Azumanga Daioh

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Azumanga Daioh

Azumanga Daioh
あずまんが大王
(Azumanga Daiō)
Genre Comedy, High school, Slice of Life
Manga
Author Kiyohiko Azuma
Publisher Flag of Japan MediaWorks
English publisher Flag of Canada Flag of the United States Flag of the United Kingdom ADV Manga
Demographic Shōnen[1]
Magazine Dengeki Daioh
Original run February 1999 – June 2002
Volumes 4
TV anime:
Azumanga Daioh THE ANIMATION
Director Hiroshi Nishikiori
Studio Flag of Japan J.C.Staff
Licensor Flag of the United States Flag of Canada Flag of the United Kingdom Flag of Germany ADV Films
Flag of Australia Flag of New Zealand Madman Entertainment
Network Flag of Japan TV Tokyo
Flag of South Korea Tooniverse
Flag of the Republic of China China Television
Flag of the United States Anime Network
Original run April 8, 2002 – September 30, 2002
Episodes 26
ONA: Azumanga Web Daioh
Director Fumiaki Asano
Studio Chara-ani.com
Episodes 1
Released December 28, 2000
Related works

Azumanga Daioh (あずまんが大王 Azumanga Daiō?) is a Japanese comedy manga written and illustrated by Kiyohiko Azuma. It was published by MediaWorks in the shōnen magazine Dengeki Daioh from 1999 to 2002 and collected in four tankōbon volumes.[2] It is drawn as a series of vertical four-panel comic strips called yonkoma and depicts the lives of a group of girls during their three years as high-school classmates.

It was adapted as an anime, Azumanga Daioh: the Animation, which was produced by J.C.Staff[3] and aired from the week of April 8, 2002 until the week of September 30, 2002. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo, Aichi Television Broadcasting, Television Osaka, and AT-X[4] in five-minute segments every weekday, then repeated as a 25-minute compilation that weekend, for a total of 130 five-minute segments collected in 26 episodes. The compilation episodes, which were the only versions to include the title and credits sequences, were released on VHS and DVD by Starchild Records;[5] the five-minute segments can be distinguished by their individual titles.

Contents

[edit] Title

The series title has no particular significance to the story. "Azumanga" is a portmanteau of "Azuma" (the author's name) and "manga", while "Daioh" comes from the magazine in which it was originally published, Dengeki Daioh.[2] In the anime, "Daioh" is mentioned during the next episode previews, in context meaning "great king".

The name "Azumanga" is also used as a general term for Kiyohiko Azuma's other works (illustrations and comics).[6] The titles of two collections published in 1998 and 2001 containing official comics of Pioneer animations[7] were Azumanga and Azumanga 2.[8] Azumanga was later republished in a reduced-size edition called Azumanga Recycle.[9]

[edit] Synopsis

Azumanga Daioh chronicles everyday life in an unnamed Japanese high school in Tokyo,[10] following the trials and triumphs of six girls: reserved Sakaki's obsession with cute animals, Chiyo's struggle to fit in with girls five years older, Osaka's spacey nature and skewed perspective on the world, Yomi's aggravation at an annoying best friend, Tomo, whose energy is rivaled only by her lack of sense, and Kagura's efforts in sports and school. The story covers three years of tests, culture festivals, and athletic events at school, after-school life at the nearby shopping district, at Chiyo's large house, vacations spent at Chiyo's summer home on the beach and at Magical Land, a theme park. It is generally realistic in tone, marked by occasional bursts of surrealism and absurdity, such as Osaka's bizarre imaginings and an episode featuring the characters' New Year's dreams.

The manga and anime follow the same story line, though there are differences in small details.[11] Some jokes could not be dramatized as written and were either changed or excised completely. In the first manga volume, Osaka's appearance is noticeably different from in the anime and succeeding manga volumes. In the same vein, Sakaki's initial unapproachable demeanor in the manga is downplayed in the anime.

