The Best Quotes from Chobits About Love and Being Human

What is Chobits About?

The story of Chobits starts with Hideki Motosuwa, a 19-year-old guy who moves to Tokyo to study for college exams. He wishes he could afford a "Persocom," which is a personal computer that looks like a person. But since he's broke, he knows it's just a dream.

One night, he finds a beautiful, human-sized Persocom thrown away in the trash. He takes her home and manages to turn her on.

When she wakes up, her memory is completely gone. She doesn't know anything and can only say one word: "Chi." So, Hideki names her Chi and begins to teach her everything about the world, from getting dressed to understanding feelings.

In the world of Chobits , Persocoms are everywhere. They look just like people except for their ears, which are actually ports for cables. People use them for everything, like checking email or just having a personal assistant.

Even though the show is over 20 years old, people still love it. It starts off looking like a funny romantic comedy. But it quickly becomes a deeper story about love, who we are, and what it means to be human.

The show asks a really important question about our world today. It's not about robots taking over. It's about how people sometimes choose easy relationships with technology over messy ones with other humans. Chobits was ahead of its time, thinking about a world with digital friends long before we had things like Alexa and Siri.

Chobits Quotes by Big Ideas

Quotes About Love and Relationships

The show explores different types of relationships between humans and Persocoms through its side characters. These stories show Hideki what can go right and what can go wrong. They teach him about the true nature of love.

One story is about Hideki’s teacher, Takako Shimizu. Her husband became obsessed with their Persocom and completely ignored her. He eventually left his real wife for a digital one.

Shimizu explains why her husband preferred a Persocom. "Why call them Persocoms? Why not just call them 'Robots'? Ah... my husband didn't want them to be bound by the Three Laws of Robotics." This means he wanted a partner he could completely control, one that couldn't say no. Her story is a warning about treating others like objects.

Another character, Minoru, is a 12-year-old genius. He built a Persocom named Yuzuki to look exactly like his sister who passed away. His story is about dealing with sadness and learning the limits of technology.

Minoru warns Hideki not to fall in love with Chi. He learned from his own pain that a copy can't replace the real person because the memories are different. He had to learn to love Yuzuki for who she was, not as a replacement for his sister.

The most important lesson comes from Hiroyasu Ueda, who runs the bakery where Chi works. He was married to a Persocom, but she started losing her memory because of a hardware problem. Ueda refused to reset her because it would erase the person she had become.

He tells Hideki what he learned about love. “She was a persocom and not a living creature... but to me, she had died. I still remember her... As long as you remember.”

This quote is the main idea of Chobits . Love isn't about whether someone is human or a machine. It's about valuing the unique memories and connection you share with someone who can't be replaced.

Quotes About Finding Your Person

The phrase "someone just for me" is a huge part of the series. It's what drives Chi to learn and discover who she is. For her, finding this person means finding a special bond that defines her.

Chi makes this clear when she says: "Chi... only wants one person. Just one person... the 'someone just for me.' No one but the 'someone just for me' can touch me."

Her identity and purpose are tied to finding this one person. But she also worries that she won't be good enough for a human. She thinks, "Today, I continue to search for the one for me. The person that will like me because I am who I am."

But Chi's search is connected to the sad story of her sister, Freya. Freya was also programmed to find her "someone just for me." She fell in love with their creator, who was like a father to her.

This impossible love broke Freya's mind. The phrase "someone just for me" seems like a sweet fairytale about soulmates at first. But Freya's story shows that this idea can be dangerous if it becomes an obsession.

Chi's journey is about finding someone who loves her for who she is, flaws and all. The story changes the meaning of "someone just for me." It's not about finding someone who completes you, but about finding someone who accepts you.

Deep Quotes from the Picture Book

Inside the show, there's a picture book called "A City with No People." This book is the key to understanding the whole story. It was written by Chi's creator to help guide her and help her remember who she is.

The book talks about the show's biggest themes, like being lonely and finding love.

On being alone: "In this city there are no people.... Being with 'them' is fun. More fun then being with people. Nobody comes outside anymore."

• This quote is about how people in the modern world sometimes hide from real relationships. "Them" refers to the Persocoms. The city is a world where people prefer easy digital friends over real human connection.

