Chobits, Vol. 4

ちょびっツ [Chobits] #4

by Clamp, Shirley Kubo

Computers can do almost anything these days. In addition to the usual online functions, data processing, and graphic applications, the new persocom models with increased AI and increasingly human appearances can function as workers, friends...even lovers. Take Chi, for example. Since Hideki found her she has learned to go shopping, do basic chores, and she's even managed to get a job at a bakery. She's not the first persocom to do these things by any means, but her potential hasn't even begun to be tapped. Because there's a good chance that Chi is a Chobit - a self-learning, feeling, AI. Chobits are the computers of legend, so rare that is one was found some collectors would resort to any means to get their hands on one - even kidnapping. Now that word of Chi has leaked out, that's exactly what happens.

Chapters 37-48

Genres: Manga, Romance, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Comics, Fiction, Seinen

182 pages, Paperback

First published December 26, 2001

About the author

Ōkawa Nanase 大川七瀬
[born: 2 May 1967; Ōsaka, bloodtype: A]

Mokona Apapa もこなあぱぱ
[born: 16 Jun 1968, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]

Nekoi Mick 猫井みっく
[born: 21 Jan 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: O]

Igarashi Satsuki 五十嵐さつき
[born: 8 Feb 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]


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.

Reviews

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chi goes missing, and Hideki is frantic with worry. Mr. Ueda, from the pastry shop, helps him look, and reveals his own history with a persocom. Chi has actually been kidnapped, but we don't learn a lot about her abductor in this volume.

We're starting to get hints of where this is all going. Which makes sense, since we're now halfway through the series. Art and story are fantastic, which is par for the course with a CLAMP title. Mr. Ueda’s story is quite moving, so be prepared for feels. Recommended!

[☾❀Apple✩ Blossom⋆｡˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

humans are simple creatures 🥲

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This shit got me tearing up before I have to go to work 😭

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

read the first 4 volumes in a day, the story is really interesting and the characters are fun but some scenes really make me feel like i walked into a 15 year old boys wet dreams. still am looking forward to buying and reading the rest of the series!

[Radwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

That story book is seriously getting on my nerves, who's writing it? does it predict what happens between Chi and Hideki? what's the deal here?

Not a lot of development happening on the Hideki/Chi front, some progress but not much, but I loved the backstory of Ueda, and Yumi is definitely shady and I need to know more about her! also that landlady! Everyone is either extra transparent or shady!!

[Tyler Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Still enjoying these :)

[Jesus Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chii es secuestrada
Pues vemos que Hideki ni sabe nada y es bastante inútil
Y el loco que la secuestro, pues reflejo de la humanidad

4 stars

[Cata · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Kriss · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dans ce tome, on apprend qu'un homme s'est marié avec son robot, qui n'a pas de volonté propre, dont il est tombé amoureux parce qu'elle lui a dit "Bonjour"......
Est ce que le personnage principal et les lecteurs seraient aussi émus par son histoire si son robot avait une apparence de chat ou de chien au lieu de celle d'une jeune fille très belle ? 🤔

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me sigue teniendo super enganchada, me hace pasar cada momento, vamos a ver como avanza

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my complete thoughts, please check out this reaction vlog:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM47u...

[Séverine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un tome décisif qui marque le milieu de la saga Chobits, dans celui-ci les choses vont s’accélérer pour tous le monde. Entre Tchii kidnappée qui va réfléchir sur ce qu'elle ressent à propos de Hideki, ce dernier qui va réfléchir également aux sentiments qu'il porte à cet ordinateur humanoïde, Minoru pour son ordinateur qui ressemble à sa sœur, la logeuse qui semble impliquée dans bien plus qu'une simple location d'appartements, et les deux personnes qui semblent poursuivre Tchii... Mais qu'est ce qui se passe?

