Kowarekake no Orgel

Title:Kowarekake no Orgel
Half-Broken Music Box
こわれかけのオルゴール (Japenese)
Overall:Rent
Keywords: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Notables:
The story centers around Keiichiro, a young man who lives alone in his house. He went through a lot of pain in his life, since a car accident, where his parents and younger sister were killed and only he survived, blaming himself for that accident.

One rainy day, he shelters in an old shrine. There he notices a little girl, sitting on a chair, surrounded by garbage, she herself as garbage - an android who someone dumped. Something in him makes him take her along. After going to the android repair shop, he was told that she would never function, so he put her in his bathroom. The next day, when he awoke, he noticed that the little android girl was standing in the kitchen, preparing him breakfast! She didn't have a name, so while looking on a sunflower, he gave her one - Flower. After that, they started to live together. (Source: ANDB)

Release Date set for Dec 28-30, 2008 for the Comic Market 75 dōjin convention. (Source: ANN)

The long-delayed full version of the anime will ship in a limited first edition and a special limited edition on December 31. (Source: ANN)

ANN has reported that there will be a theatrical (Blue-Ray) version in the month of September of 2010.

1 OVA episode (28 min), aired on Dec 31, 2009
See also: Kowarekake no Orgel Bangai-hen (8 min extra episode), Gekijouban Kowarekake no Orgel (30 min BluRay version, 2010)
2 minute YouTube Trailer

"Orgel" is German for "[pipe] organ".
Episode Details 
00, 01
OverallArtAnimationCharacter Design MusicSeries StoryEpisode StoryReviewer
Rent 9 8 8 7 8 Ggultra2764 [series:2028#1552]
For a one-shot OAV, this wasn't a bad title to check out. Kowarekake no Orgel is focused on a former musician named Keiichiro who loses motivation in his guitar playing following the death of his family and how he learns to move on from the loss thanks to the companionship that Flower provides him. The bond between the two is kind of touching as it progresses with Flower naive to the world around her and the tragic problems facing her new owner while Keiichiro finds the innocent demeanor of the android serving as his motivation to finally move with his life. Enough is fleshed out about the two characters where I could connect with them, though I did kind of wish there was more focus on who Flower's original owner was before they abandoned her. The visuals for this series are great quality featuring colorful and vast settings with plenty of details with characters moving about at a fluid pace. Character designs were good, though I thought the cuteness of Flower and other androids were a little overemphasized in their designs. Overall, I got a decent amount of enjoyment out of Kowarekake no Orgel as it provided a solid character story within its limited length. I give it a strong Rent recommendation.

Last updated Thursday, December 08 2011. Created Thursday, December 08 2011.
Buy 9 9 9 9 8 8 Dreamer [series:2028#2279]
A single OVA of 30 minutes isn't much to tell a good story. However, this was surprisingly refreshing and innocently cute.

Art, Animation & Character Designs
Artwork is stunningly beautiful. It's the first thing you'll notice in the first few seconds of the opening scene. Details were really rich, vibrant colors and almost artsy. The animation itself was really smooth and velvety. Very well done. Character designs were equally as good, with "Flower" (our little android), being uber kawaii.

Music
The soundtrack had some nice pianos here and there. It went well with some of he scenes.... such as the moments of rain (portraying a bit of sorrow). The ED was excellent. I really loved it actually. One of the better EDs out there in my humble opinion.

Series and Episode Story
I found this single OVA pretty enjoyable. Our character (Flower) was uber cute for sure. There wasn't much of a plot really to speak of, however, the little story telling had enough in it to tell a nice heart warming tale of two lonely individuals (Flower and Keiichiro) who come to live together and keep each other company.

However, this becomes a bittersweet tale as evident in the end (after the credits roll by). But even then, Flower left an impact on Keiichiro's life and we can all but assume he has moved on from his life or mourning to once again pick up his musical talents.

Overall, this was touching story, simple, effective and worth it. As well, amazing artwork, animation and character designs all packed into a single OVA. Nice.

