Yotsuba&!  Recommended
Publisher
ADV Manga
Writer
Kiyohiko Azuma
Artist
Kiyohiko Azuma
Country of origin
Japan
Year
2003
Yotsuba&! (Yotsubato) Volume 1
By David Rasmussen
3rd Apr 05  The past two years has been good to Kiyohiko Azuma’s Azumanga Daioh.
A favorite series of both fans and critics alike, this highly praised series has received a lot of good words from people, and in my own in house yearly awards (The Best Of Awards) it has won twice for Best Manga and once for Best Anime for it’s respective years (2003 and 2004).
But the series has ended sometime ago, and the Animes are drawing to a close in the UK (while they’re already done here in the US) so what next? How long will you have to wait for the next big series to come, and inherit the mantle of Best of from it’s predecessor Azumanga Daioh? Your wait is over this June as frontrunner for Best Manga of 2005 is on it’s way to you!
ADVManga is proud to present Kiyohiko Azuma’s “Yotsuba&!” Volume 1, Azuma’s newest addiction for you to get hooked on!
Now, before I go further, we have a few things to clear away first. First off… How do you pronounce “Yotsuba”? (and why is the title “Yotsuba&!”)
Well, according to Mr. Chris Oarr of ADVManga, you pronounce “Yotsuba&!” like this… “yoh-tsoo-bah-toh”… huh? Confusing? One more time, slower…
Yoh (Yo) Tsoo (tsu) Bah (ba) Toh (&, which can be written as “to”).
Yoh-tsoo-bah-toh (“Yotsubato”)
So why isn’t the title just “Yotsubato”? Well, actually look at the way the Chapters are written.
Each Chapter is entitled as following… “Yotsuba & Moving”, “Yotsuba & Manners”, “Yotsuba & Global Warming”, etc. And you’ll notice that the “titles” (moving, manner, etc) are printed in exclamation marks. So, for instance, the first Chapter is “Yotsuba & ! (moving)“, with the word “moving“ in an exclamation mark. So the title, Yotsuba&!, is a play on the chapter introductions (from my POV in anycase). Second…
I’ve seen ads (or just looked at the image on this review) and isn’t that Chiyo-chan?
Yeah. You might notice when you see Yotsuba, the main character, that she bears a striking resemblance to Azumanga Daioh’s Chiyo-chan (except she has four ponytails instead of two, and her hair (if you see color images of her) is green). That’s because you can forget any connections to Chiyo-chan, she is not Chiyo-chan. She looks like Chiyo, but is even more out there than Osaka, and has her childlike innocence and curiosity here where the super intelligent Chiyo-chan seemed to be lacking the purity that Yotsuba has.
She’s abit of a wildchild, though, but she is also a more engaging character than her predecessor. Yes, that is sort of like sacrilege to be saying someone could surpass Chiyo-chan, isn’t it! But as you get into this series you’ll see that Yotsuba may indeed do just that, and capture the hearts of her readers book after book. Who thinks well of this book? First off Mr. Oarr (ADVManga) does, as you see in these words from the press release letter I got from him when I received my reviewing copy. “This is the work of an artist at the top of his game, with the crisp linework, comic timing, and wacky point of view that have made Azuma an international sensation.” (Chris Oarr, ADVManga) Now let’s get into it. Graphic Novel 1
Yotsuba & Moving(!)
It’s been awhile, hasn’t it. Sometime has passed since we’ve been given a totally excellent read to rant over like Azumanga Daioh (ADVManga). Well, this summer that is about to change.
And to celebrate this new title I give you… the running of the Yotsuba!
Eh? Well you see it all started like this…
One day there was a man named Koiwai, a translator by trade, and one day while traveling abroad in foreign countries he “met” a girl who caught his attention, so much so he became her “father” and raised her as his own. This, in short, is a story of Yotsuba’s origin told in this story… but how much of it is true? Maybe more than you know, because as Yotsuba and her father move into their new neighborhood it seems that Yotsuba is rather new… to the whole planet.
Yes, school is out for summer and Yotsuba is seemingly out… of her mind.
She is inquisitive, curious, not much of a clue about the things we take for granted, yet the kind of person who’ll steal your heart and befuddle your brain at the same time! And she also looks like Chiyo-chan but she is most certainly NOT Chiyo-chan, just so you know!
Oh, and besides her father she also has another “family” member in the family friend Jumbo, who is one tall dude… way tall… sorta like a basketball player whose a nice guy. You’ll meet him here for the first time. You’ll also hear about some “other guy” but he never shows up and so forget about him. Anyway as this is the first day in the new neighborhood you meet the neighbors, a woman and her three daughters (who’ll become regulars of the series) named Asagi (oldest), Fuka (middle) and Ena (youngest).
In fact their first meetings with Yotsuba triggers the “Running of the Yotsuba”.
When Ena first meets her she’s in a nearby park, puzzling over the riddle of park swings. One thing leads to another and… : )… uh, you have to see this. Meanwhile Fuka is meeting with Yotsuba’s dad… yeah, he’s not an alien cat despite what Sakaki thought of Chiyo-chan’s “dad” from Azumanga Daioh… then again… anyway she says she’ll keep an eye out for her and find her she soon does, only Yotsuba has been raised to not go off with strangers and she thinks Fuka is a stranger and… well… it’s off to the Running of the Yotsuba from there! Yotsuba & Manners(!)
