Screams about ROD TV cliffhanger!

[Warmaster]

Despite some not liking the series, i loved the first volume, and the 2nd and 3rd volumes arived today. Being used to the somewhat unbelievable story telling of the OVA and the first episodes, i fully expected that i could hand anything the next two volumes could throw at me...

Hell was i wrong!

Well, despite being utterly barmy, episodes 11 and 12 were great, but the worst thing?

EPISODE 12 ENDS ON ONE HELL OF A CLIFFHANGER!!!!!!! :shock:

Thank god volume 4 is out next monday, but then volume 5 isn't out for 3 months! I'm not sure i can last that long! :roll:

*This has been an emotional 'just finished watching volume 3 and wants the rest right now' announcement by Warmaster*

 

[Sy]

Just wait until the cliffhanger on episode 20. You'd probably die waiting like i almost did. ^-^

But seriously the whole series still isn't out in the UK yet?? So many delays.

 

[DP]

Such a great anime. One of the few animes that didn't get boring half way through. Though the ending was kind crap.

 

[Sy]

Though the ending was kind crap.

I thought the ending was great. The only thing that felt kinda.. out of place were the green tentacles attacking Anita and Junior. Other than that I thought the end was very good.

 

[DP]

I was more refering to them going to Victorian London. It felt extremely out of place and tacked on.

 

[Sy]

That didn't bother me at all to be honest, in fact I kinda liked the idea of the books meshing with the real world. Seriously the tentacles were the only thing about the ending that I didn't like.

 

[Warmaster]

well the point about ROD is that it always makes seemingly utterly impossible things seem 'normal' in a way which no other superhero programme has ever done for me (Batman begins came close) Where as 5 minutes in to the OVA, and an episode in to the series, i really felt that i knew and understood the world, and that the sheer nature of it allows things like that. When that happens, strange plot developments don't jar.

(Similarly, the basic premice of Haibane Renmei is the same, tell it to someone over the net, and 5 people i told said 'Ok then...' and wrote it off instantly - but watch an episode and its a different story.

Thats what i find Anime does so much better than western films (which always end up seeming cheesy) And ROD is no expection. Even the sudden change in tone in episodes 11/12, while it surprised me, didn't phase me in the slightest.

As for the later episodes, while i have a vague idea, i am trying to keep away from explicit spoilers. But considering what the series has done already (jumped from a sitcom to an action, to a sci fi anime) without seeming inconsistant, i don't have any worries.

 

[Martin]

The third volume does have a real cliffhanger, but it has some of the best action scenes in the series so far. I actually have disc #4 on my shelf waiting to be reviewed but haven't seen it yet - from what I've heard it features another character from the OVA so I'm really looking forward to it.

Anime often has some aspects that sound weird but in the context of the show they make perfect sense - R.O.D. is one of those. The idea of people using bits of paper as a weapon is pretty odd but after an episode or two you just accept it and enjoy the story!

 

[Warmaster]

well, i just watched disk 4, and the series, which had wibbled occasionally on the excellence stakes just found its way up to the level of the OVA.

Why? simply put, there is far, far more backstory to this series than in almost any series i have ever watched, and a sence of depth always makes things more enjoyable to me. True, it was presented slightly as an infodump episode, but in a 26 episode series i can forgive that And despite the many revelations in this dvd, there are even more which still have to be revealed! plus, there was another cliffhanger ending! :evil:

I dunno how i am going to last until April :cry:

 

[Martin]

The bit in the spoiler tags is a fair judgement on that part of the series, but it was really interesting nonetheless. I'm enjoying the references to the original OVA especially. Yomiko's back too, which is great. The reviewage is going to be a lot of fun for this one! Still, it is a fair wait until the next one.

 

[Warmaster]

The bit in the spoiler tags is a fair judgement on that part of the series, but it was really interesting nonetheless. I'm enjoying the references to the original OVA especially. Yomiko's back too, which is great. The reviewage is going to be a lot of fun for this one! Still, it is a fair wait until the next one.

Ages ago i was looking at the american reviews on amazon, and loads of people seemed to be complaining about Yomiko's voice actor However though it is a different person, i think it is perfectly fine, better than Drake's certainly

As for the Infodump It didn't have a huge amount of rewatchability. It would have been better if it was spread out rather into the series. However it does show that this was no 'lets just get it done' project. They really put a lot of work into it.