Nous l'avions déjà évoqué, quoi que très légèrement, tout comme dans le manga, mais ce tome-ci en parle énormément, alors allons-y. Les êtres humains qui s'accrochent trop aux nouvelles technologies. En effet, dans Chobits il est rare de croiser quelqu'un sans ordinateur, que ce soit la version de poche ou la version "grand format", et là nous sommes en plein dedans avec des histoires cruelles de personnes qui ont oubliés leurs propres femmes au détriment de leurs ordinateurs humanoïdes, d'autres qui se sont mariés à leurs machines, repoussant les avances de femmes qui auraient pu tout autant les combler. C'est triste, pousser à l'extrême, mais et nous? Nous ne sommes pas attachés à nos portables, ordi, et autres? En bref, un tome qui fait beaucoup réfléchir sur l'attachement que nous avons pour les derniers gadgets high-tech. Dit-elle alors qu'elle tape son avis sur son blog, télé allumée avec une conversation en cours sur son smartphone.

Pour avoir vu l'anime, je sais d'avance que ce tome est un avant goût de toutes les réponses qui vont sortir dans les autres, sur les Chobits, Tchii, la logeuse et les mystérieuses personnes qui poursuivent Tchii. Un tome triste et beau à la fois, dans lequel on espère que tout ce passera bien pour nos protagonistes.

[Nyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review will be for Chapters 37 - 48 in the Chobits: Omnibus, Vol. 1 omnibus edition.

Note : I did not leave an individual review for this specific volume when I read it back in March of 2013, but I have decided to do so now, after my 2nd reading in June of 2015. I am, however, leaving this edition (and the other individual volumes) listed under the original read dates. I will be using the omnibus version, (Chobits: Omnibus, Vol. 1) which I actually own, for the date of my reread.

This volume reminded me why I was so excited the first time I read it! I'm not sure why I didn't continue then, but I will definitely move forward to Chobits: Omnibus, Vol. 2 and complete the series now.

We finally hear the Manager's story, a few friends seem to return to his life, and Hideki has finally started to pay attention, but was it too little too late? Chi has gone missing....
There are still many questions left unanswered and mysteries to solve.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decided to read some manga because my vacation is soon and I don't want to start a long book (already got plenty of books with me). In this volume we learn more about Chi, Hideki figures out what the picture books are about (took him some time), Chi feels sad and talks to Hideki about it (poor Chi), and Chi gets kidnapped by some weird dude. There are more things happening, this volume was packed and I was fully invested again.
That last part with the bakery owner? I am still crying, my heart just broke for that guy, holy.. I can imagine why he is the way he is. I am happy that he and Hideki shared this moment, that they both understand that one could indeed LOVE a persocom, even if it was a machine.
Off to read the next volume as I need to know how this one continues!

[Artemissia G · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://songedunenuitdete.com/2021/01...

Je me suis régalée avec ce quatrième volume qui creuse un peu plus l’intrigue, autour de Chii, c’est vrai, et qui remet également en question la place du robot dans la balance de l’humanité. Un nouveau tome qui prête à réflexion.

Je trouve que Pika édition a eu une belle idée de rééditer ce manga, car les thématiques restent toujours d’actualité.

[ChelseaFace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still really enjoying this! I do wish they had not mentioned how old chi was supposed to look...that does make this slightly problematic...but I know every country has different ages of concent, so it's not my choices that matter there. But overall, I love the series and I can easily separate the fiction so it doesnt bother me personally.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review for complete series



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.

[K C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once you get past the first chapter or so that seemed to feel the need to catch up for lost time re “perverted scenarios,” we have more intrigue, more characters, and more explorations of people and their relationships with their persocoms. An exploration of what it means to be human, Alzheimer’s allegory, and consequences of discussing rare and valuables property on anonymous message forums. I do find it a little amusing to reflect that, in today’s technological world, we have GPS for items that get lost. Thus the polarization of a futuristic world that is missing technology that is regularly used today is reflective of the time period this series was created. They did such a great job of predicting the direction of technology (truly, computers that look like people I could see being sold once the technology gets there), but there are gaps.

I also find the story interesting that there is a distinct lack of male persocoms in this story. They’re in the background, and there’s one who may be an antagonist (that did not appear in this issue), but none of the main characters have relationships with male-presenting persocoms. I thus find the exploration of human interactions, attachment, and falling in love with these human computers to be interesting but quite incomplete. There are no female-presenting (never mind LGBTQ+ individuals) humans, and no male-presenting persocoms with relationships that would place them “subservient” to another. I find that interesting. It’s not inherently bad, but worth noticing.

