[Manga] Yotsuba is invincible. "WAKAPPA!"

I was shocked to discover how many people, despite coeccias', Saka's and my best efforts, are still unaware of the greatness of Yotsuba. Let the awareness spread!

Yotsuba&! (or "Yotsuba to!" or "Yotsuba and!") is the latest manga from Azumanga Daioh creator Kiyohiko Azuma. It's the story of a little five year old girl, Yotsuba Koiwai, who moves to a new house with her father at the start of the series. We then follow Yotsuba as she explores the world around her, meets people and wonderfully funny hijinx follow. Each chapter is aptly named and connects with the "Yotsuba and!" theme of the title ("Chapter 5: Yotsuba & shopping", "Chapter 7: Yotsuba & the storm" etc).

Besides Yotsuba, other important characters are Yotsuba's father (we never hear his first name), Jumbo, a close friend of the two, and the Ayase family, who live next door to them, mainly the three sisters Asagi, Fuuka and Ena.

Where Azumanga Daioh was mostly 4-panel strips, Yotsuba is laid out like a typical manga, but both are in the warm, relaxing slice of life style of manga. Azuma let's us view the world through the eyes of Yotsuba, through the eyes of a five year old. Everything is new, everything is exciting, everything is something to enjoy and to learn about.

Yotsuba's energetic and always curious personality could have turned out annoying in other series, but it's the honest enthusiasm and love for life, that makes the series so wonderfully irresistible. Yotsuba's humor has slapstick and visual gags, but the best laughs come from the subtle and amazingly perceptive observations of everyday life and things people tend to take for granted. There is so much wisdom and love, you'd need to be a completely heartless dullard to not love it.

Yotsuba began serializing in the magazine Dengeki Daioh in 2003, while the characters first made their appearance in Try Try Try!, a short one shot manga. The characters' appearances were changed a little for the manga proper, but the personalities were set in even back then, and the chapter is worth reading just to see how similar and how different everything is.

The manga was licensed by ADV in 2004. The fifth collected volume came out in Japan just recently, while ADV has released three translated volumes so far. I've not found confirmation for it, but the continuation of translated volumes seems pretty unclear, severely delayed if nothing else. ADV has confirmed they're still releasing Yotsuba. Volume 4 is set to come out at the start of 2007. Momotato Daioh has been translating chapters way before the series got licensed, and has been continuing to put out chapters every now and then, probably because of the way ADV has handled things. 43 chapters have been translated so far.

Even though there isn't an anime adaption yet (we can only hope), an adorable image album "A Cute Symphony for One Fun Day" has been released for the series, composed by Masaki Kurihara of Azumanga Daioh fame, and is essential, highly recommended listening for Yotsuba reading~

While I'm a huge Nausicaä and Maison Ikkoku fan, Yotsuba could well be the greatest comic in the world.
It's funny, cute, warm, witty and makes you smile unlike anything. There is a wide range of humor and jokes, brilliant insight into regular, everyday life, beautiful art and attention to detail and character nuances. It's not huge on action, drama or character development, but the series shows how it doesn't really need them that much (and both are in there).
The world will be a better place when everyone is reading Yotsuba, so spread the word, everyone! =D


EDIT:

Updated links~

Red = new!

Links:

Kiyohiko Azuma's personal homepage (worth checking out for the new drawings that appear every now and then)
Dengeki Daioh's website
Momotato Daioh's Yotsuba section
Chapters 1-26 + TryTryTry! - Moon was kind enough to host all the chapters I had, in an effort to get Spatula to read it~
Chapters 27-32 - Chapters 27 to 32 hosted on rapidshare.
Chapters 33-36 - Chapters 33 to 36 hosted on rapidshare.
Chapters 37-38 - Chapters 37 to 38 hosted on rapidshare.
Chapter 39 - Chapter 39 hosted on rapidshare.
Chapter 40 - Chapter 40 courtesy of 4chan.biz
Chapter 41 - Chapter 41 courtesy of 4chan.biz
Chapter 42 - Chapter 42 courtesy of 4chan.biz
Chapter 43 - Chapter 43 courtesy of 4chan.biz
Chapter 44 - Chapter 44 courtesy of 4chan.biz
Chapter 45 - Chapter 45 courtesy of 4chan.biz
Chapter 46 - Chapter 46 courtesy of 4chan.biz
Chapter 47 - Chapter 47 courtesy of 4chan.biz

Temporary Rapidshare/megaupload links for chapter 46:
http://rapidshare.com/files/32997047...ected.rar.html
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HH41ZJJ4


If some of the rapidshares are expired, all chapters are available from 4chan.biz

TryTryTry! Webcomics - Separate from the TryTryTry! oneshot that's included in the 1-26 archive, this is another short story and a few 4-panel gag strips of Yotsuba and crew before they became a proper manga.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Yotsuba& makes me smile inside. That is rare.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

^ Proof finns have better taste.