I'm still very impressed. This actually made me want to write some fan fiction - I never write fan fiction! obviously something is working!

Oh, and especially notable was Nenene punching Joker's lights out! :shock: 8) :lol:

 

[Sy]

Ages ago i was looking at the american reviews on amazon, and loads of people seemed to be complaining about Yomiko's voice actor However though it is a different person, i think it is perfectly fine, better than Drake's certainly

Would that be the English dub? because I would complain about that voice too. The only voice in the dub I really like is Anita's, she steals the show. Some great performances from her.

 

[Warmaster]

Ages ago i was looking at the american reviews on amazon, and loads of people seemed to be complaining about Yomiko's voice actor However though it is a different person, i think it is perfectly fine, better than Drake's certainly

Would that be the English dub? because I would complain about that voice too. The only voice in the dub I really like is Anita's, she steals the show. Some great performances from her.

Yes. True, i would say Anita's voice is the best (especially notable as the voice actress who plays her is (or was) herself only 12 years old according to the commentaries. Nenene is also very notable. But i've yet to have any issues with the regulars, only a few minor one off villans and Drake as i said but thats an issue compared to the OVA, not on its own grounds.

 

[Warmaster]

Just writing to inform that the cliffhanger to volume 5 is offically making me scream again! :evil:

Admitedly this one is a 'What the heck?????' Cliffhanger rather than a 'Oh my god!' one, but still :roll:

 

[Martin]

I'm halfway through vol 5 but it's another great instalment - the revelations are coming thick and fast. Most 24/26 ep series slow down a bit until the closing eps but this series fortunately hasn't.

If only all action-adventure series were as good as this!

 

[Mangaminx]

While I feel don't feel ROD The TV is as supremely amazing as its said to be (I'd give it 7/10 or so by the end of volume 5), I really do like the cliffhangers on the discs. It makes watching it disc by disc more exciting . I agree the ending of volume 5 is a bit "what the heck" but still it was in a good way.

 

[Ork_dreadnought]

I saw all but the last two episodes of ROD, but while it is an enjoyable anime, I got into the habit of calling it "Melodrama-Half-Hour". The undoubted high points are thematrix style attack on the skyscraper , the resurgence of the British Empire (patroitism, there) and "The Paper"'s reappearence. However, I found the latter half of the series a bit dull, a touch prone to heavy handed drama. I liked the humour slightly more than the action and plot, to be fair, and this more or less goes in the second half.

Not a bad series, don't get me wrong, but not a great one.

 

[Martin]

By the end of disc #5, it seems to become a little far-fetched. I know the OVA required some suspension of disbelief but still...we'll see.

Apart from that it's really fun and has some brilliant characters, which is what matters most to me.

 

[Warmaster]

By the end of disc #5, it seems to become a little far-fetched. I know the OVA required some suspension of disbelief but still...we'll see.

Apart from that it's really fun and has some brilliant characters, which is what matters most to me.

I havn't got that at all myself. My main problem is the somewhat disjointed nature of the series as it develops. There was the first 11 episodes, where it was a somewhat lighthearted sitcom with a bit of action in it. While some of those traits have carried on, the change of tone effectively obscures them.

In some ways it would have been better to do one or the other. I sort of liked the sitcom style, it was certainly different to most anime. And i do like the more uptempo actioning which seems to be taking over. But i also like some kind of consistancy between all the parts, and thats not prevalent.

Of course, i may just be feeling that way because the F$*""("((!(!!(!!&^"£!!! of a cliffhanger and my constant nickpicking of possible ideas

 

[Ramadahl]

Well, those last few scenes of volume 5 were quite eye-opening...
:shock:
I've got to say that I don't mind the cliffhangars too much though - just makes it all the more urgent when the next DVD comes out.

I havn't got that at all myself. My main problem is the somewhat disjointed nature of the series as it develops. There was the first 11 episodes, where it was a somewhat lighthearted sitcom with a bit of action in it. While some of those traits have carried on, the change of tone effectively obscures them.

Those first 11 (?) seemed in essence to be more character development, before moving on to the plot in the second half. To be honest it doesn't bother me too much when series do this. Witch Hunter Robin does the same thing. Plus, if you've got "nice happy" before "big nasty" it gives it more of an impact .