Can a computer ever replace a human being? Minoru Kokubunji built Yuzuki to replace his sister after her passing. While Yuzuki certainly feels like a sister to Minoru, the more time he spends with her, the more he loves her for who she is. Chi was also built as a substitute family member. Back then she was known as Elda, and she and her "sister" Freya were built to be the daughters of their creator and his wife. They behaved and looked like real children, and they even had the ability to love. But something went wrong - very wrong. Now Chi must find her "someone just for her" before an even worse disaster strikes.
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.
What a great place to end this volume! It's the exact moment of greatest promise for the next one.
I do note that Chapter 80 ends with Chi saying, “Chi’s … … ‘Someone just for me’ is …” That must have been frustrating when this was initially serialized. I don't think it's giving too much away to say that she does eventually finish that sentence, just not in Chapter 80.
This has been a fun ride, and I’m looking forward to the final volume. Recommended!
Yas, the Angelic Layer connection is there! Love love love it! Love finding about Chi, about who she was and who her twin is. Loved that the manager finally spoke up and explained it all to Hideki. We see a lot of conversations with Freya and Chi and I loved those though I also cried so much because it was so heartbreaking. I loved how the manager and Freya switched, we see Chi and Freya talking and then go back to the same story continuing with Manager and Hideki. Oh, but those guys in black (who I ship so much because they are just adorable, though the guy is my fav as he seems to be more understandable about things) are on the hunt. That ending. OMGGGGGGG!!
Avant-dernier tome quasi exclusivement fait des révélations de Mlle Hibiki concernant le passé de Tchii et son implication, l'explication du caractère double dans les pensées de Tchii et du but de l'album illustré. La fin du tome précipite la fin de l'histoire et le dernier tome se fait attendre. Intrigant et riche en émotions ce tome amène vraiment bien vers la conclusion de l'histoire, toutes les réponses sont quasiment trouvées. Reste le pouvoir secret de Tchii... Je me jette sur le dernier tome.
Ok. Donc un mec a décidé de créer deux robots pour qu'elles deviennent ses filles et leur unique objectif dans la vie est de trouver leur âme sœur (un homme humain). L'une d'elle est tombée amoureuse de son père. Et c'est aussi lui qui a choisi l'endroit où placer le bouton de démarrage de ses filles... Jusqu'où va-t-on aller dans le malsain ?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Por fin Chobits se centra en lo que importa: Hideki y Chii (aunque el principio cierra un último arco un tanto olvidado de ciertos secundarios). Parece que Hideki finalmente ha tomado una decisión a pesar de que pueda parecer poco moral, y por fin conocemos el triste pasado de Chii y como encontró Hideki en la basura a este ordenador tan especial.
Entra en escena una "pareja" de lo más curiosa que no parece que vengan a poner las cosas fáciles... pero eso ya se verá en el próximo y último tomo.
Rupanya Yuzuki menyusup ke National Data Bank tanpa sepengetahuan Minoru. Serangan dari firewall Dita membuat Yuzuki kehilangan kesadaran. Separuh data kepribadiannya rusak. Namun, Minoru tidak mau memperbaiki data kepribadian yang hilang itu agar Yuzuki bisa menjadi dirinya sendiri dan tidak dibayang-bayangi sosok kakaknya yang sudah meninggal. Kakak Minoru adalah Kaede, salah satu tokoh dalam Angelic Layer. Pemilik Angel Blanche. Kedua orangtua mereka sudah bercerai sehingga mereka punya nama keluarga yang berbeda.
Minoru kemudian menyampaikan hasil penyusupan Yuzuki pada Hideki. Aku kaget saat tahu foto-foto itu dikirim dari National Data Bank. Loh, jadi yang ngirim Zima? Hasil hacking Yuzuki menghasilkan satu foto tambahan yang menampilkan ada dua Chii. Semuanya memakai gaun yang sama persis dengan gaun yang diberikan Chitose pada Chii.
Chitose akhirnya menampakkan dirinya pada Hideki. Sang pemilik apartemen membawa Hideki menuju ruang bawah tanahnya yang memiliki laboratorium komputer supercanggih. Suami Chitose adalah Ichirou Mihara yang juga pembuat dari Angelic Layer. Mereka rekan kerja dan akhirnya menikah. Namun, karena Chitose tak bisa punya anak, Ichirou akhirnya membuat robot berbentuk anak perempuan yang kemudian diberi nama Freya. Mereka jadi keluarga bahagia. Sayangnya Freya kemudian jatuh cinta pada Ichirou. Karena Freya terus terlihat sedih, Chitose meminta suaminya membuatkan adik bagi Freya. Maka Elda pun dibuat. Dialah Chii.
