Chobits is a seinen, sci-fi, romantic comedy manga written and illustrated by CLAMP, consisting of 8 volumes. It tells the story of Hideki Motosuwa, a clueless young man with aspirations of getting into college. Finding a "persocom" ("humanoid computer") in the trash, he brings it home, hoping that it can assist him. However, the persocom, named Chi, may be more human than anticipated.
Chobits centers on the existence of "persocoms", which are robotic companions that blur the lines between man and machine. This collection of essays, compiled and edited by M. Keith Booker, explores those themes in the works of Isaac Asimov, whose works of science fiction ask similar questions about artificial intelligence and robotics.
Chobits takes place in a society where "persocoms" are capable of replacing humans in various careers, roles, and even personal relationships. In this ebook, Dr. Anton Ravindran examines whether the Artificial Intelligence in our world will one day do the same and what consequences, for good or for ill, they will have on us.
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Chobits' opening theme, "Let Me Be With You", was performed by the j-pop band Round Table feat. Nino. Its visuals depict the give and take relationship between Hideki and Chi, with Hideki teaching her what it means to live, while Chi teaches him what it means to love. Whether their story is a tragedy or a triumph is ultimately left for the audience to decide.
ENGLISH LYRICS PROVIDED BY ANIMESONGLYRICS.COM
To make sure the two of us meet, I cast a spell
Our hands are gently touch, and then look at me smile
We pretend not to realize how we really feel
And suddenly, we fell in love
Let Me Be With You
Let Me Be With You
Let Me Be With You
I just want to hold you
Let Me Be With You
Let Me Be With You
Chobits' first ending theme, "Raison d'être" (or "Reason to Be"), was performed by voice actress and singer Rie Tanaka. Its visuals depict the main character of A City Without People, an in-universe children's book that holds special meaning for Chi and her fellow persocoms, searching for that "person just for me".
ENGLISH LYRICS PROVIDED BY ANIMESONGLYRICS.COM
If I walk with nothing on my mind,
I can see it
Buried under the advancing crowd,
Is my trembling heart
Raison d'etre, in the same way
Smile, fall silent
Why do my emotions sway?
I'm looking for a key
I've always been looking
I can't see it anywhere
Where is key to that door...
Chobits, and series like it, were a common entry point for those wanting to get into anime and manga for the first time. In this video, anime analysist Beyond Ghibli shares some of his experiences with the series, as well as Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien and Elfin Lied, explaining how they helped him fall in love with the medium as a whole.
CLOSED CAPTIONS PROVIDED BY BEYOND GHIBLI
Chobits is ultimately a story about whether nonhuman machines can develop meaningful relationships with humans. In this video, anime reviewer and analyst NINJAMUSHI explores that question, unravelling what it really means for man and machine to love each other, while comparing the manga to its anime adaptation.
Chobits' story contains a wide variety of "tropes" (or "common story elements"), from Grail in the Garbage to Ridiculously Human Robots. TvTropes is a wiki dedicated to cataloging these tropes, providing notable examples from all kinds of media. It allows readers to browse these tropes by franchise and even find notable subversions where appropriate.
Chobits has been charming its audience ever since the year 2000. When researching the series for the first time, Wikipedia can make for a good, quick overview, while offering links and citations to other sources. When using it for academia purposes, however, be careful to examine the sources to make sure that any information is relevant and accurate.
Chobits depicts a society where robotic workers are about as commonplace as humans. In this article from Perspectives of Law and Public Administration, Julia Krenn explains how artificial intelligence has developed over time, its potential consequences for the future, and how the EU may be the first to pass legislation limiting it.
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