Key: The Metal Idol (1996)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Directed by Hiroaki Sato
Story by Hiroaki Sato
Character Concepts by Kunihiko Tanaka

Features:

• Conceptual Art Gallery
  
• Character Profiles
  
• Interview with Director Hiroaki Sato
  
• Length: approx. 180-210 minutes each disc
  
• English and Japanese audio
  
• English subtitles
  

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• naked robots
• pop music running amok
• The Man keeping you down

Rating: NR, suggested for 13+

Anamorphic: N/A

My Advice: Buy it.

One of the most truly original stories in a while, Key: The Metal Idol is a Pinocchio for the modern age. Key's world is about to alter radically, forever. The grandfather who raised her is really a scientist who created her, periodically changing her bodies as she "grew." When he dies, Key is left a cryptic message that suggests a way to make her truly human, but she must make friends with 30,000 people. Believing this final message from the only family she has ever known, Key takes off for Tokyo, where she hopes to befriend the necessary number of people. There, she reunites with a childhood friend and sets off on her quest to show us all what it really means to be human.

The plot of Key just keeps getting more complex and deeper as the episodes progress. What seems to be a rite of passage for one lonely robot turns into a far-reaching story that involves multiple generations of Key's family. Key's past could cause serious trouble for her current friends, as well as the rest of the world, as could the truth about Key's idol heroine. The only problem is that there's so much going on that resolution is a bit thin. The OVA series ends with two extra-long final episodes, but not every loose end is tied up, and some fans might be a bit frustrated by this. But not everything is so tidy in Key's world.

The extras on this disc are solid, if not awe-inspiring. It's very nice to finally hear from an Anime director; if only the interview with Hiroaki Sato were longer. The art gallery is also quite interesting; it's always good to see how a character develops over time and in production on its route to the final product--all we usually get to see.

The audio and video are both quite good in this series. Both the Japanese and English audio sounds good, and the voice talent is right on either way. Key's voice actors change their voice as the plot evolves to parallel Key's evolution, and as subtle as that is, you'll appreciate it. The score is excellent, and truly works to highlight the action without impinging upon dialogue or being distracting. The only video problems I noticed was a bit of graininess toward the end in some portrait-like close-ups and some excessive darkness in a few scenes here and there. The colors are not as saturated as in some anime, but that's as much an issue of artistic choice as quality of transfer or original material.

In short, if you're willing to risk a wee bit of dissatisfaction with a slightly rushed ending, there's a good, solid series waiting for you in Key. Good art, music, and characterization all combine with a complex, but not convoluted, plot and create a final product that should please any fan of science-fiction or drama. The series' final message is left up to the viewers, but there's enough here to provide meat for philosophical discussions for days to come. Check it out and decide if you would be one of Key's friends.