Plot The story of Read Or Die is wildly overblown and needlessly complex. The antagonists motivations and plans are a bit bewildering and the protagonists decisions seem to sometimes be based less in logical action but in the need to generate drama and propel the plot. Still while the story itself is not terribly strong it does have some very interesting elements and an undeniable charm that provides a pretty good background for the characters. Characters Which brings me to the real heart of the show the reason I enjoyed it so much the characters and their relationships. All of the main characters are lovingly written and fully fleshed out. The way Nenene and the sisters friendship develops and they become a little family Anitas journey to heal from her horrific buried trauma Yomikos avoidance Nancys cloning blues Juniors whole existence... its alternatingly heartbreaking and heartwarming. Music and Sound The music is great and the voice actors are all phenomenal. I was especially impressed with Chiwa Saito as Anita King. The scenes where Anitas PTSD is triggered are chilling with Saitos tortured screams. Fanservice The only thing that makes me hesitant to give a flat recommendation is this. Theres not a ton of fanservice really but theres just a lot of jiggling going on you know? The cast is mostly adult women and they all have large breasts that wobble all over the place at the slightest movement. Boobs dont work like that Overall Read Or Die is very much a typical late 90searly 00s anime convoluted melodramatic plot carried by a compelling ragtag ensemble cast. Its a show that doesnt make a whole lot of sense but has a lot of heart. Despite my criticism I had a lot of fun watching this show. Personally I think that strong characters can carry a weak plot but not the other way around. If you agree with that statement youll probably find something enjoyable in Read Or Die like I did.