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あずまんが大王 [Azumanga Daioh] #1-4
Azumanga Daioh: The Omnibus
High school: a time of friends, memories... and biting cats? Leering teachers? And is that penguin carrying a tray?!
Welcome to Azumanga Daioh, the acclaimed story from writer/illustrator Kiyohiko Azuma about the humor and wonder of high school life. Join the ten-year-old genius Chiyo-chan, spaced-out Osaka, over-the-top Tomo, soft-spoken Sakaki, hair-trigger Yomi and brash Kagura as they fumble their way toward graduation and the future, collected here for the first time in a single volume.
Welcome to Azumanga Daioh, the acclaimed story from writer/illustrator Kiyohiko Azuma about the humor and wonder of high school life. Join the ten-year-old genius Chiyo-chan, spaced-out Osaka, over-the-top Tomo, soft-spoken Sakaki, hair-trigger Yomi and brash Kagura as they fumble their way toward graduation and the future, collected here for the first time in a single volume.
686 pages, Paperback
First published November 21, 2007
115 people are currently reading
855 people want to read
About the author
Kiyohiko Azuma
55 books590 followersKiyohiko Azuma (東清彦 or あずまきよひこ Azuma Kiyohiko) is a Japanese manga author and artist. His most well-known work is Azumanga Daioh. His current series is Yotsuba&!, which is serialized monthly in Dengeki Daioh magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
August 17, 2022
An enjoyable contemporary slice-of-life manga although this was my first 4-koma manga and I didn't love the format
January 2, 2017
Remember the first time you ever ate an unfamiliar food that's since become a dietary staple? - for instance, in my case, sushi, pad Thai, or good authentic hummus or guacamole? Well, that's kind of how I feel having "discovered" manga: that "how can this have been in existence all that time without my having known it!" feeling. That "why, this is unlike anything else!" feeling.
This Azumanga Daioh 4-in-1 omnibus is a 750+-page volume that's thicker than a brick - sort of an Infinite Jest of manga. Thus, it's perhaps not the best for sickbed reading, as I did, hoisting it aloft with my trembling ailing wrists, but its sheer substance would make for a wonderful gift presentation! The omnibus format is also recommended because this manga series, like a couple good chipotle peppers packed in adobo, is characterized by a pleasantly cumulative warming-up effect. AD tells the story of a group of girlfriends (and their not-much-older but occasionally far more immature and messed-up teachers) traveling through their four years of high school in Tokyo. That is to say, the overall effect of accompanying the group on their scholastic journey, revisiting up to four times the significant annual happenings of their school year (various festivals, exam periods, sports events, school competitions, vacations and field trips), is greater than the sum of its parts.
However, this educative value runs very secondary to AD's primary goal of often quite "random" humor, as many reviewers have described. Make no mistake that this is far, far more goofy, Saved By the Bell-type stuff than the pseudo-gravity of 90210. Another reviewer compared it to Charles Schulz's classic comic Peanuts, and though this wouldn't have occurred to me, I agree: AD sorta resembles Peanuts in both style and tone. Stylistically, AD uses very short, four-panel comics that sometimes stand completely alone as anecdotes and sometimes link into longer stories or revisit and riff on recurring themes. (For instance, think about how Peanuts comics periodically return to stories like Charlie Brown attempting to kick the football, or Lucy endeavoring to distract/woo Schroeder at his piano). Likewise, both Peanuts and AD use very stripped-down line drawings to great emotionally expressive effect. (In this regard, manga are amazing, like emojis on steroids.)
Tonally, AD has a little bit of the philosophical and occasionally slightly dark undercurrent of Peanuts while remaining superficially light and entertaining: the sort of humor that flies under the radar of kids but that would be detected by adults, a type of intergenerational virtuosity that we take for granted today and that I think Schulz kind of pioneered. (I DO want to be clear that although quite wholesome - especially for manga - AD is still more mature/sophisticated in content than Peanuts; preview first if you're thinking of giving it to any preteen readers).
Also similarly to Peanuts, AD features a core cast of characters with specific defining personality traits, among whom you'll likely choose a favorite or two. For me, one favorite is Chiyo, a grade-skipping child genius who is aged just ten at the start of the series and who becomes equal parts mentee/pet, mentor, and peer of the group. Chiyo is ambitious, curious, smart, and kind, a peacekeeping and group-uniting "Linus"-type character, and also like a Charles Schulz character, avoids the sentimentality or annoying precociousness that would have been such an easy misstep.
My other favorite is the stoic Sakaki, described in the comic as the "strong, silent type" - a kind of Amazon with whom all the students are a bit infatuated. Tall, athletic, determined, and intelligent, Sakaki is refreshing because she's not portrayed as the "popular girl" or "mean girl" stereotype to which she could be reduced: she's aloof but not cold, just quiet, serious, and shunning of the spotlight. One of my favorite recurring gags is that the ostensibly unemotional Sakaki has a seemingly unlikely secret soft spot for animals, whether cuddly plush toys or actual pets, and pursues furry cuteness clandestinely and with warriorlike determination only to be thwarted repeatedly and in creative ways. She's particularly obsessed with felines, from the snuggly fictional toy Neco Coneco ("cat kitten") to the many feral kitties of her neighborhood streets, but unfortunately seems to have a built-in cat antagonizer/repeller (think of the bunny scene in Monty Python). She does eventually achieve several notable victories in bonding with some fluffy friends, and these make for great storylines.
Like all the manga I'm reading, I found this on a list of "feminist manga" (maybe in The Mary Sue, a great web source for comic info). And boy, does AD ever pass the Bechdel test. It's a group of high school girls who care about one another, their personal passions and interests, and their recreational and school endeavors, with really no major attention given to romance and dating. Lumberjanes is perhaps the closest contemporary American comic counterpart I can think of.
