Read or Die

Reviewed by Chris Hori
January 24, 2007

Artist: Shutaro Yamada Author: Hideyuki Kurata Publisher: Viz Media Website: Click Here Review Rating: 8 out of 10

Each Manga retails at $9.99 at bookstores and is rated T for Teens.

With the recent release of Hellsing OVA, the name of Hideyuki Kurata, was reintroduced to anime fans in the US , though he is no stranger to anime and manga. Fans of Kurata know him well from his series Read or Die.

If you have never seen Read or Die (or R.O.D. as it is known to its fans), look no further than the beginning of the story. If you have seen the animated OVA or R.O.D the TV series, then come learn the history of Yomiko Readman and what's the deal with her glasses. With 4 volumes out, you can think of the manga as the history of the characters that lead into ROD OVA and ROD TV.

Read or Die is the story of Yomiko Readman, a quirky bibliophile who has the ability to control paper, from making butterflies that really fly to combining sheets of paper into a plane that she can ride on. She uses her abilities on behalf of the Library of England in the quest to retrieve rare books that often contain powerful and dangerous knowledge, as well as her desire to read all the books of the world. You are also introduced to other key characters, including the charismatic Mr. Joker, the Mercenary Drake, and from the original story Donnie Nakajima.

Beginning with Yomiko's first assignment with the Library of Britain, and her introduction to the writing genius Nenene Sumiregawa, the manga reveals surprising insight to the history of the characters, as well as answers some of the vague references and questions brought up in the anime series; including the origins of Yomiko and Nenene's friendship, and Yomiko's obsession with her glasses.

The series can be viewed in the order it was released, ROD OVA, ROD TV, and finally getting into the manga. Or in chronological order of the story, the manga, ROD OVA, and finally ROD TV.

The artwork, done by Shutaro Yamada, is clean with even the most action paced scenes being uncluttered and easy to follow. The dialogue follows the art style, and is done simply. If they had given certain characters an appropriate English accent it would have helped to define them, but it does not hurt the story.

As a four manga series, and the prequel to R.O.D. TV series and the OVA, this series compliments its animated counterparts by introducing the history between key characters. Showing the first meeting of many of the characters as well as their origins, makes the anime series even more enjoyable with the understanding that the manga series brings. Particularly if you are a fan of the original anime, the manga will inspire you to rewatch the series and vice versa.

Trivia: ROD was originally a novel only released in Japan , now out of print; it is extremely hard to get a hold of.