Synopsis:
Tokiko Mima, or "Key" for short, has always lived with the fact that she is a robot. People have a hard time believing this, especially since she looks so human. Despite her glassy eyes and expressionless face, she is usually dismissed as just a strange waif of a girl. There is hope for Key, however. Her deceased grandfather, who was a brilliant robotics scientist, had left her a very important message. If Key could somehow get 30,000 people to love her and want her as a friend, she could become a real, live human. It's a far-fetched idea, but Key believes her grandfather's words and sets off for Tokyo to accomplish this feat. But Key has to move fast and complete her mission before she ceases to function completely.

Review:
Key the Metal Idol is one very deep and thought-provoking anime. I was immediately intrigued by the plot's paradoxical concept. Here we are immersed in a sci-fi setting and yet the heart of Key's mission involves something that's almost magical. The overall treatment makes these very different elements merge together seamlessly, and nothing feels out of place in the story.

Things develop at a good pace, and you will discover that a very rich and complex background is behind the present events and dilemmas that Key faces. You won't find yourself getting lost or confused as things are presented quite clearly. Personally though, I didn't fancy the heroine Key much. I could only take so much of her perpetually blank expression and unresponsive demeanor. Still, given the premises of the plot, these traits are innate for her character.

The art and animation are excellent. Each character looks unique, and you don't get the feeling that they came from the same generic drawing pattern. I notice that with some other anime, the characters end up with similar facial features -- the only main difference being their hair. Not so with Key the Metal Idol. The English dubbing is fine. I must say that Key's English voice captures the essence of her character just as effectively as her original Japanese voice does. Seiyuu Junko Iwao (also Ceres in "Ayashi no Ceres", Tomoyo in "Cardcaptor Sakura") plays the lead role of Key.

Key the Metal Idol is certainly worth your time and attention if you like anime on the more serious and profound side.

Miscellanies:
I wonder why Key sports such horrible hair. It looks like she got a haircut using a knife and had some chickens scratch it to an up do.

Screenshots:

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