| R.O.D the TV | |
| "They Shout" | |
 | |
| Episode no. | TV 05 |
|---|---|
| Airdate | October 1, 2003 (Japan) October 7, 2004 (US) |
| Year | 2006 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous episode | "The Seventh Grade Course" |
| Next episode | "The Right Stuff" |
Episode Synopsis[]
The Paper Sisters travel to Romania on a Dokusensha mission, but there's more involved than meets the ear.
Extended Summary[]
The Paper Sisters are in Romania, where Anita King watches her sisters go on a book buying spree at the book fair. Mr. Kim, their handler from Dokusensha arrives to meet them. As the group drives up to the mission area, they discuss the incident four years ago - the burning of the British Library. Michelle Cheung is saddened by the loss of the books, but Mr. Kim considers it a blessing, since many rare books were smuggled out and revealed.
The mission is to retrieve one of the British Library's books, The Book of the Pulsing Flesh. The book is held by Daryl Weber, who lives in a castle in the middle of a lake. The girls spend the rest of the day planning and preparing. Anita is suspicious about the mission; Maggie Mui points out the lake ripples every five minutes.
That night, the sisters depart, Maggie flying them to the lake using one of her puppets. However, the ripples that Maggie noticed earlier (revealed to be sound waves) reach the sisters and dissolve Maggie's puppet. The girls still manage to reach the castle, but loose paper flies into the castle. It's determined to be a Papermaster's work by a servant, and the master of the castle (Professor Weber) decides that he will kill the intruder.
The girls are confused by their state. Maggie and Michelle are unable to use their special abilities, but Anita's cutting ability still works. In addition, they've been stripped of their paper clothing. Maggie suggests aborting the mission, but Anita points out that without Maggie's familiars they can't go back, and Michelle is certain that they haven't been detected. After synchronizing their watches, the sisters enter.
While descending into the castle, Maggie is briefly haunted by a ghost vision of a dog. Anita scolds her for being scared.
Meanwhile, Weber is confused by the sound of three voices, but isn't worried.
The sisters stumble upon a medieval style torture chamber. Bats roosting in the ceiling attack them, and Maggie attempts to defend Anita by throwing paper. However, she cuts Anita instead, and a bat attempts to drink blood from the cut. Michelle finds and door and Maggie carries Anita outside. Anita is furious at Maggie for interfering, but Michelle scolds Anita for her behaviour. The three move on, Maggie's mood getting considerably more sombre.
Across the lake, Mr. Kim wonders who will return alive. Sonny Wong sneaks up from behind, scaring the man.
The three sisters come to a large room with several entrances; unfortunately, the map ends here and the sisters don't know where to go. Anita suggests that they split up, but Michelle says that it's too dangerous. Anita argues that Maggie and Michelle are the ones in danger, not her, since their powers are affected and not hers, and asks if "you could try not to be a burden for once"? Michelle reacts by slapping Anita. The argument is broken by a large dog attacking them; Anita is separated from Maggie and Michelle afterwards. Anita is afraid at first, but remembers Michelle slapping her and runs off on her own.
Michelle is distressed from slapping Anita. Maggie then claims responsibility for their lack of unity, saying that she's gradually getting more and more depressed. Michelle then notices than Anita's been getting more agitated as well, never snapping at her sisters like that before. The sisters progress through the tunnels, Michelle thinking that she knows how the animals are controlled in the castle. The three meet again in Weber's laboratory, where Weber reveals himself in a massive sound device.
Michelle reveals Weber's secret - he's using pheromones and smells to control the animals. Weber is slightly confused, but Maggie corrects her sister, saying that Weber's using sound. Weber acknowledges this, then blasts an inaudible massive sound wave at the girls, which forces Anita and Maggie to their knees.
Weber is surprised that Michelle is still standing, but goes on to explain to her about his sound. Humans can hear only a certain range of sounds, but beyond that sound still affects them: ultrasonic sounds promote anger while subsonic sounds cause anxiety. Michelle realizes that this is why Maggie and Anita are behaving so oddly. She attempts to throw paper at Weber, but his sound barrier defends him from 'paper tricks'. Weber comments on her "strangely well-balanced emotional state", then blasts her with another sound wave. This time Michelle is knocked out. Maggie grabs her prone sisters and runs behind a barrier, a 'dead spot' that isn't affected by sound.
The girls come up with a new plan. Maggie and Michelle run out and throw giant pieces of paper on the ground. Weber knocks them out, but the papers still rise, Anita emerging from them. Weber attempts to blast her too, but the paper gets in the way - Weber realizes that the sisters created a giant silencer. Anita throws a book at Weber, knocking him out.
A minute later a sound wave rips through the building - glass in and around the lake shatters from it. Weber's servant falls out of the giant window and into the lake.
Anita is watching over her sisters, waiting for them to wake up. Michelle does so first, feeling "hung over, car sick, seasick, and a bunch of other sicks all at once". Anita crawls over to an unconscious Maggie, yelling and crying apologies. Maggie does wake up, but because her eardrums are blown she can't hear Anita.
Mr. Kim and Sonny arrive in a boat to pick up the Paper Sisters. Michelle hands over the book, and Sonny gives vouchers that can be redeemed for payment. Weber's servant, attempts to snipe Anita from the castle, but Maggie's quick reaction saves her life. Sonny kills the servant, but Maggie collapses. Mr. Kim takes the 3 sisters back to land as Michelle grieves over the loss of her book, and comments on Maggie.
"That's quite a remarkable young lady you have there." "Of course. She's my sister, my pride."
That night, Nenene returns home to find the 3 sisters asleep on her living room floor and joins them.
Trivia[]
- Maggie and Michelle are buying editions of Dracula at the book fair, foreshadowing their encounter with Weber. Weber draws a lot of influences from vampires Dracula: in addition to the fangs in his mouth, he sleeps in a coffin-like bed, controls blood-sucking bats and asks for a glass of wine (compare to Dracula's movie quote, "I never drink wine."). Anita knocks Weber out by throwing the Dracula book at him in the end.
- Weber says "I'll kill her" in reference to dealing with the Paper Sisters. He mistakenly believes that Yomiko Readman has returned for the book.
- Weber's servant is named Irving.
- The book that Weber holds while lecturing Michelle is titled Suicide Symphony.
- Michelle's "strangely well-balanced emotional state" is brought up again in Fahrenheit 451.
- It isn't specified if Weber is killed or not in the end.
- This is the first episode that Sonny is seen and introduced. His title is "The Recycler".