Chobits Volume 3

Details

 Director: Morio Asaka
 Catalogue Number: MVD2053
 Certificate: 12
 Date Released: July 4th 2005
 Screen: Widescreen 16:9
 Languages: Japanese; English - Dolby Digital (2.0) Stereo
 Subtitles: English
 Duration: 125 minutes

Synopsis

Hideki, beside himself with joy as he prepares for his first date with Yumi, fails to notice Chi's reactions. However, he runs into Minoru who reveals an interesting aspect about the mythical Chobits urban myth persocoms that possess free will! Yet, who has time for deep thought when rumours say someone was murdered in the apartment downstairs. With some time for rest and relaxation, Hideki borrows a game machine and enters a virtual reality world with Shinbo, Sumomo and Chi, but where does Chi go?! And then it's time for a trip to the beach - but can Persocoms swim?

Episodes:
9. Chi Buys
10. Chi Meets
11. Chi Confirms
12. Chi Plays
13. Chi Goes to the Ocean

Extras

•  Full colour Art Gallery

Cover

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Review

First volume was excellent, second was so-so, let’s hope third time is the charm.

Audio:
I listened, alternating between Japanese and English audio with each episode change. Both provided a solid 224K stereo, but not much is the way of left or right directional sound, it all comes from the front. Either sound track is good, so you pays your money and takes your choice as it’s a win-win option. It’s worth noting that episode 10-11 has the subtitles on the secondary track for some inexplicable reason.

Opening song is called Let Me Be With You and is a really great track, lots of toe tapping beat. The closing song is called Raison D'etre (Reason to Be) which is OK.

Video:
Video was very good, and the 16:9 aspect looked very good on my TV with decent colour. No problems with TV or PC play back on this volume. I don’t know if this was transferred over from the master or it’s an R1 translation but nothing appears to have been lost in the process, and no artefacts were seen, although the characters are a little soft around the edges.

Menu:
The menus have a bit of Mac feel to them, and they are presented as though one is viewing a computer screen. All the links worked quickly and whichever option you chose always got you a picture of Chi (s’no bad thing).

Extras:
We get a clean close and Japanese Op. A stills gallery, but this is just 15 scenes from the anime itself, so I don’t really see the point in it. Usual promo trailers (Paranoia Agent, Samurai Champloo) and that’s your lot.

Content: (please note that content portions of a review will contain spoilers)
Episode 9 starts off with Chi buying a present for Hideki with her wages, so what does she buy a young man, well a porn magazine of course.

Meanwhile Hiromu takes Hideki to the local bath house for a good scrubbing, and while they while away the minutes Hiromu informs Hideki that he’ll have to bath Chi on a regular basis as well, so……. OK, I can see you’re way ahead of me here ;-)

Young Minoru Kokubunji also meets up with Hideki later, and informs him that he has some evidence, from an anonymous source, that Chi may indeed be a legendary Chobit.

The next episode opens with Yumi inviting Hideki to a movie. And so Hideki embarks on his first ever date (he’s a virgin alright). Movie, lunch, boating, boating accident, yup, Hideki can screw up the best situations with complete aplomb. In the midst of his woes he talks to Minoru Kokubunji again, and we find out a little more about this young man and why he built Yuzuki.

Back at the flat Chi continues to read about the girl who is looking for her true love in an empty world. And while doing so she is contacted by another “Chi”, and this other facsimile knows Chi well, and knows what it is that Chi seeks.

Episode 11 finds Hideki wussing over a ghost story he’s been told, and as the bad weather closes in, his over active imagination goes into overdrive, leading to much hilarity. Only, is everything he’s imagining, in his mind, or is something else at work in apartment 104?

The next episode starts with Hideki getting his first DVD player, and discovering the seedy world of the porn shop. Of course he scores maximum embarrassment points when he’s caught rifling the through the adult section by Minoru Kokubunji. Minoru suggests that he should play an online game with himself, Chi and Yuzuki…. later Shinbo and Sumono also join in the online fun. Yet every time they play online, Chi cannot be found on any server, and so Hideki fights his way through many dangers in hope of running into Chi. Only near the end of the game, when Hideki is about to be killed by the end of level boss monster, does Chi appear (like an angel) to save Hideki’s online character from destruction.

Episode 13 finds Hideki knuckling down to hard and serious study, well, he would be if he wasn’t at the seaside with all his friends. This gives the characters some time to play together, and we begin to see that Shinbo has the hots for Ms Shimizu, and that everyone else has some design on Hideki.

Later Minoru takes everyone out in a boat to see the dolphins. And just when everybody is really enjoying the experience Chi jumps overboard in order to play with the dolphins. Only Chi doesn’t float. Hideki jumps in to save her, only Hideki can’t swim. How this is resolved surprises everyone, as well as bringing Hideki and Chi closer together.

In summary-
This is an excellent volume with so many laughs that I had stuff a hanky in my mouth at times (I review in the wee hours). The support characters are beginning to strut their stuff and the plot line feeds out another few inches of revelation. All-in-all this story is moving along quite nicely.