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Apr 8, 2008 4:27 AM
#1

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Feb 2007
32
THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
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Somehow the outgoing of almost everything crucial in this episode was easily predictable, but even so this anime was worth watching. I've really enjoyed it.
Apr 8, 2008 5:53 AM
#2

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Jan 2008
4847
Its been years since I've seen it, but I remember really enjoying how the story wrapped up, they really made good use of the cloned twin aspect and left us with a nice bittersweet resolution.

I would not mind a sequel OVA, if only for more great spy music from Taku Iwasaki.
"I'm starting to think mal is run by Xinil generating electricity on a bicycle." - idklol
Jul 30, 2008 1:56 PM
#3

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Oct 2007
52
yeah, the music was great. fun show that wrapped up well at the end. not sure why Nancy decided to stay behind, but okay.
Jul 30, 2008 2:30 PM
#4

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May 2007
2129
I liked it, a good fight and nice ending. And hey the TV show is there.
My anime list
Jul 30, 2008 2:33 PM
#5

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Jan 2008
4847
mitamaking said:
I liked it, a good fight and nice ending. And hey the TV show is there.


I've read the first three chapters of Read or Dream, but dont think I'll like the TV series. No way its in the same league as this OVA, this shit is on another level entirely!

Really need to get the soundtrack too, been a while since I heard it but I can still remember its gloriously over the top Bond-esque vibe.
"I'm starting to think mal is run by Xinil generating electricity on a bicycle." - idklol
Dec 22, 2008 10:55 PM
#6

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May 2008
307
I really liked this OVA - I wish they would have stretched it out another episode so a viewer could get to know the different I-jin better. Yomiko was an interesting character, I loved the way her power was secondary to her love of reading.

I also love the whole Steampunk meets James Bond feel to the thing. Artwork was great, music was awesome and the story was interesting without being too complex to follow.

Feb 17, 2009 6:46 PM
#7

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Sep 2008
141
this whole ova felt like a James bond movie especially since it involved the british government XD they even had nicknames and the music sounded something like a james bond movie. but this time it wasn't 007. it was the paper.

erm stupid question but....when nancy put her arm through yomiko, does that mean that they did it o_O? lol
Aug 30, 2009 10:50 AM
#8

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Jun 2008
80
This ova was one of the best ones ive seen. But it made the U.S. president look so stupid. It portrayed the president as being a paranoid weakling who frequently pees himself.
Aug 30, 2009 10:53 AM
#9

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Jan 2008
4847
KumaHunter said:
But it made the U.S. president look so stupid. It portrayed the president as being a paranoid weakling who frequently pees himself.


Pretty accurate considering the year this was made, right?
"I'm starting to think mal is run by Xinil generating electricity on a bicycle." - idklol
Jan 10, 2010 2:13 PM

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Jun 2008
3915
Yeah, the ending my have been predictable with the clones, but not with Nancy surviving and having some brain damage. You felt sorry for her.
What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

Jan 25, 2010 10:16 AM

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Oct 2008
158
Most satisfying ending for an anime I've seen yet.

I've read the first three chapters of Read or Dream, but dont think I'll like the TV series. No way its in the same league as this OVA, this shit is on another level entirely! said:
Apr 18, 2010 6:07 AM

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Jun 2009
15302
I must have been watching a different show, because I can't really see how anything besides maybe the music is well done. The characters felt one dimensional and the relationship between Yomiko and Nancy was forced and I just never felt a connection between the two. Not to mention the enemies were lame.
"Yes, I have been deprived of emotion. But not completely. Whoever did it, botched the job."

- Geralt of Rivia
Apr 23, 2010 7:47 AM

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Jul 2009
1222
I'm still confuse why is the I-Jin want to take the book? If it's for the song, they have Bethoven in there. Surely he can't forgot about his own song.

Overall,this anime is pretty enjoyable imo.
Jun 23, 2010 7:07 PM

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Jan 2010
1891
It was extremely enjoyable, even if somewhat... shallow.