Namun, meski senang punya saudara, Freya tetap sedih. Beban perasaannya begitu berat sehingga sistemnya tak kuat lagi menampungnya. Freya pun rusak. Sebelum Freya benar-benar mati, Elda menyimpan memori Freya dalam dirinya. Akibatnya dia juga mengalami crash dan akhirnya bisa kehilangan ingatannya juga. Begitu bangun nanti ia hanya ingat soal dirinya dan Freya. Sebelum Elda benar-benar kehilangan kesadarannya, ia berpesan pada orangtuanya untuk menaruhnya di luar lingkup keluarga mereka. Alasannya agar begitu ia sadar nanti ia tak memilih Ichirou sebagai orang terkasihnya akibatnya memori Freya yang tersimpan dalam dirinya. Itulah alasan mengapa Chii tergeletak di tempat pembuangan sampah. Kebetulan banget ya si Hideki yang nemuin dan mau bawa pulang. Tapi kok Chii gak dikasih baju sama dua orangtuanya? Aneh. Katanya dianggap kayak anak sendiri?
Chii kemudian menyadari bahwa dirinya mencintai Hideki. Program Chii yang bisa memengaruhi semua persocon pun aktif. Chitose bilang bahwa sebelum menaruh Elda di luar, ia dan suaminya membekali Chii dengan program spesial. Ketika diujicobakan, program itu bisa sampai membuat komputer pemerintahan mati. Program apakah itu? Mengapa Ichirou memasukkan program yang bisa membahayakan semua persocon ke dalam Elda?
Aktifnya program membuat Dita jadi menyadari keberadaan Chii. Zima rupanya selama ini sudah tahu lokasi Chii, tapi dia terus menunda untuk memberi tahu rekannya dengan alasan ingin melihat gadis itu bahagia. Zima pun pergi menyusul Dita yang hendak mematikan Chii.
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.
One more to go in my reread of Chobits! And truly, it is quite interesting to read the Chobits series in a world where we’re in the beginning stages of AI, ChatGPT, and the need for regulations around AI and human rights and property. AI is not currently at a level where they theoretically have personalities and true thought and feeling, as I believe Chobits is hinting at — or perhaps as I had interpreted as a child. Therefore, in my reading I feel a gap in the value I placed on persocom would-be “personhood” today versus when I first read this series as a teenager. AI was a more fantastical, in-the-making concept, but now an iteration of it is in the present.
So I notice for myself that my reading on this is like watching “Lars and the Real Girl,” only she can walk, talk, learn, like ChatGPT. But with all the powers of a super computer, and then some. It isn’t surprising to me in that scenario that someone would fall for and have an attachment to a persocom. This book lightly begins to explore this, saying that there are many couples that may look a little “odd” as they do not match societal standards. That is true, and just as in “Lars and the Real Girl,” there isn’t really anything wrong with him — or Hideki in Chobits case — acting out a relationship dynamic with a persocom. Especially one who was built to love. If someone is going to have a relationship with a doll, a computer, a car, a stuffed animal — whatever — that is their business. Certainly could be considered “weird” and perhaps indicative of other underlying issues, but also, it’s their life and no one is being hurt.
I suppose then my pondering is more on how much weight I give to Chi’s personhood, her struggles, the struggles of her and her sister, and the dynamic with them, the National Data Bank, and the power to control all other persocoms? Here the information gets more muddy, but will be answered in the final installment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This volume marks the beginning of Chobits' endgame. After ~70 chapters of slowly unraveling the mystery of Chi's past and true identity, and of her feelings for Hideki (and vice versa), now we begin to get some concrete answers. Some of these answers will make certain established plot elements seem a bit problematic, even squicky (e.g., Chi's touchy-feely relationship with her dark twin Freya) but considering the weekly deadlines that the authors were working under, it's hard to fault them for not thinking six volumes ahead when they were writing the earliest chapters of this story.
Occasionally it feels like the authors are stalling for time, trying to drag out the revelations and get one more week of syndication, but this is a problem endemic to manga, one that's almost more of a genre convention than a scriptorial weakness.
Despite these quibbles, I find myself getting a bit verklempt while reading about Chi's past, and the dark tragedy of her "birth" and early family life. Her tender face and huge, expressive eyes are so innocent, her pain so real, that it seems to leap off the page and into my heart. I first encountered this series at an emotionally vulnerable age, and even now, almost two decades after reading Chobits for the first time, I find myself transfixed by the beauty of CLAMP's rendering of flowing hair, or a twirling frilly dress, or an abstract tonal background which inexplicably resonates with and amplifies a sense of loss or emotional pain. Truly, this volume is a snapshot of four mangaka displaying absolute mastery of their artform.
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.
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.