Last updated Saturday, July 03 2010. Created Saturday, July 03 2010.
Rent Stretch [series:2028#628]
I was prepared to write down all sorts of observations about Kn Orgol but very few thoughts came to mind as I watched. Basically, this was a touching story with a confusing ending. The plot, regarding obsolete android girl Flower's state of mechanical health, bounced back and forth between flashbacks and the present day, making it difficult to keep track of just what was going on. At one point near the end I found myself daydreaming about another subject even as the anime continued to play. Even so, Flower's encouraging emotional growth was overshadowed by her decline in health in a heartrending way. It was almost like having a beloved but likely dying pet which might best be put out of it's misery. What was frustrating was the mixed signals which came at the end. Has Keichiro recovered from the mourning phase he was going through? Has he regained his creative spirit as a musician (he never seemed to play any serious music, did he?)? Is Flower OK? If she 'crashes' again will her memories be lost just as before? Is that why she's keeping a diary? Does the post-credit scene indicate what has finally happened to her? I guess in the end all the unanswered questions in my mind largely cancelled out the definitely skillful touches in the show, and I am left wondering what to make of Kn Orgol. One thing's for sure: I'm glad I watched it.

Last updated Monday, February 01 2010. Created Monday, February 01 2010.
Rent Jan-Chan [series:2028#967]
Can we say ...... Chobits ultralight?

When walking home in the rain one day, Hideki.... no, his name is Keiichiro, finds an abandoned little girl android in a garbage pile. Being a frugal person and not owning such unit, he decides to take it home. He enlists the aid of a technician to check out the unit and is told that it is beyond repair and salvage, but the next day she mysteriously powers up and cooks him breakfast. The android that he names 'Flower' is an older unit, full of quirks and has somehow forgotten her previous owner. Hummmm....

The artwork is good, the animation fluid and the script well written, so it makes for a good watch.

A lot of time is spent on character development, which makes it a shame that this is only a one-episode one-shot. This is a charming story which could be expanded upon and retold again. Lets hope so, because this is an above average first episode.

Last updated Monday, July 19 2010. Created Wednesday, January 20 2010.
Buy 10 10 7 9 8 8 Xenoknight [series:2028#2967]
With the help of an innocent soul wrapped in a mechanical body, one boy's tragedy from the past slowly becomes his light towards the future...

After much anticipation for this title, I was finally able to view it in its entirety. All the waiting was completely worth it as this series was better then I expected. I felt a multitude of emotions as it brought me around full circle with a wide range of feeling. Our little android friend, Flower, was a crucial element and played a substantial role in this title. Her innocence was charming and her daily adventures as well as her narration throughout the story always left me with a big 'ole' smile from one side of my face to the other.

The story was quite powerful for only one episode. The main lead, Keiichiro, was involved in a tragic accident resulting in the death of his immediate family. Being a natural musician, he took a mighty blow as the very thought of playing his guitar made him cringe. He wastes away in his house alone day after day, when one stormy night; he finds an abandoned android and decides to take her with him. The next morning, he finds her awake and cooking breakfast! Their initial meeting was filled with healthy dialogue coupled with funny developments (talk about an ice-breaker - pun intended). He then assumes a different role as this new turn of events would require a little more out of him. I liked how there were other models similar to her (working on a whole different level) and the jealousy she felt made her try even harder to win Keiichiro's approval. No matter the situation, Keiichiro was always thinking about his family and this brought the best out of Flower. They continued to live together and she would always write down what happened that day in her diary he bought for her due to her bad memory. A tragic turn of events leads them to have an incredibly touching moment together. The ending was bittersweet as he fulfills her greatest wish of all. Driven to succeed, he gives his music another shot now that he has a constant partner to back him up. The last scene was simple, but still worth a thousand words.

The specs for this title are among the new best standards in anime. Its presentation featured vibrant colors, incredibly smooth backgrounds, and top tier music/sound. The most noticeable feature of all would have to be the phenomenal artwork and animation. The overall pace was excellent as well since this is only one episode. I'm glad they were able to cover so much ground as quickly and smoothly as they did. A job to be proud of for sure.

All in all, I was noticeably pleased with this title. Everything just fit so well together that it all came across as seamless. Watching Flower make her mistakes and learn from them was a great experience. Keiichiro learned quite a bit about himself thanks to her. At times, the innocence of a child can be the greatest weapon against hardship.

I really enjoy special anime projects like this and would definitely support this title financially. Look out for the movie...

Check out my award list to see some of the best anime titles in the world!

Never forget Xenosaga.

Last updated Monday, July 19 2010. Created Thursday, December 18 2008.

Other Sites
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Official Japanese Website http://www.ne.jp/asahi/magneticwave/popcan/kowa/

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