In Chobits, Hideki is a horny farmer who, upon moving to Tokyo, stumbles into the world of personal computing. Only the world in this show is a bit different from ours, and "personal" here means "sexy gynoid." The most baffling thing about Chobits is that despite the ubiquity of these sex doll computers, society seems otherwise unchanged. Everyone seems to treat these computers ... well, "like women" isn't quite right, because that would imply recognition of personhood and a lower level of objectification, but how about, "the same way anime characters tend to treat female anime characters" ? Men get embarrassed for the PCs' nakedness, for one thing, which is like, why didn't you design any computers that don't look like naked women?
Hideki is unremarkable, and his trash heap computer Chii is mostly a pile of hair. There're some minor characters on the periphery who are equally forgettable, but that isn't to say the show isn't engaging. Almost every plot point raises some serious questions about the world of the show. What engineering problem was solved by putting the computer's power switch inside its vagina?
This first episode was a very pleasant experience despite my scathing critique. Chobits came on television during that special era of anime where fully digital production was still just taking off. Its color palette, character movement, and cinematography all evoke the early aughts, and its cloying theme song completes the package. For me this was a rush of nostalgia for shows like Love Hina—shows that were by no means good, but shows my experience of which is a profoundly dear memory.
Recommend: No.