Yotsuba is awesome.
When I first started reading this few years ago, it made me laugh till I cried. I read Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (another awesome manga) at the same time and was all "=D/;_;/=o" all week.
Simply a must read.

What are you still doing here? Go find it ffs! >=0

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Oh snap, another super awesome manga, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, being mentioned in this thread about a super awesome manga! Finns do have good taste. Or at least Boo does.

Yotsuba is <3



I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I'm a half-finn, and I like Yotsuba, so there's further evidence.

How is the translation in the ADV volumes? I didn't want to get their Azumanga release because they went overboard with their localisation/adaptation.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I <3 Yotsuba&!

Spoiler:

Click for wallpaper~

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Pyocola

How is the translation in the ADV volumes? I didn't want to get their Azumanga release because they went overboard with their localisation/adaptation.

They've done a pretty good job so far.
They changed Pantsman to Boxerman, and the Honyakuka - Konnyakuya gag naturally doesn't work as well in english (although their effort wasn't too bad, Translator - Train spotter), but those are the only complaints I've had.

Yotsuba in book form is good enough reason for purchase anyway~

FELIPE NO

Fine I'll download >=O

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Many thanks to Moon and Qwarky for supplying this. I was tracking the conversations in the journals over this series, and I was having trouble figuring out how to obtain it. I definitely look forward to reading "Yotsuba to."

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I suppose I'll check this out. I've seen her here and there but I never got a chance to actually know what the 4chan girl was about. Same thing with Azumanga Daioh, but I know a little more about that show, no biggie.

Downloading now.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I'm an old Yotsuba& fan ;d

DONMAI! ;D

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I loved it when the colored picture with yotsuba weeping over the air conditioner issue roamed around on the internet. Everyone was like "OMG, there's an anime now!111". Too bad there isn't one, I'd definately start following it.

I'm really enjoying the manga so far. Volume three arrived around a week ago, and I've already read through it a few times . Is there any news on how many volumes this series will cover?

Spoiler:

I love the revenge chapter xD

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Everyone loves the revenge chapter. I personally love the Flower Cupid chapter above all else~

Also the series is still going in Japan, so who knows. I'm assuming it's still pretty popular and Azuma seems to enjoy doing it, so hopefully no end in sight as of yet.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I READ THIS BEFORE Q DID. I AM SUPELIOL!

I need to find the scans of the earlier chapters.

I have them, I just misplaced them.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Quote:

Many thanks to Moon and Qwarky for supplying this

God I had to go through hoops to get this, and in the end Moon was nice enough to post it in my journal. Thanks again moon. I'm going to finish up Azu D first then look forward to this with GREAT ZEST.

FELIPE NO

Miniface's wallpaper is hilarious, and I am looking forward to reading the rar.

First manga ever for me, whee ~

Most amazing jew boots

WIN.

How ya doing, buddy?

I'm excited to read this! I'm downloading it now, and I <3 Miniface's wallpaper. Thanks, everyone!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

SUPREME VICTORY

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Another winner. This deserves an internet.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

This manga really exemplifies the 'less is more' attitude. No matter how many times I read through any particular chapter, I still laugh and smile at the antics of this uninhibited little girl. I think my Yotsubato-getting journal entries were all lost, so in order to spread the goodness that is Yotsubato, I am changing my avatar/signature back to one of my favorite themes.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Thank you so much for linking to the scans! I literally screamed GTFO! when I saw the link for this at the bottom of the first post.
I had been on the fence about this for a very long time seeing as how manga is always expensive, and I couldn't think of how they would top Azu Dai in terms of humour. If the rest of the manga is anywhere near as funny as that page shown above where she's holding the gun: "save your excuses for the devil!", then I'm set

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

It's one of the best manga I have read thus far. It also contains the type of plain, yet absurd humor I enjoy most.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by DarthSavior

WIN.

wait! I thought she said "I'll see you in hell!".
I haven't read the ADV version yet.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Wow. It's been about 48 hours, and already 62 people have downloaded the file. This apprently is a rather popular manga (and rightfully so, because it is a very entertaining read).

Jam it back in, in the dark.