Cossette no Shouzou (Le Portrait de Petit Cossette)

Add to My List

Add to Favorites

Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Le Portrait de Petite Cossette

Japanese: コゼットの肖像

More titles

Information

Type: OVA

Episodes: 3

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Apr 11, 2004 to Dec 22, 2004

Producers: Aniplex, Studio Hibari

Licensors: Sentai Filmworks, Geneon Entertainment USA

Studios: Daume

Source: Original

Genres: Drama, Horror, Romance, Supernatural

Themes: Gore, Psychological, Visual Arts

Duration: 36 min. per ep.

Rating: R - 17+ (violence & profanity)

Statistics

Score: 6.81¹ (scored by 27,030 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #4725²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #2274

Members: 65,510

Favorites: 372

External Links

Official Site, AnimeDB, AnimeNewsNetwork, Wikipedia

6.81

Ranked #4725Popularity #2274Members 65,510

OVADaume

Add to List

Episodes: /3

* Your list is public by default.

PV 1

play

Synopsis

Eiri Kurahashi is a Japanese art student who works in an antique shop. His friends begin to notice a dramatic, and rather concerning, change in Eiri, as he becomes more absent-minded and his behavior completely changes. They quickly decide to blame their friend's troubles on a girl.

They may be right, however, as Eiri has begun seeing a beautiful, doll-like girl trapped within an antique Venetian glass that his uncle bought in France. She seems to be living in a strange other world, contained entirely inside this glass, but her image refuses to leave Eiri's mind. His sketchbook becomes filled with her likeness, and he realizes he has become completely infatuated with this strange little girl. When he recognizes her in a portrait by the mysterious Italian artist, Marchello Orlando, he learns her name is Cossette d’Auvergne, and that she was tragically murdered along with the rest of her family.

One night, as he closes up the shop, he hears a voice asking him not to leave. Finally making contact with the object of his obsession, he makes a deal that he doesn't fully understand.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Edit

Background

No background information has been added to this title. Help improve our database by adding background information here.

Edit

Related Anime

Adaptation:

Cossette no Shouzou

More characters

Characters & Voice Actors

d'Auvergne, Cossette

Main

Inoue, Marina
Japanese

Kurahashi, Eiri

Main

Saiga, Mitsuki
Japanese

Mataki, Shouko

Main

Toyoguchi, Megumi
Japanese

Orlando, Marcello

Supporting

Ebara, Masashi
Japanese

Saiga, Yuu

Supporting

Noto, Mamiko
Japanese

Nishimoto, Kaori

Supporting

Enokido, Yutaka

Supporting

Zenshinni of Shakado

Supporting

Igarashi, Rei
Japanese

Mataki, Hatsumi

Supporting

Hyo-sei
Japanese

Yajiri, Michiru

Supporting

Hayama, Ikumi
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Shinbou, Akiyuki

Director

Kameyama, Toshiki

Sound Director

Kajiura, Yuki

Theme Song Lyrics, Theme Song Composition, Theme Song Arrangement, Music

Inoue, Marina

Theme Song Performance

Edit

Opening Theme

"Main Theme" by Yuki Kajiura

Edit

Ending Theme

"Houseki" by Marina Inoue

More reviews

Reviews

Mar 16, 2008

3 of 3 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

santetjan (All reviews)

393 people found this review helpful

Le Portrait de Petit Cossette is, first of all, a work that tries to be visual art, about visual art. It tries to tell what is in essence a very simple story in the first place by means of short scenes using specific visual style, and only in the second place by actual conversation and plot development that is spelled out. Thus, if, after watching the first episode you decide you really don't like the visual style used, don't bother watching the other two episodes: this series is not for you.

With regard to the plot, it would be no exaggeration to state that the same story could have been told within five minutes, nor would it be too much to say that any review of the plot would also most likely divulge what little twist there is. In essence, the story revolves around two artists and a piece of art, the portrait of a young girl, and the two differing outlooks on art these two artists have: one in the end prefers the piece of art, unchanging and everlastingly beautiful, unwilling even to acknowledge the existence of the living, changing 'original' girl, while the other prefers his art to be alive in some fashion, even if this means that change and loss exist. It is a story about the love of the artist for his art, a love that is profound enough to accept the necessity of loss, even, if necessary, of the self.
Nowhere is the story explained in as much words as I've used above, or are there pieces of dialogue directly concerning this difference in outlooks on art. In fact, there is not that much dialogue at all, nor does the show try to explore the main characters: there is little in the way of actual plot or character development.
This is because Le Portrait de Petit Cossette is a Romantic piece, or, more accurately, a piece of Romantic horror. The plot is a gathering of tropes from the genre, and focuses to a large extent on the passionate love of the main characters without giving much in the way of an explanation for their feelings and behaviour, wholly following the example of the greater pieces of Sturm und Drang literature, where round characters were considered less important than the strength of what little they tried to convey. Even the fact that the plot seems confusing, and that not everything is explained or neatly given a purpose within the story can be fully explained as Romantic horror: from Poe to Lovecraft the actual lack of a full explanation served to enhance the story.
When all is said and done, the story might not be all that original, or contain a lot of development. It is, however, very true to form.

