For most people, persocoms represent technology at its finest - after all, they can do anything you program them to and they make great looking companions. But for Yumi Oumura, persocoms bring out her deepest insecurities, and not without reason. Just as people once became addicted to their computers, many people are now addicted to their persocoms to the exclusion of other human beings. Because persocoms look so much like people, it's more than just addiction - it's an emotional bond that some would call love. Ordinarily this love would be considered one-sided, as how could a computer love a person back? When the persocom in question is the mysterious Chi, perhaps it's not such an impossibility.
CLAMP originally began in 1989 as a twelve-member dōjinshi circle, but by 1990, the circle had diminished from twelve to seven. Of the remaining seven, Tamayo Akiyama, Sei Nanao, and Leeza Sei left the group during the production of the RG Veda manga. Other former members of CLAMP also included Soushi Hishika, O-Kyon, Kazue Nakamori, Yuzuru Inoue and Shinya Ōmi. Currently, there are four members in the group.
In 2004, CLAMP's 15th anniversary as a mangaka group, the members changed their names from Nanase Ohkawa, Mokona Apapa, Mick Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi to Ageha Ohkawa, Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi and Satsuki Igarashi (her name is pronounced the same, but written with different characters) respectively. The August 2004 issue of Newtype USA, a magazine specializing in events of the anime and manga subcultures, reported that the members of CLAMP simply wanted to try out new names. In a later interview with Ohkawa, it was revealed that initially Mokona wanted to drop her surname because it sounded too immature for her liking, while Nekoi disliked people commenting that her name was the same as Mick Jagger's. Ohkawa and Igarashi, wanting to go with the flow of Nekoi's and Mokona's name changes, changed their names as well.
In 2006, they made their first USA public debut at Anime Expo in Anaheim, California. They were well received at the convention, with 6,000 fans in attendance at their panel.
Chi plays matchmaker. It's really cute and sweet. And somebody buys somebody else a ring. And we learn more about the mysterious pair who seem to be trying to locate Chi …
As is often the case with CLAMP manga, I’m fascinated with how well they’ve managed to make such an unlikely-sounding premise work. I mean, personal computers that look and act like young girls? And don't even get me started on that series of picture books that seem to go from being drawn to being printed and on the shelves at the local bookstore seemingly overnight … But it all works. There's a dreamy, fairytale quality to it at times, but it works very well. Recommended!
Un tome 6 centré sur le passé de Yumi et Ueda. Où l'on apprend pourquoi Yumi a à ce point du mal avec les robots. Les liens entre Hideki et Tchii se renforcent et on en apprend plus sur le mystérieux duo qui surveille Tchii du haut d'un immeuble depuis quelques tomes. Les révélations commencent à fleurir. Un peu plus de romance dans ce tome, le côté shojo y est bien présent mais c'est toujours aussi agréable et on a envie de connaître la suite et fin.
Another sad volume in this series. I was crying at the first part, but I am also happy with how things got resolved. Still not a fan of Kokoro (little snitch). Love finding out more about Chi and seeing Chi have fun with Hideki and understanding more and more of humans. The ending, HOLY CRAP. Noooooossssss.
Hideki may not know much about computers, but he does know he is lucky when he finds one abandoned on the trash. Computers with human appearance are increasingly more common and people are starting to prefer their company over fellow humans. Hideki is sure he knows his computer, named Chi, isn't human, yet he too can't help but react to her very human behaviour.
Chobits was one of my first manga and so it definitely gets nostalgia points. This is also one of my favourite works when it comes to CLAMP's art - it's gorgeous throughout! Chi has a beautiful design and, whether programmed or not, has such a cute personality. Hideki is also a nice guy - I mean, he's perfectly average and there's nothing that really stands out, yet I can't help but like him for his kindness.
The plot, however, isn't quite my thing. Even when I read it the first time around, I remember thinking it was moderately boring at parts and the finale was lacklustre. The characters are all likeable and it's nice how the supporting cast is included in the story, but there are just some elements that feel very off about this story. There is a certain amount of fan service which doesn't suit the rest of the story. The fanservice is nowhere as extreme as you can get it in other manga, but it didn't match well with the philosophical take CLAMP was trying to pull off.
