Anime XS Summer

Goddess-Anna · Anime forever #1 fan founder

If you've seen the autentic Read or Die OVA, have no fear, the TV series will live up to its campy yet entertaining predecessor. If you haven't seen the OVA, I suggest checking it out first. Taking place approximately 6 years after the events of the OVA, ROD TV introduces us to a variety of new characters including the published author Nenene (who hasn't written a novel in years, nonetheless), and the girls of the Three Sisters Detective Agency: Maggie, Michelle, and Anita. Who does the show focus on the most? Well, that's definitely up to interpretation. At first, you assume that Nenene will be the focal point of the series, since it is her that writes the novels and needs the bodyguards (Anita, Maggie, and Michelle) to protect her. However, as a few episodes pass, the three sisters definitely become the focus. Later on, the events of the OVA start to come together in the TV series, introducing yet more characters who become a focus as well. It kind of reminded me of Infinite Ryvius, to be honest, the way no central main characters were really appointed. While it wasn't terrible, I still wish that someone/some people would have been easily identified as the lead roles.

As far as the actual story goes, it's difficult to really explain what happens without a fair amount of spoiling. Let's just say that it's chock full of lies, betrayals, nefarious bad guys, and a plot to take over the world! The series definitely feels like it has a few arcs, the first of which feels very character development/filler heavy. The girls are sent by the Chinese Intelligence to recover books that have been lost over time, and are in the hands of very dangerous individuals. After a few episodes, we barely see Nenene, and the three sisters are developed instead. Taking after series such as Witch Hunter Robin, this episodicness shuts down around the halfway point of the series, with a fairly sinister plot being uncovered for the masses. From that point on, it's plot central.

Now given the fact that it's related to Read or Die, you can expect that the plot would be somewhat out there and unique, and indeed, it was. I do give credit for the unusual plot, but I also was not completely happy with it. First of all, around episode 22 the series takes a complete nosedive into "OH MY GOD TWIST x 6,000" land. It isn't that twists aren't wanted, but these felt very unnecessary and forced at the last minute. Kind of like watching Berserk in a way, but not as messed up. These twists are twofold: first, changing some of the character interactions (totally unnecessary, given how good the plot was up to this point), and second, adding extremely farfetched and ridiculous notions to the plot, which made it lose a lot of credibility in my book. Yes, I know the show was meant to be campy and fairly unrealistic in the first place, but this was ridiculous amounts of things piled on at the last minute, which weren't needed!

Overall, a decent plot with a unique basis, a good (yet slow) flow, and several story arcs to keep you interested. Unfortunately, I felt like the story really failed at the end, and was only saved somewhat by its good (but still full of plot holes) ending.