I didn't quite get what happened at the end. Was that Nancy? Did she survive? Why was she refered to as "the little sister"? Why did Nancy write on the paper "take care of my little sister"? Does she really have one? Or did she know what would happen (far fetched, I know)?
Jul 31, 2010 2:06 PM

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Jul 2008
53
werr-y said:
I didn't quite get what happened at the end. Was that Nancy? Did she survive? Why was she refered to as "the little sister"? Why did Nancy write on the paper "take care of my little sister"? Does she really have one? Or did she know what would happen (far fetched, I know)?

I was a little confused about that too which is why I came here to see if there was something I missed. I don't remember Nancy ever mentioning she had a little sister besides the note she wrote on the bookmark. So I believe she told Yomiko to take care of her little sister which was the little girl she met in the end. It was kind of a lame last minute thing they added in there.
Oct 23, 2010 5:48 PM

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Sep 2008
7062
I liked how they used Beethoven's disability.
The ending was quite bittersweet too. Kind of cliche with the hospital kind of thing and a bench, but oh well.
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Apr 12, 2011 3:31 AM

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Feb 2009
3436
That was a pretty cool OVA. Loved the fights.
Aug 7, 2011 8:42 PM

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Jun 2011
487
Hantsuki said:
werr-y said:
I didn't quite get what happened at the end. Was that Nancy? Did she survive? Why was she refered to as "the little sister"? Why did Nancy write on the paper "take care of my little sister"? Does she really have one? Or did she know what would happen (far fetched, I know)?

I was a little confused about that too which is why I came here to see if there was something I missed. I don't remember Nancy ever mentioning she had a little sister besides the note she wrote on the bookmark. So I believe she told Yomiko to take care of her little sister which was the little girl she met in the end. It was kind of a lame last minute thing they added in there.

You guys obviously missed the Nancy vs Nancy fight. The elder sister left her lying unconscious at the end of the fight.
Jan 13, 2013 6:06 PM

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Dec 2009
568
Regulus said:
I'm still confuse why is the I-Jin want to take the book? If it's for the song, they have Bethoven in there. Surely he can't forgot about his own song.

Overall,this anime is pretty enjoyable imo.


Anyone who doesn't understand in the end why the book was taken, it had to do with it being a book Beethoven owned. It had his DNA, that is how the crazy dude with the skull stick cloned him & somehow was going to force him to play some fictional 'suicide suite' for all the world. This OVA got me interested in watching the series :) .
Such junk...
Apr 14, 2014 6:13 PM

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Apr 2012
34062
lol this show really bashes the US
tragic ending for Nancy :(

May 27, 2014 7:52 AM

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May 2012
25828
Damn actually pretty sad ending yet really nice ending I must say! Quite lovely 3 ova's in general and I'm looking really forward for what the TV series has to offer us! 8/10
Jul 1, 2015 3:43 AM

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Sep 2007
311
What was the bad guys motivation? What were they trying to achieve? I think I missed it.
Jul 5, 2015 7:54 PM

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Feb 2013
1126
DA PAPER. I started out hating it and ended up kinda liking it. It lacks a lot of context, of course, but I even grew to like poor Nancy and even Yumiko. Well, I wouldn't watch it again.
Aug 9, 2015 4:52 PM
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Jul 2009
19
Nancy :(
Jun 13, 2019 3:51 PM

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Nov 2012
4710
I think it escalated too quickly in the second and third episode and could have used atleast one more episode but they managed well enough for only 3 episodes 7/10.
Oct 1, 2019 4:56 PM

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Aug 2012
480
Hollywood should pick this property up and make a movie of it. Superhero films are the westerns of our time and Read or Die would make a great addition to the ever growing library of the superhero genre film.
Dec 10, 2019 3:35 PM

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Oct 2017
534
That assistant girl was cute :P

The codenames were annoying though... "Dza Paper this, Dza Paper that", plain "Paper" sounds much better.
LOLd at "Gentleman".

