A.I. Love You, Volume 4

the book starts with some slow chapters that dont involve too much comedy. about midway, the chapters lay off the drama and start to show ken akamatsu at his finest. this book is worth it even just for the latter half.

Okay, what do you get when you cross Love Hina with Video Girl Ai, with a bit of Weird Science and Chobits thrown in? Chances are you'll get A.I. Love You, the manga by Ken Akamatsu, the mastermind behind Love Hina and the Harry Potter-ish Mahou Sensei Negima. Part 1 of 8 goes as follows: Hitoshi Kobe is unpopular in high school, being picked on, bad at PE, and looked down on, especially by the vixen and popular class rep Kimiko Aso. He's a whiz at programming, and given how his parents are gone overseas, has their computer equipment to himself. The friendless Hitoshi creates AI programs, or Artificial Intelligences, of virtual girls whom he has conversations with, conversations he saves on 3.5" floppies (remember those?). One day, an electrical storm plays havoc with his computer during a conversation with 30, as in AI program 30, and presto, she emerges from the screen and becomes solid. 30, or Saati, as she's called (Saati, thirty, get it?) changes her creator's life around. She reminds him of a promise he made that if she became a real girl, he would let her be his girlfriend. However, she is something of a ditz, a blank slate (like Chi in Chobits), a total flop at cooking (Ai in Video Girl Ai-well at first anyway.), as she uses paint to duplicate the colours she sees. Oh, and she gives her last name as Namba. Namba Saati, number thirty, get it? Her computer abilities are intact even solid, as she scans a magazine and presto, via program option No. 4, changes into any bunch of outfits, including a high school uniform. Once there, Hitoshi is noticed, as Saati helps him in math and PE with her mathematical abilities, and he begins to be admired by his formerly scornful classmates. And she can manipulate machines, including soda dispensers and at one point, her master's bank account! However, she's such an individualist that when she wants to join school clubs, she has difficulty adjusting. However, the most exciting episode comes when a vicious computer virus hits poor Saati, and Hitoshi's computer skills are put to the test as he fights to protect his girlfriend, whom he doesn't want to erase. Sure, he could restore her from backup, but it wouldn't be the same, as he'd have to start over. There are repeated themes from previous mangas, such as the poor lonely guy gets a pretty girl who turns his life around (e.g. Ai Yori Aoshi, Chobits, and Video Girl Ai, to name a few). Another is the guy who's alone while his parents are gone overseas (e.g. Video Girl Ai, and later, Midori Days). Akamatsu also made the comment that Saati is just like Naru in Love Hina, except that Saati has thicker eyebrows. And, I might add, is less violent, much nicer, and more fun to be with than Naru. The original Japanese title for this manga was Ai Ga Tomaranai, or AI's won't stop. However, Ai also means "love" in Japanese, so that could also be a play on that word, seeing as how in future volumes, he gains more and more AI girls. So, "love won'

wow............... thats all that I have thought since i finished reading this book 20 mins ago. Ken Akamatsu has truly become my number one favourite manga author. the A.I. Love you series is most definitely the BEST series that he has created. in my opinion, it is the easily one of the top 5 manga created. number 8 is unfortunately the last issue of the series, but it is also the best. this whole series was just one adventure after another, most involving the same type of theme "beauty pageant, miss beach pageant, best couple pageant, ect" but they all have their own unique twist. the ending sort of leaves you wanting, more like craving, more. get this book and the others in the series and you will not be disappointed.

Highly known for his award-winning graphic novel series, Love Hina, Ken Akamatsu is known in America and Japan for comedy, but not mainly for science fiction. A.I. Love You was Akamatsu's first graphic novel work, and an eight-volume remake is in the process. You definately should add the A.I. Love You series to your collection. Here is the information about Volume One from tokyopop.com: Hitoshi Kobe doesn't do well in school. He's no good at sports. Girls don't even talk to him except to make fun of him. The one thing he is good at is computers. He's designed artificial intelligence programs and Number 30 is his favorite. Hitoshi promises Thirty that if she ever becomes a real girl, he'll be her boyfriend. One dark and stormy night, his house is struck by lightning and Thirty emerges from the computer screen... In the categories of sci-fi and comedy, A.I. Love You Volume One was released on February 3rd, 2004, and is rated OT for Older Teen (Suggested Ages 16+).

I'm pretty sure Ken Akamatsu is widely known for his popular manga series Love Hina, but A.I. Love You was his first ever work (according to the info inside the volume). The whole story has the whole Weird Science thing going on with it and I must say it is an enjoyable read. But I must say, do not buy it if you are interested only because of the cover art. The manga art itself is different from the drawing on the front cover since Mr. Akamatsu's style did change over the years. But don't hesitate to pick it up because it is very good and I would recommend it to those those into comedy, sci-fi, and romance.