One final caveat: Do not skip the notes at the end of each volume, which explain cultural references as well as translation choices. From the notes, it seemed very clear to me that translating this manga involved deft science and artistry, figuring out a way to convey meanings not only of frequent popular and/or cultural references, but also of puns, malapropisms, homonyms, untranslatable words, and differences between regional dialects. Think of translating the deep wells of linguistic and cultural material tapped in cutaway humor references that appear in shows like Family Guy or The Simpsons (or the puns on Springfield's storefront signs).
Azumanga Daioh is one of my favorite manga so far and one I'd most likely recommend to curious readers, but even if you're not keen on reading it, consider this my attempt to capture some of the general uniqueness that generally makes manga so interesting!
This Azumanga Daioh 4-in-1 omnibus is a 750+-page volume that's thicker than a brick - sort of an Infinite Jest of manga. Thus, it's perhaps not the best for sickbed reading, as I did, hoisting it aloft with my trembling ailing wrists, but its sheer substance would make for a wonderful gift presentation! The omnibus format is also recommended because this manga series, like a couple good chipotle peppers packed in adobo, is characterized by a pleasantly cumulative warming-up effect. AD tells the story of a group of girlfriends (and their not-much-older but occasionally far more immature and messed-up teachers) traveling through their four years of high school in Tokyo. That is to say, the overall effect of accompanying the group on their scholastic journey, revisiting up to four times the significant annual happenings of their school year (various festivals, exam periods, sports events, school competitions, vacations and field trips), is greater than the sum of its parts.
However, this educative value runs very secondary to AD's primary goal of often quite "random" humor, as many reviewers have described. Make no mistake that this is far, far more goofy, Saved By the Bell-type stuff than the pseudo-gravity of 90210. Another reviewer compared it to Charles Schulz's classic comic Peanuts, and though this wouldn't have occurred to me, I agree: AD sorta resembles Peanuts in both style and tone. Stylistically, AD uses very short, four-panel comics that sometimes stand completely alone as anecdotes and sometimes link into longer stories or revisit and riff on recurring themes. (For instance, think about how Peanuts comics periodically return to stories like Charlie Brown attempting to kick the football, or Lucy endeavoring to distract/woo Schroeder at his piano). Likewise, both Peanuts and AD use very stripped-down line drawings to great emotionally expressive effect. (In this regard, manga are amazing, like emojis on steroids.)
Tonally, AD has a little bit of the philosophical and occasionally slightly dark undercurrent of Peanuts while remaining superficially light and entertaining: the sort of humor that flies under the radar of kids but that would be detected by adults, a type of intergenerational virtuosity that we take for granted today and that I think Schulz kind of pioneered. (I DO want to be clear that although quite wholesome - especially for manga - AD is still more mature/sophisticated in content than Peanuts; preview first if you're thinking of giving it to any preteen readers).
Also similarly to Peanuts, AD features a core cast of characters with specific defining personality traits, among whom you'll likely choose a favorite or two. For me, one favorite is Chiyo, a grade-skipping child genius who is aged just ten at the start of the series and who becomes equal parts mentee/pet, mentor, and peer of the group. Chiyo is ambitious, curious, smart, and kind, a peacekeeping and group-uniting "Linus"-type character, and also like a Charles Schulz character, avoids the sentimentality or annoying precociousness that would have been such an easy misstep.
My other favorite is the stoic Sakaki, described in the comic as the "strong, silent type" - a kind of Amazon with whom all the students are a bit infatuated. Tall, athletic, determined, and intelligent, Sakaki is refreshing because she's not portrayed as the "popular girl" or "mean girl" stereotype to which she could be reduced: she's aloof but not cold, just quiet, serious, and shunning of the spotlight. One of my favorite recurring gags is that the ostensibly unemotional Sakaki has a seemingly unlikely secret soft spot for animals, whether cuddly plush toys or actual pets, and pursues furry cuteness clandestinely and with warriorlike determination only to be thwarted repeatedly and in creative ways. She's particularly obsessed with felines, from the snuggly fictional toy Neco Coneco ("cat kitten") to the many feral kitties of her neighborhood streets, but unfortunately seems to have a built-in cat antagonizer/repeller (think of the bunny scene in Monty Python). She does eventually achieve several notable victories in bonding with some fluffy friends, and these make for great storylines.
Like all the manga I'm reading, I found this on a list of "feminist manga" (maybe in The Mary Sue, a great web source for comic info). And boy, does AD ever pass the Bechdel test. It's a group of high school girls who care about one another, their personal passions and interests, and their recreational and school endeavors, with really no major attention given to romance and dating. Lumberjanes is perhaps the closest contemporary American comic counterpart I can think of.
One final caveat: Do not skip the notes at the end of each volume, which explain cultural references as well as translation choices. From the notes, it seemed very clear to me that translating this manga involved deft science and artistry, figuring out a way to convey meanings not only of frequent popular and/or cultural references, but also of puns, malapropisms, homonyms, untranslatable words, and differences between regional dialects. Think of translating the deep wells of linguistic and cultural material tapped in cutaway humor references that appear in shows like Family Guy or The Simpsons (or the puns on Springfield's storefront signs).
Azumanga Daioh is one of my favorite manga so far and one I'd most likely recommend to curious readers, but even if you're not keen on reading it, consider this my attempt to capture some of the general uniqueness that generally makes manga so interesting!
September 20, 2019
“Azumanga Daioh” is not deep, thought provoking, or complex. However it challenges the reader in the best way possible. It challenges them not to laugh till they cry.
