Le Portrait de Petit Cossette

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)
Genre Psychological horror, Romance
Original video animation
Directed by Akiyuki Shinbo
Written by Mayori Sekijima
Music by Yuki Kajiura
Studio Daume
Licensed by
Released May 26, 2004 – December 22, 2004
Runtime 38 minutes
Episodes 3
Manga
Written by Asuka Katsura
Published by Kodansha
English publisher
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Magazine Z
Original run August 11, 2004 – December 21, 2004
Volumes 2

Le Portrait de Petit Cossette (Japanese: コゼットの肖像, Hepburn: Kozetto no Shōzō) is an original video animation anime series produced by Aniplex and animated by Daume. 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 in the United States as part of their Anime Explosion Weekend on December 15, 2007 and in Canada on G4techTV Canada's Anime Current block from January 19, 2008 to February 2, 2008. It is currently licensed by Sentai Filmworks and available for streaming and video-on-demand via The Anime Network.

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.

Plot

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.

Worse, the household objects that had witnessed her murder have become cursed objects, and project wrath. In the anime wine glasses, a large clock, several dolls and a portrait of Cossette are shown to be cursed, and kill at least two people in episode one. In the manga a portrait of Cossette, a mirror, a piano and several other objects are shown cursed, and have killed people. One of the best scenes in the manga is when Eiri learns that a friend of a friend has purchased Cossette's piano. Eiri and Cossette rush to the woman's home, where she is obsessed with playing the piano until she dies. Eiri pulls the woman from the piano bench and Cossette sits to take the woman's place, playing until the piano is appeased.

As the series progresses, Eiri is tortured mentally and physically by the cursed objects, and 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.

Characters

Cossette d'Auvergne from Le Portrait de Petit Cossette
Cossette d'Auvergne (コゼット・ドーヴェルニュ, Kozetto Dōverunyu)
Cossette is a beautiful young girl whose spirit haunts a delicate Venetian glass. With delicate eyes, long blond hair and a lithe frame, her beauty is both haunting and enchanting. She was murdered by her lover Marcello Orlando because he became too obsessed with her beauty and wanted her to stay like that forever. She convinced Eiri to enter "a pact of blood" to take revenge out on Marcello.
Eiri Kurahashi (倉橋 永莉, Kurahashi Eiri)
Eiri, a talented budding artist, works in his family's quaint antique shop. His young world is transformed after he stumbles upon a delicate Venetian glass harboring an enchanting saga. The glass is but a portal into the tragic world of a young girl named Cossette. He falls in love with this illusion that is as beautiful as she is cursed.
Shoko Mataki (真滝 翔子, Mataki Shōko)
Shoko is a close friend and confidant of Eiri. Although an extremely sharp young lady, her insecurity is coupled with a neurotic nature that is endearing. As shown in the OVA, she easily gets jealous about things she hears about Eiri's love life. It is shown she cares deeply about him when he changes slightly due to the pact he entered with Cossette.
In appearance, she has brown hair that is parted in front, with one or two wisps that fall near her left eye. In back it falls several inches below her shoulders.
Yuu Saiga (斎賀 由布, Saiga Yūu)
A young girl with undeveloped psychic abilities who works at the local deli. Although she doesn't know exactly what is going on with Eiri, her abilities allow her some insight into the paranormal roots of Eiri's obsession.
In appearance she has black hair cut straight across in front, and gathered behind into one 'tail' falling several inches down her back. She often wears an apron.
Kaori Nishimoto (西本 香織, Nishimoto Kaori)
Michiru Yajiri (鏃 みちる, Yajiri Michiru)
Michiru works as the local tarot card reader and shares with Eiri an emotional bond that weaves her into the saga of Cossette's vengeance.
Yutaka Enokido (榎戸 豊, Enokido Yutaka)
Michio Hisamoto (久本 道夫, Hisamoto Michio)
Zenshinni of Shakado (釈迦堂 菩心尼, Shakadō-Zenshinni)
As the local priestess and psychic, Shakado's talents reveal frightening energies hovering over Eiri like the shadow of death.
In appearance she has dark gray or black hair that is cut short, above her collar, with several sprays rather than cut straight.
Hatsumi Mataki (真滝 八海, Mataki Hatsumi)
The local physician and Shoko's aunt, Hatsumi is utterly confounded by Eiri's psychosomatic afflictions.
In appearance she has brown hair similar in length and cut behind as Shoko Mataki, wearing it behind her ears. In front she has several wisps on her forehead. She wears glasses, and often her doctor's coat.
Marcello Orlando (マルチェロ・オルランド, Maruchero Orurando)
A talented artist that was close with Cossette's family. He murdered her and her family out of obsession with the Cossette he painted.