The art is simply gorgeous. A lot of different styles are used, from simple nature backgrounds to what has been described as "bargain-basement Salvador Dali", with an emphasis on portraying scenes in twilight or with light that is filtered, seemingly in order to make the few bright points stand out more. Even though not all styles work out equally fine - especially the more surrealistic scenes tend to be a bit over the top - they do usually perfectly portray the mood of a certain scene.
To this is added a soundtrack consisting largely of semi-classical music that does a wonderful job in strengthening the different moods, ranging from simple, uplifting tunes to a ballad that is beautiful and haunting, even though it is sung in Japanese, which does not really fit the mood.
It is true that this show is pretentious, as is, it should be said, all art, and visual arts have a tendency to be even more pretentious than music or literature: the use of a French title (containing errors in grammar, spelling, and syntax, to boot, as it should have been titled "Le portrait de la Petite Cosette") is in itself proof of this, as is the bundling of a whole bunch of different musical and visual styles. On the other hand, it is quite honest about its being pretentious, and it must be said that, in the end, what matters in visual art is the art, not story, and not character. Anime is visual art, and no matter how good a series is, it will never be better than a solid book in portraying story or characters. What it adds are visuals, and these enhance the story in a way words alone can never do. To me, it is not too pretentious to try and make the story revolve around the art, and not the other way round: in a way, that seems to be what anime should in the end be about.

I won't lie. I consider Le Portrait de Petit Cossette to be the best piece of film I have ever seen, without a single doubt. As implied above, it is very difficult to make an objective statement on story and art, as you either like the style, or you don't. To me the different scenes do connect, and portray a story about longing, love, and sacrifice that portray thoughts that can be felt, but not put into words - though they can be shown.
In a way, I am in love with these three episodes like the protagonist is in love with the painting, and, thus, am unable to see anything that could detract from this impression. Perhaps that simple fact is the greatest compliment a show can receive.

Helpful

permalink | report

Apr 15, 2013

3 of 3 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 5

mahoganycow (All reviews)

102 people found this review helpful

There are a lot of ways to frighten people and make them feel vulnerable in a primal way, and therefore there are a lot of ways to execute horror—outright screaming and slashing, psychological mind games, the appearance of the supernatural. And somewhere, buried under all of those, is a subset of horror which I internally refer to as “weird and atmospheric.” Not very professional, I know, but it's the sort of bin into which I throw things like Le Portrait de Petit Cossette, a three episode OVA that is just plain strange more so than anything else. Of course, you could also call it a romance, or a drama, or a mystery; Cossette is a very creative and ambitious work that plays leapfrog across genre boundaries, but unfortunately, so do its numerous flaws.

Cossette's story is relatively simple, but for whatever reason, its creators seem eager to make it as difficult to follow as possible. There are frequent changes in setting between the real world and a surrealistic hallucinatory world that the protagonist visits. These transitions take place with little tact, and they give the series a very warped sense of chronology which is only added to by the use of repetitive flashbacks to events that happened only minutes ago. There is little to no explanation offered as to what this surreal world actually represents, and the OVA seems to take it for granted that the audience will be able to interpret the significance (if there is any) of the events that transpire there without much help, a proposition that's dubious at best and downright foolish at worst. What's happening in the real world isn't very interesting, either; the protagonist's group of age-appropriate female friends are noticing that he's having a bit of a mental breakdown, they're all concerned with his well-being, and they take various actions to try to ensure his safety. This story thread ultimately serves very little purpose, and is more or less just a distraction from the central plot. To even understand that plot requires using tremendous amounts of speculation and assumption to fill in the gaping holes left by the writers. I'm confident that I'm a reasonably attentive viewer, and I don't feel at all embarrassed to say that on the first watch of Cossette, I could only guess at what was happening for at least forty percent of the OVA's running length. There's a fine line between minimalistic storytelling and poor storytelling. It gets crossed here, in spades.