“Azumanga Daioh” is about friendship, growing up, and living with a “all cats bite me” disability. The jokes come fast, loud, and often in this 4-panel compendium work. It is not subtle but it is all the merrier for it. The format helps this rush of gut-busters. Most of the gags are a few panels in a small story that leads up to a punch line. This keeps the pace brisk and even though some of the jokes don’t land, another one is always only moments away.
The characters are the heart amid the insanity. Though none of them are too layered and most of the backstory we get are asides and inferences, they are a blast to follow. The enjoyment is in their personalities and the wonderful hi-jinks they get each other into. Whether its surviving a teacher’s spectacularly bad driving or the warfare of “field day” how the characters interact in the ever-change landscape of high school is endearing and nostalgic. Some of the characters can be annoying, but they are balanced out by the other characters who either act as foils to them or show just how ridiculous they are. This manga is a prime example of using a cast of personalities to its fullest.
The art is also well-done. The jokes land because of Kiyohiko Azuma's excellent use of physical comedy and framing. The characters fly off the panels, their kinetic energy and personalities apparent in every line. The reactions are the right amount on the over-the-top scale and the art changes from complex to simple erratically but is expressive in all the right places. Azuma is a master of knowing how far to go and how best to display a joke.
This manga is not without its inconsistencies. Like those old Garfield cartoons, the main draw is following the characters over time. The author creates the illusion that the characters are real, no matter how absurd they act. That means that occasionally, for the sake of a gag, we don't get to follow them on. After some punchlines, you might be left wondering what happens next. There are no distracting subplots and the action is contained to a limited area, but like stage plays, the props and repeated scenery are used well.
It is always about surviving high school and the craziness of certain friendships. This is obviously aimed at fans of lighthearted comedy of the teenage variety. But I hope readers will keep an open mind and remember that doom and gloom are not the only intellectually stimulating literary ingredients. I enjoy artists and writers who know how to take simple situations and find the heart and beauty in them. Grounding this over-the-top comedy is a sense of reality we can all relate to.
“Azumanag Diaoh” is not an existential work of genius, but it doesn’t have to be. Its only concern is entertainment and at this it succeeds. It is a safe avenue for those unfamiliar with manga tropes. While it has many of the usual Japanese comic quirks, the more esoteric references one might find in other titles are largely absent. Anyone interested in physical comedy, comic strips like Calvin and Hobbs and those wishing to refresh their brain after something difficult will find joy between these pages. Then they will split their seams like a teddy bear being hugged too tightly.
Interestingly, Azuma is still writing a subtle, hauntingly beautiful work in the same vein called Yotsuba! (14 volumes). The level of sophistication is still low but the characters are masterful. A must-read if you enjoyed this.
“Azumanga Daioh” is about friendship, growing up, and living with a “all cats bite me” disability. The jokes come fast, loud, and often in this 4-panel compendium work. It is not subtle but it is all the merrier for it. The format helps this rush of gut-busters. Most of the gags are a few panels in a small story that leads up to a punch line. This keeps the pace brisk and even though some of the jokes don’t land, another one is always only moments away.
The characters are the heart amid the insanity. Though none of them are too layered and most of the backstory we get are asides and inferences, they are a blast to follow. The enjoyment is in their personalities and the wonderful hi-jinks they get each other into. Whether its surviving a teacher’s spectacularly bad driving or the warfare of “field day” how the characters interact in the ever-change landscape of high school is endearing and nostalgic. Some of the characters can be annoying, but they are balanced out by the other characters who either act as foils to them or show just how ridiculous they are. This manga is a prime example of using a cast of personalities to its fullest.
The art is also well-done. The jokes land because of Kiyohiko Azuma's excellent use of physical comedy and framing. The characters fly off the panels, their kinetic energy and personalities apparent in every line. The reactions are the right amount on the over-the-top scale and the art changes from complex to simple erratically but is expressive in all the right places. Azuma is a master of knowing how far to go and how best to display a joke.
This manga is not without its inconsistencies. Like those old Garfield cartoons, the main draw is following the characters over time. The author creates the illusion that the characters are real, no matter how absurd they act. That means that occasionally, for the sake of a gag, we don't get to follow them on. After some punchlines, you might be left wondering what happens next. There are no distracting subplots and the action is contained to a limited area, but like stage plays, the props and repeated scenery are used well.
It is always about surviving high school and the craziness of certain friendships. This is obviously aimed at fans of lighthearted comedy of the teenage variety. But I hope readers will keep an open mind and remember that doom and gloom are not the only intellectually stimulating literary ingredients. I enjoy artists and writers who know how to take simple situations and find the heart and beauty in them. Grounding this over-the-top comedy is a sense of reality we can all relate to.
“Azumanag Diaoh” is not an existential work of genius, but it doesn’t have to be. Its only concern is entertainment and at this it succeeds. It is a safe avenue for those unfamiliar with manga tropes. While it has many of the usual Japanese comic quirks, the more esoteric references one might find in other titles are largely absent. Anyone interested in physical comedy, comic strips like Calvin and Hobbs and those wishing to refresh their brain after something difficult will find joy between these pages. Then they will split their seams like a teddy bear being hugged too tightly.
Interestingly, Azuma is still writing a subtle, hauntingly beautiful work in the same vein called Yotsuba! (14 volumes). The level of sophistication is still low but the characters are masterful. A must-read if you enjoyed this.
April 21, 2011
A collection of all four Azumanga books, it's a perfect accessory on a day of relaxation and fun. Besides the fact that I'm terrified that I'll rip the binding because the book is so thick, there is nothing I regret about this purchase! I've fallen in love with every character and of course I cried at the end when they all graduated. That joke about turning water into ice will stick with me forever. Thank you Azumanga Daioh, for making my days so full of joy.