Media

OVA

Aniplex released the three Region 2 DVD compilations from May 26, 2004 to December 22, 2004.[1][2] 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).[3] Later released as a single on August 11, 2004, "Hōseki" is sung by Marina Inoue.[4] 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.[5]

Aniplex DVD releases
Volume Released
1 May 26, 2004[1]
2 July 28, 2004[6]
3 December 22, 2004[2]

Petit Cossette is also licensed in New Zealand and Australia by Madman Entertainment,[7] and in German by Tokyopop.[8]

Manga

Le Portrait de Petit Cossette appeared as a serial in Monthly Magazine Z.[9] Kodansha collected the chapters into two tankōbon volume and published them from August 11, 2004, to December 21, 2004.[10][11]

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. However, both volumes are now out of print.[12] The series is also licensed in France by Asuka Comics.[13]

No.Japanese release dateJapanese ISBNNorth American release dateNorth American ISBN
01 August 11, 2004[10]ISBN 978-4-06-349183-8July 11, 2006[14]ISBN 978-1-59816-530-2
02 December 21, 2004[11]ISBN 978-4-06-349191-3November 7, 2006[15]ISBN 978-1-59816-531-9

Reception

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".[16] 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."[17][18]

References

  1. 1 2 "Le Portrait de Petit Cossette vol.1 Animation". CD Japan. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  2. 1 2 "Le Portrait de Petit Cossette vol.3 Animation". CD Japan. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  3. ↑ "Le Portrait de Petit Cossette - Original Soundtrack". CD Japan. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  4. ↑ "Hoseki Marina Inoue [CD]". CD Japan. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  5. ↑ "Section23 Films Announces April Slate". Anime News Network. 2010-01-21.
  6. ↑ "Le Portrait de Petit Cossette vol.2 Animation". CD Japan. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  7. ↑ "Petite Cossette". Madman Entertainment. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  8. ↑ "DVD: Anime: Das Bildnis der Petit Cossette: Einleitung" [DVD: Anime: Le Portrait de Petit Cossette: Introduction] (in German). Tokyopop. Archived from the original on 23 November 2009. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  9. ↑ "Magazine Z, Comi Di Gi+ Manga Mags Ending in Japan". Anime News Network. 3 September 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  10. 1 2 "Cosette House" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 11 December 2004. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  11. 1 2 コゼットの肖像（2） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  12. ↑ Debi Aoki (1 September 2009). "The Kodansha-TokyoPop Split: Which Manga Are Left in Limbo?". About.com. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
  13. ↑ "Le Portrait de Petit Cossette". Asuka Comics. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  14. ↑ "Manga+Comics: Book Catalog". Tokyopop. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  15. ↑ "Manga+Comics: Book Catalog". Tokyopop. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  16. ↑ Theron Martin (15 September 2005). "Petit Cossette DVD 1 - Review -". Anime News Network. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  17. ↑ Morton, Bryan (5 February 2007). "Le Portrait de Petite Cossette". Mania Entertainment. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2016. Petite Cossette is unusual in many ways " [sic] 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.
  18. ↑ Beveridge, Chris (25 April 2010). "Le Portraite Petite Cossette". Mania Entertainment. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2016. With it being a one-time pick-up, it's definitely an easy recommendation for those looking for something more mature from their anime.
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