Chobits-
Volume 4: Love Defined
(MVM Region 2 PAL DVD)
(2005)
review by Head Cheeze

I always look forward to a new instalment in the "Chobits" series: as soon as that gorgeously infectious piece of suger-sweet J-Pop, "Let Me Be With You" kicks off at the start of every episode (better than any electro-syncopated bubble-gum Kylie Minogue has ever delivered), I know I can expect more of that peculiar mix of touching, feather-light coyness and brazen sexual innuendo one only ever really finds in Japanese anime. This time we also get another audio delight in the form of a new end theme called "Mermaids" which is as appropriately poignant as one could hope for in a series where the music is of such a high standard. As I've mentioned before, all-female Manga team CLAMP have come-up with a very evocative and poetic metaphor that motivates all the events in "Chobits" and draws on fears about how technological advance impacts on human relationships in society. That makes it all sound very dry and serious ... of course, nothing could be further from the truth -- since there are few animes more breezy, romantic and irreverent than "Chobits"! With this volume, the focus is largely taken off the mysterious origins of the female-shaped Persocom Chi -- whose education/programming in worldly affairs by her "owner" (a sexually inadequate high-school student called Hideki) has been at the centre of the majority of the episodes thus far -- and placed firmly on the regular cast of human characters who turn out to harbour a few devastating secrets of their own!

"Chi Entertains" gives the first hint that there have been some unheeded developments in the lives of many of the people in Hideki's world -- although he's been far to preoccupied with the embarrassing predicaments his attempts to teach Chi about Japanese life have led him into to notice! Hideki's studies are going about as well as they always do: badly! As usual the hapless adolescent is distracted by lust for his sexy young teacher, Ms. Shimizu; which is why Hideki goes into a full-scale panic when a dishevelled Ms Shimizu turns up at his apartment and asks to stay the night! After an evening of saucy drinking games, Hideki somehow ends up rather worse for wear; though the next morning, he's vaguely aware of having had Ms Shimizu leaning over him in flimsy underwear the night before!

The reason for this unlikely state of affairs is soon revealed and its a huge (and unexpected) bombshell dropped the middle of Hideki's complacent life! it seems that Ms. Shimizu has been having a torrid affair with Hideki's best friend (and fellow student) Shinbo! The affair has been going on for six months without the mortified Hideki having a clue! School teachers having sex with their pupils is generally looked-down-upon in today's Western society. The elfin Ms. Shimizu would be banged-up for child abuse over here, but in "Chobits" she and Shinbo simply leave for a relaxing holiday at a hot springs resort, leaving Hideki in-charge of Shinbo's irritating miniature persocom, Sumomo! For the first time, Chi doesn't appear at all in this episode, which is probably why it is called "Chi Doesn't Do Anything"! It's noticeable that the super-confident Shinbo is the dominant partner in the relationship; although he's the same age as Hideki, the two couldn't be more different in temperament: the only time the subject of sex comes up in relation to the many women in Hideki's life is when they discover his stash of porn!

"Chi Provides" sees the Persocom attempting to bring relief to the beleaguered student after he loses his wallet and has no money for food. Chi uses her wage from working at the bakery to cook a meal for Hideki, but her good intentions are threatened with ruin due to her lack of skills in the kitchen. It is up to Ms. Hibiya, Hideki's attractive landlady, to save the day. In "Chi Helps" Ms. Hibiya turns out to be another series regular with a big secret: first of all, she turns out to have unexpected talents in Persocom maintenance after Hideki accidentally causes Shinbo's Persocom, Sumomo, to malfunction due to a power surge. Then, more hints about Chi's past reveal that Hibiya knows more about the situation than anyone could have expected!

This volume is full of unexpected revelations, chiefly that Chi's presence in Hideki's life may not be such an accident after all. And with some strange new characters now revealed as being on her trail, the world of "Chobits" looks set to become that much more dark and mysterious in future episodes.

As usual, this volume presents the four episodes in anamorphic widescreen with Japanese and English audio plus English subtitle options. For extras we get an art gallery, trailers and an alternative Japanese end credit sequence.