November 25, 2020
Wonderful to reread this book and have a good laugh
December 31, 2015
Quite fun, but not always funny, this "slice of life" series was entertaining, and at times even educational (thats to the Translation Notes), to a foreigner like myself.
I adored Chiyo and Sakaki the most. I loved their kind spirits, positive attitudes, and caring hearts.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are Tomo and the girls' teacher Yukari Tanizaki! I really could not stand these ladies. Rude, obnoxious, selfish and at times just down right mean, they became the two I loved to hate, especially Tomo!
I pitied "Osaka" but I liked her as well. She is the perfect example for the southern saying "Bless her heart", although she probably wouldn't understand why. I was annoyed, however, that they chose to give her a stereotypical "Southern Accent" to distinguish her Osakan dialect from the others.
Kagura and Kaori were fun and interesting additions to the group, while "Yomi" seemed to be a great foil for them all, possessing an ideal mix of sweet & sour.
I adored Chiyo and Sakaki the most. I loved their kind spirits, positive attitudes, and caring hearts.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are Tomo and the girls' teacher Yukari Tanizaki! I really could not stand these ladies. Rude, obnoxious, selfish and at times just down right mean, they became the two I loved to hate, especially Tomo!
I pitied "Osaka" but I liked her as well. She is the perfect example for the southern saying "Bless her heart", although she probably wouldn't understand why. I was annoyed, however, that they chose to give her a stereotypical "Southern Accent" to distinguish her Osakan dialect from the others.
Kagura and Kaori were fun and interesting additions to the group, while "Yomi" seemed to be a great foil for them all, possessing an ideal mix of sweet & sour.
January 2, 2016
I think of Azumanga Daioh as the Japanese Peanuts. It's about a group of students, each with one defining character trait, living their lives without much help from adults. It is laugh-out-loud funny, but doesn't shy away from the cruelty and confusion of childhood.
You can finish the series in a single day, but by the time you finish, you might feel as though you've been reading it for years. The characters find themselves in the same situations over and over again, and this gives the comic a timeless feel. Sakaki will successfully pet a cat as soon as Charlie Brown kicks the football. Osaka's bizarre ideas are about as helpful as Lucy's psychiatric advice. Chiyo has the same incorruptible spirit as Linus. And Kiyohiko Azuma has the good-humored wisdom of Charles Schultz in his prime.
You can finish the series in a single day, but by the time you finish, you might feel as though you've been reading it for years. The characters find themselves in the same situations over and over again, and this gives the comic a timeless feel. Sakaki will successfully pet a cat as soon as Charlie Brown kicks the football. Osaka's bizarre ideas are about as helpful as Lucy's psychiatric advice. Chiyo has the same incorruptible spirit as Linus. And Kiyohiko Azuma has the good-humored wisdom of Charles Schultz in his prime.
August 13, 2011
Last summer my husband started watching the Azumanga Daioh anime about a group of girls going through high school. The anime was an instant hit with both children. In fact it was our daughter who spotted the Azumanga Daioh Omnibus by Kiyohiko Azuma and insisted that Ian buy it.
This manga is a panel comic, more similar to the traditional North American comic strips. As it has a plot that changes over time, it's most like For Better or Worse. The Omnibus covers all four books, one book for each year of high school.
The youngest girl, the extremely gifted Chiyo-Chan, is elementary school aged but has been bumped to high school. She is by far our favorite character in the series. Along with the developing friendships, there is an on going rivalry between the English teacher and PE coach. There is tall Sakaki who wants nothing more than to befriend a neighborhood cat. Then there is a transfer student who is almost immediately nicknamed for her place of origin, Osaka. To show her distinct accent, she's given sort of a southern drawl in the translation (both the omnibus and anime).
Although the book is huge it's a quick read. The four panel format plays for gags and sometimes physical humor. It took me two days to read the book but I probably could have done it in one setting.
This manga is a panel comic, more similar to the traditional North American comic strips. As it has a plot that changes over time, it's most like For Better or Worse. The Omnibus covers all four books, one book for each year of high school.
The youngest girl, the extremely gifted Chiyo-Chan, is elementary school aged but has been bumped to high school. She is by far our favorite character in the series. Along with the developing friendships, there is an on going rivalry between the English teacher and PE coach. There is tall Sakaki who wants nothing more than to befriend a neighborhood cat. Then there is a transfer student who is almost immediately nicknamed for her place of origin, Osaka. To show her distinct accent, she's given sort of a southern drawl in the translation (both the omnibus and anime).
Although the book is huge it's a quick read. The four panel format plays for gags and sometimes physical humor. It took me two days to read the book but I probably could have done it in one setting.
September 9, 2008
Magic, simply magic. Azumanga Daioh seeks to tap into an experience almost everyone has had: high school. Although many have tried to do the same across the entertainment spectrum, more often than not they fail in a glorious fashion. Azumanga Daioh not only succeeds, but it does so in a near flawless manner.
Following the exploits of a group of high school girls, each character brings a unique, sometimes bizarre, prespective to high school life. Set up in the style of newspaper comic strips, most comics are only 4 panels long, making it quick and easy to pick up for a fast smile. Considering the size (over 600 pages) this book, it will last you a long time.
From the spaced-out Osaka to the hyperactive Tomo, Azumanga Daioh's jokes, unlike many mangas, are never crude and are usually the result of playful observations about the world around. Think Seinfeld in high school. The teachers and mentors of the school are just as interesting as the students and provide more mature jokes to break up the light-hearted pacing.
If you want to live a miserable life and never smile again, stay away from this book. Otherwise, I can't recommend this book enough.
