Azumanga Daioh

Azumanga Daioh is a popular classic for a reason. Simply put, it's a work of comedic genius. Everyone should read it and watch the anime.

STORY: 9/10. There isn't much to the story; just another slice-of-life tale of Japanese schoolgirls. However, it's done brilliantly. There's never a dull moment, and you'll find yourself laughing out loud at the hilarious conversations these girls have and the situations they get into. There are also heartwarming moments, especially at the end. Though it could be considered somewhat cheesy, it seems like the best possible way to end the lighthearted series.

ART: 8/10. Since it's a 4koma with a new gag in every strip, most of the drawings of people are from the chest up. As a result, the designs are pretty simple and allow you to focus more on the humor. At the same time, the art is very expressive, clean, and it looks great. There are also occasional "special" strips that are set up like a regular comic, and this is where Azuma's art skill really shines. The details are lovely and not to be missed. Overall, the art does its job beautifully.

CHARACTER: 10/10. This is what makes the amazing comedy possible. Every character in this manga is well-thought-out, original, and completely hilarious. From spacey Osaka to firecracker Tomo to lecherous Kimura-sensei, they all add their own unique flavor to the manga. I'd say my favorite character, though, is Chiyo-chan's dad. You won't find a cool cat like him anywhere else.

ENJOYMENT: 10/10. Holy Cthulhu, this series is funny. The weakest of the strips will make you crack a smile, and the best ones will have you laughing out loud. This isn't your typical anime/manga humor- this is off-the-wall, unpredictable, and overall clever. It's just as enjoyable for a Westerner as a Japanese person- you won't have to understand Japanese culture to appreciate the jokes. It's totally fresh and nonstop funny.

OVERALL: 10/10. Basically, this manga is a masterpiece- and I don't throw that term around lightly. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen, done, or eaten. You should go and pick up a copy right now. You won't regret it.

Azumanga Daioh is often hailed as the mother of all Slice of Lifes, and for a good reason. Not only does it pioneer the idea of "cute girls doing cute things" and "daily life activities with little plot," it does these two things right.

Story: 10

The lack of a story is its story. Azumanga Daioh is a classic SOL manga, where most of its content is dependent upon showing the day-to-day activities of its characters, their interactions with one another, and their general progression through life (in this case school life).

While it does have a central focus driving it along (the characters' journeys from the beginning of high school to graduation), this focus is subtle, and is often felt as an aftereffect rather than directly demonstrated.

Additionally, there is no romance subplot to be had, which I would argue tends to be the downfall of many SOL manga. As such, the reader isn't hellbent on the result of the relationship, and instead can focus on enjoying the day-to-day aspect.

Art: 9

The art is not good. Period. It is an old manga, and the techniques, technology, and style clearly shows. Don't expect breathtaking scenery or beautiful wallpaper-worthy panels. Don't expect adorable girls with detailed hair and clothing, flying in the wind. That said, this is the one manga where a lack of good art...WORKS.

This is due to one primary factor: The characters are supposed to be ordinary. Oftentimes, manga artists tend to make the mistake of trying to pass off their main characters as ordinary and unremarkable, but end up drawing them as clear protagonists, with amazing details and shading. In my opinion, if your MC's can be distinguished from NPC's, they are NOT "normal." This is not the case for Azumanga Daioh. Any of the MC's can easily pass as an NPC, and none of them can truly be called "pretty." Sure, some people can argue Chiyo and Osaka looks cute, but it often is due to their personalities than their actual character designs, which looks downright basic.

Yet, in this particular case, it only serves to drive home the theme of the manga as a SOL. Take for example the final graduation scene. The reader can really feel the ordinariness and humanity of the student body. They are not protagonists who will all become doctors, lawyers, researchers, or ambassadors. Some of them really look like they will fail at life, while others have an uncertain road ahead of them. This, I would argue, is the reason why so many readers often cite this as one of the most emotional graduation scene: because they can relate.