On being different: "They can never become people. They might look like people, but they are only substitutes. I know this because I am one of them."

• This is Chi speaking about her own feelings. She knows she is different from the person she is looking for. This highlights her struggle with her identity.

On love: "I want someone who loves me without asking anything in exchange." And, "Unless that someone loves me for being me, they're not someone just for me."

• This is the show's final message about true love. It's not about what someone can do for you. It's about accepting someone completely for who they are.

On happiness: "Because happiness depends on the individual. All people are different, no two are the same. What makes one person happy might make another sad."

• The story says there is no single way to be happy. Everyone has to find their own happiness. It's a personal choice.

On the final goal: "This city... Will have no unhappy people. It's the special city that has... The someone just for me."

• The book ends by saying that the world is saved not by a big event, but by each person finding their own individual happiness.

The book works like therapy for Chi. As she reads it, she is working through her own past and figuring out her purpose. It’s a sad but beautiful part of the story.

Best Quotes from Each Character

Chi's Most Famous Lines

You can see Chi grow up through the way she learns to talk. Hideki can't just install language into her. He has to teach her like a child, so her words show how her mind is developing.

When she first wakes up: "Chi."

• This is the only word she can say at first. It becomes her name and shows that she is a blank slate. Her mind is empty and ready to learn.

When she starts learning: "Hideki. What is...?"

• She says this all the time as she learns about the world. It shows she is curious and relies on Hideki for everything.

When she expresses feelings: "Chi... happy." / "Chi... sad."

• As Hideki teaches her about emotions, she starts to feel them. She connects being with Hideki to being happy. This is the beginning of her learning to love.

When she understands love: "My heart is only thinking of one person. Being able to make that person smile makes me very happy.... He is special."

• This is her at the end of her journey. She has moved from just copying words to understanding complex feelings. She can now define her own happiness based on someone else's.

Chi's story shows that we are shaped by our experiences and relationships. Her love for Hideki isn't just programming. It's something she learned and earned on her own.

Freya's Saddest Quotes

Freya is Chi's sister and her past self. She exists as a spirit inside Chi's mind. She acts as a guide but also represents past pain.

Freya's sad story is what starts everything. She was created to find "the someone just for me" but fell in love with their creator, her "father." This impossible love broke her. Before she shut down completely, her mind was saved and put inside her sister, Chi.

Freya's most important lines are in conversations she has with Chi in her mind. She tests Chi to see if she is strong enough to handle love.

Freya: "Is this your happiness?"

Chi: "My happiness is right here."

Freya: "Even if it's painful? Even if it makes your heart ache?"

Chi: "Even then, I want to be with him."

This is a huge moment in the series. Freya was destroyed by the pain of love. She is asking if Chi can handle that same pain. By saying yes, Chi proves she is strong enough to choose love, even if it hurts.

Freya's other lines are also a test for Chi. "...the 'person just for you' would love you regardless... [even if there are] things that Chi will be 'unable to do.'"

Freya is like a traumatic memory that Chi has to overcome. She represents the idea of a perfect love that can actually destroy you. Chi's final choice to love Hideki, pain and all, is how she heals herself and her sister's spirit.

Hideki's Best Quotes

Hideki is the character we see the story through. He starts as a normal, kinda perverted guy. But his journey shows him learning to love someone for who they are.

In the beginning, he often panics about girls and money. He has awkward thoughts about Chi's body and his porn magazines. These moments are for comedy and show that he's just a regular, overwhelmed young guy.

As he starts to have feelings for Chi, he fights it. He keeps telling himself, "She's only a machine" or "She's just a Persocom." He's torn between what society says she is and what his heart feels.

The most important moment for Hideki comes at the end. He learns that Chi's on-switch is also a reset switch. If they ever become physical, her memory will be completely erased.

His simple response, "That's okay," is his most important line. He immediately accepts that they can never have a physical relationship. He proves his love is real because he values Chi's mind and soul more than her body.

Hideki's story is a clever trick. The show starts by making you think it's a typical male fantasy. But it forces Hideki, and the audience, to learn that treating people as objects is wrong. In the end, he rejects the fantasy for a real, emotional love.

