Key the Metal Idol

Has anyone watched Key the Metal Idol? I hear it's like a cross between Serial Experiments Lain and Puella Magi Madoka Magica; I'd like to hear opinions about it before I watch it.

Its really boring and has a lot more anime stereotypes/archetypes for the time period it was made. I guess its pretty good though.

Seems interesting enough, have been meaning to watch it- will post here when I do.

I recently purchased the latest DVD incarnation of Key. Personally, I think it's pretty neat. I don't think it stands the test of time, but I found it engaging. One big downside to it is the 14th episode, the first of the two 90 minute "movies." Unless you are truly curious about some of the unexplained loose ends surrounding the characters, (especially Key's grandfather) then it's going to fairly agonizing. However, I think the final episode (the 2nd "movie") makes up for it. While I'm not so well-versed in anime series made during the same time period, I think it's safe to say the premise is quite unique: A robot girl with otherworldly powers in pursuit of potential humanity by making 30,000 friends, all the while being hunted down by an idol singer production agency/military weapon development company. The soundtrack is rather pleasant. While it's not as dark as Madoka and nowhere near the mindfuck that is Lain, Key does have the shared "experimental" factor going for it. I'd like to hear what you /thought of it, lainon.

I've watched the first episode; it seems intriguing, even though NOTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENS. I'm pretty sure I know what the big plot twist is already. The guy controlling the robot killing those two thugs accidentally, when he just meant to beat them up, was a nice touch. How about I make this thread about cyberpunk anime in general? I really like Cyber City Oedo 808. It's cool cyberpunk with an amazing soundtrack, fantastic animation, and the perfect amount of 80's cheese. It's got the late 80's/early 90's gratuitous swearing dub, back when they were still trying to convince people that anime was for adults, and the single most hilariously stupid line in all of anime. It's a three episode OVA, each episode following a different member of the main trio. Episode one follows Sengoku, who is the most stereotypical anime anti-hero (signature weapon: a bigass revolver), episode two follows Gogol, the mohawked cyborg (signature weapon: hacking, being able to punch a damn robot with his bare hands), and episode three follows Benten (the guy who looks like a White Snake album cover; signature weapon: razor wire). It's the sort of anime where computer hackers, cyborgs with telekinetic powers, cyborg genetically-engineered saber-toothed tigers with lasers in their mouths, midgets in medieval knight armor riding robot women like motorcycles (who ALSO have lasers in their mouths), and fuarrrking SPACE VAMPIRES all fit in... and it WORKS. It's cheesy, it's over the top, and it still manages to be realistic and a fun romp. This show is plain, 100% fun. I'm honestly disappointed that the story hasn't been picked up and continued, there's a lot of potential there. If you haven't seen it, it's definitely worth checking out. And like I said, the soundtrack is fantastic; give it a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4a_2v9C6DM

>>623 Another nice touch I forgot to mention: Cyber City does a direct shoutout to William Gibson in episode one when Gogol directly mentions ICE, Intrusion Countermeasure Electronics. Now... did you think I was joking about the midgets riding robot women like motorcycles? Because that's actually a thing... which occurs in Goku Midnight Eye, another two-episode OVA that came out in the same time period. Goku Midnight Eye is based on a 3-volume (4 in the US) manga, and like Cyber City, it's pure 80's cheese. Goku is far more of a mary sue character though: he's badly injured, and when he wakes up, someone has installed a prosthetic eye in his head that allows him to hack any and every computer in existence just by thinking about it. It's never explained in the OVA why he was given this power or who did it, it just happens. He also has an expanding power pole, like another famous Goku, that he uses to get around like a pole vault. He also builds the most badass car in all of anime, just to fight one enemy, then promptly trashes it. If you like a decent cyberpunk story with a TON of over-the-top, fun, 80's cheese and a hero so monumentally stupid that he keeps explaining his powers to every random person he encounters when that's the sort of thing that REALLY needs to be kept secret, give it a look.

>>624 Also, Goku is voiced by Spike Spiegel's western VA. "Bitch has laser breath!"

>>590 The art is excellent and the story, on paper, is fairly solid. The storytelling is a complete trainwreck though. Pacing of scenes and episodes is all over the place, you'll have minutes and minutes of absolutely nothing, then a quick sequence which advances the plot a bit, then it's back to snoring for another half hour. You feel like there's a tipping point coming up any minute but there isn't, never. The finale resolves the story in the last ten minutes (literally) and there is absolutely no denouement at all. Watch it only if you like the concept and have a lot of free time on your hands. If you can tolerate the awful pacing it's alright.

I've seen a couple episodes. It was odd and intriguing at parts but mostly boring. I might watch more eventually just to see if it ever picks up.

>>622 Not to mention Key and Lain are similar in that they both become godlike characters with huge followings. If you think about it like that they're kind of opposites: Key is desperately trying to gain a following, whereas Lain is trying to find out why so many people are interested in her.

Boring? Really? What do you people even watch? I found Key engaging and intriguing. Admit it, you simply hate slice of life shows and reading lost of subtitle lines.

>>1895 At least your reasonable lainon and didn't just call me names! I don't hate but do dislike slice of life shows and also wasn't a fan of key. But I don't think thats why for me. I seem to be a master at hyping things up in my brain before I see them, I think just cause I need a lot of interest ahead of time to watch something. I never for some reason can just watch something to see if it's good, I have to have full faith its good ahead of time. For me I know this was reason. I watched the show because of a reccomendation (highlighting all the bits friend thought id find interesting and skipping over rest) and then that pic OP posted sealed the deal and was what really got me interested. The intro sequence again hyped me up. 90's style but oddly more realistic made it visually appealing. Lastly theme of child who is different and is struggling with identity always grips me and is relateable to my childhood. Why lain was so impactful for me, watched it as a kid, look for similar themes in all media now to recapture that feeling and take me back. So a lotta hype, and then as you point out those themes and the type of aesthetic in cover art is very much an undertone, it isn't 100% full focus on that. Which honestly is cool, I think it's amazing when a show or any media/art has very abstract themes but doesn't have them take over, they empower and add depth to whats already there. So I honestly think had I not had all these expectations I would have loved it. Even just hyped up a little I still would have loved it, but my brain had a clear idea of some things it was going to get and it didn't get it. Idk if this is a common thing that people overlook or if just me and some others are like this, ovehyping that is. Only slightly related I did the same thing with J. Cole's K.O.D recently, my mind was already like "THIS WILL BE PERFECT" because i loved the cover art and themes and then was massively dissapointed.

>>590 It's been a really long time since I watched it wouldn't mind watching it again sometime now that I'm older.