Kowarekake no Orgel
Encyclopedia
Kowarekake no Orgel is a one-episode Japanese dōjin
anime
original video animation
produced by ElectromagneticWave and directed by Keiichiro Kawaguchi
. It originally debuted on December 28, 2008 in the Comic Market 75 dōjin convention
. The official DVD version first released on December 31, 2009 in a limited first edition and special limited edition. The OVA was adapted into a 34 minute film, released on September 9, 2010, which uses the original cast. The movie also includes a 7 minute, 30 second side story not present in the original anime.
with a look at the two main characters, Keiichirō and Flower, sitting in a van in the rain. It then flashes back to the beginning, showing Keiichirō taking shelter from the rain near a trash heap next to which a small girl is sitting in a chair with a sunflower, unconscious. After second thoughts he decides to pick her up and takes her to a technical specialist. The scene reveals that the girl is an older model of a popular line of service androids, called Parents, who is broken. Because she is an older model, the specialist says she cannot be fixed, and provides Keiichirō with the necessary sticker to dispose of her. Keiichirō leaves her among some junk in his house before going to sleep, intending to throw her out the following day.
During the night, the girl begins functioning and finds herself in a strange house with no memory of the past. When Keiichirō comes downstairs the following morning, he finds her preparing breakfast. He names her Flower after the sunflower she was holding when he found her. It is revealed that evening, when Flower prepares the same meal for dinner as she had for breakfast, that Flower suffers from short-term memory loss
, so Keiichirō buys her a diary which is used as the primary means of narration in the OVA. Over the next several weeks Keiichirō begins to teach her about the world, and more indirectly about himself and his troubled past.
, who was also involved in the production of Great Teacher Onizuka
and Hayate the Combat Butler
, and featured voice acting by professional seiyū
Tetsuya Kakihara
(Keiichirō) and Masumi Asano
(Flower). The OVA also featured screenplay by Shinichi Inotsume and original character design by POP, which was adapted by Kōhaka Nishio.
, and composed by Tsukasa (of Sound Online).
Dojin
, often romanized as doujin, is a general Japanese term for a group of people or friends who share an interest, activity, hobbies, or achievement...
anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
produced by ElectromagneticWave and directed by Keiichiro Kawaguchi
Keiichiro Kawaguchi
is a Japanese animation director.-Anime staffed in:*Dokkiri Doctor: Key Animation*Getsumen To Heiki Mina: Director, Storyboard, Episode Director *Ginban Kaleidoscope: Storyboard*Great Teacher Onizuka: Key Animation...
. It originally debuted on December 28, 2008 in the Comic Market 75 dōjin convention
Comiket
, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....
. The official DVD version first released on December 31, 2009 in a limited first edition and special limited edition. The OVA was adapted into a 34 minute film, released on September 9, 2010, which uses the original cast. The movie also includes a 7 minute, 30 second side story not present in the original anime.
Plot
Kowarekake no Orgel begins in medias resIn medias res
In medias res or medias in res is a Latin phrase denoting the literary and artistic narrative technique wherein the relation of a story begins either at the mid-point or at the conclusion, rather than at the beginning In medias res or medias in res (into the middle of things) is a Latin phrase...
with a look at the two main characters, Keiichirō and Flower, sitting in a van in the rain. It then flashes back to the beginning, showing Keiichirō taking shelter from the rain near a trash heap next to which a small girl is sitting in a chair with a sunflower, unconscious. After second thoughts he decides to pick her up and takes her to a technical specialist. The scene reveals that the girl is an older model of a popular line of service androids, called Parents, who is broken. Because she is an older model, the specialist says she cannot be fixed, and provides Keiichirō with the necessary sticker to dispose of her. Keiichirō leaves her among some junk in his house before going to sleep, intending to throw her out the following day.
During the night, the girl begins functioning and finds herself in a strange house with no memory of the past. When Keiichirō comes downstairs the following morning, he finds her preparing breakfast. He names her Flower after the sunflower she was holding when he found her. It is revealed that evening, when Flower prepares the same meal for dinner as she had for breakfast, that Flower suffers from short-term memory loss
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
, so Keiichirō buys her a diary which is used as the primary means of narration in the OVA. Over the next several weeks Keiichirō begins to teach her about the world, and more indirectly about himself and his troubled past.
Characters
- Keiichirō is a young Japanese male who lives by himself. He used to play guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
in a band, but stopped after his family was killed in a car accident while driving to one of his live performances. He is religious and prays for his family regularly. Although he is kind and not antisocial, he generally keeps to himself and reflects on the past. Thanks to Flower, he attempts to pick up the guitar a few times and in the end decided to sing again.
- Flower is a Parents (service android) who was left by her previous master and discovered by Keiichirō at the beginning of the OVA. She does not function initially, but begins to work overnight after Keiichirō takes her home. She is energetic and excitable, and she likes to sing despite being tone-deafTone deafnessTone deafness is the lack of relative pitch, or the inability to distinguish between musical notes that is not due to the lack of musical training or education...
. She also suffers from short-term memory lossAmnesiaAmnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
, leading Keiichirō to buy her a diary. She is very loyal to Keiichirō and wished to stay by him. She later becomes Keiichirō's trigger to "feel", which was what he needed to sing again.
Production
Although Kowarekake no Orgel was self published, it featured a somewhat notable production cast: it was directed by Keiichiro KawaguchiKeiichiro Kawaguchi
is a Japanese animation director.-Anime staffed in:*Dokkiri Doctor: Key Animation*Getsumen To Heiki Mina: Director, Storyboard, Episode Director *Ginban Kaleidoscope: Storyboard*Great Teacher Onizuka: Key Animation...
, who was also involved in the production of Great Teacher Onizuka
Great Teacher Onizuka
, officially abbreviated as GTO, is a Japanese shōnen manga written and illustrated by Tohru Fujisawa. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from May 1997 to April 2002. The story focuses on 22-year-old ex-bōsōzoku member Eikichi Onizuka, who becomes a teacher at a private high...
and Hayate the Combat Butler
Hayate the Combat Butler
is a Japanese manga series, written and illustrated by Kenjiro Hata, about a boy who starts a new job as a butler and the events he experiences with his employer. Shogakukan have released 29 volumes in Japan. The English edition of the series has been licensed by Viz Media for distribution in North...
, and featured voice acting by professional seiyū
Seiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
Tetsuya Kakihara
Tetsuya Kakihara
is a Japanese voice actor who is affiliated with 81 Produce . Until the age of 18, he resided abroad in Düsseldorf, Germany.He is currently affiliated with "Kiramune" in 2010, a music label by Bandai Visual Co., Ltd...
(Keiichirō) and Masumi Asano
Masumi Asano
is a Japanese voice actress from Noshiro, Akita who works for Aoni Production. She is also known by her nickname, Masumin.- Notable voice roles :Anime* Saga in A Little Snow Fairy Sugar...
(Flower). The OVA also featured screenplay by Shinichi Inotsume and original character design by POP, which was adapted by Kōhaka Nishio.
Music
The main ending theme, Kowarekake no Orgel (こわれかけのオルゴール, sharing the title of the OVA), as well as the image song Keiichirō no Omoi (敬一郎の思い) are performed by Japanese singer-songwriter Hiromi SatōHiromi Sato
is a Japanese female singer-songwriter from Iwate Prefecture. She has performed for songs for games and anime, such as Mizuiro, Onegai Twins, Green Green, and the Galaxy Angel games. She has also written songs for other artists. Prior to December 10, 2005, her name was written as 佐藤裕美. She is...
, and composed by Tsukasa (of Sound Online).