Le Portrait de Petit Cossette

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 (コゼット・ドーヴェルニュ, Kozetto Dōverunyu)

Voiced by: Marina Inoue (Japanese); Michelle Ruff (English)

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)

Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga (Japanese); Johnny Yong Bosch (English)

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)

Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese); Julie Ann Taylor (English)

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)

Voiced by: Mamiko Noto (Japanese); Linda Patrick (English)

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)

Voiced by: Yukari Tamura

Michiru Yajiri (鏃 みちる, Yajiri Michiru)

Voiced by: Ikumi Fujiwara (Japanese); Annie Pastrano (English)

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)

Voiced by: Junpei Morita

Michio Hisamoto (久本 道夫, Hisamoto Michio)

Voiced by: Shinnosuke Furumoto (Japanese); Sean Roberts (English)

Zenshinni of Shakado (釈迦堂 菩心尼, Shakadō-Zenshinni)

Voiced by: Rei Igarashi (Japanese); Jane Alan (English)

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)

Voiced by: Kumiko Yokote (Japanese); Wendee Lee (English)

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)

Voiced by: Masashi Ebara (Japanese); Tony Oliver (English)

A talented artist that was close with Cossette's family. He murdered her and her family out of obsession with the Cossette he painted.

OVA

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

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

Manga

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

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. The series is also licensed in France by Asuka Comics.

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". 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."