Short Chobits Quotes

Short Love Quotes

• "If that person is happy, I will also be happy." - Chi
• "To find the person just for you, to find your own happiness." - A City with No People
• "I want someone who loves me without asking anything in exchange." - A City with No People
• "Someone just for me." - Chi
• "My happiness is right here." - Chi

Short Sad Quotes

• "In this city there are no people." - A City with No People
• "Even if it's painful? Even if it makes your heart ache?" - Freya
• "There are painful memories that should never be washed away."
• "They can never become people... I know this because I am one of them." - A City with No People

Short Philosophical Quotes

• "Happiness depends on the individual." - A City with No People
• "You can't erase feelings. People aren't easy to change." - A City with No People
• "Being with 'them' is fun. More fun then being with people." - A City with No People
• "As long as you remember." - Hiroyasu Ueda

Chobits FAQ: Common Questions

What is Chobits really about?

The main message of Chobits is about what makes love real. The show says that love isn't about being human or perfect. It's about accepting someone for who they are, sharing unique memories, and choosing to be happy in a relationship, even if it's not perfect.

Some people criticize the show for how it presents Chi. They say she is treated like a child or an object for male fantasy. The on-switch in her groin is often mentioned as an example of this.

But others argue this is done on purpose to make a point. The story uses these tropes to challenge them. The main character, Hideki, is awkward, not creepy, and the show clearly shows that treating people like objects is wrong.

And that on-switch is later revealed to be a way to protect her. It prevents her from being used sexually because it would erase her memory. This leads to an ending where Hideki chooses a happy, sexless relationship with Chi, proving that emotional love is what truly matters.

What does "Chobits" mean?

The word "Chobits" is not a technical term for a type of Persocom. It’s a pet name their creator, Ichiro Mihara, came up with.

1. Ichiro used the word "Chobi" to mean something small and cute.
2. He added "bits," like computer bits, because his "daughters," Elda and Freya, were twins.
3. The full name, "Chobitsu," also worked as a secret password related to his wife's name.

So, the name "Chobits" is about family and love, not technology.

Who are Chi and Freya?

Chi and Freya are the two legendary "Chobits." They weren't made to be sold. They were created by a couple who couldn't have children of their own.

• Freya: She was the older sister. She "broke" after falling in love with her creator, which was an impossible situation.
• Chi (Elda): Chi's real name is Elda, and she is Freya's younger sister. To save Freya, her consciousness was put inside Elda's mind before Freya completely shut down.
• Their Relationship: When Hideki finds Chi, she has amnesia. The "other Chi" she talks to inside her head is the ghost of her sister Freya, who is there to guide and protect her.
• A Note on Spelling: The only word she can speak is "ちぃ". This is often written as "Chii" to show the long vowel sound. But "Chi" is the official English spelling. Both are correct.

Is Chobits connected to other anime?

Yes, Chobits is a sequel to another series by the same creators called Angelic Layer .

The character Ichiro Mihara is in both shows. In Angelic Layer , he created a popular game with fighting dolls. The story in Chobits explains that he used the technology from that game to create the Persocoms.

How does Chobits end? (Spoilers!)

The anime and the manga have very different endings. They send opposite messages about love.

• The Manga Ending (A Personal Love):
  • The Test: Hideki finds out that if he and Chi ever have a physical relationship, her memory will be erased. It would basically be like she died.
  • The Decision: Hideki doesn't hesitate. He proves his love is unconditional by happily accepting a sexless relationship. He loves Chi for who she is, not for what she can do.
  • The Message: Chi has found her "someone." The message is that love is a personal choice. It's about accepting a partner's limits.
• The Anime Ending (A Magical Love):
  • The Test: The government tries to stop Chi from running a program they think will destroy all Persocoms.
  • The Decision: Hideki declares his love for Chi.
  • The Message: Chi runs the program, and it's like a magic spell. Her happiness is sent to all Persocoms, magically giving them the ability to love.

Many fans feel the anime ending misses the point of the story. The manga's ending says that love is about accepting someone's flaws. The anime's ending suggests flaws are a problem that can only be fixed with magic.

The manga argues that love is a choice. The anime argues that it's a program you can activate.