Character: 10

Of course, the art is not the only thing that accentuates the characters. Their personalities are also very distinct and down to earth, making them appeal very much to an average reader. You will like some, you will hate some, you will not notice some, and you will find some annoying; almost as if you were really looking at your actual classroom.

Enjoyment: 8

It was enjoyable, and how could it not be with all of the above reasons?

However, did I read it in one sitting? No. The lack of any centralized plot (including romantic subplot) does act as a double-edged sword, as it can make the manga somewhat repetitive and mundane, especially if the reader is conditioned by manga with more exciting plot development.

Some of the annoying characters can also end up getting under your skin after a while.

Nonetheless, it was a pleasant read, and especially hardcore fans of SOL titles such as Non Non Biyori will certainly find it endlessly appealing, although I would be incredibly shocked if such a fan have not read Azumanga Daioh.

Overall: 10. Classic. Well worth the read. Masterfully crafted.

Azumanga Daioh doesn't actually have a storyline. Well, there's 10-year-old Chiyo, (Who is so unbelievely adorable), who's so smart that she's in high school, and she brefriends the most weird, yet hilarious classmates.

Azumanga Daioh is a set of 4 panel stories, and yet it works! The comedy is fresh and funny and the characters are amusing as well. There's Osaka, probaly one of the most slowest manga characters EVER! There's a time when she and Sasaki (a tall girl which the other charaters think she's cool and hard but in fact she has a secret love for cats but they are always biting her) are talking about an abbreviation of hemeroids (don't ask) then they start talking about I think about dolphins, then another character ask what are they talking about then Osaka comes out with hemeroids again. Tomo is another charater. She's loud and overly competetive with Chiyo. Then there's the absolutely lazy teacher who sleeps in class and forgets where she's supposed to be. (That's the very first scene, she walks into a class and says she won't tell them her bra size then a student says her class is next door). There's a competitive teacher, a lesbian student and so on so forth.

Most of the cast are girls but there is a male.... Mr.Kimura.... an out and out perverted teacher who is a teacher souly for teenage girls. All the characters try to ignore him but he just appears!

Anyway, Azumanga Daioh is perfect for you if you just want a laugh. It's easy to pick up and read and will have you laughing all the way through reading it.

I'm not an anime or manga buff. I don't know everything. I may or may not have good taste. I'm just a person who enjoys anime and manga. However, I hope this review helps anyone with deciding whether to read it or not.

PLUSES:
I have the Azumanga Daioh Omnibus and I have read the whole thing. I love Azumanga Daioh. It never fails to cheer me up. I love the antics of everyone in the group. I laughed at the crazy things they did. My stomach would hurt from the hilarious moments I shared with my brother reading this. I cried when it was done. No really, I cried. I really like Azuma's style of humor. The art was very basic and clean, which suited well.

This manga was one of the things that helped me get through my grandfather's death. Nothing like reading AD to cheer you up on the car trips to and from the cemetery and funeral home.

MINUSES:
I wish that it was longer or had a sequel. Or maybe not, because in my opinion, some things are better left to the imagination. The story... well, there's no story really. And the style of humor is definitely not for everyone. It is sort of a random, lol-ish, absurdity type of humor.

I would recommend this manga to anyone who needs a laugh and some cheering up. Nothing fancy, drawn-out, philosophical, or deep. It's just plain fun to read.

Azumanga Daioh was unfortunately a big disappointment for me. Not only because it was in a 4-koma format which spoiled my experience because it became a dull and even heavy reading, but because the comedy was very mediocre, and the worst that can happen in a manga like this, is to not have a good laugh while reading.

It is a comedy that clearly catches on some stereotypes and overuse them until they can no longer (Sasaki loving cats, Chiyo being a genius). Despite everything, the characters are charismatic, but it didn't work for me. Also, art is too simple, i mean, it doesn't even try to be a little detailed or have a different drawing stroke for the comedy. I'm going to Yotsuba To, crossing my fingers not to be in this format and that really brings a good comedy.