I wish I could say that the characters swooped in and redeemed everything, but it wasn't to be. Our male lead, Eiri, an amateur artist who owns an antique shop, is a neat concept, but he has all the personality of a dishrag, and is little more than a tool used to push an overly obvious thematic agenda on the audience. The same can be said of Cossette, the doomed young daughter of foreign nobility whose soul is trapped in a decorative glass; what a great idea, and what a shockingly lackluster execution. Her lack of character might be explained away by the idea that she is supposed to represent an object of obsession rather than a person, but the fact that she responds in kind to Eiri's love sort of voids that entire train of thought. There's an attempt at romance, but I've said it before and I'll probably say it again—romance holds no meaning when neither character is even identifiable as an individual. Supporting roles, you ask? Welcome to the cast of cliches: A close female friend who is in love with Eiri but has difficulty showing it, two local psychics who give Eiri vague spiritual advice (such gems as “there's a soul in everything”), a hard-nosed doctor who notices Eiri's failing mental and physical state, a girl smitten with Eiri who works at a local restaurant. They're introduced haphazardly and, again, we're often left to make assumptions about who they even are and what their relationship is to Eiri. Most of them are cardboard cutouts graced with the privilege of about two or three lines of dialogue, and their role in the story as a whole is rather unnecessary. There's some kind of halfhearted harem drama between the overly zealous friend who is in love with Eiri and the rest of the cast. This element isn't very well thought out, nor does it have any place in the OVA, and it falls more or less flat.

Artistically, Cossette has a lot of merit. The production values are reasonably high. The character designs are inoffensive. The backgrounds are lovely, ranging from verdant forests to foggy city streets, and the atmosphere created in the bowels of Eiri's dusty antique store is suitably eerie. Somewhere along the line, though, Cossette trades all of that for a ridiculous amount of CGI, editing, and visual trickery that's really quite annoying. It turns into a regular slideshow of artistic tricks-of-the-trade. Name a strange camera angle, lighting or filtering choice, or visual distortion, and the odds are pretty good that it's here. Cossette just can't resist: A shot through stained glass here, a weird point-of-view through a digital camera there, an overlay of flickering static, an endless pan over a computer-generated landscape. Words cannot even describe the number of techniques in play here, most of which serve no purpose other than as a sort of directorial “hey, look what I can do!” In terms of the technical implementation, they might very well be flawless, but I'll be damned if I can see a reason for their awkward inclusion. The OVA is actually at its best when none of these are employed. The halls and darkened storage rooms of Eiri's store, with antiques stacked around him like tombstones, are a lot more unsettling than the tactless barrage of seizure-inducing effects.

If you're the type to look at the staff listing, you might be able to guess that there's one aspect of Cossette that is tough to complain about, and that's the music. Yuki Kajiura does what she does best: Sweeping modern orchestral compositions backed by chanted vocals, intricate piano melodies, soft and haunting atmospheric noise. The soundtrack sounds great both in the context of the OVA and on its own. It doesn't sound as clear or as polished as her later work, but it's arguably as good as any other musical score she's been involved with, and that should say just about everything; it's grade-A, plain and simple. It's not terribly difficult to label the soundtrack as Cossette's strongest element. Imagine judging a dog show where the only contestants are a beautiful golden retriever and a dead possum. That's the choice I had to make.

Harsh words all around, and yet, that number does say five, which is far from the worst available score. Cossette might have inexcusably poor writing, but it does have some technical merits to fall back on, and I'll begrudgingly admit that it's a captivating watch even though the visuals are obnoxious. It's also a very creative idea, and while that idea ultimately isn't capitalized on, I can tell that it is trying to make an ambitious statement about art and the nature of human interaction with art. This thematic material isn't handled well at all, but the fact that there's even any thematic material worth mentioning in the first place is something. In a word, Cossette is a mess, and I really can't give it the most enthusiastic praise, but creativity and ambition are present, and if nothing else, it's certainly a unique piece of work.

Helpful

permalink | report

Jan 3, 2019

3 of 3 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Krunchyman (All reviews)

34 people found this review helpful

The elegant flow of luxurious hair contours gracefully along the pristine crown down the petite collar of the unsurpassed delicate flower. Golden locks glisten under the flicker of a saffron flame. The soft, supple facial features radiate pure ineffable beauty, displaying no discernment of imperfection. She is the stimulus that evokes profound imagination, via the means of simply existing. Her fortuitous, biological circumstances have destined her to inject inspiration into the psyche of the perceptive virtuoso, to invigorate him to produce marvelous portraits of exquisite splendor. She is the beacon that guides his creative spirit towards its fullest potential, realizing the end goal of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

She is Essential. She is Beautiful. She is Perfection. She is a Muse.

