Chobits Recommended

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

Chobits volume 5

By Joseph (Joe) Wood
15th Nov 04

If you haven't read the previous volumes of Chobits then be warned this review will contain spoilers for the previous volumes.

Chi is still missing; Hideki and his friends have little clues to help find her. As Hideki works with his friends to find Chi he, and we as readers, start to find out even more about the other characters relationships with each other and persocoms. Whilst working together can they find Chi before her captor starts experimenting with her or completely wipes her memory of Hideki.

I keep saying that Chobits is addictive and if you don't agree with me yet you most certainly will by the end of this volume. As this volume is nothing but a page turner from beginning to end. We feel the need to know wither or not Chi is found safely, what is her captors goal, where do these mysterious e-mails (the ones with pictures of Chi) keep coming from and who is sending them and why, what is the relationship between the secondary characters, when one keeps running away from the other, what does Hideki really feel about Chi and is Chi a special kind of persocom or even a Chobit? We read this volume in hope for answers to all these questions and thankfully we do get them, but even more present themselves.

Due to the more serious edge the storyline has taken the artwork once again is very deep and emotional just like if not better than the serious parts of other volumes. There is also more artwork akin to where Chi is activated in volume one or when she goes haywire after the peep show incident. This artwork is highly detailed and is extremely pleasant, well some of it is, others are slightly spooky and even compelling. The front cover is also my personal favourite out of all eight volumes.

We are getting close to the end of the series but the speed does not slow down just yet. The qualities that make Chobits so addictive are all present and accounted for. Unfortunately due to this you will only be able to enjoy this volume fully once in a while when you memory of it is faded. The tension is what makes this volume and therefore if you're reading it shortly after and everything is still clear in your head then most of the tension is lost.

The fifth volume of Chobits is a beautiful tense experience, but one that can only be enjoyed to the fullest once in a while.

-- Joseph (Joe) Wood 15th Nov 04