nenene's mild-mannered publisher, Mr Lee has been secretly employed by Dokusensha to implement their true, secret agenda -- whatever that may be! Nenene is kidnapped by armed forces and whisked away to Dokusensha's high-rise headquarters where she is subjected to a hideously invasive, mind-altering procedure for reasons as yet undetermined. Paper Sisters Maggie, Michelle and Anita are "paid off" by Mr Lee to forget about the author, now that the true mission has been accomplished -- but the girls are not willing to sacrifice their new friend, and they set out to rescue Nenene from the clutches of the ruthless technicians of the Docusensha organisation...

The first episode on this disc sees the magical Paper Sisters concluding the daring rescue operation they started in the final episode of Volume Three; from here-on-in the series seems to start afresh. While one would think that a natural approach for a series that includes, as its essential elements, a lot of mystery and intrigue would be to answer the various conundrums and enigmas generated by the plot gradually over the whole run of episodes; "ROD The TV" takes a rather radical approach, and devotes the whole of episode fourteen to exposition that lets the viewer in on the whole back story and motivation of various characters who had, up until then, remained shrouded in mystery! It means the series seems to rather change tack from this point -- introducing several new main characters and a much nervier, intense atmosphere of paranoia than the relaxed and rather light-hearted approach of earlier episodes.

The Paper Sisters return to Japan after the destruction of Docusensha left half of Hong Kong beneath water! But, unknown to them at this point, Docusensha's mysterious patron, Mr Joker, was really an agent for the rival British Library all along. Both organisations have been involved in a bizarre operation to recover a series of books which contain the encoded genome, the entire accumulated knowledge and even the memories of the secret architect of Britain's global dominance during the nineteenth Century, Mr Gentleman! All of them went missing after a mysterious fire at the British Library -- and Mr Joker and his accomplice, Wendy Earhart infiltrated Docusensha (who had been employing the Paper Sisters to track down several of the missing volumes) in order to reincarnate Mr Gentleman using the "perfect language system" to download the encoded information from the books into the brain of a suitable author! A bonkers and completely bewildering plot-line for sure, but I can assure you that the back story for all this is even weirder and convoluted than that simple summery could ever convey!

The original OVA (known as "Read or Die") was about a character called Yomiko Readman who worked for the British Library as a Paper Sister book detective. "ROD The TV Series" has referred back to Readman several times (particularly in the first few episodes): she used to be Nenene's greatest friend but disappeared soon after the British Library fire. From episode 15 onwards, Yomiko Readman becomes a key character in the tv saga as well. Nenene and the Paper Sisters (now wanted as terrorists after the Docusensha incident) learn that Readman is alive and living in Japan. They manage to track her down to a special, book-filled back room of a reference library where Nenene is shocked to discover that her best friend is living with another girl, called Nancy! Readman has been hiding from the British Library since the fire and is in possession of one of the missing volumes that they are trying to locate. Unfortunately, Nenene and the other girls have done Joker's legwork for him -- he has followed them to Readman's location, wanting not only the missing book, but for Readman to resume working for the British Library!

With its bizarre and labyrinthine plot twists, "ROD The TV Series" is becoming an unpredictable and unmissable feast of anime strangeness. The recent edgy storylines that pit the Japanese heroines against an inscrutable and all-powerful British institution have injected a new lease of life into this previously rather passive show. "ROD" finally realises its true ambition with this Volume -- make sure you check it out!