If the perceived perfection is identified as genuine, is it not irresponsible to allow ne plus ultra beauty to be squandered to the inexorable flow of time? Marchello Orlando, a man obsessed with the unparalleled beauty of his “lover,” believed it immoral to permit such beauty to wither away — even if it required the assassination of the angelic person, whom he professed his adoration. For Marchello, terminating inimitable elegance was paramount in the pursuit of “preserving” his masterwork(s). But art is not an exercise in preservation, rather it’s a rendition of singular moments/conceptions that are ever-fleeting. The art, itself, is preserved, but the transient process is lost to the annals of time. Eiri Kurahashi, a young artist who becomes entranced by Cossette d’Auvergne’s haunting beauty, discovers the ennui of drawing a pseudo preservation of Marchello’s “divine” deed. In a physical and emotional catharsis, Eiri uses his own blood to paint a stunning portrait of his tormenting muse. Signifying Eiri's denial of Marchello’s notion of preservation, in lieu of acknowledging the muse for what she really is (a human being), and not for what she represents (perfection personified).

The porcelain doll shedding tears of blood, was the surrealistic representation of how Marchello viewed Cossette. It is said that “the eyes are the windows of the soul,” and given that the doll (Cossette) has no eyes, she, invariably, has no soul. By virtue of his blood pact with Cossette, Eiri offers his own soul as a form of reparation for “his” past ill deeds. He is, after all, the reincarnation of Marchello. The man who rejected Cossette’s life, for his own idealistic vision. Of course, Eiri suffers extensively for his “past” transgressions, in a myriad of chilling scenes with hauntingly beautiful artwork. Screeching violins go hand and hand with the gothic aesthetic, creating a melancholic atmosphere to accentuate Eiri’s gruesome retribution.

Cossette, inadvertently, gives inspiration to her “two lovers,” but while Marchello takes her gift and forsakes her for it; Eiri, on the other hand, returns the favor by giving his blood (the necessary fluid of human life) to affirm her existence as valuable, and not merely the object for which one derives self-actualization. Eiri, after 250 years, releases Cossette from her bondage of eternal “preservation,” by rejecting the flawless imposter (the muse, if you will) for the release of the real Cossette from her unsought constraints; thus, allowing her soul to transcend the intermediary world and finally be at peace.

The emancipation of Cossette absolved Eiri from his own misguided idealism. Empowering him to break free from his self-created muse infatuation, and, hopefully, learn to foster an emotionally symbiotic relationship. Eiri (Marchello) deluded himself in the pursuit of capturing impeccable beauty; thus, dissociating himself from the pivotal social interactions of his everyday life.

Helpful

permalink | report

Apr 22, 2022

3 of 3 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 7

Arvanitis (All reviews)

10 people found this review helpful

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Usually, I tend to watch anime for their plot and characters. Cossette no Shouzou is the perfect example of a show that does not need them to succeed. It may follow a main story, but what's most important is its artistic ingeniousness. And I do not mean its art or animation; I mean everything about this fictional work. The music, the animation techniques, the simple story with its thrilling portrayal, and last but not least; the fact that it revolves around art itself. Truly, Cossette no Shouzou is not an easy watch for everyone. It's a niche piece of art, full of risks and pretentiousness. But it knows very well what it is, and that's what makes it beautiful and fascinating.

To begin my short analysis, I'll mention what I found best - and this was the atmosphere. On one hand, we have Yuki Kajiura (Noir, Kara no Kyoukai, Fate/Zero) giving it her best to create the most fitting horror vibes with her music, on the other hand we have Shinbou Akiyuki (Madoka Magica, Monogatari series) who is a unique director, and loved by his audience. If you ask me, the result is magical and this is one of the best collaborations I have ever seen in anime. Even if you don't really care about the story, you cannot overlook the exceptional atmosphere. You get spooked, you get hooked; it is the definition of successful horror.

Furthermore, I'll have to say a few things about the story. It is clear from the beginning that the story is far from normal, the events happening are surreal and the writing is full of exaggerations and metaphorical approach. Now, it all starts with a young artist called Eiri, and his obsession with a supernatural phenomenon only he can see; a girl, trapped inside an antique glass. What follows up includes a gory and full of suffering yet romantic horror story, and a big contrast between two different kinds of artists. It also jumps from the 21st to the 18th century, there's a slightly historical viewpoint, ethical demarcation and a little bit of philosophy. Just in case you haven't watched it yet, I'll only leave a touch of what happens in Cossette no Shouzou here and leave some spoilers for the next paragraph.