To make matters worse, the whole philosophy aspect was a bit of a miss too. The story raises many questions along the lines of spending too much time with computers rather than fellow humans or what it means to love an object, one you know doesn't have a soul. Somehow, I feel as though CLAMP threw common sense into the wind and went with the less rational choice; loving objects is perfectly natural and equal to loving a human. I'd honestly rather have had some conclusion of computers being able to develop human emotion rather than just it's ok to love something that's not real.
I didn't quite get the point of the ending, there seemed a lot of build-up and drama but then nothing big happened. But even though I've had a lot to complain, I'd be lying if I'd say that I don't like Chobits. The beautiful art, the nice characters and many individual scenes really make up for the so-so plot - and of course, nostalgia.
Hideki lalu membawa Yumi ke apartemennya untuk menenangkan gadis itu. Yumi lalu bercerita bahwa setelah Hideki keluar dari Tiroll, Yumi bekerja untuk Hiroyasu. Akhirnya dia jatuh cinta pada Hiroyasu meski jarak usia mereka lebih dari 20 tahun! (Yumi anak SMA yang usianya sekitar 16 atau 17, sedangkan Hiroyasu sudah 39! Gila emang Clamp). Hiroyasu pun ternyata juga menyukai Yumi. Tapi Yumi terluka setelah menemukan berita bahwa Hiroyasu pernah menikahi persocon. Lebih terluka lagi saat tahu bahwa nama persocon itu juga Yumi. Hideki sampai memutar video internet di TV-nya untuk melihat berita pernikahan Hiroyasu dan pemakaman sang persocon. Kotoko kaget karena mengira koneksi internet Hideki tak mampu untuk streaming video.
Sementara itu Chii bicara dengan Hiroyasu dan mencoba meyakinkan lelaki itu agar mau mengejar Yumi. Hiroyasu tadinya mengira Yumi pergi karena membencinya. Tapi Chii lalu bilang, mengapa Yumi muncul di dekat toko Hiroyasu jika dia memang membenci lelaki itu? Akhirnya Hiroyasu pergi mencari Yumi bersama Chii. Mereka menemukan Yumi di apartemen Hideki. Kotoko kembali kaget. Mobile persocon Yumi tidak terhubung dengan Chii, jadi bagaimana dia bisa mendeteksi keberadaan Yumi?
Yumi dan Hiroyasu pun membereskan kesalahpahaman mereka dan berbaikan. Setelah itu Kotoko menyelidiki jaringan internet di apartemen Hideki. Ternyata sambungan internet di tempat bahkan lebih cepat daripada sambungan internet milik perusahaan mana pun. Chitose sendiri ternyata punya peralatan komputer yang sangat canggih di ruangannya. Sebenarnya dia bisa saja membantu Chii dan Hideki secara langsung di banyak kesempatan. Tapi dia sudah berjanji pada orang terkasihnya yang sudah lama meninggal untuk tidak ikut campur dengan masalah itu.
Kotoko lalu menghubungi Kojima dan menceritakan tentang hasil pencariannya. Kojima datang ke tempat Minoru. Mereka lalu membantu Hideki mencari pencipta Chii agar jika suatu saat nanti Chii mengalami masalah teknis, Hideki bisa mengatasinya. Namun, mereka berdua tak sanggup mencari informasi tentang itu.
Minoru lalu menggunakan Yuzuki untuk mengehack National Data Bank. Zima yang selama ini mencari Chii ternyata adalah wujud persocon dari National Data Bank dan Dita adalah firewall untuk melindungi Zima. Dita log in ke saluran Zima dan merusak Yuzuki agar tak bisa mengehack lagi.
La historia maneja la idea de cómo hoy en día dependemos tanto de las computadoras... y no es cierto, ya que los avances tecnológicos también cambian y dan pasos agigantados, ahora dependemos de los celulares, del dinero digital y de las interacciones o el buen comportamiento digital (que no refleja a la verdadera persona) o someternos a una "funa" social que nos desacredite.
En la historia los persecon y los chobits son ese avance digital, del que todos dependemos. Tanto dinero y negocios relacionados a las waifu digitales, a las interacciones con streamers que te mandan un saludo o una mención a cambio de dinero, hasta el onlifans. Y ése es el punto, la historia iba más por el onlyfans. Pero la gente simplemente no tiene tanto dinero como para gastarlo en ello, de haberlo me imagino que sí se haría.
