Ranked #2297

Key the Metal Idol

I don’t normally write reviews, but I watched this series, and for this, I can make an exception.

It is an unusual series, like the above description says, it’s about a robot girl, called Key, trying to become human after her grandfather has died. I didn’t think much of it when I first read that, but there are some great dark moments in it, fused in with some good drama, all good points for me. It starts off light-heartedly, as Key tries to learn how to become human, with help from her friend. This does carry on for a few episodes, where are all entertaining of course. But it’s when the story gets involved with Ajo, that you really start to take notice. Some watchers, who want more heavy action, or dark story plots, might get bored near the beginning of the series, but it is worth watching the whole way through. There is a lot of past surrounding Key, and a good few twists. The story line doesn’t have complexity of ergo proxy or neon genesis, but should keep you entertained. Also the end of each episode leaves on a cliff hanger, making you crave for more.

Character development is well done. Key being the best character there, she’s the innocent, silent type, that you just have to adore. There’s a broad range of characters that Key meets among her journey to become human, none of them are two- dimensional in any way, all of them add rich detail to the plot. That being said, the main enemy isn’t the most original character ever thought up. He’s the generic evil villain, who’s power hungry and possibly mentally disturbed, but nothing wrong with that.

Music is not badly done. I really liked the opening theme, it was well done. A few other songs in the series took my fancy as well. Which is important, as the music, does play a certain role in this series.

Animation wise, well, ‘Key the metal idol’, is a bit old now, in terms of progression in the animation quality, you can tell just by a simple glance. But to be honest, that doesn’t bother me. There’s a lot anime series I’ve seen and thought to be, too brightly coloured and unrealistic. I welcome the old style myself, it feels somewhat refreshing. But others would probably disagree with me.

Overall, a well done series. The last two episodes are quite long, the episodes 14 in particular, which can be a bit dull with a lot of talking, but this makes up for it on the later part of episodes 15, when reaching it’s climax. Also there are several scenes with brief nudity, which I thought was unnecessary. The series is a hidden gem, that needs to be appreciated more, some may be put off by the older animation, but do I recommend the show. If I could give an 8.5, I would.


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I first heard of this anime in an old RightStuf catalogue I got in high school. After reading the description, I knew it was a must see.

Even though most people would rather see the japanese sub, I highly recommend the english dub. Not only the VAs were decent, but the music has all been remade to english, and is some of the most beautiful music of the mid-late 90s.

Storywise, this had a great storyline. You could say this anime has a bit of a Pinocchio complex, as the main character (Key) is trying to become a human. How she does this is to simply make 30,000 friends O.O. How this works out remains a mystery until you get near the end of the series, where all questions will be answered. As Key is faced with obstacles, her human transformation takes place, and truly wows those around her. By the time you get to the end of this anime, you will also fee that you've become one of her friends.

The artwork is somewhat outdated, but that's to be expected from an anime made in 1997. However, that's no excuse to toss it aside for it being so old. The character designs of the main cast and the robots raises some nostalgia for the classic Terminator movies. The special effects are truly impressive, worthy of giving this anime an award, if it doesn't already have one. Though there is some nudity, it's not so much to toss this in with ecchi Just enough for you to keep in mind that this is a serious story.

Overall, I would have to say this anime is one of my top 5's. After seeing this the first time through, it really brings a tear to your eyes. T_T I highly recommend watching it. read more