Following the exploits of a group of high school girls, each character brings a unique, sometimes bizarre, prespective to high school life. Set up in the style of newspaper comic strips, most comics are only 4 panels long, making it quick and easy to pick up for a fast smile. Considering the size (over 600 pages) this book, it will last you a long time.
From the spaced-out Osaka to the hyperactive Tomo, Azumanga Daioh's jokes, unlike many mangas, are never crude and are usually the result of playful observations about the world around. Think Seinfeld in high school. The teachers and mentors of the school are just as interesting as the students and provide more mature jokes to break up the light-hearted pacing.
If you want to live a miserable life and never smile again, stay away from this book. Otherwise, I can't recommend this book enough.
April 2, 2021
Only got about half way before had to return it to the library so this is for only half the series.
Saying that this is a super fun series. Broken into mostly 4 panel short stories that'll make you laugh, this is the story of a bunch of high school students and a crazy drunk teacher of theirs, and their life and tribulations. It is too funny at times, cute at others, and really weird even. Worth checking out if like slice of life comedy style comics. A 4 out of 5.
Saying that this is a super fun series. Broken into mostly 4 panel short stories that'll make you laugh, this is the story of a bunch of high school students and a crazy drunk teacher of theirs, and their life and tribulations. It is too funny at times, cute at others, and really weird even. Worth checking out if like slice of life comedy style comics. A 4 out of 5.
February 20, 2024
4,5⭐️. Très bon manga par l’auteur de Yotsuba&!, un ouvrage qui me fait du bien à l’âme. Ici, j’ai eu un sentiment similaire grâce à des personnages attachants et des gags bien réussi!
Une belle édition qui regroupe l’entièreté de l’oeuvre!
Une belle édition qui regroupe l’entièreté de l’oeuvre!
June 1, 2019
This was done unlike any manga I have previously read. I felt like I just picked up the Sunday paper and grabbed the comics section. It was even done in comic panels. There is no real story flow. Just the same characters in different situations. And it thrusts you in with no real intro to the characters. Very American comic strip feel and style. Not what I want in a manga. The art was decent but nothing special. Several of the characters acted and looked similar so it wasn't easy to figured whom was who for some of them. Simple story. You can read and volume at any page and never read a page prior to that and get whatever panel story it has for you.
February 17, 2026
A favorite since way back! A series I just have to reread every so often. Consistently funny and timeless. Often makes me laugh out loud, for real, not even euphemistically.
May 5, 2025
HOLY PEAK
January 8, 2017
I first read Azumanga Daioh back when it was released in four volumes by ADV Manga. Although I had fond memories of it, I probably wouldn’t have gotten Yen Press’s omnibus edition if I hadn’t spotted it in the midst of a “going out of business” sale shopping frenzy. Happily, it made for a really nice reread, even though the ending didn’t affect me quite as strongly this time around.
Azumanga Daioh is a comedy series consisting primarily of 4-panel comic strips. It doesn’t really have what I’d call a plot. Instead, it follows the high school years of several girls in the same class from beginning to end, as well as the daily lives of some of their teachers. A few of the characters:
- Sakaki: A cool-looking, quiet, and athletic girl who secretly loves animals and other cute things.
- Chiyo: An adorable and smart 10-year-old who skipped a few grades.
- Yomi: A girl who worries too much about her weight, but who also doesn’t let that stop her from eating the foods she loves.
- Tomo: An energetic and annoying girl who tends to do things without thinking them through first.
- Osaka: A transfer student who has a weird way of viewing the world and tends to live life at a slower pace than everyone else around her.
- Kaorin: A girl with a huge crush on Sakaki.
- Yukari: The class’s homeroom teacher. She’s so immature and lazy that it’s surprising she hasn’t been fired.
- Kurosawa (aka Nyamo): The physical education teacher, and Yukari’s best friend.
The strips deal with everything from lunch, to hay fever, to several students’ bizarre dreams. It’s pretty light-hearted and fluffy throughout, although there’s one male teacher who’s extremely creepy.
I enjoyed revisiting this series. The humor didn’t always work for me, but there were still lots of moments that made me laugh out loud. My absolute favorite character was Sakaki, who wanted to become a veterinarian and who dreamed of one day moving out of her parents’ house so that she could have a pet cat (her mom was allergic). Unfortunately, she seemed doomed to be hated by the animals she loved - every time she approached a cat it bit her. However, one of the nice things about this series was that the situations and jokes evolved. Sakaki encountered a couple animals that didn’t hate her, and one of the loveliest moments in the series involved Sakaki meeting (you just have to ignore a few things, like ).
My other favorite character was Chiyo. She was not only ridiculously cute, she was also a good friend and supportive classmate. It was via Chiyo that Sakaki got to meet the first animal that didn’t hate her. I also loved her various ways of wishing her classmates good luck during their college entrance exams.
Things occasionally got a little weird, what with the dreams about Chiyo’s pigtails and her “father” (a weird and kind of creepy cat thing), but I still loved most of it. The things I could have done without: Yomi’s constant worrying about her weight, the moments when Chiyo’s cat-thing “father” turned vaguely threatening, and creepy Kimura-sensei and his love for teen girls wearing gym shorts or swimsuits. I felt a little bad for Kaorin. Not only did she get separated from Sakaki later on in the series, she also ended up
Well, complaints aside, I enjoyed revisiting this series. There’s a warmth to it that just sort of creeps up on you. I particularly liked the very end, as everyone prepared to go their separate ways, and the sweet little “You belong” drawings.
Extras:
- Translation notes. These were located at the end of every volume in the omnibus. I really wish they had all been put at the end of the omnibus instead - I hated having to hunt for the right translation notes section, especially since the notes were pretty helpful.
