A few short years ago my brother introduced me to anime and I have been hooked ever since. One series that had caught my eye and made its way into my collection is Chobits.
Chobits, by the four-woman artist group CLAMP, is more than it seems. The main character of this series is Hideki Motosuwa, a farm boy who didn’t quite make it into college. To get on the right path he decides to go to a prep school in the city. Here he discovers that everyone has a "persocom." He was enthralled at first by these computers that look and feel like real people with the exception of their “ears”. Unfortunately for him these computers are way too expensive and he mopes all the way home. But then one night he sees an unconscious girl bound up near the garbage. He found his persocom. After discovering how to turn her on, he finds out all she can say is "Chi?" He now has to teach her about the world.
This series can be seen in different ways. At first the most obvious is the cutesy little robot that dresses in frilly dresses living with a horny, almost-in-college guy. When you hear her say her first "Chiiii?" you stop watching. But if you continue, you'll get into it more as you start to see the levels.
Human or robot? Which is better? This is the question that is bombarded at Hideki throughout the series as Chi develops and becomes more coherent and emotional. This is exemplified through the supporting characters. They all have stories/backgrounds that reflect this issue: Hiromu Shinbo (Hideki's helpful neighbor), Chitose Hibiya (manager of the apartment building), Minoru Kokubunji (persocom expert), Yuzuki (Minoru's custom-made persocom made to be like his deceased sister), Yumi Omura (friend and co-worker at the Japanese Pub "My Pleasure"), Takako Shimizu (prep school teacher) and Manager Ueda (manager of Tirol where Chi works). It is like a series of stories that support the main by how you are ushered through each stage with each couple until you get to the end where Hideki makes his decision.
Article comments
1 - Temple Stark
Welcome. Welcome. Mr. Beaumont (he paid me peanuts to say that, but he paid me) said you might be coming aboard.
To talk a lot about anime and other bits of gooey goodness.
- Temple
2 - Lindsay Beaumont
LOL. 'K, thank you, thank you. He finally nagged me into joining. I'll try my best to help spread the joys of Anime! (but I'll have to think on that gooey goodness part . . . )
3 - Bob A. Booey
Is this yet another BlogCritics couple?
I'd get my girlfriend to join, but she'd be dismayed at the nonsense I write on here if she ever knew who the hell "Bob A. Booey was" and she doesn't blog or spend much time online.
She'd have many stories to tell you about me, darlings, but thankfully she never will know of you, my geeky mistresses.
That is all.
4 - Temple Stark
brother and sister, I believe.
5 - Lindsay Beaumont
brother and sister! BROTHER AND SISTER!!
6 - Temple Stark
So are there anime comics? As in, non-motion on the printed page comics?
7 - Lindsay Beaumont
oh definately! Most, not all, anime have origins as a Manga. Manga is like comic books and if a bookseller doesn't have a separate manga section then they could also be found under graphic novels. Manga though per volume are longer than comic books ranging from around 150 -200 pages. But then of course they're more expensive too ranging 8-10 dollars. The one thing you have to get used to when reading manga is that they read right to left so it takes some getting used to. So if you watch an anime and you want more of a story or answers to questions then check to see if there's a manga version. right now the manga series I'm reading are: Full Metal Alchemist, Vampire Game, Fruits Basket, and Tsubasa Chronicle.
8 - Sterfish
Very nice review. I was only able to see the first few eps of Chobits, but I did enjoy what I saw. I think I may try to read the manga one day, since all of it is out. I've heard that the manga ending is better than the anime ending.
9 - Chris Beaumont
Siblings.....
10 - Lindsay Beaumont
Yeah, I haven't gotten around to the manga yet, but wouldn't mind checking it out. Amazon has listed the complete series coming out November 8th for $75. not bad since I paid about $20 a disc and there's 7 discs. ugh, this is why I should just wait for the boxsets!
11 - Lindsay Beaumont
The series I mean being the animated series.
12 - Chi_cool
I loved the series and it's light hearted view on the romance. Could of kept up the humor for the entire thing though...still cool