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Chobits

Author: CLAMP
Volumes: 8
Publisher: Tokyopop

Brief Summary:
In a future where personal computers (persocoms) look like people, the line between human and technology is blurred. Hideki, a ronin (didn't get into college, so he's spending a year studying to take the exams again), barely makes ends meet with his part-time job, so he's one of the few people in the city without a persocom. He desperately wants one, so when he finds one on the top of a garbage pile outside his apartment building, he is thrilled. However, he has difficulty making her do anything except say the word 'Chii,' which he decides to name her. After consulting some technologically savvy, he finds out that Chii might be a Chobits, a persocom of legend with powers unlike any other.

Review:
If you're familiar with CLAMP, then you already know that they write some seriously crazy, confusing stories (See: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, XXXholic). They're good, but they're almost always convoluted, creepy and downright strange. Chobits is actually one of the more straightforward examples of a CLAMP work, based on my experience with this manga artist group.

The artwork in this series is completely gorgeous, done in the same style as the two series already mentioned. Everything is beautiful, dark (yes, I know it's black and white, but it conveys a dark mood as well, smart alec!), and ornate.

Of course, it's also really creepy. I mean, look at that picture. Gorgeous, yes. However, the whole series is about these sexualized personal computers, essentially robots. Not only that, but there is a ton of fan service. Chii has no qualms about nakedness, so she undresses all of the time (not to mention what one has to do to turn her on). Plus, even when she's clothed, she has outfits like the one shown above, which shows off her underwear. Gross!

This is my second time reading this series, since I wanted to review it. Even now, I am unsure what to make of it in a lot of respects. The philosophical questions therein are incredibly fascinating. Humans fall in love with persocoms, and there's a question of whether, apart from their programming, persocoms are capable of true love. That is cool. But...there's also the creep factor.

CLAMP's mangas may not be for everyone, but if you enjoy lavish art and a complex story that will undoubtedly make you think, then you may enjoy them.

Rating: 3/5