Read or Die: The TV
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Read or Die: The TV (2003) is a 26-episode TV anime series about the adventures of three paper-using sisters, Michelle, Maggie and Anita, who became the bodyguards of Sumiregawa Nenene, a famous Japanese writer. The series is a sequel to the Read or Die OAV. Its official title, written precisely, is "R.(period)O.(period)D the TV". likely a catch-all acronym referring to the inclusion of the three paper sisters, characters from the somewhat unrelated Read or Dream manga.
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Background
The series starts in 2006, five years after Yomiko Readman (AKA The Paper, agent of British Royal Library Task Force) went missing. Nenene Sumiregawa, her former student and best friend, is still searching for her. The main reason is their bond; without her sensei, Nenene is unable to write new novels.
During Nenene's trip to Hong Kong, Nenene meets the three sisters, Michelle, Maggie and Anita, who become her bodyguards. Each sister has similar paper manipulation skills as Yomiko, although significantly less powerful. The first several episodes are an odd-couple comedy format that focuses on the tension between Nenene and the sisters, who move into her apartment and mooch off her, all while dealing with various crazies and psychos in their everyday lives. The sisters also perform odd jobs as agents of the Dokusensha (ostensibly a Chinese publishing company, but seems more like a shadow government/Illuminati-type organization), which eventually puts them and Nenene in direct conflict with the British Royal Library (the protagonists from the OVA series).
Things become a bit more serious as the series progresses as, in typical anime fashion, atrocities are committed by both sides, forcing the main characters to re-evaluate their alliances. Ultimately, Nenene and the sisters go independent and embark on a search for Yomiko, thrusting them into the middle of a conflict between literary superpowers, the British Royal Library and Dokusensha, who are both trying to collect ancient artifacts (books, of course) to control the entire world and even rewrite history.
Characters
The Four Principals
- Nenene Sumiregawa (菫川ねねね Sumiregawa Nenene), a.k.a. 'Sensei,' Nene-neesan: A prodigy novelist in her high school years, usually referred to as sensei and originally featured in the Read or Die manga as a teenage friend of the older Yomiko. She is often frustrated with Yomiko's obsession with books -- and later the Paper Sisters' when they move into her home -- and chides her for being absentminded, and often leaves post-its in her room. Due to the disappearance of Yomiko, she has become very self-sufficient but unfortunately wistful and bitter at times. She remained in Japan despite her parents' wishes in order to housekeep and tend to Yomiko's personal effects until her (assumed) return. Along with two characters within the series, many fans argue Nenene's dedication to Yomiko borders on the romantic, and the series has a strong yuri fandom.
The Paper Sisters' names are derived from names of 3 real Hong Kong action stars: Maggie Cheung, Anita Mui, and Michelle Yeoh (who has also been credited as Michelle Khan). These three actresses starred together in the 1993 movie The Heroic Trio as the titular heroines.
- Michelle Cheung: (ミシェール ・チャン Mishēru Chan), a.k.a. Mi-nee: The oldest sister, generally considered the leader and strategist of the three. She has a cheerful, ostensibly ditzy personality. Her favorite books are the Harry Potter series and she has a soft spot for cute things and small children.
- Maggie Mui (マギー・ムイ Magī Mui), a.k.a. Ma-nee: A tall, boyish, quiet wallflower, her power tends to be manifest as animal-like paper projections. She’s known for being easily embarrassed, blushing frequently, and enjoying tight cozy spots to relax in. Her favorite author is Ernest Hemmingway, but she likes Nenene's works too. She looks up to her older sister, Michelle, and feels she's nothing compared to her. She cares for her sisters and always tries to protect them.
- Anita King (アニタ・キング Anita Kingu): The youngest sister, a spitfire who specializes in using her paper offensively, but also uses her physical agility as a fighter. She loves frogs, yet ironically dislikes books. She is well liked in her class, and especially admired by classmate named Hisa. Although she sometimes acts bratty and self-important, she deeply loves her sisters. One of her closest friends is Hisa, who compares the two to characters with an extremely close friendship in Anne of Green Gables.
Characters from Read or Die
- Yomiko Readman (読子・リードマン Yomiko Rīdoman): Does not appear for much of the early run, with only the vague suggestion that something terrible happened to her at the hands of her former employers. She is a much more powerful Paper User than the other characters, roughly similar (but on a much smaller power scale) to the Green Lantern's ability to create objects with his ring.
