Yotsuba&! Review

Yotsuba&! Volume 1 cover, featuring none other than Yotsuba herself.

"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood." ~Mr. Rogers

SYNOPSIS

Pizza is awesome.

Meet Yotsuba - a 5 year old girl with green hair, green eyes, and a radiant fervor for adventure and discovery unlike any other. Fascinated by the most lackluster of findings, she loves to explore the world around her and impress her father. She's recently moved into a brand new neighborhood, and begins walking around town, taking everything in, without telling her father, of course. She meets the neighbors, Ena, Fuuka, and Asagi (all sisters), before finally being brought back home, only to learn that she's here to stay. Yotsuba&! (pronounced Yotsubato) follows Yotsuba through her daily misadventures and antics.

"Alright... even if I die, I'll come back alive." ~Yotsuba Koiwai

DESCRIPTION

Note: I've never done a manga review before (hell I haven't read much manga before now), so this'll be a bit of a new experience to me.

Ahh, Yotsuba. Such a charming manga from the first page to the last. There isn't much of a "story" to it as it's slice-of-life. Nevertheless, I found Yotsuba&! to be an enjoyable read. Yotsuba is always causing ruckus, creating misunderstandings, and just being a kid. She, herself, is the key to the very appeal and success of the manga. It becomes evident that, while the rest of the cast has its quirks, Yotsuba is still the star of the show. To put it in perspective, it makes other characters seem like their reason to exist is for a five-year old; they are almost like objects which react to all of her actions. Some part of me wishes they could function well in the absence of her presence, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. Good thing Yotsuba is around most of the time or the rest of the cast might be at risk of being forgetful.

She doesn't like Yanda much.

It does well as a comedy. Most chapters made me release a hearty kek. There is a nice lightheartedness to the whole thing that brings it together. This creates the "charm" of Yotsuba&!, which is a large asset of the manga. The high reliance of familiar character relationships assists in creating a cast of characters we come to know and love. Fuuka become "Ms. Average," Asagi is shown to be a mischievous model, Ena an environmentally concerned child, and Yotsuba's father as someone who may not be the best parent, but still loves his daughter.

"It's the switch that makes people come out!" ~Yotsuba, after spotting a doorbell

Art is pretty well done (certainly better than anything I can do). The backgrounds are particularly notable for their realistic look. Yotsuba certainly stands apart from the rest of the characters with her 4 short-tailed hair and unique face. The rest are fairly average in appearance, which works just fine for a manga of this nature.

OVERVIEW

There's really not much to dislike when it comes to Yotsuba&! There were plenty of laughs to be had, and this manga was incredibly hard to drop. The entertainment value is top notch, and that's what really counts. It's no surprise that 4chan has adopted her as their mascot; she resembles the childlike demeanor of the site and its inhabitants. Here's to waiting for the next chapter.

Narrative: (N/A)
Characters: 7.60/10 (x2)
Aesthetics: 8.00/10 (x2)
Execution: 9.50/10 (x3)
Value: 8.80/10 (x3)

Composite: 8.61/10 (93.05% A) -- "As always, today is the best day."

Couldn't have said it better myself.