February 26, 2006

R.O.D the TV

When I saw the trailers for R.O.D the TV, I blew it off as a childrens action film. It sounded very "magical-girl" to me, with so-called Paper Masters who could control paper. But it turns out this anime is not at all childish and in fact extremely well done. Unfortunately, the TV series is the last of the R.O.D productions, but I have ended up watching it first. The four-volume manga comes first, then a three-episode OVA (referred to as the movie in the U.S.), and finally the 26-episode TV series. So as I've got the OVA on disc downstairs, I'm going to end up going through this whole thing backwards.

The first few episodes introduce the three sisters, Michelle, Anita, and Maggie, as bodyguards for Nenene. For some reason, Nenene's become the center of danger. Eventually, it is revealed that more sinister motives are at work in this elseworld where books play a vital role. At times, the mood is lighthearted and amusing. In fact quite amusing sometimes. But things also become dark at other times. Much more serious than I was expecting. There are a few cliché episodes thrown in, but they're well done and not overdone.

Overall, I have to say the series was very gripping and I felt a connection with the characters involved. Each of them has a unique personality that is not as simple as one might expect from the stereotypes they draw upon. The music has an action quality to it, that is a little reminiscent of the James Bond movies. And the story is well developed, and also executed pretty well, although I do think there were a few hiccups around disc two or three. Possibly due to my ignorance of the earlier productions.

Posted by josuah at February 26, 2006 7:57 AM UTC+00:00

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