- Nancy Makuhari (ナンシー・幕張 Nanshī Makuhari): She is the I-Jin Mata Hari, the clone of the original "Ms. Deep" created when the original was getting soft. As the movie left off, the new Nancy had no memory of her actions under Ikkyuu Soujun or of being a I-Jin. She has become much gentler and less overtly sexy, and has been living with Yomiko during her disappearance. She can usually be seen with Yomiko at all times and tends to act like a child most of the time.
- Drake Anderson: An American soldier and one of the B.R.L.'s main field agents. Anderson has no superpowers, but he is a pretty tough guy and is also good with weapons. He is a sarcastic realist who tries to keep situations calm and professional, although sometimes he is overwhelmed by the eccentric, super-human people around him. He has a young daughter named Maggie, but with no relation to the aforementioned Paper User. Probably because of his daughter, he's more soft-hearted and less ruthless than his fellow B.R.L. agents (i.e. when he fights the three sisters he doesn't try to murder them, and he refuses to kill children, such as Anita).
- Joseph Carpenter, a.k.a. Joker (ジョーカー Jōkā): The head of the B.R.L. and Yomiko's former boss. Took control of the organization after the death of the Gentleman, and is now referred to as Mr. Carpenter. His face seems a bit more lined from stress, and now walks with the assistance of a cane. As always, Joker smiles all the time and initially appears as calm, reassuring, and easy-going as ever, but as the series progresses he gets more violent and high-strung and is also revealed to be an elitist who holds the same "human selection" principles as the I-Jin (the villains from the OVA). Disappointed by the decline of British global influence following the Gentleman's death, Joker implements a scheme to regain control of the world, no matter the human cost.
- Wendy Earhart (ウェンディ・イアハート Wendi Eahāto): Seen in the OVA as Joker's office secretary, she now serves as his right hand henchwoman. Wendy's character has matured radically from the typical anime bumbling but dedicated ditz into your typical anime ruthless, sociopathic domme (apparently in the manga she's always been competent and serious). She hates Yomiko, and is also one of the few B.R.L. personnel in on Joker's scheme.
- The Gentleman: Seen in the OVA, now deceased. He was the head of the B.R.L. and the true source of Britain's secret power over global affairs (i.e., it was because of Gentleman that Joker had the authority to order around the U.S. President in the OVA).
New, Major Characters
- Junior (ジュニア Junia): A mysterious, effeminate boy with the power of intangibility (the same power possessed by Nancy in the OVA) who befriends the Paper Sisters. Later in the series, he is revealed to be a tool of Joker's. It is also revealed that he is the child of Nancy and Ikkyuu Soujun. To Joker, he is considered "The Perfect I-Jin". He is also known to be drawn in to people through kindness. While he is an effiecent agent, he lacks the ruthlessness of his father.
- Mr. Lee: Sumiregawa Nenene's editor, and go-between for the Paper Sisters and Dokusensha. Usually very calm, despite apparently having recently given up smoking (evidenced by constant, nervous pencil-chewing). Seemingly minor at first, he plays a bigger role as the scope of Dokusensha's plans is revealed.
- John Woo: A carrier pigeon used by Mr. Lee to send messages and assignments to the Sisters. Named after the famous Chinese film director, one of whose trademarks is the use of doves to highlight dramatic moments.
- Mr. Kim: A worker for Dokusensha who is usually the person to hand the sisters their mission briefings. He can usually be seen during these missions overlooking the site of them from a safe distance away. Sonny Wong is usually seen nearby him. During the "Twilight of Paper" Mr. Kim inexplicably vanished only to turn up later as a minor employee for the British Library. It's likely that he had left the Dokusensha building after claiming he was going to use the bathroom.
- Sonny Wong: An incredibly strong paper user employed by Dokusensha. He's mysterious, wearing sunglasses and a large coat. He's incredibly strong physically as well. He has no qualms about killing people to achieve his task. He challenged the paper sisters during "Twilight of Paper" episodes and proved too much for them, he's even capable of ripping Maggie's familiars apart with his own hands. He and Maggie end up fighting alone on the ground floor while Anita and Michelle move forward to help Nenene. In the long run he is engulfed in a sea of oil that was released when Junior detonated a series of explosives he planted earlier.
Fandom
Nenene once mocked Anita’s suggestion at having a codename (‘The Bodyguard,’ in heavily accented English) Some fans think this is a self-referential joke to Yomiko’s own codename (‘The Paper’) sounding awkward to native Anglophones.
Maggie also had a strong female admirer in the Read or Dream manga, although this is likely not canon for the animated series.
The frogs seen on and about Anita are possibly a reference to Gero-chan/Sgt. Frog, a popular character among the younger set in Japan.