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theseventhl's review
5.0
Originally posted here at Anime Radius.
There is only one constant thing that runs throughout each release of Yotsuba&! and that is fun. The manga is always fun to read and something odd yet interesting is always going on in the life of the young girl Yotsuba. Volume four is no less fun or funny than the previous volumes, and the fact that it has such a consistent quality running through its releases is by itself something to celebrate. A humor series that is always funny, every time? Sign me up.
The center of the series, the one that makes it, is Yotsuba – naturally. She is the adorable precocious adopted child of her oddball translator father, and it is clear that his oddities continue to rub off on her even as he tries to teach her valuable life lessons for growing up. Her wide-eyed views on life are pretty weird and usually wrong (“spring doesn’t come after summer?”), but that’s okay. The rest of the cast is always around to teach her what’s what. Yotsuba is still learning about the world, and that is what makes what she says so darn interesting – and cute. Did I mention how cute she is? Cute in an oddly adorable clueless way not a terribly saccharine way – and it helps that she has that great green hair with the four clover-like tails.
One of the great things about Yotsuba&! is that there is no real plot, nothing that really connects the chapters together – and this in no way detracts from the quality of the manga. The series is the mundanity of real life brought to life through the images on each page, and the artwork keeps the focus on the simple moments between the characters. It is pretty much the Seinfeld of manga, like Lucky Star without all the blatant pandering to otaku – and that is what makes it so bloody brilliant. Azuma is clearly working from a fountain of inspiration, and from the looks of it, Yotsuba&! shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. If you’ve been hesitant about reading this series, there hasn’t been a better time then now to start, especially since Yen Press rescued the license from ADV Manga last year. Take a walk through Yotsuba’s crazy world and you won’t regret it. Just don’t forget the series’ unofficial motto: enjoy everything.
There is only one constant thing that runs throughout each release of Yotsuba&! and that is fun. The manga is always fun to read and something odd yet interesting is always going on in the life of the young girl Yotsuba. Volume four is no less fun or funny than the previous volumes, and the fact that it has such a consistent quality running through its releases is by itself something to celebrate. A humor series that is always funny, every time? Sign me up.
The center of the series, the one that makes it, is Yotsuba – naturally. She is the adorable precocious adopted child of her oddball translator father, and it is clear that his oddities continue to rub off on her even as he tries to teach her valuable life lessons for growing up. Her wide-eyed views on life are pretty weird and usually wrong (“spring doesn’t come after summer?”), but that’s okay. The rest of the cast is always around to teach her what’s what. Yotsuba is still learning about the world, and that is what makes what she says so darn interesting – and cute. Did I mention how cute she is? Cute in an oddly adorable clueless way not a terribly saccharine way – and it helps that she has that great green hair with the four clover-like tails.
One of the great things about Yotsuba&! is that there is no real plot, nothing that really connects the chapters together – and this in no way detracts from the quality of the manga. The series is the mundanity of real life brought to life through the images on each page, and the artwork keeps the focus on the simple moments between the characters. It is pretty much the Seinfeld of manga, like Lucky Star without all the blatant pandering to otaku – and that is what makes it so bloody brilliant. Azuma is clearly working from a fountain of inspiration, and from the looks of it, Yotsuba&! shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. If you’ve been hesitant about reading this series, there hasn’t been a better time then now to start, especially since Yen Press rescued the license from ADV Manga last year. Take a walk through Yotsuba’s crazy world and you won’t regret it. Just don’t forget the series’ unofficial motto: enjoy everything.
swankyswank's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
anneloca's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
erictb's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
thisisstephenbetts's review against another edition
4.0
Very nice. Is this the one with Tsuku Tsuku Boushi (a type of cicada that comes out at the end of Summer)? That section, with Yotsuba's confusion over what the Tsuku Tsuku Boushi actually, and the subsequent incomprehension of all around her, is very nicely handled.
chloebaboey's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming
niquila's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
chamomiledaydreams's review against another edition
4.0
I continue to find this series very sweet and enjoyable! There's not much to say about this volume in particular, except that I like the way that the seasons are progressing and the end of summer is approaching, providing a recurring theme for each chapter. Beyond that, same old, same old; but since the norm/baseline for this series is so good, the same old, same old is perfect for me!