[Lynn Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

I have more to say on this manga (and others!) in my blog! Check it out here:
http://www.lynnwallaceauthor.com/blog...

[Harumichi Mizuki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hiroyasu menghubungi Hideki karena Chii tidak masuk kerja. Keduanya panik karena sama-sama tidak mengetahui di mana Chii berada. Rupanya saat mau membeli buku, Chii diculik oleh seseorang. Orang itu membawa Chii ke rumahnya, namanya Kojima. Dia menculik Chii karena tertarik dengan berita tentang Chii di internet. Di rumah itu Chii berkenalan dengan persocon mini bernama Kotoko yang supergalak. Kata Kotoko, pemilik Chii yaitu Hideki suatu saat tidak akan tertarik lagi padanya. Sama seperti Kojima yang kini lebih tertarik pada Chii.

Hiroyasu lalu membantu Hideki mencari Chii. Di tengah jalan mereka merasa dibuntuti orang. Ternyata orang itu adalah Ooshima Yumi. Yumi langsung lari dan menangis. Hiroyasu menyuruh Hideki untuk berhenti mengejarnya karena Yumi pasti tak mau kembali jika ada dirinya. Hiroyasu lalu bercerita bahwa dia dulu pernah menikah dengan persocon. Media sampai meliput karena itu untuk pertama kalinya dalam sejarah ada orang yang menikahi persocon. Namun, karena modelnya sudah lama, harddisk si persocon rusak dan akhirnya dia menunjukkan gejala seperti demensia pada manusia. Sang persocon akhirnya rusak parah dan tak bisa lagi diperbaiki karena tertabrak mobil yang nyaris menghantam Hiroyasu. Di akhir masa berfungsinya, meski tak lagi ingat pada Hiroyasu, ia mendorong lelaki itu untuk menyelamatkannya.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might be one of my favorite volumes because of the managers story. That story is actually the reason I started reading this again, because I was thinking about it.

A couple things though... While I don't really mind so much the "persocom/human" love aspect that is the focal point of this series, knowing that the manager is turning forty and who he was involved with (which we haven't gotten to yet), that is too much. Come on. The amount of age difference romances in this manga is a little concerning.

The other thing that really struck me on this read through, and I think I had this thought when I was younger too, is that the picture books are really weird. Sometimes they are fine, and the message is really clear. The city has no people because they are all inside with persocoms. Great. But then sometimes the language is so circular and ambiguous and weird that I have to wonder if there is a translation issue or if it was really meant to make so little sense.

There's being ambiguous for the sake of mystery, and then there's this, where the writing is so ambiguous that I barely understand what they are talking about.

[Adrian Santiago · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un poco de humanismo; los chobits representarán a la waifu perfecta; pero los personcon son más realistas en que tienen fallos y solo pueden llegar hasta donde la mente humana tiene capacidad; y la historia de uno de los personajes secundarios nos recuerda que los humanos -al menos no todos- no queremos un cuerpo perfecto, infantil o "sin uso".

Quizá sí vivimos bombardeados de esos "sueños" de una pareja "perfecta" qué presumir en redes; pero al final con la experiencia, las carencias y las necesidades aprendemos a dejarnos amar y amamos a otros por más que un físico o modelo reciente; y el amor también se presenta a través de preocuparnos y cuidar a otros. Incluso honrando la memoria de la persona, y sabiendo que ni un "nuevo modelo" perfecto nos valdría lo mismo que las experiencias, recuerdos y viviencias con la persona que ya tenemos.

Claro está, los robots pueden ser humanos? podemos hablar de amor cuando se trata de o hacia un robot? o solo son mentiras o carencias en uno mismo.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

So...this was actually the very first manga I read ever! It'll always have the most special of places within my heart for that reason. However, I don't think I was as confused as I should have been because volume 4 puts us in the middle of quite the drama. Chi is kidnapped in the bookstore leading to Hideki and all his friends to search the city for her. They get an anonymous tip in the form of an encrypted map. The man, known as Dragonfly, is trying to decode Chi to find out if she is truly a Chobit. We also meet the sassy Kotoko, a laptop persacom that is truly amazing. Chi misses Hideki and believes he's her person just for her, and Hideki discovers those books Chi likes so much are actually about the two of them.
This is the literal half point of the series and things are starting to shift toward a conclusion. I can feel the answers on the horizons as the characters progress and continue to grow.