US prez portrayal was pretty accurate :P
RainyShadowDec 10, 2019 3:42 PM
Apr 21, 2020 7:02 AM

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Jun 2012
2593
Wasn't bad but I had high hopes for this. Would've been funny if Bethoven revealed he was the mastermind instead of just dying when his organ strings were cut.
Jun 2, 2020 7:13 PM
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Dec 2019
390
It's got tons of fun and style you gotta admit. The powers were interesting, the fights were creative, and the villains were unique. The dialogue and chemistry was pretty good too.

The emotional aspect was pretty cliche and I would say that it would've been a lot better if they had enough time to flesh it out, but even then I'm not sure if it would've landed just because it's so cliche.

I think they should've just spent that time on dropping hints of Nancy's past (some other past than the one given) and didn't even attempt to tell an emotional story. You don't need to when you're cool enough and it's only 3 episodes. Anyone know how the TV series is?
Jan 26, 2021 6:09 PM

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Feb 2016
81
Have I seen a Homunculus named "Bane" Beethoven? ^^
Feb 10, 2021 4:45 PM

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Feb 2014
7816
Feeling sad for Nancy tho.
Apr 11, 2021 4:20 PM

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Jun 2014
22512
Well, they stopped the IJIN, and Nancy ended up still being good in the end, although she stayed on the rocket and died, which was rather sad. Her younger sister's memory is gone, but Yomiko hopes that she and her can become friends.

This was pretty good. I'll watch the TV series soon.

Apr 30, 2021 4:28 PM
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Apr 2021
2
Does anyone know where I can watch the T.V. series read or die?
Jul 1, 2021 12:40 PM

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May 2020
420
Well this sure were fun 3 episodes, but I feel that they dropped any kind of characterization or development from source material in order to fit more action scenes.

TV series should be better in that department because there is no way it would look as great as this OVA.

5/10, but a high 5.
Jun 19, 2022 8:12 AM

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Jan 2020
2956
This was overall pretty good; I liked the idea of genocide through suicide, and many of the characters were interesting. But, it just felt a little hollow. I really would've like some more background information and character development.

Onto the TV series!

"...Is your mother worried? Would you like us to assign someone to worry your mother?"

Feb 14, 2023 8:48 PM

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Sep 2018
5230
For a three episode OVA, it was pretty well done. Very stylish and creative as others have said, pretty impressed. Hoping the TV show develops things further. 8/10.

Also, the American President pissing himself every episode was hilarious.
Jan 14, 1:14 PM

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Jan 2008
4847
Rewatched this for the first time since 2009. I liked it a bit less, so changing my rating from 9 to 8. Still a nice and wacky universe though. Gonna finally watch the TV show soon.
"I'm starting to think mal is run by Xinil generating electricity on a bicycle." - idklol
May 24, 8:06 PM

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Mar 2008
1254


IT'S NOT FAIR!

If the TV is continuation wouldn't be the same, that is not the same Nancy and Yomiko knows it.
Aug 5, 1:11 PM

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Jun 2008
5019
Went into this with zero knowledge aside the tags, after seeing its intriguingly weird title around for ages. Expected something like, a vintage hunt for rare or forbidden volumes? Library-set comedic bizarries in sci-fi sauce? Everyone in the world, good and bad, deeply connected to each other by books? Nope. Found literally nothing paper-related aside from the first episode and the mc's name; instead, plenty of military/political action, world domination, a samurai sect, rockets, boobs and super powers. Eh.

Technically, it has flawless animation and voice acting. Decent music too, albeit redundant. But a plot all over the place, a fair share of cliches, unimpressive humor and no character development of sorts. Only enjoyed the beginning of the #1 episode, the sequence of miss meganekko at home and on a shopping spree, which made what comes after even more boring and out of place. Couldn't care for the supposedly sad ending as I didn't once feel attached or invested with neither the story or characters. Honestly, this would have worked better as a (even more) fanservice-driven moe lesbian show about some wacky organization getting paid for weird and dangerous jobs - and I'm not slightly into ecchi nor yuri.
Forgettable OVA, not prompting me to continue with the actual series now or never.
RenaPsychoKillerAug 5, 1:21 PM

watching, waiting, commiserating

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