While trying to learn more about all the anime characters in the PSP crossover RPG Heroes Phantasia, I became interested in Read or Die. After watching the 2001 anime, I found myself already hunting for a game from the series. But despite eleven books, a manga, and two anime series, no game has ever been produced.
Unless you count unlicensed fan games, that is.
Ele Paper Action is a 2005 title from indy developer Egs-Soft, which features both the animes' (OVA and TV series) protagonists—Yomiko Readman and the Paper Sisters respectively—as playable characters in an arcade-style brawler.
As you can see in the video above, playing as Yomiko demands slow, careful fighting, but she comes with a full complement of paper-controlling powers you can change on the fly. The sisters, on the other hand, have only one power per girl; however, the three of them together can slaughter enemies in a fast-paced, chaotic blur.
Of course, just when you get used to playing as either character, the game suddenly becomes a side-scrolling shoot 'em up.
While it's possible to find Ele Paper Action in places like Akihabara, anyone outside Japan will probably have a tough time finding a copy. However, if you're just dying to try it out, there is a demo of the game on Egs-Soft's official website (and direct link for those you can't read Japanese). Enjoy!