- An index. I can’t imagine ever using this, since it’s only helpful if you remember the title of a particular strip.
- Full-color pages at the beginnings of each of the four volumes.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Azumanga Daioh is a comedy series consisting primarily of 4-panel comic strips. It doesn’t really have what I’d call a plot. Instead, it follows the high school years of several girls in the same class from beginning to end, as well as the daily lives of some of their teachers. A few of the characters:
- Sakaki: A cool-looking, quiet, and athletic girl who secretly loves animals and other cute things.
- Chiyo: An adorable and smart 10-year-old who skipped a few grades.
- Yomi: A girl who worries too much about her weight, but who also doesn’t let that stop her from eating the foods she loves.
- Tomo: An energetic and annoying girl who tends to do things without thinking them through first.
- Osaka: A transfer student who has a weird way of viewing the world and tends to live life at a slower pace than everyone else around her.
- Kaorin: A girl with a huge crush on Sakaki.
- Yukari: The class’s homeroom teacher. She’s so immature and lazy that it’s surprising she hasn’t been fired.
- Kurosawa (aka Nyamo): The physical education teacher, and Yukari’s best friend.
The strips deal with everything from lunch, to hay fever, to several students’ bizarre dreams. It’s pretty light-hearted and fluffy throughout, although there’s one male teacher who’s extremely creepy.
I enjoyed revisiting this series. The humor didn’t always work for me, but there were still lots of moments that made me laugh out loud. My absolute favorite character was Sakaki, who wanted to become a veterinarian and who dreamed of one day moving out of her parents’ house so that she could have a pet cat (her mom was allergic). Unfortunately, she seemed doomed to be hated by the animals she loved - every time she approached a cat it bit her. However, one of the nice things about this series was that the situations and jokes evolved. Sakaki encountered a couple animals that didn’t hate her, and one of the loveliest moments in the series involved Sakaki meeting (you just have to ignore a few things, like ).
My other favorite character was Chiyo. She was not only ridiculously cute, she was also a good friend and supportive classmate. It was via Chiyo that Sakaki got to meet the first animal that didn’t hate her. I also loved her various ways of wishing her classmates good luck during their college entrance exams.
Things occasionally got a little weird, what with the dreams about Chiyo’s pigtails and her “father” (a weird and kind of creepy cat thing), but I still loved most of it. The things I could have done without: Yomi’s constant worrying about her weight, the moments when Chiyo’s cat-thing “father” turned vaguely threatening, and creepy Kimura-sensei and his love for teen girls wearing gym shorts or swimsuits. I felt a little bad for Kaorin. Not only did she get separated from Sakaki later on in the series, she also ended up
Well, complaints aside, I enjoyed revisiting this series. There’s a warmth to it that just sort of creeps up on you. I particularly liked the very end, as everyone prepared to go their separate ways, and the sweet little “You belong” drawings.
Extras:
- Translation notes. These were located at the end of every volume in the omnibus. I really wish they had all been put at the end of the omnibus instead - I hated having to hunt for the right translation notes section, especially since the notes were pretty helpful.
- An index. I can’t imagine ever using this, since it’s only helpful if you remember the title of a particular strip.
- Full-color pages at the beginnings of each of the four volumes.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
October 30, 2010
If you love zany, madcap, & sometimes nonsensical humor, then this is the manga for you. If not, then you're better off looking elsewhere. The manga's delivery is in a day to day format, similar to a daily comic strip you'd find in the newspapers. In fact, that's pretty much how the manga was delivered in it's parent magazine, in one to two strip doses per magazine.
The manga surrounds a group of high school girls as they go through their day to day activities & social interactions. Most of the manga cliches are here, minus the romance. There's also the zany & strange, which also frequently pokes it's head into the series. Again, reading this all in one gulp isn't recommended. It's so strange & wierd at times that trying to read it all at once can get to be a bit of a chore! (I know, I tried.)
Overall, this big compilation is perfect for those who want to collect manga but are on a budget. The price is right, the manga is excellent, but... the layout of the book is somewhat wonky. This big brick of a book is a bit unwieldy to hold sometimes & makes me afraid for any future deterioration of the spine over time & future readings because of it's size. (Every time you open the book, the spine weakens. Over time the spine & glue will eventually break apart & pages will fall out. This is why so many large books have sewn in binding or remain in hardback.) Even so, it's still a deal at the price!
The manga surrounds a group of high school girls as they go through their day to day activities & social interactions. Most of the manga cliches are here, minus the romance. There's also the zany & strange, which also frequently pokes it's head into the series. Again, reading this all in one gulp isn't recommended. It's so strange & wierd at times that trying to read it all at once can get to be a bit of a chore! (I know, I tried.)
Overall, this big compilation is perfect for those who want to collect manga but are on a budget. The price is right, the manga is excellent, but... the layout of the book is somewhat wonky. This big brick of a book is a bit unwieldy to hold sometimes & makes me afraid for any future deterioration of the spine over time & future readings because of it's size. (Every time you open the book, the spine weakens. Over time the spine & glue will eventually break apart & pages will fall out. This is why so many large books have sewn in binding or remain in hardback.) Even so, it's still a deal at the price!
August 22, 2020
Azumanga Daioh is a manga compiled entirely of four-panel comic strips, and this collection brings together all four graphic novels in one whopping 675 page omnibus! That's right, there are over 1300 jokes, puns and one liners crammed into this gigantic compendium!
At first, I was concerned about this. I really wasn't sure that this format could hold my attention for 675 pages. Sure, I enjoyed the anime show immensely, but that did quite often break the rigid four-panel structure, whereas I knew the manga wouldn't. And because of that, somewhere in the back of my mind, I had an inkling that reading this collection would be more of a chore than an act of pleasure.
