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Read or Die
R.O.D: Read or Die (Japanese: リード・オア・ダイ, Hepburn: Rīdo Oa Dai) is a Japanese light novel series written by Hideyuki Kurata, published under Shueisha's Super Dash Bunko imprint. Read or Die follows Yomiko Readman, codename "The Paper", an agent for the (fictional) Special Operations Division of the British Library. There are twelve Read or Die novels, though in June 2016, it was announced via Twitter that a thirteenth (and final) volume was set to be released. Kurata confessed in a 2021 interview with long-time collaborator Masashi Ishihama (who served as animation director of the OVA and TV series) that to date, he has not continued with the novel project and has no immediate plans to do so. As of 2025, there are no plans for when Kurata will release the final installment.
Along with the novels, Kurata scripted the official R.O.D manga illustrated by Shutaro Yamada, which was originally published in Ultra Jump magazine and later printed into four paperback volumes, as well as Read or Dream, a manga illustrated by Ran Ayanaga set in the same universe as Read or Die.
The popularity of the Read or Die novels and manga resulted in the production of an OVA adaptation in 2001, which was directed by Koji Masunari and produced by SME Visual Works. In 2003, Aniplex produced R.O.D the TV, a 26-episode animated television series, which served as a sequel to the OVA and introduced Read or Dream's characters to those from Read or Die.[excessive citations]
A manga called R.O.D Rehabilitation illustrated by Choko Fuji was published in 2012 in Shueisha's Super Dash & Go magazine, and collected in one volume. The comic tells the story of a future city created by bibliomaniacs in exile, "Bibliopolis."[excessive citations]
When Koji Masunari, director of the anime, was asked in 2005 by Anime News Network if any of the story arcs or characters' backstories presented in the novels would ever see an anime version, he explained: "As far as whether any other stories from the original would ever become an anime, we don't think so. In the future, if there is a new anime, it would come from an original work someplace. It would be adaptations of new stuff that haven't yet been written." That said, it was announced in 2016 that a new R.O.D anime series was pitched (as of 2025, there have been no further announcements).
Read or Die takes place in an alternate history world where the British Empire has remained a major superpower. The Empire's continued existence is guaranteed by the British Library (大英図書館, Daiei-toshokan), an external intelligence agency working underneath the British Museum; its Special Operations Division (the British Secret Intelligence Service, more widely known as MI6) is also often mentioned, despite Kurata's editors (erroneously) telling him it no longer existed.[citation needed]
The series follows Yomiko Readman, also known as "The Paper", a superhuman agent of the Library's Special Operations (possessing a "double 0" certification that denotes a "license to kill", as in the James Bond series, although she rarely invokes it).[citation needed] In both the novels and manga, her adventures alternate between doing missions for the British Library and helping young novelist Nenene Sumiregawa.
Only the first novel and first manga have similar stories, involving rescuing Nenene Sumiregawa from a vicious kidnapper. Otherwise, the novels, manga, and animated versions of the stories have divergent plotlines. While characterizations are usually consistent even when storylines are not, some characters have different origins in different versions of the story, or do not appear at all. For instance, a prominent character named Jiggy Stardust (a "resident paper expert" of the British Library) was only ever introduced in the novels (Book 3) as well as Wendy's co-worker, Karen. Other key characters, such as Faust, a powerful Paper Master who was kept prisoner by the British Library as he held ulterior ties with the Library's sworn enemy, Dokusensha makes his debut in Novel 4. Likewise, the matriarch of Dokusensha who is arguably as ancient and powerful as the Library's Mr. Gentleman, a kung fu artist called "Grandma" (a.k.a. China) is introduced at the end of Novel 6. Furthermore, a team of Chinese Paper Masters (Hoi Mei, Hakuri Yuu, Rin Rii and Gai Kou) who have no relation to the Paper Sisters become hired hands for Grandma, then later, allies of Yomiko. Another important Paper Master, Wang Yan (also transliterated as Ou-En depending on the characters used) is cast as a main protagonist in the later books, notably in Volume 12. None of these characters, despite their vital presence in the novels, are ever referred to in the manga or the anime.