[edit] Characters

Main article: List of Azumanga Daioh characters

The main cast of Azumanga Daioh consists of six schoolgirls and two of their teachers. Secondary characters include a creepy male teacher (Kimura-sensei) with an unhealthy obsession with teenage girls and a classmate (Kaorin) with a crush on Sakaki.

The main characters. From left to right: Sakaki, Kagura, Chiyo, Tomo, Yomi and Osaka
The main characters. From left to right: Sakaki, Kagura, Chiyo, Tomo, Yomi and Osaka
Chiyo Mihama (美浜 ちよ Mihama Chiyo?)
A child prodigy, also known as Chiyo-chan, who is considered amazingly cute by the other characters. Through her, the series humorously explores the consequences of skipping five grades to tenth grade (the first grade in Japanese high school). She is a target of jealousy due to her intelligence and wealthy family. Chiyo's twin ponytails were used in several visual gags in both the manga and anime, such as flying wings in Osaka's daydreams. Voiced by: Tomoko Kaneda (Japanese), Jessica Boone (English)
Tomo Takino (滝野 智 Takino Tomo?)
An extremely energetic and competitive girl, despite being nonathletic and a slacker. Tomo's character is extremely impulsive and rarely considers the consequences of anything. Voiced by: Chieko Higuchi (Japanese), Mandy Clark (English)
Koyomi "Yomi" Mizuhara (水原 暦 Mizuhara Koyomi?)
A grade-school friend and general antagonist of Tomo's, Yomi, as she is commonly known, is the title's voice of reason, carrying herself as the most mature and serious of the group. Though smart and athletic, she is constantly dissatisfied with herself due to her weight and is always trying various diets in an effort to become thinner. Voiced by: Rie Tanaka (Japanese), Nancy Novotny (English)
Sakaki (榊 Sakaki?)
A tall, soft-spoken girl uncomfortable with her height and busty physique. Her reticence is misinterpreted as mysterious, or cool. She is naturally athletic but she has no real interest in sports. Sakaki is, in reality, an emotionally sensitive person who holds a secret longing for cute things. She loves cats, but the neighborhood cats dislike her and her parents do not allow cats in their house. Voiced by: Yu Asakawa (Japanese), Christine Auten (English)
Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga (春日 歩 Kasuga Ayumu?)
More popularly known by her nickname Osaka (大阪 Ōsaka?), Ayumu is a transfer student from Osaka. Tomo quickly chose for her the nickname "Osaka" contrary to Ayumu's behavior, which is different from what Tomo sees as the "typical" Osakan. Ayumu lacks the energy or motivation to dispute the nickname. She has a mind that works differently than other people, prone to daydreaming, absentmindedness, and non-sequiturs, but exceptional at answering very specific types of riddles. Voiced by: Yuki Matsuoka (Japanese), Kira Vincent-Davis (English)
Kagura (神楽 Kagura?)
A girl who joins Yukari's class in the second year. Yukari selects her as a shoo in to win the school athletic competitions. Originally in Nyamo's class and with little success in studies, she devotes her time to the swim team but is an all-around good athlete. She is genuinely nice to her classmates but is competitive and has a slight obsession with Sakaki, with whom she sees as an athletic rival due to Sakaki being a naturally gifted athlete with no training at all. Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima (Japanese), Allison Sumrall (English)
Yukari Tanizaki (谷崎 ゆかり Tanizaki Yukari?)
The girls' English and homeroom teacher (class 3), with very unconventional methods and a close relationship with the class. Her students are casual enough to call her by her first name: Yukari-sensei, and even use the very informal and intimate name and title of Yukari-chan. She can be moody and, like Tomo, is incredibly impulsive and has a tendency not to think things through. Yukari has a rivalry/friendship with Minamo and attempts to prove that she is the superior teacher. Voiced by: Akiko Hiramatsu (Japanese), Luci Christian (English)
Minamo "Nyamo" Kurosawa (黒沢 みなも Kurosawa Minamo?)
A gym teacher at the girls' school. In the girls' first year of high school, she was the homeroom teacher of class 5. During their last two years, she was the homeroom teacher of class 2. She is an old high school friend and rival of Yukari, who occasionally refers to her by an old nickname of Nyamo (にゃも Nyamo?), despite Minamo's wishes to the contrary. Popular with the students, Minamo is nicer and in greater control of herself than Yukari, but, in moments of weakness, Minamo has proven that she can be just as vulnerable to losing control as is Yukari. Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa (Japanese), Monica Rial (English)

