| Le Portrait de Petit Cossette | |
The cover of the third Region 2 volume as released by Aniplex on December 22, 2004 |
|
| コゼットの肖像 (Kozetto no Shōzō) |
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|---|---|
| Genre | Psychological horror, Romance |
| Original video animation | |
| Directed by | Akiyuki Shinbo |
| Studio | Daume (Animation) |
| Licensed by | Madman Entertainment Sentai Filmworks MVM Films |
| Released | April 11, 2004 |
| Episodes | 3 |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Asuka Katsura |
| Published by | Kodansha |
| English publisher | Tokyopop |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Magazine | Magazine Z |
| Original run | August 11, 2004 – December 21, 2004 |
| Volumes | 2 |
Le Portrait de Petit Cossette (コゼットの肖像 Kozetto no Shōzō) is an original video animation produced by Aniplex. It spanned 3 episode OVA series and ran in 2004. It was licensed for North American distribution by Geneon and released as Le Portrait de Petite Cossette. Fuse TV has broadcast the anime as part of their Anime Explosion Weekend on December 15, 2007. The Anime Network currently is streaming the series online and has added it to its video on demand offerings as of May 5, 2010.[1]
The series was adapted into a manga series by Asuka Katsura. It spanned two volumes and was published in 2004. The English-language release is published by Tokyopop.
Contents |
The series focuses on Eiri Kurahashi, a college art student who works in an antique shop. One day, he sees the image of a girl in an antique glass. To his shock, she appears to be moving and living out her life before his eyes. He becomes infatuated with the girl, and one night at midnight, he somehow makes contact with her. He learns that her name is Cossette, and that she was an aristocrat's daughter during the 18th century. She reveals to him that her spirit has been entrapped within the glass because the artist Marcello Orlando murdered her. She tells Eiri that, in order to set her free, a man must be willing to take upon himself punishment for the sins Marcello committed.
As the series progresses, Eiri is tortured mentally and physically by Cossette, who demands that he prove his professed love for her. It is revealed that Eiri is the reincarnation of Marcello, and that Cossette is becoming as infatuated with him as he is with her. Also depicted are the efforts of the women in Eiri's life—relatives, friends, mentors, and the girl who secretly loves him—to free him from what is becoming apparent to them as a self-destructive path.
Sony Pictures Entertainment released the three Region 2 DVD compilations from May 26, 2004 to December 22, 2004.[2][3] On December 1, 2004, the soundtrack to the OVA was released by Wint. It contained eighteen tracks by Yuki Kajiura, including the main theme music "Jewel" (宝石 Hōseki).[4] Later released as a single on August 11, 2004, "Hōseki" is sung by Marina Inoue.[5] During the period when Geneon Entertainment held the license, the episodes were aired on Fuse TV The anime has since been relicensed by Sentai Filmworks, with distribution from Section23 Films. The OVA was released on April 20, 2010 and streamed on the Anime Network a month later.[6]
| Sony Pictures Entertainment DVD releases | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume | Released | |||||||
| 1 | May 26, 2004[2] | |||||||
| 2 | July 28, 2004[7] | |||||||
| 3 | December 22, 2004[3] | |||||||
Petit Cossette is also licensed in New Zealand and Australia by Madman Entertainment,[8] and in German by Tokyopop.[9]
Le Portrait de Petit Cossette appeared as a serial in Monthly Magazine Z.[10] Kodansha collected the chapters into two tankōbon volume and published them from August 11, 2004, to December 21, 2004.[11][12]
Tokyopop licensed Le Portrait de Petit Cossette for an English-language release in North America and published the volumes from July 2006 to November 2006.[13][14] However, both volumes are now out of print.[15] The series is also licensed in France by Asuka Comics.[16]
| No. | Japanese | North American | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release date | ISBN | Release date | ISBN | |
| 01 | August 11, 2004[11] | ISBN 978-4-06-349183-8 | July 11, 2006[13] | ISBN 978-1-59816-530-2 |
| 02 | December 21, 2004[12] | ISBN 978-4-06-349191-3 | November 7, 2006[14] | ISBN 978-1-59816-531-9 |
Anime News Network's Theron Martin described it as "an artsy, stylish supernatural horror story about love and obsession. Its dramatic visuals, exceptional artistry, and sumptuous musical scoring make watching it quite an experience, and the story isn't half bad, either." However, he noted that the storyline of the first two episodes was "fairly predictable" and the secondary characters were "underdeveloped and underused".[17] Reviewers at Mania Entertainment praised it as "a love story that's almost devoid of happiness, with a style and presentation that makes it engrossing, and yet not exactly easy to watch" and "an easy recommendation for those looking for something more mature from their anime."[18][19]