13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best anime series in history, June 30, 2000
Key The Metal Idol is perhaps, one of the greatest anime titles in history. The story is about Key, a robotic girl who isn't all she appears as she tries to find 30,000 friends so they can turn her into a human girl. Key is helped and hindered along the way by a variety of characters, all who have their own vested interest in Key's success or failure.
Key's plot twists and turns with almost every episode, until the final moments you are not quite sure where everything lies and it's story telling and script is extremely impressive.
Key's artwork is equally stunning, the character of Key herself is beautifully crafted, movement and expressions are drawn with a real charm.
The music to the series is also spellbinding from the Japanese Pop Music littered throughout to the enchanting and bizarre background music, Key doesn't disappoint on the audio level any less than it doesn't disappoint visually.
I can't say too much about the plot without ruining, just trust me and buy Key.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly Excellent..., May 17, 2000
Key: The Metal Idol is one of those series that, although maycatch your eye, there is nothing that tempts you to watch it. However,as I was wandering along my video store I realized I have watched nearly every anime besides this video. Therefore, I bought it, not expecting that much of a good series. Was I wrong!
Volume 1 contains three episodes that introduces the main character, Key, a robot made extremely like a human. Even her artifical flesh is just as soft as a humans. These episodes also introduce Sakura, one of her childhood friends. Although the plot is very vague, it begins to deliver itself later. Another strange character we find, is a man who photographs for women posing nude. He is very authoritarian and travels around with a big buff guy. Then there's the mysterious stone soldier and the man who controls him. The characters are really well done.
The music is okay, but is unfortunately in English and I would have rather watched the subtitled version. Surprisingly, the character voices were well done and did not have high-pitched annoying accents.
All in all, this is a series I am definitely going to buy more of, and to get the DVD (subbed/dubbed all the way). See it now!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Key Rocks!, June 6, 2002
Key was the first anime that I watched, and liked it so much I bought the 3 dvd set. Key was a commissioned work for the 10th or 15th anniversary of Pony Canyon.
Key started out as a concept for a videogame, and ended up as an OVA anime. (released on video)
The english soundtrack cuts in and out. When you watch the dvd, select english subtitles and japanese audio.
The story is so complex you have to watch it several times just to understand the storyline.
The real story of Key is the subversive way the entertainment industry in Japan takes advantage of young girls and exploits them for profit. A very important story, and still very timely. You see nothing like this produced in Hollywood, how our consumption of product leads to the distruction of young girls who think that they can become the next idol singer.
Then if they do have any talent, they are seen as a clone. Like how Jane Mansfield was a clone of Maralyne Monroe.
Key also deals with peer on peer abuse in school, as well as other socalization issues. Grief, acceptance, competency, role of religion, healing, life process, role of pills to help with depression, sexual exploitation, the need to have friends, and the relationships of fans, artists and the corporations that (use) manage talent.
I would love to see Key made into a live action movie. Then perhaps Key will reach her goal of 30,000 friends.
Notice after the credits on episode 15 the short clip with key giving flowers... any comments on that?
In some of the dialog on episode 14 they talk about Ame No Uzme No Mikoto. This is a reference back to Japanese mythology. If you read Ame No Uzme, like it is english, then it almost reads Amy No Use Me, or A Me No Use Me.
Ame No Uzme No Mikoto was the hevenly deity of devine movement, meditation, mariage and joy.
I think the bottom line with Key is an anime with a real social message and complexity, just like real life, but as a robot, key is just plain... awesome.
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