I finally got around to checking out the second volume of Chobits (which, oddly enough, I couldn't find in three separate bookstores, but ended up discovering at my local comics shop. Imagine that). You may or may not remember that I was debating, during my review of the first volume, if the tendency toward overt sexuality is meant to explore the metaphor of woman as object, or whether it's merely another titillation tale which further objectified women.

I still can't speak to intent by the women of CLAMP (the all-female studio that created Chobits), but I have to say that, with this volume, the objectification seems to far outweigh the metaphor.

Chobits, Volume 2

I think CLAMP crossed the blurry line vis-a-vis a stark look at woman as object and simply making more women into objects fairly early in this volume. Before this, images of Chi (the naive-yet-sexy "persocom" robot) in little or no clothing have been there largely for the reactions of other characters--usually Chi's owner, the bumbling Hideki. There's a scene here, however, where we get a full blown shot of Chi undressed, complete with "radiating light" effects, which serves no such purpose. Chi is merely changing clothes. No one sees her. She has no personal revelation. It's a shot of Sexy Chi for not reason other than to show us Sexy Chi.

To be fair, the other such shots in this installment tend to try to play as they did in the previous volume, to show us Chi's naivety and Hideki's general awkwardness with the female body. But I think that scene early on finally strips away the pretense of literary subtext (yes, I see the pun. We all see the pun. Now move on). It all rings just a little too hollow for me. When Chi's quest to "find someone just for her" begins, and the Mysterious Landlady Who Knows Something She Isn't Telling wishes Chi well with it, I have a hard time buying it, given that this is the same woman dressing Chi up like a sex toy.

Likewise, when Chi encounters a second self, one who informs her than no one can touch Chi "down there" until she finds someone who loves her, I balk. In volume one, I was actually intrigued by the notion that turning the power on for Chi involves, well, turning Chi on. Now it plays like some kind of chastity belt for the new millennium: if anyone other than the man she's meant for pushes Chi's button, she'll be reset.

The semi-porn elements throughout the "normal" world segments also undercut one of this collections sub-plots. Chi goes out to get a job, and naively manages to get herself roped into an online porn-cast. The whole situation would have had both comedic and dramatic potential if the book itself didn't indulge in much of the same. Oh, no! Chi might take off her clothes? Rather difficult to worry about since she's been doing that for the better part of the story anyway.

I'm certainly willing to concede that CLAMP had more literary intentions than I'm seeing here, but I can't really say that their results support that. For me at least, my Chobits adventure is likely over.

Tags: manga, reviews