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Posts Tagged Kiyohiko Azuma

Review: Azumanga Daioh Omnibus

Reviewer: Shannon Fay
Azumanga Daioh Omnibus

Manga-ka: Kiyohiko Azuma
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: December 2009

Synopsis: “This four-panel comedy chronicles the everyday lives of six very quirky high school girls. Meet the child prodigy Chiyo, the animal-loving Sakaki, the spacey out-of-towner Osaka, the straight-laced Yomi and her best friend Tomo, and the sports-loving Kagura throughout their high school lives.”

Azumanga Daioh’s anime is a rare case where the original pales in comparison to the adaptation. While the manga is cute and funny, it’s hard to recommend it knowing that the funnier anime version exists. However, the manga is still charming in its own right. Having the whole series collected in one big volume is dangerous, as the stripes get more and more addicting as the book goes on.

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Review: Yotsuba&! (Vol. 08)

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manga-ka: Kiyohiko Azuma
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: All Ages
Release Date: April 2010

Synopsis: “The ranch wasn’t fun, huh? But maybe festivals will be less funner?! (Yotsuba’s playing opposites, ha-ha!) Yotsuba got uninvited to Fuuka’s school for a culr…a clart…a cultural festival! And she didn’t promise Yotsuba there wouldn’t be CAKE! Yotsuba doesn’t want a cake as biiiiiig as Jumbo, nope!! You wouldn’t either, now would you?! Ohhh! And then, and then! There ISN’T gonna be a great big festival for the whole town to go to! And Yotsuba isn’t gonna work hard and help out there with Ena and Fuuka, nuh-uh! Not even for candy, nooooo way!”

For whatever reason this eighth volume of Yotsuba&! didn’t quite hit the same chord as those recently before it – and believe it that in a series as consistently entertaining as this it’s difficult to find specific flaws. Volume seven though was easily one of the strongest to date so volume eight does come on the heels of some tough-to-beat material. Nevertheless, this is Yotsuba&! so the jokes are still funny and the antics still loveably quirky, even if they didn’t seem to hit those consistent laugh-out-loud levels.

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Review: Yotsuba&! (Vol. 07)

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Manga-ka: Kiyohiko Azuma
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: All Ages
Release Date: December 2009

Synopsis: “Mooooo…! MOOOO…! Cows are neato! It’s fun pretending to be a cow! And milk comes from cows, so I bet they’re real nice too. ‘Cos milk is super-yummy, right?! Yotsuba thinks so! And milk comes in lotsa flavors, so cows must come in different flavors too. How else is there white milk and coffee milk and chocolate milk?! Then there’s the black and white cows, they’ve gotta make a super-secret special flavor, huh?! Yotsuba wants to know! Let’s go ask the cows at the ranch, Daddy!”

Paper cup phones, strawberry shortcake, a fever in bed and a trip to the ranch – that and more in this volume of Yotsuba&! – and for those who’ve already fallen in love with the title character’s forthright curiousity, comical expressions and childlike wonder, that’s all you need to hear (if for any reason the title wasn’t enough anyway).

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Review: Yotsuba&! (Vol. 06)

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo


Manga-ka: Kiyohiko Azuma
Publisher: Yen Press
Rating: All Ages
Release Date: September 2009

Synopsis: “Yotsuba’s getting a biiiiike, Yotsuba’s getting a biiiiiike!! Didja know the wheels of a bike go round and round and round and round and round and round and round and round and round and round and round and round and roun — oh, Yotsuba’s getting dizzy…whoooooa…”

Yotsuba’s Father sums up the key reason that readers adore Yotsuba&!: “I love the way she reacts to stuff like this.” And well you should, Kowai (well, most of the time anyway). In this volume the rambunctious little girl gets her first bike, and as if she couldn’t already explore the world well enough on two feet, wait until you see her on two wheels. After what easily felt like forever, the next and long awaited volume of Yotsuba&! is finally in the hands of English readers!

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Review: Yotsuba&! (Vol. 04)


Manga-ka: Kiyohiko Azuma
Publisher: ADV Manga
Rating: All Ages
Released: July 2007

Synopsis: “Having already tackled such diverse topics as cicadas and global warming, Yotsuba is back and ready to face a whole new set of challenges. See as she strives to master the complexities of rock-paper-scissors! Feel as she becomes one with the water during a weekend of fishing. Be confused as she tries to get money from strangers to buy her groceries!”

There’s nothing quite like sitting down for another volume of Yotsuba&! Summer continues through volume four as Yotsuba, and her family and friends, go up against groceries, trout and a little heartbreak.

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Review: Yotsuba&! (Vol. 05)


Manga-ka: Kiyohiko Azuma
Publisher: ADV Manga
Rating: All Ages
Released: October 2007

Synopsis: “It’s the end of an endless summer, and Yotsuba is out to make the most of it. First, she’ll go toe-to-toe with a cardboard robot, then help out the neighbours by eating their grapes and spearheading an impromptu trip to the beach. But when her ice cream is stolen by Yanda, Koiwai’s understudy, Yotsuba may have to admit she’s finally met her match!”

The little clover-leaf head Yotsuba returns for another fun filled volume! In this book it’s time for the beach and walks on rainy days. There are lots of new adventures to be had but first Yotsuba needs to befriend a robot and survive an encounter with one who could be her greatest foe yet!

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