Key The Metal Idol is one of them old OVA series I’ve always wanted to sit down and watch, but never quite got around to it. It reminds me a bit of Lain, one of my all time favorite anime, both in Key’s personality and in the general use of color. Basically, Key is a robot who’s creator has just passed away in a sudden accident. He leaves her with the final message that if she can make 30,000 friends before her battery dies or she breaks down, she can become human. Key’s hometown is a small village of less than 100 people, so taking the message to heart she heads to Tokyo to make friends.
With the story and the title you’d probably expect Key to be some fan-service robot girl that runs on pure sugar, but it’s really the exact opposite. The story is dark and bloody. Key is completely Lain-like in her quiet, unassuming appearance and nature. She’s naive to a fault from lack of experience with the world, but otherwise intelligent and kind. The story however is far from it, especially when it involves the mysterious weapons manufacturer lurking in the background. Anyway, Key makes it to Tokyo and runs into some trouble at night, but bumps into an old friend.