[vera · Rating 3 out of 5]

lol hace falta tener 12 años para darte pena la historia del tío de los pasteles literalmente se ha estado foyando a un robot mal hecho durante 1 año y pretende que me ponga triste me meo viva.
además odio odio con todo mi alma como refleja nuestra sociedad real en este manga de en plan: no ligo porque soy un fracasado entonces me compro un robot con apariencia de adolescente (dicho en el manga de entre 15-16 años) y me pongo cachondo cada vez que se le ve medio pezón hecho con metal antioxidante xdd, y esto sin incluir a la otra chavala que es también menor y el tío que es universitario a ver a quien le mete la poya primero.
No me voy a poner a hablar de como es extremadamente misógina esta trama tratando a las mujeres (porque el 95% de los robots lo son) como si se pudieran remplazar fácilmente por un robot de una loli que te friega los platos.

[Mladoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce tome 4 est riche en action. Tchii travaille et apprend auprès des humains. Minoru reçoit un mail mystérieux et une photo qui implique Mademoiselle Hibiki dans le passé de Tchii. Au fil des tomes du livre illustré, Hideki réalise que l'histoire pourrait bien le concerner au premier plan.
L'étau se resserre doucement et un nouveau retournement ainsi qu'un nouveau personnage viennent s'ajouter à l'intrigue.
Toujours aussi agréable niveau graphique, le rythme est un peu plus soutenu dans ce tome central et les questions commencent à arriver au compte-gouttes même si beaucoup restent encore à élucider. Un savant suspens qui donne envie de continuer.

[Santiago Bueno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un volumen tranquilo con respecto al misterio de la identidad de Chi, no se hacen muchos avances. Pero sigue siendo un volumen muy interesante. Se siguen explorando las relaciones entre personas y persocons, y en particular en este tomo se pone en duda la diferencia entre ambos, las diferencias en cuanto a lo que uno pueda sentir por ellas. Las autoras están sabiendo llevar una historia con ritmo dentro de todo lento, pero que siempre te deja ganas de seguir, ya sea por las reflexiones, como por los misterios. La verdad que empezó floja esta serie pero me gusta mucho para donde va la historia, y siempre me quedo con ganas de tener el siguiente.

[Sara Roldán Galindo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟 Al leer este tomo he pensado realmente en cómo será nuestro futuro. Que sentiremos los humanos hacia las máquinas cuando éstas tengas aspecto humano? Nos será posible distinguir entre máquina y humano? Querremos hacerlo? Hoy en día ya empiezan a aparecer lo que parecen ser las primeras "persocoms", por lo que podemos aceptar que, en unos años, será normal tener un robot-ordenador con inteligencia artificial. Como los trataremos? Que sentimientos tendremos hacia ellos? Este tomo ha sido muy interesante.

[47Time · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now we get characters married to persocoms. I don't doubt this could be a thing in real life.

Chi gets emotionally closer to Hideki, though he is mostly convinced that her programming is behind it. Their closeness worries Yumi who becomes more distant to Hideki, likely because of past emotional trauma. Hideki worries that he is getting emotionally involved with the wrong person... or persocom. Then Chi disappears and everyone panics. Yoshiyuki Kojima kidnaps her, to find out what makes her tick.

[Leila Anani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beautiful instalment - the artwork on this is just gorgeous and i love the book with in a book; a city with no people which continues to explore the deeper themes.

Chi gets a job in a bakery in this one and becomes more independent. But then she gets kidnapped - how will Hideki cope? Have volume 5 on hand to find out... As this series progresses, there are more and more questions to be answered it would seem.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Resulta complejo hablar de este tomo sin decir ningún spoiler, pero, resumiendo a muy grosso modo, este tomo es mucho más "sentimental" que los anteriores, especialmente por la historia que relata el pasado de uno de los secundarios, y la evolución de Chii junto con las dudas que asaltan a Hideki.

Le sienta fenomenal a la obra que se esté volviendo más serio.