[edit] Reception

In Japan, the Azumanga Daioh manga received a Jury Recommendation during the sixth Japan Media Arts Festival in 2002.[12]

English reviewers have commented positively about Azumanga Daioh. Fred Patton of Animation World Magazine, has described Azumanga Daioh as "delightfully witty and even an educational window onto what Japanese high school life is really like."[13] Chris Beveridge of Anime on DVD, stated that "There's a lot to laugh with here and a cast of characters that grow quickly on you as you start finding those you favor and those you don't."[14] Andrew Shelton from Anime Meta explains that "The character of the girls (the only male is the rather creepy Kimura-sensei who has a, thankfully, minor role) is extremely well brought out. The superb observation, and ability to capture expression, makes the anime incredibly fun to watch in addition to meeting the story requirements. The action, and very rich comedy, are also wonderfully represented. There is just so much meaning, and charm, in even the most minor of expressions."[15] The licensed manga had sales that reached top 100 lists on occasions[16] and was included in the top 25 manga recommended by International Correspondence in Retailers Guide to Anime/Manga.[17] The English dub for the show was well received, earning 6 ADR Awards from fans voting on AnimeonDVD.com and Dubreview.com. Volumes 3, 4 and 6 won "Best Dub of the Month" and Allison Sumrall (Kagura), Kira Vincent-Davis (Osaka) and Christine Auten (Sakaki) won individual "Best Actress of the Month" awards.

Four of the girls were included in Newtype Magazine's top 100 anime heroines of 2002: Osaka was awarded 7th, Chiyo 11th, Sakaki 21st, and Yomi 78th. Together they made Azumanga Daioh the second most popular series of 2002 for female characters.[18]

Marc Hairston describes Azumanga Daioh as being "slightly disjointed", with "frequently oblique" and "culturally biased" humour, and says it is both "lighter" and "more wry" than Maria-sama ga Miteru. He describes the characters of Azumanga as being "individuals with slightly offbeat personalities".[19]

[edit] Media

From the opening of Azumanga Daioh with the classmates, their teachers, and Chiyo's dog.
From the opening of Azumanga Daioh with the classmates, their teachers, and Chiyo's dog.
Main article: List of Azumanga Daioh media

Azumanga Daioh was originally published by MediaWorks' in the shōnen magazine Dengeki Daioh from February 1999 to May 2002 and collected in four tankōbon volumes.[2]

Besides the television anime, there have been two other animated adaptations: The Very Short Azumanga Daioh Movie, a six minute trailer released to movie theatres to publicize the upcoming television series, and Azumanga Web Daioh, a shorter pilot episode that appeared on the official Japanese Azumanga Daioh website for a limited time.[20] Azumanga Web Daioh was originally intended to gauge whether there was enough interest to create a web-released anime adaptation; because of overwhelming demand, the original plan for web-release was changed to a television release. As a pilot, it featured different voice actors and music from the regular series.

In the United States, the anime was released in a six DVD volume set September 9, 2005 and then later in a five DVD volume "Thinpak" set, both by ADV Films.[21] The sixth DVD volume included The Very Short Azumanga Daioh Movie. The manga was published in English by ADV Manga.[22] The two soundtracks to the anime were released in the United States by Geneon.[23]

After the animated series ended, there was a hoax announcement of a live-action adaptation, as being created by the Tokyo Broadcasting System and Suntory and which would be named either Azudorama Da Yo! or Azumanga Daioh: The Drama. Professional-looking promotional material and photos were prepared and presented on the internet with "actresses" who closely resembled their animated counterparts.[24]

There have been three video game adaptions. Azumanga Donjyara Daioh, which is a puzzle game similar to mahjong, was released for PlayStation.[25] Azumanga Daioh Advance was released for the Game Boy Advance,[25] taking the form of a simplistic collectible card game (or CCG). An arcade-only Puzzle Bobble spin-off was produced by Moss and Taito;[26] as well as featuring characters, graphics and sound bites from the series, the 2-player mode allowed each player to fire balls into the other player's arena, a feature not present in any other official Puzzle Bobble game.

