Key the Metal Idol

Key the Metal Idol - The Complete Collection

Key the Metal Idol - Dreaming (Vol. 2)

Logic falls by the wayside as the tangled plots and subplots of this Pinocchio story unfold. Key, a robot in the form of a pubescent girl, believes she must win the love of 30,000 friends to become a human, and the easiest way to attain that goal is to become a rock star. The alternately icy and hysterical Hikaru Tsurugi, who serves as superstar Miho's choreographer, takes up Key--even though she can't sing, dance, or act (or use first-person pronouns). Meanwhile, the sinister president of Ajo Industries continues his experiments with deadly cyborgs that run on "gel," a mysterious, power-giving substance extracted from humans. Key's grandfather/inventor, a brilliant scientist, endowed her with powers linked to gel that Ajo both fears and covets. The grotesque priest of the snake god continues his campaign for Key's "salvation," which brings him into conflict with Key's old school friend, the fractious Sakura; her sometimes boyfriend Tataki; and the mysterious self-appointed bodyguard, Tamayo. When a concert by Ajo's cyborg-performer Miho stumbles to a halt, Key demonstrates some of her powers, which prove formidable. But tying these disparate elements into a satisfying conclusion will be a real challenge for writer-director Hiroaki Sato. Contains these episodes: 8. "Goto," 9. "Return," 10. "Bug," 11. "Save," 12. "Virus I," 13. "Virus II." Unrated; graphic violence, nudity, profanity, and grisly imagery are unsuitable for children. --Charles Solomon

Key's need for 30,000 fans makes her pursue the career of a pop-singing idol - even though she can't sing or dance. At an audition for a musical, a major producer becomes interested in Key even though she does nothing at all. Is this her big break, or will the president of a rival's fan club uncover a link with the sinister Ajo Heavy Industries and their deadly experimental robots?! Volume 2 (Contains episodes 8-13)

Key the Metal Idol - Singing (Vol. 3)

The saga of Takiko "Key" Mima reaches an incongruous climax in two 90-minute episodes marked by long explanatory scenes between her friends Tataki and Tamayo. The crowning achievement of her grandfather's experiments, the wistful Key is a robot who wants to become a human, something she needs the love of 30,000 friends to accomplish. She's also feared and desired by the evil president of Anjo Heavy Industries, who traffics in battle robots and cyber-entertainers. His machines run on "gel" or "geist," a physical manifestation of the life force. Key is to geist what Kuwait is to petroleum, and her vast reserves give her the superpowers she occasionally manifests. The plot lines established in the first 13 episodes collapse amid a plethora of contradictory revelations. Viewers either have to accept Key's story and ignore the contradictions, or look for other anime entertainment. Unrated; unsuitable for children because of violence, violence against women, nudity, profanity, and grisly imagery. --Charles Solomon

The Charade is over...will the show go on? The surviving assistant of Key's creator reveals the truth about Key's true nature and why she needs 30,000 friends! But the story is far from over because Key must learn to use her newly manifested powers to counter the paranoid insanity of the president of Ajo Industries! Finally it's time for everyone to hear Key's song....

Key the Metal Idol - Awakening (Vol. 1)

Tokiko "Key" Mima is a robot shaped like a pubescent girl who wants to become human. In a deathbed message, her "grandfather," a brilliant scientist, told her that the love of 30,000 friends could somehow change her into a human girl. Key leaves her small village for Tokyo to recruit the necessary friends. In the city, she encounters a slimy pornographer and his muscle-bound assistant. She's saved from their clutches by Sakura, a friend from junior high school, which sets a pattern. The alternately bitchy and loving Sakura, the dashing young Tataki, and Tamayo, a self-styled bodyguard from her native village, take turns rescuing Key.

Her grandfather's ultimate creation, Key contains components that the sinister president of Ajo Heavy Industries needs to perfect his unreliable cyborgs. As the president's icy henchman stalks her, Key reveals she possesses superhuman strength, the ability to levitate, and the power to blow up Ajo warrior robots. These adventures are played against the search for 30,000 friends, which leads Key to a concert by rock star Miho (another cyborg controlled by Ajo) and a cult that worships a snake god.

Key's waif-like appearance recalls Yasuomi Umetsu's "Presence" segment of the 1987 feature Robot Carnival, but her monotone voice and habit of referring to herself in the third person ("Key understands") quickly cloy. The tone of the adventures seesaws between wistful yearning and sinister violence.

Unrated; graphic violence, nudity, profanity, and sexual situations are unsuitable for children. --Charles Solomon

Wanted: 30,000 people to give their love to a girl made of metal... Created by a kindly old scientist, Key is an android who has been growing up, but only when the doctor exchanges her artificial body for an older one. When her creator dies, Key is trapped in the body of a teenage girl who will never age or die, and even though she doesn't really understand how to act human, it is her most treasured dream to become a real girl. Key pins all of her hopes on her creator's last message, which suggests that to become human, she must win the love of 30,000 people... Will you become one of Key's 30,000 friends? Contains seven complete OAV episodes.