Yotsuba still needs to get used to a few concepts… like the concept that she now lives in a house other than the house she used to live in. Once she’s past that she’ll learn the riddle of buzzers that summons people out into the streets, as well as bond with Fuka some more… too bad nobody told her the bathroom door is broken and… : )… uh… some places do allow you to order your copy in advance… go on, order it. Really. Don’t just sit here reading this, go pre-order a copy! It’s that good! Yotsuba & Global Warming(!)
Today it’s the mixed signals concerning the A/C! That’s air conditioner to you and me by the way.
Yotsuba doesn’t understand what the strange device in her neighbor’s house is that makes the house so cold, so getting mixed signals about how good it is, and then how it causes global warming (from Ena) just is not good for Yotsuba… it’ll set her off like nobody’s business and then watch out! Yotsuba & TV(!)
No, no, she’s not going to be on a reality TV show… no show could hold her… except maybe the anticipated Yotsuba&! Anime Series… there is one, right? Anyway it looks like the neighbors are going to give Yotsuba and her dad a TV they’re getting rid of so they’ll come over to pick it up, and they’ll bring Jumbo along which will lead to lots of panic since it seems the neighbors haven’t seen someone like Jumbo before… go figure. Yotsuba & Shopping(!)
So far Yotsuba has been kept restrained to her own neighborhood, but that is about to change as she is set loose amongst the consumers in a local shopping district! Be afraid, oh consumers, be very afraid!
(Or just get ready to laugh out loud, one or the other!) Yotsuba & Cicadas(!)
What? You don’t know what cicadas are? You never played Animal Crossing during the Summer or seen the right Animes before? Well, now you’re about to find out what cicadas are, and why the wisdom of Blathers should have been headed when he warns… warns… hmm… something about not opening the insect cage indoors… wonder what the warning could be… Yotsuba & Rain(!)
It’s the end already? Oh no!! And I can’t order another one until… until… (?)… hmm… August? September? AUGH THAT’S THE END OF SUMMER!! I CAN’T WAIT THAT LONG!!
Sigh… guess I have no choice. Anyway this ends the first volume, so I won’t say anymore.
It’s a great ending to this first volume, so let’s go right to the breakdown. Yotsuba & Breakdown(!) (the 1st)
What’s Hot? - You’re not listening to me, are you? I don’t think I can rave enough about this title.
Here’s some more words of praise from Mr. Oarr on this read…
“Little Yotsuba is a green-haired and wide-eyed girl who doesn’t have a clue… about anything! She’s the perfect comedic foil, and if anything Yotsuba&! Is an even better example of Azuma’s absurdist humor than Azumanga Daioh. It is an “all ages” title in the truest and best sense of the word. No matter how old you are, you can’t help but laugh out loud reading Yotsuba&!” (Chris Oarr, ADVManga) I couldn’t agree more with that sentiment. A truly priceless treasure of a read, this one has the most beautiful writing laced with genuine humor that really makes you laugh (or in my case smile widely since I’m not really the laugh out loud kind of guy), and is a brand new addition to your nightstand for that nightly read that’ll put you to bed in a good mood. A wonderous read, filled with characters that are lovable and who’ll easily find a place in your heart as character you enjoy reading about! With storytelling that is divine, artwork that is beautiful and captivating (sorry, no 4 panel strip format ala Azumanga Daioh), and a cast of characters you’ll never forget this is a series you must have because it demands a place in your collection! Without a doubt Kiyohiko Azuma’s latest Yotsuba&! Is a wonder to behold and something you have to read to believe. It’s all good, without a shadow of a flaw or something negative to push readers away, a must have for all ages that is for the ages. Just plain excellent! What’s Not? - Ah. It’s going to be TWO MONTHS or so before it comes out!!
Two months! And there’s only going to be 100,000 copies on the first print so this is not something to be sitting on the fence considering for long! First come, first served! So be first and order now!
Oh, if you can get ahold of Anime Insider then you’ll be treated to a excerpt from the book there so you get your first taste of the read! If you can, check it out! Moments to Remember? - It’s all good. From beginning to end it’s another great work. Without a doubt I fully concur that Kiyohiko Azuma’s star is most definitely on the rise, with Azumanga Daioh and now Yotsuba&!(?) How can he not be on the way up? And with this latest release sure to be a contender for Best Manga of 2005? This is destined to be one of the best, if not THE best, of the year. What to Ignore? - If you hear negative smack talk about this title? Ignore it. Don’t let some fool talk you out of this read because this is a high contender for best of the year! And once this book comes out you’ll agree that this is a solid read that is just a pleasant addiction of the senses! A fix you can’t wait to have filled as you wait impatiently for Graphic Novel 2 (must like I’m waiting for that to come out)! Overall - I think I’m running out of things to say about this read.
Look, this is good, it’s really that good. Even Mr. Oarr of ADVManga says this could be one of ADV’s most popular mangas ever, and from what I’ve seen of it I do believe his assessment of the power of Yotsuba&! Is dead on right. Something tells me this title is going to excel, and be more than capable of inheriting the Azumanga Daioh legacy… nay, it might even exceed Azumanga Daioh!
Only time stands between you and the beginning of this series. But when June 6th, 2005 rolls around I do hope you pick this one up because it is, without a doubt, a keeper in my book.
A series that is both beautiful and captivating, spellbinding and wonderfully humorous, a joy to read and an addiction that needs filling every few months which can only be sated by the release of the next volume of Yotsuba&!(!) A recommendation I can’t emphasis enough, it’ll be the most captivating read of 2005.
Get your copy pre-ordered today!
-- David Rasmussen 3rd Apr 05
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