Azumanga-Daioh (2000)

[あずまんが大王]

Volume 1

Author/Artist: Kiyohiko Azuma
Publisher: Dengeki Comics

Synopsis:
The hijinx and misadventures of a group of high school students, including a ten-year-old prodigy.

Story/Characters:
I really enjoyed the anime version of Azumanga-Daioh and I've been collecting Yotsuba&!, so I was looking forward to the opportunity to read the original manga. Everything that was appealing about the adaptation holds true. The characters are very colorful with plenty of amusing quirks that mesh in fun ways. It's all very light-hearted, which is a nice change of pace from harsher and edgier works. I'll just start repeating myself saying how fun it is to read, so consider this my endorsement.

Art:
Azuma's style is simple but appealing. His work looks a little less polished here than in Yotsuba&! but still quite good.

Conclusion:
Azuma has an amazing talent for charming slice of life and appealing characters. It's impressive how he can spin a continuity in a largely 4-koma format. If you want a light, enjoyable read, I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Own It