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Read or Die
R.O.D: Read or Die (Japanese: リード・オア・ダイ, Hepburn: Rīdo Oa Dai) is a Japanese light novel series written by Hideyuki Kurata, published under Shueisha's Super Dash Bunko imprint. Read or Die follows Yomiko Readman, codename "The Paper", an agent for the (fictional) Special Operations Division of the British Library. There are twelve Read or Die novels, though in June 2016, it was announced via Twitter that a thirteenth (and final) volume was set to be released. Kurata confessed in a 2021 interview with long-time collaborator Masashi Ishihama (who served as animation director of the OVA and TV series) that to date, he has not continued with the novel project and has no immediate plans to do so. As of 2025, there are no plans for when Kurata will release the final installment.
Along with the novels, Kurata scripted the official R.O.D manga illustrated by Shutaro Yamada, which was originally published in Ultra Jump magazine and later printed into four paperback volumes, as well as Read or Dream, a manga illustrated by Ran Ayanaga set in the same universe as Read or Die.
The popularity of the Read or Die novels and manga resulted in the production of an OVA adaptation in 2001, which was directed by Koji Masunari and produced by SME Visual Works. In 2003, Aniplex produced R.O.D the TV, a 26-episode animated television series, which served as a sequel to the OVA and introduced Read or Dream's characters to those from Read or Die.[excessive citations]
A manga called R.O.D Rehabilitation illustrated by Choko Fuji was published in 2012 in Shueisha's Super Dash & Go magazine, and collected in one volume. The comic tells the story of a future city created by bibliomaniacs in exile, "Bibliopolis."[excessive citations]
When Koji Masunari, director of the anime, was asked in 2005 by Anime News Network if any of the story arcs or characters' backstories presented in the novels would ever see an anime version, he explained: "As far as whether any other stories from the original would ever become an anime, we don't think so. In the future, if there is a new anime, it would come from an original work someplace. It would be adaptations of new stuff that haven't yet been written." That said, it was announced in 2016 that a new R.O.D anime series was pitched (as of 2025, there have been no further announcements).
Read or Die takes place in an alternate history world where the British Empire has remained a major superpower. The Empire's continued existence is guaranteed by the British Library (大英図書館, Daiei-toshokan), an external intelligence agency working underneath the British Museum; its Special Operations Division (the British Secret Intelligence Service, more widely known as MI6) is also often mentioned, despite Kurata's editors (erroneously) telling him it no longer existed.[citation needed]
The series follows Yomiko Readman, also known as "The Paper", a superhuman agent of the Library's Special Operations (possessing a "double 0" certification that denotes a "license to kill", as in the James Bond series, although she rarely invokes it).[citation needed] In both the novels and manga, her adventures alternate between doing missions for the British Library and helping young novelist Nenene Sumiregawa.
Only the first novel and first manga have similar stories, involving rescuing Nenene Sumiregawa from a vicious kidnapper. Otherwise, the novels, manga, and animated versions of the stories have divergent plotlines. While characterizations are usually consistent even when storylines are not, some characters have different origins in different versions of the story, or do not appear at all. For instance, a prominent character named Jiggy Stardust (a "resident paper expert" of the British Library) was only ever introduced in the novels (Book 3) as well as Wendy's co-worker, Karen. Other key characters, such as Faust, a powerful Paper Master who was kept prisoner by the British Library as he held ulterior ties with the Library's sworn enemy, Dokusensha makes his debut in Novel 4. Likewise, the matriarch of Dokusensha who is arguably as ancient and powerful as the Library's Mr. Gentleman, a kung fu artist called "Grandma" (a.k.a. China) is introduced at the end of Novel 6. Furthermore, a team of Chinese Paper Masters (Hoi Mei, Hakuri Yuu, Rin Rii and Gai Kou) who have no relation to the Paper Sisters become hired hands for Grandma, then later, allies of Yomiko. Another important Paper Master, Wang Yan (also transliterated as Ou-En depending on the characters used) is cast as a main protagonist in the later books, notably in Volume 12. None of these characters, despite their vital presence in the novels, are ever referred to in the manga or the anime.