Plot
The story of Read Or Die is wildly overblown and needlessly complex. The antagonists' motivations and plans are a bit bewildering, and the protagonists' decisions seem to sometimes be based less in logical action but in the need to generate drama and propel the plot.
Still, while the story itself is not terribly strong, it does have some very interesting elements and an undeniable charm that provides a pretty good background for the characters.
Characters
Which brings me to the real heart of the show, the reason I enjoyed it so much - the characters and their relationships. All of the main characters are lovingly written and fully fleshed out. The way Nenene and the sisters' friendship develops and they become a little family, Anita's journey to heal from her horrific, buried trauma, Yomiko's avoidance, Nancy's cloning blues, Junior's whole existence... it's alternatingly heartbreaking and heartwarming.
Music and Sound
The music is great and the voice actors are all phenomenal. I was especially impressed with Chiwa Saito as Anita King. The scenes where Anita's PTSD is triggered are chilling, with Saito's tortured screams.
Fanservice
The only thing that makes me hesitant to give a flat recommendation is this. There's not a ton of fanservice, really, but there's just a lot of jiggling going on, you know? The cast is mostly adult women and they all have large breasts that wobble all over the place at the slightest movement. Boobs don't work like that!
Overall
Read Or Die is very much a typical late 90s-early 00s anime - convoluted, melodramatic plot carried by a compelling, rag-tag ensemble cast. It's a show that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but has a lot of heart. Despite my criticism, I had a lot of fun watching this show.
Personally, I think that strong characters can carry a weak plot, but not the other way around. If you agree with that statement, you'll probably find something enjoyable in Read Or Die like I did.
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