Manga Review: Azumanga Daioh Vol. 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma
It is spring of the year 2000, and the Japanese school year is beginning. There’s always some confusion on the first day back, and teacher Yukari Tanizaki winds up trying to introduce herself to the wrong home room! Once that’s sorted out, it’s time to meet the quirky high school girls of Room 3!
In rough order of appearance, we have Chiyo, ten-year old child genius; Sakaki, the tall, scary-looking girl who’s secretly a big softy, especially for cats (but not vice-versa!); Kaorin, who has an unspoken crush on Sakaki; Tomo, a loud and cheerful dumbass; Yomi, Tomo’s best friend who is smart and sensible…by comparison; and Ayumu, who’s a bit spacy and gets the nickname “Osaka” because she lived there for a little while.
They and their teachers Miss Yukari (who’s more immature than many of her students and worse at schoolwork) and gym instructor Miss Kurogawa (who’s more sensible than Yukari but apparently was pretty wild in their college days) make up the main cast of this slice of life comedy.
This series originally appeared as a 4-koma, four-panel gag strips that appeared several at a time in a manga magazine. It was hugely popular in the early 2000s, spawning an anime adaptation and many, many memes. (“Mai waifu!”)
Most of the humor is derived from having the characters act according to their set personalities and bouncing off each other, with a touch of fantasy thanks to Osaka’s imagination (although there are a couple of points that make us wonder if it’s all imagination.)
Chiyo’s cuteness is played way up, as in the sequence where she gets a fast food job despite visibly being far too young because she has a (genuine) high school ID. The first volume covers from April through December.
The art is generally cute, but it’s often hard to tell characters apart if they have similar hairdos.
If there’s one sour note, and there is, it’s Mr. Kimura, the male teacher who openly pervs on his female students. It’s repeatedly noted that this is hella creepy, but he never faces any actual consequences.
This is an enjoyable comedy series suitable for junior high students on up (except for Mr. Kimura.) Because of its history, it’s one that newer fans should check out, at least at the library.
And here’s the anime opening!
