R.O.D The TV Series Vol-5: The Darkest Hour (2003)
Animation Production: Studio Orphee/Aniplex Inc.
Released by: Geneon Entertainment
Official Website: R.O.D The TV Series
Running Time: 100 Minutes
By Jeffrey Couto

Introduction

Last time we checked in with R.O.D our heroines were stranded in the middle of a terrifying situation as agents for the British Library surrounded them while all the books in town were being burned behind them. Quite a cliffhanger to say the least and a sure-fire reason to get someone to anticipate the release of volume 5; needless to say I fell in that category as I eagerly awaited for this DVD to ship since I the day finished watching episode sixteen.

So with that let’s go right into it and see how the British Library’s plot unfolds and how the Paper sisters plan to stand up against this organization!

Story

"Running for their lives, our heroes seclude themselves in Yomiko's parents cabin deep in the woods to plan their next steps. Yomiko then enlightens everyone about what happened during the British Library incident and Anita is re-acquainted with her past. Meanwhile, Joker, who has been aware of their every move, sends another agent with his own unique abilities to retrieve the remaining book in his plan. "-- Back of DVD Box

Review

Volume five of R.O.D The TV Series includes the following episodes:

Episode 17: Sweet Home
With the help of a mysterious gun for hire and a group of local book store owners our heroines are able to escape the British Library’s grasp and flee into the mountains. Here they will plan their next move, but first a terrible secret is revealed that may change the dynamic of the group and ultimately shed new light on the British Library’s goals.

Episode 18: Confession
Great secrets are unveiled and clues to Anita and Yomiko’s past come forth, but is there more to what we’re being shown by the book the British Library is so desperately trying to recover? We might not have a lot of time to find out as their forces have discovered where our heroines are hiding!

Episode 19: The Family Game
Things are getting more dangerous, uneasiness creeps into the group and trust begins to fall apart between Anita and Yomiko. However, an uneasy alliance will have to be formed if they are to survive Mirror Man’s intrusion and kidnapping mission.

Episode 20: Bonjour Tristesse
Anita and Yomiko VS Mirror Man (no, not the classic 70's tokusatsu hero! That would be way awesome)! Who will win this showdown? Will the girls also be able to save the group that’s been kidnapped and is now en route to the British Library’s base of operations!?

Excuse my language, but damn, R.O.D the TV series just keeps getting better and better. What started as fairly simple show about three women with the power to manipulate paper who had taken on the job to protect a famous author has really grown beyond anything I could have imagined and taken on the feel of a great mystery novel with an international flavor, not unlike that of the James Bond movies. Simply put, this is a fantastic series that continues to climb higher and higher with each outing.

As we pick up from episode sixteen’s cliffhanger, the plot’s direction changes quite a bit as we go from having the heroes take on a large corporate/government entity to being fugitives with very little to help them in their quest and all resistance to their enemies disappearing at an alarming rate. This pushes the group to new territory in the areas of character and relationship development that we haven’t seen before, especially with Anitn and Yomiko being forced to work together.

This particular development was possibly the most interesting in this collection of episodes because after learning that Yomiko was behind the British library fire of Anita’s memories she finally realizes that Yomiko was the one responsible for changing her life, for stealing her past. Despite this the only way for her to rescue her sisters and find out what is happening and why Junior seems to have betrayed them is to work with Yomiko. This leads to some of the most powerful scenes yet in the series and new heights in the development of the cast. By the end of episode twenty we come to feel Anita’s pain and cheer for her success.

In addition the story that’s brewing in the background with the British Library’s efforts to take over the world keeps getting grander and more interesting in scope and concept. Unlike the typical take-over-the-world scenarios that involve the use of military force or some type of offensive strength the British are going about it through the use of knowledge and culture, specifically books and literature. By doing away with all books and modern writings, which are quickly replaced with their own media they hope to start a new culture that will assimilate all through a perfect language that will bring about a common bond for humanity. I do suspect that some of the best details about this operation are yet to emerge though and I for one can’t wait to hear what they are.

I just hope that the writers of the show can bring together both plots in a way that makes sense and doesn’t hinder the momentum that’s building here. Otherwise we might end up with two very different stories that just don’t go well together. I’m also curious as to what other character connections will be made as the story progresses as there are many hints sprinkled here that a number of cast members may have secret connections to other people that we’ve met in the series so far. That one I guess we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out.

If there is any one place where this volume may come up short compared to the others is in the amount of action sequences included. With the last four episodes being such explosive escapades this one just seemed tamed comparatively. There are some good moments like the fight between Mirror Man and Anita/Yomiko, but these are short and not as plentiful. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as more time is spent expanding the story and exploring the characters, but after seeing the unbelievably creative paper battles the writers had come up with for other episodes I could not help but want to see a lot more of those.

On the production side we once more have an absolutely beautiful show here. Vibrant colors, smooth animation, amazing visual effects, its all here. If anything these episodes were a nice showcase of the beautiful landscapes and natural scenaries the creative team is able to produce. The provided us with a nice change of pace from the more city-based art we've seen so far in the show. The battle between our heroines and Mirror Man was very well put together too and featured some good use of CGI effects for the villain's invicibility powers.

I'm still loving the soundtrack from last time I saw R.O.D as I have it on CD finally (two of them in fact, very highly recommended BTW). This helped me enjoy it on all new levels that make it jump out more at me when watching the show than was the case previously. The voice acting was fantastic with the voice actress for Anita putting in one unbelievable performance at the end of episode twenty.

On the DVD side what we have here is another nice package from he folks at Geneon. The outside artwork features Nancy on the front and shots from each of the episodes on the back cover. There is also a really nice piece of art of the other side of the cover which I decided to make my default cover for the case as i've done with the other DVD's. Inside the box there was an pencil board with artwork of Nancy on one side and Junior on the other. There’s also a nice little booklet included with information on the show’s production that proves to be insightful. Extras on the DVD include a U.S Production commentary track for one episode, full color art gallery, a clean copy of the ending theme and previews for other Geneon releases.

Final Thoughts

I can’t recommend this show highly enough! This is one of the best out there in the U.S. domestic anime market. Start with volume one and work your way up to this DVD, believe me when I say that it’s very much worth the time and investment. I can’t wait to see what’s next for R.O.D.

This one gets our highest recommendations!

Jeffrey Couto