Pero por otra parte, están los animales. Hoy en día gatos y perros son los nuevos "hijos", animales criados para proteger la casa o comerse las sobras, ahora son idolatrados como hijos. Con enormes sumas de dineros con comida para perros, hoteles para perros, ropa para perros, terapia para perros, viajes para perros, pasteles y fiestas para perros; supongo que es un poquito mejor haber cambiado la tecnología por seres con vida no artificial. Pero el debate puede seguir, las mascotas tienen alma? sienten de la misma forma que los humanos?
El debate sigue, sea con computadoras, androides, onlyfans, animales o los propios seres humanos.
En la historia se alarga y se alarga la historia, pero no ha sucedido mucho más allá de lo obvio en la historia. Pero no por eso es necesariamente mala.
This was the first manga I ever read: an 8-volume series by CLAMP titled Chobits. I loved the cute girl on the covers with her fancy dresses, but what was even more intriguing was the fact that she’s a computer! In these books, “persocoms” (humanoid computers) are the latest advancement in technology. When poor student Hideki finds Chi (the girl on the cover) tied up and abandoned in the trash, he takes her home, thinking he’s gotten himself a free piece of software. Only, when she boots up, he discovers that she’s not your average persocom – there’s much more to her than meets the eye.
What was so fascinating about this series is how it explored the relationship between human and technology. Computers and other pieces of tech are designed to make our lives easier, and the persocoms in this book are no exception. They function as store clerks, secretaries, personal assistants – all the functions of your laptop or smart phone, but with the ability to walk, talk, and interact like a person. Only it doesn’t end there. Throughout the series, there are examples of “relationships” between the persocoms and their humans. Whether or not an artificial life form can have feelings or fall in love is in fact the crux of this manga.
First, I like that the original problem of Yumi comparing herself to persocons was reframed to address her own insecurities rather than focusing solely on the morality of humans being in relationships with persocons. It was an interesting take that aged pretty well.
However, once again Clamp and their goddamned age gap relationships. The way Ueda handled Yumi’s feelings for him was highly manipulative. She is young, vulnerable, and in the midst of an emotionally charged situation grappling with her own self doubt and development. Ueda as a THIRTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD MAN should have given her space instead of pursuing her.
Back to positives, we do have another excellent reframing towards the end of the volume. It was established early on that persocons cannot replace humans because something’s missing. But this was built upon to suggest, persocons can’t replace humans because they are their own beings, just as one human couldn’t replace another. This is an interesting concept because you could easily apply this to AI. AI will never fully replace humans not because something’s missing (because that’s becoming less and less true) but rather because it’s a separate entity. AI has many positive and negative functions in society just like each individual person.
Looking forward to how everything will be wrapped up. Praying for an end to the creepy age gaps, I can’t take them much more…
The 6th volume in the Chobits reread is technically speaking well done! The art continues to be really strong, and the mysteries, intrigue, and subplots/plot are slowly continuing to be answered at a pace that fits the story.
The two main ones are the wrapping up of Yumi and “manager,” and then Chi herself and finding out more information on Chobits — through the National Data Bank of Japan.
My struggle with Yumi and Manager honestly is the age difference. Girl is 17, while Manager is 39!! If she were mature beyond her years, beyond her being a fanservice “E Cup,” then aside from some side eye it wouldn’t stand out. Thing is, Yumi’s motivation for heartbreak is the kind of inferiority complex, motivated by zero carelessness on Manager’s part, that says to me she is immature and too young for him. It creates a misunderstanding scenario where they’re able to easily get together since the real conflict was a misunderstanding, but the cost is a real immaturity on Yumi’s part that tells me she’s not ready for an adult relationship.
I also find it more tragically ironic to see the inventor of persocoms alluded to as someone who wants all of his “children” to be happy, knowing the values of today’s Silicon Valley inventors. Chobits is quite optimistic.