Thankfully, I was wrong.
Azumanga Daioh is truly amazing. It is by far the most enjoyable manga I have ever read. It conveys humour, story and some of the greatest characters ever put to paper, all within the confines of four measly panels. I don’t know how the author managed this, he must be an absolute genius. But however he achieved this colossal feat, I commend him on his work and thank him for introducing me to these wonderfully colourful students and their bat shit crazy teacher, Yukari-Sensei.
I love the class of Azumanga Daioh and always will. I just wish there was more to read.
WARNING:
This manga is very funny. If you live in shared accommodation, you WILL annoy your housemates with your continual loud laughter. Trust me... I know from first hand experience.
At first, I was concerned about this. I really wasn't sure that this format could hold my attention for 675 pages. Sure, I enjoyed the anime show immensely, but that did quite often break the rigid four-panel structure, whereas I knew the manga wouldn't. And because of that, somewhere in the back of my mind, I had an inkling that reading this collection would be more of a chore than an act of pleasure.
Thankfully, I was wrong.
Azumanga Daioh is truly amazing. It is by far the most enjoyable manga I have ever read. It conveys humour, story and some of the greatest characters ever put to paper, all within the confines of four measly panels. I don’t know how the author managed this, he must be an absolute genius. But however he achieved this colossal feat, I commend him on his work and thank him for introducing me to these wonderfully colourful students and their bat shit crazy teacher, Yukari-Sensei.
I love the class of Azumanga Daioh and always will. I just wish there was more to read.
WARNING:
This manga is very funny. If you live in shared accommodation, you WILL annoy your housemates with your continual loud laughter. Trust me... I know from first hand experience.
June 4, 2015
There are a lot of reasons to love this omnibus release of Azumanga Daioh. I originally watched the anime series and had always meant to read the original manga. Now that I have, I'm very glad I finally sat down and read through the whole thing. Plenty of reviews out there will talk about how great the book is, so I figured I'd focus on a few other things:
1. This is probably the most well-produced release of a manga title I've ever seen. There are translation notes and even an index. These are thoughtful details, and while some of the translation notes are a bit basic, that's ok, because the goal is to make this wonderful series available to anyone. I can't praise this enough.
2. There are really great full-color plates dividing the sections of the work. It's a nice touch and I'm glad they were able to do that. There's no cost-cutting here.
3. My one negative: I find it very, very annoying that Osaka's accent is translated into an American idiom, specifically a Southern accent. It didn't work for me at all and was disconcerting. I think there should've been some other way to do this so that her accent might have been different from other characters but was still more...Japanese. That Southern accent always jolted me out of the context in which the manga takes place.
1. This is probably the most well-produced release of a manga title I've ever seen. There are translation notes and even an index. These are thoughtful details, and while some of the translation notes are a bit basic, that's ok, because the goal is to make this wonderful series available to anyone. I can't praise this enough.
2. There are really great full-color plates dividing the sections of the work. It's a nice touch and I'm glad they were able to do that. There's no cost-cutting here.
3. My one negative: I find it very, very annoying that Osaka's accent is translated into an American idiom, specifically a Southern accent. It didn't work for me at all and was disconcerting. I think there should've been some other way to do this so that her accent might have been different from other characters but was still more...Japanese. That Southern accent always jolted me out of the context in which the manga takes place.
February 14, 2021
I love this series! I read it all when I was in high school ten years ago and I love it just as much now as I did then. Even though they were Japanese school girls and there were some fundamental differences between their culture and ours in South Eastern Louisiana, we could all relate to at least one of the girls--I was the Tomo of our friend group--and the antics they got into. Now that I'm an adult, I look back on it fondly and see the work (especially the very end of the last volume) as a tribute to good friends, good times, and nostalgia.
I just love this book. It's relatively clean humor, but not in a weird preachy way. It's a light-hearted slice of life story about friendship and growing up and it's one of the sweetest stories I've ever read. There's not much conflict in this series at all, but there doesn't need to be. You just get to sit back and experience the highschool lives of these girls without having to get mired down in gross things like homework and teenage angst. Angst and drama and romance is fine in YA works, but it's refreshing to have a title like Azumanga Daioh that's just plain fun and happy.
I just love this book. It's relatively clean humor, but not in a weird preachy way. It's a light-hearted slice of life story about friendship and growing up and it's one of the sweetest stories I've ever read. There's not much conflict in this series at all, but there doesn't need to be. You just get to sit back and experience the highschool lives of these girls without having to get mired down in gross things like homework and teenage angst. Angst and drama and romance is fine in YA works, but it's refreshing to have a title like Azumanga Daioh that's just plain fun and happy.
September 12, 2014
I don't remember the last time I've had so much fun reading a book. This was a blast, really, and it made me laugh so hard on more than one occasion, my sister gave me funny looks.
This manga volume follows the everyday lives of a group of high school girls and their teachers. Each character is completely different from the next, and each one adds something to the plot. Actually, I don't think there is a "plot", per se... after all, it is a series of small plot lines connected together one way or another. BUT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT. With a cast as brilliant as the one in this manga, you almost forget the need for a plot. I was so caught up in all their crazy antics and witty punch lines that I could not stop flipping page after page, even though I had a bunch of work to do.
Do I recommend this? Absolutely. It's one of the more enjoyable manga out there, and I didn't come across a dull moment. I even really enjoyed the cultural explanations at the end of each volume.
Absolutely no regrets about this one!
