| R.O.D the TV episode | |
| "The Papers Have Landed " | |
 | |
| Episode no. | TV 01 |
|---|---|
| Airdate | September 1, 2003 (Japan) October 5, 2004 (US) |
| Year | 2006 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous episode | "OVA Episode 3" |
| Next episode | "Rise Up, Oh Dregs of Humanity" |
Episode Synopsis[]
Japanese author Nenene Sumiregawa travels to Hong Kong for a book signing coinciding with an upcoming movie based upon one of her books. When an attempt is made on her life, the three women previously hired to guide her around Hong Kong agree act as her bodyguards, for they are the Paper Sisters. While stopping a second assassination attempt, Nenene learns Michelle Cheung, Maggie Mui, and Anita King are Papermasters. Nenene has spent the past four years looking for another papermaster, Yomiko Readman, who has disappeared. Although the Paper Sisters don't know anything about Yomiko, Nenene thanks them for saving her life and travels back to Japan. However, the sisters soon discover that Nenene is still in danger and must rush to protect her.
Extended Summary[]
The episode starts with brief scenes of each of the main characters, which may be important in the future.
The scene opens on Narita International Airport, where Lee Linho is talking to Nenene Sumiregawa. Lee apologizes for not joining Nenene for her book signing, since he has some work to do. Nenene jokes about Lee working with an author who shows more promise - Nenene hasn't published a work in four years - but Lee expresses some guilt over it. He also adds that there will be a tour guide waiting in Hong Kong for Nenene.
A tired Nenene arrives in Hong Kong; her mood isn't helped when she sees her name misspelled on a giant sign as "Nununu". Nenene pulls down the sign and finds her tour guide standing behind it: Michelle Cheung, age 25, and "my favourite books are the Harry Potter series!" Nenene is even less impressed when they go to the car and the driver is gone. Maggie Mui soon returns though; the two are revealed to be sisters.
The trio drive through Hong Kong, Michelle pointing out the sights and Nenene explains her current situation. They arrive at a hotel, where Michelle points out the room Nenene will be staying in. At that moment, the room explodes; Maggie's quick driving saves them from getting crushed by debris.
Nenene's handlers find a message telling Nenene to go home. The group suggests that Nenene cancel the book signing for her own safety, but Nenene rejects it, declaring it an affront to free speech and going on with the signing, even without security. Michelle tearfully reacts to the speech, moved by Nenene's words, and volunteers her and her sister's services in protecting Nenene. The book signing will go on, as planned, and Michelle offers her home for Nenene to stay.
Nenene arrives at the apartment, only for the door to burst off the hinges and books fly out. A hand is found in the aftermath, and the audience is introduced to the third sister, Anita King. The young girl and the authoress, however, get off to a rocky start: Anita does not like books and therefore authors are her enemies. Maggie and Michelle thwart her effort to get Nenene kicked out, however, and Nenene is allowed to stay.
In the middle of the night, Anita wakes up to discover Nenene missing. The three sisters coordinate a search for Nenene around the area. Anita eventually finds Nenene at a bookstore, looking at her novels. The two girls talk, Nenene explaining why she hasn't been able to write.
The book signing goes on the next day, with heavy security throughout the building. However, this doesn't stop Nenene's attacker, a disgruntle Hong Kong author. He shackles Nenene to a bomb and gives her the detonator: a hollow pen with a ball inside, and if the ball touches either side the bomb will detonate. He proceeds to deliver a rambling speech as the girls, unseen by everyone else, move into position.
Nenene, annoyed with the man's attitude, scolds the man for his tirade. Infuriated, the man shoves Nenene, sending the detonator flying. Anita springs into action, leaping through a pile of books and slicing Nenene free of the detonator. Maggie sends a puppet to take down the attacker as Michelle shoots at the bomb: her paper arrow throws the bomb outside. Maggie throws a barrier over the glass windows just as the bomb explodes; it falls apart, revealing that the glass has completely shattered.
Nenene is stunned by the papermaster abilities and demands to know if the girls know "this person", a picture of Yomiko in her locket. The girls don't recognize Yomiko.
Sometime later Nenene is talking to Maggie and Anita in the airport. She thanks them for their help and gives them autographed copies of her book. Michelle arrives too late to see Nenene off: she reveals that there was a co-author to the book and Nenene may still be in danger.
On the plane, Nenene is awoken by the second author, disguised as a flight attendant. He makes snide remarks to Nenene before getting distracted by Anita, just outside of Nenene's window. He attempts to shoot Anita, but instead damages a plane engine.
The girls are flying after the plane in a massive paper bird. Maggie guides it forward and breaks open the cockpit window so Anita can get into the plane. Anita knocks out the second author, but just then the damaged engine explodes. Maggie and Michelle wrap the plane in paper and fly it to Japan, barely avoiding a collision with the terminal.
The episode ends with Nenene yelling at Anita over the trouble the sisters are giving her. Maggie and Michelle making plans to visit Jinbocho.
Trivia[]
- "Nununu" (Michelle's misspelling of Nenene's name) is a common mistake in Japanese: the hiragana for "nu" and "ne" are very similar and are differentiated by only a stroke.
- In Japanese society, men and women have distinct roles and behaviours. Nenene's speech to continue her book signing is decidedly unfeminine behaviour, hence Michelle's comment to Nenene.
- Japanese pronouns for males and females (he/she) sound the same and rely on context to differentiate, hence Anita's assumption that Nenene was talking about a man. This is reproduced in the dub when Nenene constantly refers to Yomiko as "my friend" instead of "he" or "she".
- When Anita separates Nenene from the bomb, the handcuff is still attached to Nenene's left wrist. The handcuff disappears when Nenene asks the sisters about Yomiko, then reappears when Nenene sits at the window.
- At the end of the episode, Michelle tells Maggie about Jinbocho. The Paper Sisters first travel to Jinbo-cho in the third episode, Let's Meet in Jinbocho.