30 May 2003: Read or Die DVD
The R1 Read or Die DVD is now available. It's a fairly nice disk. There aren't many extras, but the brief biographies of the I-Jins' real-life counterparts is a nice touch.
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Yomiko Readman. Codename: The Paper
I didn't bother watching the dub, but quick spot checking confirms that they played a little fast and loose with the script. I would be more offended if I ever had a reason to listen to it, I suppose.
Thankfully, the subtitles are accurate and literal enough without being stilted. They're certainly better than the two fansubbed versions I've seen, both of which blew some of the tougher spots (now clarified by the DVD subtitles). However, the subtitles on the DVD do require some mighty fast reading at times (somewhat appropriately, I guess), so I have to say the fansubs were timed better.
This by no means exonerates Manga Entertainment for their brutal track record when it comes to DVDs. They're still way in the hole from their disatrous End of Evangelion launch, alone.
Nevertheless, they didn't screw up Read or Die, so the killing spree is back on hold.
