Though simple as it may seem, Azumanga Daioh is a character-driven series that
takes place in an ordinary high school in Japan.
Here we meet several main characters that make up the diverse cast of girls. A ten-year-old prodigy named Chiyo-chan enters high school after jumping from
elementary school.
Osaka, who thinks outside the box, transfers from Osaka, Japan.
The very energetic Tomo attempts to best everyone at his or her own game, in
athletics or academics.
Sakaki, the quiet athletic girl, has a love for alley cats. Yomi, the smart
girl, has a diet obsession.
Finally, Kagura, the sporty type who loves competition, competes against her
rival, Sakaki.
Additionally, three teachers get into the act: Yukari, who is the primary
teacher of the group of girls; Minamo, a fellow teacher and rival/best friend
of Yukari; and Kimura, a pervert professor.
Azumanga Daioh: The Animation Anime Review
Since the plot is thin, the main thing this series has going for it is its
range of characters and their interaction with each other during their time in
high school.
Unlike typical anime series about giant robots or romantic angst, Azumanga
Daioh review is just about normal everyday school life.
There are many funny memorable moments in this series that keep people
laughing all the way to the bank, from the cultural festivities to their
summer vacation.
Each character represents a great deal of emotion and personality and by the
end of the series; they blossom out of high school and into society.
There is a lot of nostalgia towards high school when watching (Azumanga Daioh Crunchyroll) this series.
I started to remember the good and bad times in high school and these girls
are going through the same thing. They are making memories that one day they can look back and laugh about it.
Although there is a timeline, Azumanga Daioh is episodic in that you can start
just about anywhere in the series and not have to worry about what happened
before.
However, I recommend watching it in order to get the full meaning and effect
of the series.
The animation is clean and crisp, even though the actual drawings are not very
detailed. The background and setting is simple enough that most of the time, we are
engaged with the characters instead of anything else around them.
There is not a lot of action within the series, so the characters themselves
and their many expressions look great to the eye.
The music score fits with the series, but for the most part, is forgettable. Although I prefer the Japanese audio track for this series, the dub does a
decent job with Azumanga Daioh, and depicts Osaka's dialect pretty well in the
English version (having a southern accent).
While there is plenty to like about Azumanga Daioh, the show does have a
couple of issues that might turn you away.
One thing is that the humor in this series is not suited for everyone. There's a lot of running gags (Sakaki with the cats and Chiyo-chan's father
scenarios) that some people may get tired of them.
Another reason is that the pace of the series might be a little too slow for
some people. Usually this is not a problem, but they tend to draw out the episodes and some
of the jokes a little too long.
If you watch Azumanga Daioh Crunchyroll, the Japanese audio track with subs, there are a lot of culture
puns and jokes that people may not get the first time. These do not detract from the overall quality of the show though, but may be
an annoyance to some.
Azumanga Daioh is a great slice of school life comedy that engages the
audience with its characters.
By the time this series ended, I did shed some tears because I was into the
characters so much that I could not bear to see it end. It has a memorable cast that shows the audience that characters do not have to
be special with magical powers or giant robots, or even have a romantic
interest in someone else.
This is a story about the lives of ordinary girls in real (for the most part)
situations and making memories of their times together. I loved every minute
of it.
Miscellanies: Azumanga Daioh: The Animation
The original Azumanga Daioh manga was a series of four panel scripts that lasted four
volumes. ADV brought over both the anime and the manga to the US.
Although the thinpak is available, I suggest getting the individual Azumanga Daioh DVD if
you can because of the extra goodies you get like translator notes (for all
those cultural references) and some volumes contain cool cloisonné lapel pins.
Also from the creator of Azumanga Daioh, Kiyohiko Azuma, is Yotsubato&!,
another manga series available from ADV.
Azumanga Daioh (Azumanga Daioh: The Animation) | |
| Genre | Comedy, Slice of Life |
|---|---|
| Episodes | 26 |
| Status | Finished Airing |
| Aired | Apr 9, 2002 to Oct 1, 2002 |
| Producers | Genco, Lantis, Imagica, TV Tokyo Music, Cosmic Ray, King Records |
| Studio | J.C.Staff |
| Rating | PG-13 - Teens 13 or older |
| Themes | CGDCT, Gag Humor, School |
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