Chobits Recommended

Publisher
Tokyopop
Writer
CLAMP
Artist
CLAMP
Country of origin
Japan
Year
2002

Chobits Volume 6

By Joseph (Joe) Wood
20th Jan 05

If you have not already read any of the previous volumes of Chobits, firstly go get them right away and secondly be aware this review contains spoilers for previous volumes form the start of the next sentence.

So we now know that Yumi used to work at Idea’s bakery before Hideki (and Chi). The reasons Yumi keeps running away from Udea are revealed along with more information of Udea’s previous marriage. Will Hideki be able to comfort Yumi and help these two distraught people come to terms with their feelings for one another, considering Hideki can not yet face his own? Kotoko the laptop persocom of Dragonfly, Chi’s former kidnapper, has begun to notice strange things about Chi and Hideki’s apartment, so much so that she calls a meeting between Minoru, Dragonfly and Hideki to discus her findings. Could they mean Chi is a Chobits after all?

Like the previous volume, volume six is extremely slow compared to some of the other past instalments. There aren’t a lot of plot twists as most of the revelations are saved for the last two volumes. There is even less humour elements than volume five, with the only characters offering comic relief are Hideki and the crazy Plum (who must be drinking large amounts of computer caffeine). This volume deals more with ending some of the side stories that have been accompanying the main story. The volume also ends on a cliff hanger that is by sure to get those who have fallen for some of the characters feeling rather uncomfortable and desperate to find out what happens in the next volume.

The artwork is again amazing there is a lot of emotion in the characters regardless of wither they are humans or persocoms. CLAMP’s ability to show this emotion in its artwork id breathtaking and some of the best emotional drawings I’ve seen. This is the only book in the entire series to not have an “In This City There Are No People” section, which was a factor that boosts this volume’s rating in my opinion, as I have a particular loathing for these sections as I find them extremely distracting and rather ugly, compared to the normal artwork.

The six volume is the last volume before Chobits starts to head into its finale, so although it is slower than previous volumes. It’s certainly an important volume as more and more people around Chi and Hideki begin to accept their feelings for one another the question arises if they can accept their feelings for each other.

-- Joseph (Joe) Wood 20th Jan 05