R.O.D.: the TV Volume 2

The second volume of the R.O.D. TV series begins with a nail-biting episode in which the Paper Sisters are sent on an assignment to retrieve a book from a remote castle in Romania, which tests the working relationship between them to the full. The other three episodes include another mission that involves working in a strange town where nothing is as it seems, and the beginnings of a more significant plotline are beginning to emerge. Back home, Anita is settling in well at the local high school, and has even befriended a mysterious young boy who calls himself “Junior’. Still more questions remain however: who has been ransacking the school library? Who is the shadowy figure known only as “Mr. Carpenter’?

While the first volume got off to a bit of a slow start, more details are slowly being revealed and as a result the series is rapidly turning into one of 2005’s highlights. Even the two episodes that are stand-alone are more than mere filler: the mission to Romania, in which the three sisters run the risk of falling apart under the pressure, still delivers in terms of action and drama, although the incident in episode 7 is a little surreal while still enjoyable.

Anita’s character gets a little more attention in this volume, and we even find out (vaguely) why she hates books so much. The upcoming Parents’ Day and the book review assignment that goes with it threaten to put an end to her lifelong aversion to reading however, and the friendship she shares with Junior is sure to lead to more interesting revelations later on. The disc ends on another high school comedy/drama themed episode focusing on Anita and her investigations into the strange goings-on at the library, but there are more hints of the bigger picture beneath the surface. While these isolated scenes are not connected much with Nenene (she makes only minor appearances this time around) they appear to be important enough to make the series even more promising.

It has to be said that the plot still has not reached its full potential but with episodes as entertaining as these there is plenty to maintain the viewer’s interest for the time being. The order of the episodes means that the two “main story arc’ parts are separated by the two stand-alone ones, which prevents the pace slowing down and becoming repetitive. Of course, with the animation and the soundtrack being of the quality that they are there is little chance of that. The extras are also pretty impressive with another commentary track offered along with the usual trailers and production sketches to give a thoroughly enjoyable DVD package that ends on an intriguing note rather than a cliffhanger.

In Summary

As the TV incarnation of the R.O.D. franchise enters its second volume the main “conspiracy’ is still shrouded in mystery and there is as much character development as action, but with such engaging characters and such a great soundtrack it can hardly be called a disappointment. This disc is solidly entertaining and leaves the viewer impatient to see what happens next.