[edit] References and notes

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
  1. ^ JMPA on Dengeki Daioh (Japanese). Retrieved on 2008-02-09.
  2. ^ a b c Azumanga Daioh (manga). Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
  3. ^ あずまんが大王（ストーリー (Japanese). J.C.Staff production. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.
  4. ^ Azumanga Daioh (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia. Accessed 2006-12-15
  5. ^ Azumanga Daioh on VHS and DVD. King Records. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.
  6. ^ (Japanese) Hideki Satomi. "「リサイクルの功罪　循環型社会の光と影……それは結局ただしいのか?」("Risaikuru no Kouzai Junkan Gata Shakai no Hikari to Kage ... ... Sore wa Kekkyoku Tadashii no Ka?")". Retrieved on 2006-08-13, a commentary by Hideki Satomi contained in Azumanga Recycle.
  7. ^ The official comics of Pioneer animations included in two work collections published in 1998 and 2001 were Tenchi Muyo!, Battle Athletes Victory, Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure, El-Hazard, Magical Girl Pretty Sammy, Serial Experiments Lain, Doki Doki Pretty League, and Forestall Army Corps.[clarify]
  8. ^ (Japanese) Azumanga 2 on Amazon.com. Accessed 2006-12-16.
  9. ^ (Japanese) Azumanga Recycle on Amazon.com. Accessed 2006-12-16.
  10. ^ In the manga, the setting is never named, though through conversations and events it is implied that it isn't Osaka, Kobe, Nagoya, or the Okinawa Prefecture. The anime is specifically set in Tokyo.
  11. ^ For example, when Yukari and Nyamo go out for dinner in episode three of the anime, Nyamo tells Yukari she is not holding her chopsticks correctly; in the manga version, it is Mr. Kimura who tells her this.
  12. ^ Jury Recommended Works. Japan Media Arts Plaza. Retrieved on 2007-12-16.
  13. ^ New from Japan: Anime Film Reviews. Animation World Magazine online. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.
  14. ^ Azumanga Daioh Vol. #1 (also w/box). Anime on DVD. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.
  15. ^ Azumanga Daioh. Anime Meta-Review. Retrieved on 2006-12-16.
  16. ^ Top 100 manga. International Correspondence. Retrieved on 2006-12-16. and Top 100 manga. International Correspondence. Retrieved on 2006-12-16.
  17. ^ Retailers Guide to Anime/Manga. International Correspondence. Retrieved on 2006-12-16.
  18. ^ [April 2003] in Kimberly Gueire: Newtype USA (Magazine), 6, John Ledford. Retrieved on 2006-12-16. 
  19. ^ Hairston, Marc (2006), “The Yin and Yang of Schoolgirl Experiences: Maria-sama ga miteru and Azumanga Daioh”, Mechademia: An Academic Forum for Anime, Manga, and the Fan Arts 1: 177-180, <http://www.upress.umn.edu/Books/L/lunning_mechademia1.html>. Retrieved on 6 April 2008 
  20. ^ Azumanga Web Daioh can no longer be downloaded from original website, http://www.azumanga.tv
  21. ^ ADV DVD Store. ADV. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.
  22. ^ ADV Manga Store. ADV. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.
  23. ^ Anime Music - Azumanga Daioh. Geneon. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.
  24. ^ Azumanga Daioh: The Live-Action Hoax. The Anime Expressway. Retrieved on 2006-10-29. - through Wayback Machine
  25. ^ a b Related items: Azumanga Daioh. GameFAQs. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.
  26. ^ (Japanese) Azumanga Daioh game. Moss. Retrieved on 2006-12-21.

[edit] External links

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