Azumanga Daioh is one of those stories that took me back to my high school days, don't ask me how many years its been I don't want to remember. This is about a group of friends getting through high school. It is told in a very entertaining way and allows you take a look at life in different way. The art is great and is almost the same as the anime. There are many differences between the manga and anime but not so drastic that one takes away from the other.

Azumanga Daioh is a 4-koma high-school comedy. If you ever enjoyed a manga or an anime consisting of even one of those three components you should pick it up. The setting is simple: We have some high-school girls and we witness their 3 years of high-school, one hilarious 4-koma gag at a time.

A word of caution: While this is a masterpiece, there is a good percentage of people who dislike the overall silliness of the genre, so don't go around recommending it to your work supervisor simply because he has enjoyed Death Note and Attack on Titan.

The anime adaptation follows very closely the manga, so this review can be applied interchangeably to both of them. The greatness of Azumanga Daioh can be found after you peel the initial layer of simplicity, in the underlying complexity of the work. The main focus is too make you laugh and it delivers. The cuteness of the scenes and the wackiness of the surreal elements are welcome additions, but they always remain byproducts, and are never allowed to upstage the comedy.

The principle of initial simplicity and underlying complexity can also be found in the 8 or 9 main characters. Initially they look like stereotypes that can be found in dozen other works, but the fact that they are masterfully written, makes them lovable and memorable.

The magaka gave me the sense that he really knew what he wanted the manga to be about and never bothered with elements he did not care about. For instance there is no romance (just a few o-nee-sama gags), no adversity (well, there is a hateful cat), or any drawings of boys (a fact that is farcically mentioned in the anime). I found that this lack of elements the mangaka did not care about made the whole much stronger.

The greatness of Azumanga Daioh has spawned many copies, but they cannot capture the brilliance behind it. There are a lot of 4-koma manga (and their anime adaptations), a lot of “cute girls do cute things” slice of life manga/anime, but Azumanga has no peers. The only one getting kinda close is Nichijou, but its success lies on the fact that it copies Azumanga shamelessly.

So if you loved the manga the only thing you can do is watch the anime (and vice versa). To get yourself a work of similar quality you will have to cross genres a little bit into high school shoujo (Ouran Kokou Host Club, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun) or shounen (Great Teacher Onizuka, School Rumble) comedies. Great stuff 9.0/10.

Having watched the Azumanga Daioh anime before reading through the manga, I have a different and perhaps backwards view on the Azumanga story. Either way, the Azumanga Daioh manga is a very enjoyable, highly readable, and easy to follow title. It may be said that Azumanga Daioh is required reading for any salt-worthy anime fan.

The Azumanga manga is almost flawless. I can't think of anything to complain about or point out as a flaw. The only thing that might be an issue is that some (as in very few, maybe 2-3) text-boxes are too crammed with text, making the text small and hard to read. But if you get the Azumanga Daioh Omnibus, which contains all four Azumanga mangas in one set, you won't have an issue because the omnibus is huge and "blown-up," so that even tiny text is easy to read. And for that matter, art-work that features a lot of detail in a small area is now vibrant and beautiful, and the characters look shaper than Osaka's wit.

If you have a choice between the smaller, individual mangas or the omnibus, I recommend the bigger, complete omnibus. Unless you don't want to lug around the rather large tome, and prefer a small compact single manga.

I have only read the ADV Manga translations of the Azumanga Daioh manga in the Omnibus version. I very much want to read other translations someday soon, such as the Yen Press version of the Omnibus, which is an improved version of the ADV Manga Omnibus. The Yen Press Azumanga Daioh Omnibus features an entirely new translation, full-color pictures of the Azu-Crew in between each chapter, (this not only serves as some neat art-work to look at, but a very clear message that a new chapter is beginning) and brand-new, never before read content that expands on the lifes of the girls and their accomplices.

In any form or translation, Azumanga Daioh is a juggernaught title of the anime world, and if you haven't read it yet, you're a bonkler.

SATA-ANDAGI!