This manga volume follows the everyday lives of a group of high school girls and their teachers. Each character is completely different from the next, and each one adds something to the plot. Actually, I don't think there is a "plot", per se... after all, it is a series of small plot lines connected together one way or another. BUT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT. With a cast as brilliant as the one in this manga, you almost forget the need for a plot. I was so caught up in all their crazy antics and witty punch lines that I could not stop flipping page after page, even though I had a bunch of work to do.
Do I recommend this? Absolutely. It's one of the more enjoyable manga out there, and I didn't come across a dull moment. I even really enjoyed the cultural explanations at the end of each volume.
Absolutely no regrets about this one!
March 9, 2015
I honestly couldn't get through this. I didn't find it funny at all. Maybe it's because I've read other 4-kon style manga that had me laughing out loud which has jaded me. Maybe the anime can persuade me otherwise.
April 15, 2019
So good! I can't wait to check out the anime :)
Update 4/14/19:
Reading this a second time, after having seen the anime. Both were such a delight! I enjoyed this collection immensely!
Update 4/14/19:
Reading this a second time, after having seen the anime. Both were such a delight! I enjoyed this collection immensely!
April 27, 2023
There are some jokes in this series that should not be jokes at all, and my only reaction while reading them was, "Yikes!" The biggest example of this is the male teacher Kimura, who's a little too obsessed with his young female students.
But when a joke in this series is funny, it is genuinely funny. A lot of these comic strips made me laugh out loud, and I'd seen a few of them before (like the scene where Osaka tries to wake up Yukari with a knife). The characters are easy to tell apart; their personalities are strong and likeable; and I appreciate the way that this author draws animals and folds of fabric. Sometimes, you can really feel the texture on the page, and the cats look equally silly and cuddly, depending on the mood of the comic.
I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys comedic manga, with the caveat that not all of the jokes will land and that some are downright uncomfortable. But in my opinion, it's still worth the read, and this omnibus comes packed with all sorts of explanatory jokes that explain the puns in both Japanese and English, which I appreciate a lot.
But when a joke in this series is funny, it is genuinely funny. A lot of these comic strips made me laugh out loud, and I'd seen a few of them before (like the scene where Osaka tries to wake up Yukari with a knife). The characters are easy to tell apart; their personalities are strong and likeable; and I appreciate the way that this author draws animals and folds of fabric. Sometimes, you can really feel the texture on the page, and the cats look equally silly and cuddly, depending on the mood of the comic.
I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys comedic manga, with the caveat that not all of the jokes will land and that some are downright uncomfortable. But in my opinion, it's still worth the read, and this omnibus comes packed with all sorts of explanatory jokes that explain the puns in both Japanese and English, which I appreciate a lot.
March 27, 2018
Collecting the four-volume series (with each book charting a year of high school) into a single book, this Omnibus is no Yotsuba&!, but it's still pretty entertaining. Most of the stories unfold in four-panel strips, ending with punchlines. Azuma's great at pacing a gag, and though a few of the jokes are lost in the translation (vols. 3 & 4 have translator's notes, which explain several of them, and why they had to occasionally be changed), there's still plenty of highly entertaining content.
It's a great package, essentially being four $10 books for $25. I was somewhat surprised by how long it took to read - those four-panel strips definitely require some time to read though, but it's time very well spent.
Some of the girls are sometimes hard to tell apart (Tomo and Kagura mostly, although Kaorin looks like a blend of the two whenever she stops by, which fortunately isn't very often). But I LOVE how Azuma exaggerates their reactions to get their moods across. Terrific work there.
It's not up to Yotsuba's standards, but it's still a very entertaining run.
It's a great package, essentially being four $10 books for $25. I was somewhat surprised by how long it took to read - those four-panel strips definitely require some time to read though, but it's time very well spent.
Some of the girls are sometimes hard to tell apart (Tomo and Kagura mostly, although Kaorin looks like a blend of the two whenever she stops by, which fortunately isn't very often). But I LOVE how Azuma exaggerates their reactions to get their moods across. Terrific work there.
It's not up to Yotsuba's standards, but it's still a very entertaining run.
June 15, 2025
This is my Calvin and Hobbes.
It's funny, heart-warming, cute, and genuine in every way a slice-of-life manga ought to be. There's no catch to it, just pure high-school nostalgia as you navigate through the bonds these girls make with each other. Each character is distinct and iconic, and Azuma emphasizes this through their voices, mannerisms, and even down to the character design.
Both the manga and anime are more than worth checking out if you need something light and at times even moving to read.
Only complaint is the omnibus I got had severe printing errors towards the end, where pages would be replaced and repeat themselves, to the point where I had to finish the last two volumes online.
It's funny, heart-warming, cute, and genuine in every way a slice-of-life manga ought to be. There's no catch to it, just pure high-school nostalgia as you navigate through the bonds these girls make with each other. Each character is distinct and iconic, and Azuma emphasizes this through their voices, mannerisms, and even down to the character design.
Both the manga and anime are more than worth checking out if you need something light and at times even moving to read.
Only complaint is the omnibus I got had severe printing errors towards the end, where pages would be replaced and repeat themselves, to the point where I had to finish the last two volumes online.
August 15, 2019
I ate these up in college and for the most part it still holds up. Sure there's a lot of cultural based humor that just doesn't translate, and yeah the creepy teacher is SUPER PROBLEMATIC, but other than that it's a lot of fun if you want something light-hearted, not too over the top, and free of that icky fan-service.
November 21, 2024
Loved this as a kid, still love it!
June 2, 2025
Osaka is tuff... and Tomo... and Sakaki... and Kagura... and Chiyo... and Nyamo... and Yukari... and Kaorin... and everyone else because this is peak.
June 22, 2024
An absolutely classic manga!!
April 29, 2021
Happy to report this is still as funny as it was 15 years ago
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