Key the Metal Idol

Summary: >

A mechanical genius of sorts has managed to create a masterpiece. A robot in the form of a girl he has named Key. Before his death he informs Key that she can become human if she can manage to befriend 30,000 people. Key decides to journey to Tokyo in an attempt to become human, but finds that "getting friends" is going to take a long time - more time than Key has since her lifespan will be limited by her battery.

After witnessing an idol singer, Key decides that she will become an idol as well in order to get her 30,000 friends. Aside from an being an emotionless girl with no skills in dancing or singing, or any other things normally associated with idols; Key has other problems she needs to deal with. There is no end to the people who want to manipulate and user her. And aside from that, there is a corporation which is up to its own schemes which has an interest in Key as well.

Will key become human? There's more than a few plot twists that might surprise you what the actual answer is.

Thoughts: >

This series has a quirky sort of nostalgia for me. It's like there's just a long list of "middle of the road" titles that almost every anime fan from certain periods has watched. Key the Metal Idol is one of those titles. But it's funny to me because everyone seems to have gotten more out of it than me. I just couldn't get into the title no matter how much I tried. I mean the plot is weird (that's a plus for me), there's a lot of elements that look interesting on paper, but watching it I got this "ho hum" experience. In hindsight I wonder if there just isn't something in this title that clicks with me because of personal preferences. Serial Experiments Lain (which people also said many wonderful things about) also didn't move me - and it had a similar feel in my opinion.

I think the main issue I have is that I just don't like key. The Pinocchio storyline of some robot girl who is just extremely detached doesn't click. Maybe I need more feedback than the constant blank expression on her face. Lack of color and lack of emotion wears thin on me quickly I guess.

I can't say don't watch this title because so many people seem to like it. But by 2-3 VHS tapes worth of watching I had to call it quits. It seemed pointless for me to watch a title I just didn't like. I think I've iterated enough over my issues with this title, but if you think the plot looks interesting to you, then I would recommend getting a second and third opinion aside from mine. I'd link some pages directly but it appears in Internet time my page is like some sort of immortal that watches all of those around it continually be born and perish - that is, my links are always broken.

Screen Caps: >