Read or Die Manga 1

Synopsis
Yomiko Readman is called in to use her special talents to recover a rare book that was stolen from the library 20 years ago. Her commander has set up a deal to buy the book from the very man who stole it - Mr. Woo. When accused of the crime, Woo retaliates but finds himself foiled by Yomiko. But he has a trick or two of his own up his sleeve. Is it enough to defeat Ms. Readman?

Story by Hideyuki Kurata and Art by Shutaro Yamada.

Title

 * Mr. Woo's Woes

Episodes

 * Episodes: 1 - 8
 * Postscript

Release Information

 * Japan: October 2000
 * United States
 * Release Date: 21 March 2006
 * Page Count: 208

Chapter 1
The Gentleman informs Joseph Carpenter that The Paper - not Donny Nakajima - is to assist him during a book retrieval operation: The Black Book of Fairy Tales, being sold by a Mr. Woo (or the Book Viper). Joseph Carpenter tries to delay the exchange to compensate for a late Yomiko Readman, the appraiser delayed by her carts of purchases. The deal quickly goes sour when Joseph Carpenter refuses to pay for stolen property and Yomiko must defend him and fight off the Viper.

Chapter 2
Yomiko, after her introduction as Kakinesaka High School's new substitute teacher, goes hunting for Nenene. The self-proclaimed "number one fan's" first meeting doesn't exactly go as planned - Nenene throws her out of the library, gets a first kiss, then is kidnapped when the whole library wing is removed with her in it!

Chapter 3
Yomiko is hot on the heels of Nenene and her mysterious kidnappers with the aid of a delivery truck driver and a truckload of Shonen Jump Weekly.

Chapter 4
Yomiko crashes at Nenene's apartment. The two share some secrets at night before being interrupted by Fire Inc.

Chapter 5
Yomiko awakens from a dream to meet Fire Inc., a woman who's bonded with fire as much as Yomiko has with books. Joseph Carpenter is interrogating Nenene's kidnappers while Nenene, chained to a bed, meets her kidnapper.

Chapter 6
Marihara Kazami introduces himself as Nenene's "number one fan" and his reasons for kidnapping her. Yomiko escapes her cell but is stalled in the warehouse, where she learns that Marihara is a book smuggler. Fire Inc. catches The Paper here, revealing that she planted the scrap of paper Yomiko escaped with in order to fight her. Surprise aid from the Library arrives in the form of a briefcase containing fighting paper.

Chapter 7
The Paper and Fire Inc. fight as Marihara chains Nenene to him and reveals his plan to her: in order to save mankind, he will fully awaken the talent inside her by raping her on a pile of books. Yomiko arrives to rescue Nenene, but Marihara stops her with a trap and a secret that nearly destroys her.

Chapter 8
Marihara brings Nenene to his private library/chapel and locks Yomiko out, forcing her witness his marriage to Nenene.

Trivia

 * Marihara Kazami constantly addresses Nenene as Paul Sheldon. Paul Sheldon is a character in Stephen King's "Misery", an author captured and forced to write a book for his "number one fan".
 * During the warehouse fight Yomiko is seen using the warehouse books as her weapons, but requires a drop from the British Library to fight Fire Inc.
 * During the drop, Joseph Carpenter is seen reading Nenene's "You Know All Of Me" novel and receiving a call to Manshu Academy.
 * In chapter 8, there is a small panel of Nenene in her dress, even though she has not changed yet.
 * The book Marihara is holding at the end is "The Obsessed Demon Cometh", by Marihara Sanae (his mother). It is suggested that he had confused Nenene and his mother's identities. The title is a reference to "The Iceman Cometh".