In this paragraph, concerning details about what messages the show wants to convey, spoilers are unavoidable. Like I said on the title, it's one of the most misunderstood fictional works and that's because the storytelling and flow of events are messy and chaotic. The main message is that of the main story; the difference between an artist who likes stable and everlasting art, and another one who admires and respects change and evolution, whether it is good or bad for the art itself. How different a work of art can be, if the artist's mindset and viewpoints are different as well. And it's not just about painters; it's about any human's approach on life. The way the plot point is expressed is tricky and full of metaphors, but it leads to something pretty simple. Nevertheless, Cossette no Shouzou has many other things to share with the viewer. One of those is woman's endless suffering, in all periods and eras of humanity. If you think about it, it's another tragic story with a bad ending for a female human, and the fact that Cossette's soul is enslaved for so long in the world she had already died is just a result of all the malevolent energy created by suffering and unfairness. Eiri, on the other hand, is also the victim here; he's the "good" kind of guy, who feels for the girl and tries to protect her. Traumatized and ignorant, Cossette will not accept him and will torture him until she is satisfied. But since there are heavy tones of romanticism in this work, it is implied that a positive attitude is praiseworthy and will prevail. This is something I really liked, and it was clearly shown by Mataki's last line as well.

To end this review, the main reason I'm writing it is because I watched this anime OVA yesterday and it can't leave my mind yet. Its music, its visuals, its atmosphere. That's because of the great work studio Daume made back in 2004 and the beautiful, haunting, short artsy trip it took me to. It's very rare for an anime to stay stuck on my mind, and it is one more reason to consider this anime a big success. It's far from perfect - even its french name is wrongly written - but at least it does not try to achieve perfection and it shows it is fine having some flaws. Big respect to the staff!

Helpful

permalink | report

More stacks

Interest Stacks

Rewatch time

by Henrique_burro

40 Entries · 3 Restacks

Real Hidden Gems 45 of them

by Mei-o_Scarlett

45 Entries · 8 Restacks

the end

by MisterBelleza

50 Entries · 18 Restacks

More recommendations

Recommendations

View All

More news

Recent News

Sentai Filmworks' New Licenses for American Distribution

According to Section23, a North American anime distributor, Sentai Filmworks has licensed the following titles for a Spring release: Gintama - First set releasing on...read more

Jan 22, 2010 9:31 PM by Panaru | Discuss (37 comments)

More discussions

Recent Forum Discussion

	Poll: Le Portrait de Petit Cossette Episode 3 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Dunther - May 15, 2008	77 replies	by x2kill4 »» May 20, 7:50 AM
	Poll: Le Portrait de Petit Cossette Episode 2 Discussion kittygoesmad - Dec 19, 2009	26 replies	by Crow_Black »» Apr 19, 3:19 PM

Recent Featured Articles

Top 25 Dark Anime to Creep You Out

What makes a 'dark' anime? It's more than just monsters and scares. Check out the 25 Best Dark Anime for a glimpse into some of the industry's most twisted stories.

by Jadielkun

975,566 views

Spoiler

Recommendation Collection Despair Supernatural

Cossette no Shouzou

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

External Links

Synopsis

Background

Visit MALxJapan
MALxJapan -More than just anime-

Related Anime

Characters & Voice Actors

d'Auvergne, Cossette

Kurahashi, Eiri

Mataki, Shouko

Orlando, Marcello

Saiga, Yuu

Nishimoto, Kaori

Enokido, Yutaka

Zenshinni of Shakado

Mataki, Hatsumi

Yajiri, Michiru

Staff

Opening Theme

Ending Theme

Reviews

Interest Stacks

Recommendations

Recent News

Recent Forum Discussion

Recent Featured Articles

MoreTop Anime

MoreTop Airing Anime

MoreMost Popular Characters

Cossette no Shouzou

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

External Links

Synopsis

Background

Visit MALxJapan MALxJapan -More than just anime-

Related Anime

Characters & Voice Actors

Staff

Opening Theme

Ending Theme

Reviews

Interest Stacks

Recommendations

Recent News

Recent Forum Discussion

Recent Featured Articles

MoreTop Anime

MoreTop Airing Anime

MoreMost Popular Characters

Welcome!

Free Sign Up with

Visit MALxJapan
MALxJapan -More than just anime-