XPost: rec.arts.anime.fandom, rec.arts.anime.misc, aus.arts.anime   
   From: robkelk@deadspam.com   
      
   (continued from Part 4)   
      
      
   R   
      
      R.O.D THE OAV:  see READ OR DIE   
      
      R.O.D THE TV:  Taking place after the events of READ OR DIE, we   
   follow the three Paper Sisters - the ditzy Michelle, quiet Maggie and   
   brattish Anita - as they take on the job of bodyguards for the surly   
   Nenene Sumiregawa, famous writer and best friend of Yomiko Readman (the   
   lead character in the OVA series, who has mysteriously disappeared).   
   Whilst the Paper Sisters take on various side jobs on behalf of the   
   Dokusensha, the Chinese equivalent of the British Library forces, there   
   are machinations afoot in the background headed by the mysterious Mr.   
   Carpenter that mean the world is at peril once more - and what has   
   happened to Yomiko?   
      R.O.D THE TV is much more laid back than its OVA counterpart, thanks   
   to having much longer to flesh out characters - a wildly convoluted and   
   incredibly gripping plot arc eventually develops at around episode 10   
   (try VERY hard to avoid spoiling yourself for it), but before that point   
   is a string of character development episodes interspersed with the   
   occasional action-packed mission - your mileage may vary depending how   
   much you like the leads, who can be fairly cliched and occasionally   
   extremely annoying.  The animation occasionally leaves something to be   
   desired (although this has been tightened up for the DVD release) but   
   generally R.O.D is an all-round excellent production.   
      The series is currently being released by Geneon in Region 1 (5 out   
   of 7 discs are available), and Madman have released the first 2 volumes   
   in Region 4.   
      [Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]   
      
      RAIL OF THE STAR:  A Japanese family living in Korea experiences   
   the end of WWII, told from the perspective of the young daughter.   
   Supplies and medicine become sparse, simple diseases turn deadly, the   
   occupied Koreans slowly start being rebellious against the Japanese   
   oppressors.  When the Russian forces take over North Korea, the   
   Japanese have to flee to the South if they ever want to see Japan   
   again.  Despite an interesting historical backdrop, the actual story   
   is slow and boring and is painfully naive in its description of   
   occupied Korea.   
      [Entry by Hanno Mueller]   
      
      RANMA 1/2:  Ranma Saotome is the heir to his family's style of   
   martial arts.  Akane Tendo is the heir to her family's martial arts   
   style.  Their fathers want to unite the two styles, and what better   
   way (they think) than to have the two heirs marry?  But that isn't   
   Ranma's only problem - while he was training in China, he was cursed   
   to become a girl whenever he gets wet.  Comedy (often slapstick) from   
   the pen of Rumiko Takahashi.  Both the anime and the manga are   
   available from Viz, the anime being their flagship title.   
      [Entry by Rob Kelk]   
      
      RAHXEPHON:  Ayato Kamina, a Tokyo high school student, witnesses an   
   attack in the sky by a huge floating machine.  In the ensuing chaos,   
   he and the mysterious Reika Mishima find their way to an ancient   
   shrine, where Reika awakens the giant, winged robot RahXephon from   
   inside an enormous egg.  When Ayato escapes from the shrine by somehow   
   piloting RahXephon, he discovers himself outside the vast dome that   
   encloses Tokyo Jupiter, where strange beings called Murians rule and   
   time is distorted.  He is enlisted by Haruka Shitow, a feisty special   
   agent, to help in the fight against the Murians - but what has become   
   of Reika Mishima? Why does Ayato's mother bleed blue blood?  What is   
   the purpose of the Mu civilisation?  This highly complex series has   
   been compared with EVANGELION, but has a less annihilistic feel,   
   although the story is dark and dramatic - Ayato has qualms about   
   piloting the mysterious RahXephon, yet feels he must to protect   
   others.  An eclectic score by Ichiko Hashimoto (NOT Yoko Kanno, who   
   provides the theme tune) adds weight to the scenes, and the production   
   quality is extremely high, with a gripping plot - although some   
   episodes fall into a "mecha-of-the-week" pattern.  Available on DVD in   
   North America and the UK from ADV, and in Australia from Madman.   
      [Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]   
      
      READ OR DIE:  Yomiko Readman loves books, so much so that she's   
   almost always found reading one.  She also has the power to control   
   any piece of paper she touches (which gives her her codename "The   
   Paper").  When she's sent to retrieve a rare book from a scientist who   
   clones historical figures, she and her partners discover a plot that   
   could change the world ...  If you can imagine a James Bond movie with   
   low-key superpowers and a naive, kindhearted hero, you'd probably be   
   imagining something close to this three-OAV series.   
      READ OR DIE has been released by Manga Entertainment in North   
   America and the UK.   
      (There is a sequel series, R.O.D THE TV, which is set some years   
   after the OAV series and has a substantially different cast. This   
   television series has its own entry, above.)   
      [Entry by Rob Kelk]   
      
      REAL BOUT HIGH SCHOOL:  Your high school wasn't like this, I   
   guarantee it.  The school has a K-Fight system where grudges and   
   challenge matches settle things.  At the top of the rankings is Ryoko, a   
   rather busty Kendo Club student.  Once she finds an amulet, her life   
   turns upside down.  The amulet activates and she finds herself in   
   another dimension, with enemies that are beyond belief.  Also of note,   
   the final enemy of the series is William Gates (Bill Gates, duh).   
   Released by TokyoPop in North America.   
      [Entry by Bill Martin]   
      
      RECORD OF LODOSS WAR:  There are now two series called RECORD OF   
   LODOSS WAR:  the original 13 episode OVA and a 27 episode TV series   
   called RECORD OF LODOSS WAR: CHRONICLES OF THE HEROIC KNIGHT.  The OVA   
   based is on novels which in turn were based on an D&D game with the   
   standard class and race types as the heroes (Fighter, Cleric, Wizard,   
   Thief, Elf, and Dwarf) and the classic villains of orcs, wizards, and   
   drow elves.  Due to time constraints the animators shifted things   
   around a bit which creates some problems with the HEROIC KNIGHT series   
   which is set after episode 7 of the OVA but follows the novels far   
   more closely.   
      [Entry by Bruce Grubb]   
      
      REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA:  see UTENA   
      
      RIDING BEAN:  Ace driver Bean Bandit will deliver anything to   
   anywhere in Chicago for the right price, no questions asked.  But when   
   he tries to deliver an escaped kidnap victim to her father, he gets   
   framed as the kidnapper!  An action story written by Kenichi Sonoda.   
   Available from AnimEigo.   
      (Please note that this OAV *almost* qualifies for inclusion in the   
   Anime Hentai Primer, because of one scene that is inappropriate for   
   younger viewers.)   
      [Entry by Rob Kelk]   
      
      RISKY SAFETY:  see OMISHI MAGICAL THEATER: RISKY SAFETY   
      
      RIZELMINE:  Fifteen year old Tomonori is upset on his way home from   
   school because his young homeroom teacher, who he has a big crush on,   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)