Still, I have affection for this fairy tale-like sci-fi series
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This series is almost over! In volume 6 we learn the Yumi/Ueda connection and drama brought together by Chi's naivete. Hideki comforts Yumi and starts making some progress in labeling his feelings for Chi. Minoru calls Hideki over with a few questions, having brought Dragonfly back for his knowledge on all things computer. The two decide to try to break into the National Data Bank to see if they can discover anything about Chi. Chi buys rings for her and Hideki, the two embrace...each other and their feelings, honestly. Drita and Zima reveal more about their purpose. Things are coming to a close and it feels like the downward slope of the story. The characters are still grappling with their emotions but character's personal arcs are beginning to close. This is only an 8 volume series with the last volume being super short, only half the size as the rest...but it's a decently paced story and I'm anxious to finish this re-read.
Chobits is one the most memorable mangas of the early 20th century. Exploring the relationships that can be formed between humans and persocons, Chobits takes you to the heart of mending a broken heart anew. Chi, as she is named by Hideki, a rebooted persocom learns to interact with the world like a newborn. She slowly learns words other of "chi" and cares for her master Hideki. Hideki comes to care for Chi as time passes and learns of her mysterious past, the shadowy figure and the circumstances that lead him to finding her.
Originally I read Chobits as a child and found the characters and the story cute, romantic and simple. Today as an adult, I found it much less compelling. The characters design flawed, the image of the ideal woman could or are perceived as and the a very simplistic dialogue with nothing to show for. I would recommend X/1999 instead if you are looking for something from CLAMP.
In this volume we finally learn Yumi/Ueda's tragic back story - and it turns out more like Rebecca than Yumi being jilted over for a Perscom which was refreshingly unexpected, We also explore Minoru/Yuzuki's relationship. It's nice to take a little bit of a breather from Hideki/Chi (even though their growing relationship is still central) - the other characters relationships add deeper dimensions to the complex Human/Perscom dynamic.
Gorgeous artwork. Great story and characters, I love this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Detrás de todo lo romántico que pueda llegar a ser la historia, el dilema moral y el cuestionamiento de los sentimientos y las maquinas me parece alucinante
Chobits no es sólo un manga de amor, es un manga que explora cosas tan complejas como: sentimientos, humanidad, la importancia de la memoria y lo que te hace único como persona.
De verdad que de los mejores mangas que hay. Además, Chi es que es adorable. Se que siempre lo digo pero es que es tan mona *.*
que puto asco el pastelero de 39 AÑAZOS ligando con una de 17 chica podrías ser su padre que asco que da dios mío. Por cierto pedazo momento cringe en el funeral de la chatarra oxidada del pastelero y el tío diciendo “n-no es un ordenador, tiene un nombre 🥺🥺🥺☝🏻☝🏻 y a ella le gustaba el nombre que le di 🥺🥺🥺” pues chico si es un cacho de metal hecho para comportarse como un perro EVIDENTEMENTE te va a sonreír a todo lo que le digas dios santo que tonto es como le JODE VIVA que le digan sus verdades diciéndole que se ha foyao a un ordenador súper picada el tío.
Volume 6 ini di awali dengan berpusat pada masa lalu Yumi dan Ueda. Di mana CLAMP memberikan gambaran mengapa Yumi mengalami kesulitan dengan persocon. Hubungan antara Hideki dan Chii semakin kuat. Selain itu do Jima dan Dita juga diberikan gambaran yang selama beberapa jilid hanya terlihat pasif menanti. Sedikit lebih romantis dalam volume ini, sisi shojo lebih terasa di jilid ini namun cukup menyenangkan. Lanjut menuju dua volume terakhir!
Acaba el último arco de los personajes secundarios y empieza el comienzo del arco final de los protagonistas. Hideki parece estar casi aclarado con sus sentimientos respecto a Chii y pronto dará un paso decisivo... si nadie se interpone entre esta encantadora pareja.
Un buen tomo que da mucho énfasis a los sentimientos sean de amor como de celos.
Things are getting pretty intense in this one between Minoru and "Dragonfly's" combined efforts to try and hack the National Bank for information regarding Chi and what she is exactly. I am curious to see how this series will continue. I only have volumes 7 and 8 left and I am pretty excited to find out!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This volume gives us answers we have been waiting for. Involving ueda and yumi and also the two mysterious characters who we keep getting cuts to. I am really liking the pacing of this one. I am ready to find out how this series ends. Do highly recommend to anyone who likes romance/drama/scifi.