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
Director	Akiyuki Shinbo
Studio	Daume (Animation)
Licensor	Madman Entertainment   Sentai Filmworks  MVM Films  Tokyopop
Released	April 11, 2004
Episodes	3
Manga
Author	Asuka Katsura
Publisher	Kodansha
English publisher	Tokyopop
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Magazine Z
Original run	August 11, 2004 –December 21, 2004
Volumes	2
Anime and Manga Portal

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.

Plot

The series focuses on Eiri Kurahashi, an 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, somehow makes contact with her. He learns 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 by her murder, which was perpetrated by her betrothed, the artist Marcelo Orlando. To set her free, she tells Eiri, a man must be willing to take upon himself punishment for the sins Marcelo 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 in fact NOT the reincarnation of Marcelo, and that Cossette is becoming infatuated with him as well as overcome with guilt for what she has done to his innocent soul. Also depicted are the efforts of the women in Eiri's life - relatives, friends and mentors, and the obligatory girl-next-door love interest - to free him from what is becoming increasingly obvious 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^?)

• 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 Marchello 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 Marchello. In the end she regrets dragging Eiri in to it and sends herself to slumber waking Marchello's Cossette, Thanks to Eiri she's Reborn in Shoko.

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. He is told by Cossette he is Marchello reborn, However he is proven to be nothing like him in the final episode when he paints a beautiful portrait of Cossette with his own blood killing Marchello's version.

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 Cossete. In the end of the third and final episode, After Eiri defeats Marchello's vessel (the painting "fake Cossete"), Cossete is reborn in to Shoko. She wakes up and says :"Eiri will come back to paint some more portraits..." proving Cossette's presence.

Yuu Saiga (斎賀 由布 Saiga Yūu^?)

• Voiced by: Mamiko Noto (Japanese), Kari Wahlgren (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.

Kaoru Nishimoto (西本 香織 Nishimoto Kaoru^?)

• 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 Misamoto (久本 道夫 Hisamoto Michio^?)

• Voiced by: Shinnosuke Furumoto (Japanese), Kirk Thornton (English)

Zenshinni of Shakado (釈迦堂 菩心尼 Shakadō-Zenshinni^?)

• Voiced by: Rei Igarashi (Japanese), Mari Devon (English)

As the local priestess and psychic, Shakado's talents reveal frightening energies hovering over Eiri like the shadow of death.

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.

Marchello Orlando (マルチェロ・オルランド Maruchero Orurando^?)

• Voiced by: Masashi Ebara

An artist that was close with Cossette's family. He murdered her and her family out of obsesession with the Cossette he painted.