Sunday, April 16, 2006
Read or Die!
Wow. From today's Malaysia Star review of R.O.D.: Read or Die, Volume 1:
I am not making this up.
YOMIKO Readman, the protagonist of this manga, is really one heck of a weird book-lover. Her love for books goes far beyond your average bookworm’s as she has a supernatural ability to manipulate paper in amazing ways. When caught in a tight spot, she can turn paper into daggers to attack or create a defence wall impenetrable even to bullets!And you have to love any literary creation whose Wikipedia listing includes this straightfaced explanation:
British Library Special Operations Division (大英図書館特殊工作部, daiei-toshokan tokushu-kousakubu)An animated version of Read Or Die features the theme song: "Those Who Love Books to Insanity Say, 'Paper Is Always With Us.' "
The secret enforcement branch of the British Library. Based in a giant underground complex concealed beneath the Great Court at the British Museum, the Special Operations Division employs a number of agents with special powers and runs operations all over the world to fight book-related crime and terrorism, and to acquire rare works for the Library.
I am not making this up.