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Viewster to Stream Key the Metal Idol

Viewster Inc., the new Los Angeles-based subsidiary of worldwide video streaming service Viewster, announced at its Otakon panel on Friday that it will stream the Key the Metal Idol video anime series worldwide outside of Japan and Asia.

Viz Media previously released the 15-episode video anime series on DVD in 2000-2004. Studio Pierrot originally released the series in Japan between 1994-1997. The series follows a female robot named Tokiko Mima, or Key. After her creator and "grandfather" dies, he leaves behind a message that says if she can get 30,000 people to feel for her, she can become fully human.

Viewster is currently hosting a raffle at its booth at Otakon to win one of a few hundred "Beta Boxes" which have out-of-print Mameshiba merchandise, an exclusive print by Skullgirls' Alex Ahad, and other items.

Viewster also revealed that it is launching the following non-anime branded channels for: the All Time 10s, Yo Mama, and Smosh Games YouTube channels; the How it Should Have Ended, Animeme, and Shut-up Cartoons projects (with Oishi Highschool Battle); The Escapist online magazine; and Mondo Media (Happy Tree Friends).

Vewster's head office is in Zurich, Switzerland, but it also has a branch office in Germany. The company was founded in 2007. The free streaming site is supported by advertising and has more than 10,000 titles in its catalog across anime, thriller, sci-fi, and fantasy.

Viewster has offered simulcasts — such as Charlotte, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (the TV series), and Plastic Memories — in North America as well as other countries and territories. Viewster exclusives include Sushi and Beyond, Vampire Holmes, Welcome to Irabu's Office, and NieA_7.

Viewster launched a new mobile app for iOS and Android in May.

The service announced earlier this week that it plans to launch a multi-faceted subscription service called OMAKASE in the forth quarter of 2015. The service also plans to distribute a merchandise box once every two months.