This got a whole new layer of deep. I didn’t remember how complicated Minoru’s family situation was but reading this now and seeing the connections he makes between his troubled childhood and his complicated feelings for Yuzuki was incredibly written.
And then the climax where Hideki realizes his feelings for Chi is written so poetically. I was absolutely blown away. How could this series go from the objectification of women through sexualizing feminine robots, to having a male character realize that highest expression of love is “I want her to be happy.” Waaay ahead of its time. Hideki pushes Chi to do things for herself, to keep her money for herself, and supports her to grow without taking advantage of her.
I truly think Clamp knew what they were doing. They tricked all the early 2000s creeps to read this series and then were like “alright, now we’re going to teach you a thing or two about being a decent human being.”
Volume 7 is truly the beginning of the end. Minoru saves Yuzuki and declares he loves her for who she is, not what she means as his replacement sister. Hibya opens up to Hideki and gives a rather long and detailed exposition but we finally get confirmation that Chi is indeed a Chobit. After 7 volumes Chi's true backstory is revealed as well as the "Other Chi" that has been visiting her and giving her advice. Chi is actually Elda and her sister Freya was absorbed by her when she "died" after her creator ended up not being "the person just for her". Kotoko and Plum need a spin-off please, because they were just an adorable way to break up the tension. Chi declares herself officially in love with Hideki while he still struggles to define his feelings. Zima and and his girl spring into action when Chi goes into one of her modes as well. Only one more volume, and it's a short one!
El momento de las revelaciones, y ésas sí que no me las esperaba.
Aunque tuve que leer un resumen de otra obra de Clamp, porque ya no recordaba algunos detalles, y me sacó un poco de la historia. Pero al final sí que estuvo bueno.
Más allá del debate sobre tecnología, vida y alma; me gustó el personaje que nos recuerda que no hay un solo camino al amor y la felicidad, cada quién es diferente y por eso no hay una sola respuesta. Ya sea una mujer casada que huye con su alumno, una persona casada con un "robot" o hasta un pequeño que se enamora de un robot creado para recordar a su hermana; incluso la historia de esa otra parte de Chi, es medio oscura o muy Freud-iana.
Pero el debate, la propuesta y los personajes son buenos. Como literatura creo que cumple muy bien su propósito en hacernos pensar, debatir, elegir y opinar.
Por fin hemos descubierto parte de la historia de Chi.
Lo malo de leerte un manga es que no puedes hablar mucho de los tomos a medida que avanzas en las historia porque, alerta de spoiler.
Ya solo queda un tomo y se nota mucho que va a ser el clímax de la historia, porque este ha terminado de una forma muy shock. No sólo por la información revelada sobre Chi y sus orígenes, sino porque el "enemigo" está más presente.
De verdad, "Chobits" es un gran manga y un gran anime, porque la adaptación que hicieron es muy fiel a la historia.
Me da pena acabar la historia, pero me quedo con lo bonito de ella. Mañana seguro que me lea el tomo 8. Lo malo del manga es que prácticamente se bebe xD
4.5/5. Really enjoyed this volume, especially since I felt like the story progressed way more than the previous volume. I knocked off half the star because it can get a little annoying with the repetition of “the someone just for me” blah blah yeah we get it. Also the story got kinda weird. Freya fell in love with her dad?? Chi is basically a child whose main mission seems to be searching for their soulmate?? Err... okay. I still really like the series, don’t get me wrong. I just can’t deny that this is super weird.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Setelah crossover chara dengan duo Jima dan Dita, kali ini CLAMP menguak suatu rahasia dengan mencrossover angelic layer hho.
Akhirnya menuju volume akhir, serial Chobits jilid 7 ini berfokus pada hubungan main chara Hideki dan Chii. Tampaknya Hideki akhirnya mengambil keputusan meskipun mungkin tampak tidak bermoral, dan kita akhirnya mengetahui masa lalu Chii yang menyedihkan dan bagaimana Hideki menemukan Chii di tempat sampah.
Satu jilid lagi dengan kehadiran Dita dan Jima, menuju akhir serial ini.
We finally learn Chi's back story in this one - Elda (Chi) and her twin Freya created by a scientist for his childless wife only to have Freya fall tragically in love with him....
Another great volume with truly beautiful art. Will Chi follow the same tragic fate as her sister or can Hideki really love her?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Great so far! I'm loving where the story is headed. I am glad to be finishing the next volume soon. Chi is so cute, but there are a few random weird creepy things that might weird readers out as far as age and sexual references. I do recommend if you want a different kind of love story.
a historia mellorou bastante no sentido en que explican o porqué da existencia de Chi e ten sentido. O de Freia demasiado turbio, pero gústame que volva a colación o debate de se as persocoms teñen sentimentos e se merecen ser felices como as persoas.