While yes I found Azumanga a bit boring when I watched it a few years back the manga is so funny,well paced and can be sad at times (like how it ends which has a uplifting but sad ending in the same vain as something like Wrinkles). I don’t normally like these type of stories these days or even the smart person gets worship (personal reasons) but this was great.
Manga just seems like a better art form overall then anime. I’m glad I picked this up since I love Yotsuba. Didn’t expect to enjoy it that much years ago when I was thinking of reading it.
Now I’m off to read the three chapters YenPress didn’t release (which they should have) and hope they are at least half good as the original.
8/10

Azumanga Daioh was one of my first manga, one that I obsessed over two years ago- and now, I am still reading and re-reading whenever I need cheering up.

Why?

Because AD is a clever series filled with laughter, good characters and interesting layout of panels. I think you should read it too.

*Before I start: You may not agree with my points, which is fine.*

*Some parts of this review contain spoilers, which are marked by *SPOILER ALERT* and *SPOILER END**

Story: Thumbs up to Azuma Sensei for making AD one of, if not, the best comedy manga out there. In fact, I’ve never read anything as hilarious as it. AD is mainly comedy, so it would be sad if the comedic element weren’t memorable- I haven’t actually read a lot of comedy for the reason that the humor is usually crude, shallow, and overall poorly done. Not AD. Never AD.

As for the ‘story’ itself, in a sense, it doesn’t exist. There’s no dramatic structure or conflicts. Azumanga Daioh is simply a slice of life, following the school lives of our cast from year one to graduation. This doesn’t mean the story is flat or one dimensional, quite the contrary. Note: The premise isn’t all that interesting. ‘Six high school girls basically doing nothing.’ However, because the idea is so simple, we get to explore the characters and their surroundings really well. I personally also feel that the simplicity of the premise is why AD does so well as a comedy manga. And the pacing is excellent. There are no too-fast, too-slow, too-much-of-the-same-setting moments. Or maybe I was too busy laughing to notice if there were.

Characters: The characters at a first glance might seem stereotypical but are surprisingly complex. If not the most original characters ever, most of them are relatable-

*SPOILER ALERT* For example, Chiyo is perfect in every aspect except PE. Not being good at physical education is not a flaw. Being ticked off at Tomo for flaunting a higher grade than hers is. True, her reaction is slight, but while we cannot relate to Chiyo’s prodigal ability, we can relate to that irritation. Guess what! Chiyo Mihama is human like us.

Also, Sakaki is the mysterious athletic beauty- wait, not to herself she isn’t. To make a long story short, some people misunderstand her. A lot of us can relate to situations in which ours and people’s thoughts are on totally different wavelengths when we’re talking to each other.

Okay, individual characters are done amazingly but character relationships are constructed beautifully as well. My favorite is that of Yukari and Kurosawa sensei’s. Yukari is selfish, loud, and immature. You can definitely tell that Kurosawa is often really peeved and at Yukari; who wouldn’t be? Kurosawa even drives her colleague to school and puts up with her. Despite all this, they are best friends; Kurosawa doesn’t let herself get walked over by Yukari. Their friendship is realistic. *SPOILER END*

So, in case you skipped the above three paragraphs, characters in AD are relatable, likeable, and the relationships portrayed between them are realistic.

Art and layout: Azuma Sensei’s art style here matches and contributes so much to the atmosphere. The character designs are each unique, and the background drawings are also well done. I particularly loved the layout of the panels. It gave so much to the series’ whimsy: Two columns, four panels each. The column on the right is read first, up to down. Watching the anime, I really missed this layout.

Anyway! I’m nearly done. I just want to mention something that will probably get a lot of eyebrow raises but moving on… Whenever I read or watch animanga, I try to censor it.
Azumanga Daioh is relatively very clean. There is a certain creep but he’s a creep so that you can laugh at him. It’s comedy; he only ever says weird things. Other than that, there’s nothing explicit. You’re welcome to interpret stuff your own way.

I’ve rambled on long enough. Azumanga Daioh is amongst the best of its genres. Light, happy, fun, comedy, school; slice of life. If you don’t like these, AD just might turn you around. If you do, you’re in for a fun ride.