Details
- Episodes:15
- Format:OVA
- Average Score:67
- Popularity:4575
- Status:Finished Airing
- Season:Winter 1994
- Duration:34 min. per ep. minutes
- Genre:Action, Drama, Mecha, Music, Sci-Fi, Psychological
- Country:JP
Tokiko Mima, nicknamed "Key," is a 17-year-old girl living in the Japanese countryside who, despite her human-like appearance, is a robot. When Key's grandfather Dr. Murao Mima passes away, he leaves her a dying message, telling her that she can become a real girl if she is able to make thirty thousand friends. Thus, Key moves from the quiet Mamio Valley to the busy streets of Tokyo, where she soon runs into her childhood friend Sakura Kuriyagawa. Key quickly becomes enamored with idol singer Miho Utsuse and wonders if becoming a singer will allow her to make the amount of friends needed for her to become human. But Miho carries a ominous secret: she is connected to Jinsaku Ajou, an old rival of Dr. Mima trying to make new a breakthrough in robotic weaponry. As Key works to become a real girl, Ajou sets a dangerous plan into action, and it turns out there's much more to Key than meets the eye. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Episodes
1. Startup
As you might imagine, an innocent like Key gets into trouble pretty much the moment she arrives in Tokyo. Aimlessly wandering the streets, she's picked up by a 'photographer' for a 'model agency'... whose main line of business actually seems to be making adult videos. Luckily for her, she's rescued by a chance encounter with a childhood friend of hers, Sakura – who holds down three different part-time jobs but hasn't really decided what she wants to do with her life yet.
2. Cursor (1)
As Key settles in as Sakura's temporary houseguest, we get to see a bit more of the other lead characters in action. There's Sakura's friend Shuichi, fan club president for the famous pop idol Miho Utsuse... who herself seems somehow connected to Jinsaku Ajo, the megalomaniac CEO of Ajo Heavy Industries. Also lurking in the background is Tomoyo, Dr. Mima's old lab assistant, who has followed Key to Tokyo in order to keep an eye on her.
3. Cursor (2)
Key begins to fixate upon the idea of becoming a pop idol herself as the surest way to making 30,000 friends. In the meantime, Ajo's team are trying to determine whether she might be where Dr. Mima cached his last technological secrets before dying. When Key's presence (care of Shuichi) disrupts Miho Utsuse's latest concert, the company sends out two PPORs to hunt Key down, remotely controlled by a dangerous operative known only as 'D'.
4. Access
As if to confirm earlier hints that Key possesses a phenomenal power whose exact nature is hidden even from herself, this episode sees her disabling both PPORs and rescuing their secondary target from certain death. However, this display is witnessed by hundreds of passers-by... including Prince Snake-Eye, a spiritual leader who sees in Key a way to revitalise the faith of his cult followers.
5. Scroll (1)
As Ajo and his cronies conspire, Sakura and Shuichi discuss Key ... and why she thinks she`s a robot. Meanwhile, Prince Snake-Eye tries to convince Key that religion is the only path to making the 30,000 friends she needs. Source: crunchyroll
6. Scroll (2)
Prince Snake-Eye convinces Key to visit his temple, where the child of two of his followers is near death, in hopes that she can cure the boy with her "powers". But Ajo`s lead soldier `D` has finally tracked her down! Source: crunchyroll
7. Run
After their first big showdown, everyone—good, and bad—are busy regrouping and deciding what their next moves will be. Where does this leave Key? Source: crunchyroll
8. Go To
An apparently selfless Sakura creates an agency dedicated to helping Key reach pop idol status. While Sakura`s busy hitting Shuichi up for his connections in the music business, he is preoccupied with finding the connection between Ajo and Miho Utsuse. Source: crunchyroll
9. Return
While `D` recovers from his last battle, Ajo leaves him locked up in a cell with only a computer terminal ... and a mission. Meanwhile, Sakura and Key are thrilled to learn that Shuichi`s connections are paying off. Source: crunchyroll
10. Bug
While Ajo does his best (worst?) to exploit Miho, Prince Snake-Eye threatens anyone considering giving Key an audition. Then Shuichi decides it`s a good time to play private investigator in Mamio Valley—Key and Sakura`s hometown. Source: crunchyroll
11. Save
The story machinery starts grinding down towards the last of the TV-length Key episodes. Shuichi catches Prince Snake-Eye in the act of sabotaging Key's 'career', but this really isn't nearly as important as what 'D' has managed to do back at the ranch. (No, I'm not going to tell you.) Key – having heard about Miho's concert from Sakura of 'Shuichi only gave me the one ticket and you can't bloody well have it' fame – tries to convince Tsurugi to get her in.
12. Virus (1)
The story machinery starts grinding down towards the last of the TV-length Key episodes. Shuichi catches Prince Snake-Eye in the act of sabotaging Key's 'career', but this really isn't nearly as important as what 'D' has managed to do back at the ranch. (No, I'm not going to tell you.) Key – having heard about Miho's concert from Sakura of 'Shuichi only gave me the one ticket and you can't bloody well have it' fame – tries to convince Tsurugi to get her in.
13. Virus (2)
Much like the first in this set, everything is geared to reach a climax of sorts in this last episode of the disc. Again, it would be rubbish of me to ruin all the fun for you. Let's just say that everyone who's anyone makes it to Miho's concert. And yes, mayhem obligingly ensues. Oh, and you finally get to properly hear the 'lullaby' song that Key's author has been teasing the audience with for a while now.
14. System
It`s the big reveal, with the meaning of the photograph found in Tomyo village deciphered, Doc`s life story finally told, and Tokiko and Key`s connection ultimately revealed. Source: crunchyroll
15. Singing
As the season comes to a gripping end, Key`s friends gear up for the final battle, but Ajo is clearly a formidable enemy. As Key is faced with the ultimate choice—to live as a human ... or as a robot. Source: crunchyroll
