Yotsuba&!

Yotsuba&! (よつばと!, Yotsuba to!) is an ongoing Japanese comedy manga series by Kiyohiko Azuma, the creator of Azumanga Daioh. It is published in Japan by ASCII Media Works, formerly MediaWorks, in the monthly magazine Dengeki Daioh and collected in twelve tankōbon volumes. It depicts the everyday adventures of a young girl named Yotsuba as she learns about the world around her, guided by her father, the neighbors, and their friends. Several characters in Yotsuba&! were previously featured in a one-shot manga called "Try! Try! Try!"^[1] The phrase Yotsuba to means "Yotsuba and," a fact reflected in the chapter titles, most of which take the form "Yotsuba and [something]."^[2]

The manga was licensed for English-language distribution by ADV Manga, which released five volumes between 2005 and 2007.^[3] Volume six was supposed to have been released in February 2008, but was delayed indefinitely in order to focus on ADV's core business of anime.^[4][5] At New York Comic Con 2009, Yen Press announced that it had acquired the North American license for the series;^[6] it reprinted the first five volumes with new translations along with volume six in September 2009, and is continuing with later volumes.^[7]

Story

Yotsuba&! is centered on Yotsuba Koiwai, a five-year-old^[8] adopted girl who is energetic, cheerful, curious, odd, and quirky—so odd and quirky that even her own father calls her strange. She is also initially ignorant about many things a child her age would be expected to know, among them doorbells, escalators, air conditioners, and even playground swings.^[9] This naiveté is the premise of humorous stories where she learns about, and frequently misunderstands, everyday things.^[10]

At the start of the series, Yotsuba and her adoptive father, Koiwai, relocate to a new city with the help of Koiwai's best friend, an impressively tall man nicknamed Jumbo. Yotsuba makes a strong impression on the three daughters of the neighboring Ayase family, Asagi, Fuuka, and Ena. Most of her daily activities and misadventures often originate from interactions with these characters.

The series has no continuing plot—the focus of the stories is Yotsuba's daily voyage of discovery. Many chapters take place on successive days (for details, see List of Yotsuba&! chapters), so that the series follows, almost literally, the characters' daily lives.^[11] The tone can be summarized by the motto, used on chapter title pages and advertising, "Today is always the most enjoyable day", or in the original translation, "Enjoy Everything" (いつでも今日が、いちばん楽しい日, Itsudemo kyō ga, ichiban tanoshii hi).

Main characters

Koiwai household

Yotsuba Koiwai (小岩井 よつば, Koiwai Yotsuba) / "Yotsuba" (よつば, Yotsuba)

Yotsuba is depicted as an energetic five-year-old^[8] girl with a child's wonder towards even the most unremarkable of new discoveries. She is shown finding enjoyment in nearly everything, and her enthusiasm is infectious.^[1] Before moving to their present house, she and Koiwai used to live with his mother, and before that on an island that is, according to Yotsuba, located "to the left".^[12] Almost nothing is known about her biological parentage other than that she was orphaned somewhere outside of Japan and then adopted by Koiwai. Hence, she is often mistaken for a foreigner by people who meet her for the first time. Her excellent skills as a swimmer are admired and even envied by some of the adults. She also enjoys drawing, but she is not a gifted artist as she is made to believe; people praise her drawings to avoid hurting her feelings.

The name "Yotsuba" (よつば) can be translated as "four leaved clover," and is part of the phrase yotsuba no kurōbā (四葉のクローバー^?, "four-leaf clover")

. Her green hair is always styled into four pigtails (even during bedtime), somewhat resembling her namesake.^[13]

Yousuke Koiwai (小岩井　葉介, Koiwai Yousuke) / "Daddy" (とーちゃん, tō-chan)

Yousuke^[14] Koiwai is Yotsuba's adoptive father. The circumstances which led towards her adoption are obscure and the fate of her birth parents is not even mentioned. When his neighbor Fuuka asks, he tells her that he found Yotsuba while visiting a foreign country and decided to adopt her and bring her back to Japan, with no further details.^[15] Although he is sometimes nonchalant in telling other people that Yotsuba is a weirdo, he can be very offbeat himself. He often behaves in a silly way to lighten up the mood or when he is humorously emphasizing a point.^[16] He is depicted as a youthful dad with the carefree lifestyle of a slacker^[10] who habitually wears an undershirt coupled with a pair of boxer shorts since he is just at home most of the time; he often feels sorry for himself and apologizes to people who catch a rare glimpse of his "irresponsible" getup. The reason for this homebody way of life is that Mr. Koiwai works in at home as a freelance translator, though the specific type of languages and materials he transcribes remains unknown. Every once in a while, he does get out of the house if it is required by his job or when doing errands such as grocery shopping; he also gladly accepts friendly invitations for outings if his hectic schedule allows it. He usually brings Yotsuba along, which adds a unique flavor to the trips given the five-year-old's infallible eagerness and exuberance. Despite his laid-back personality and playful behavior, Koiwai does aim to be a good father and proper role model to Yotsuba. He duly reprimands and chastises his child if she acts out enough to warrant discipline.^[17]

Ayase household

Above, Fuka reacts to shocking news being spread about her by Yotsuba. Below, from left to right: Fuka, Yotsuba, Asagi, Ena, Mrs. Ayase, and Mr. Ayase at breakfast.

The Ayase family lives next-door to the Koiwais.

Asagi Ayase (綾瀬 あさぎ, Ayase Asagi)

20-something years old and the eldest of the three Ayase sisters, Asagi lives at home while attending a nearby university. She is depicted as a very attractive young woman who enjoys creating mischief and teasing people, especially her parents; her friend Torako once described her as a horrible person for slyly manipulating Ena.^[18] She is the best of the Ayases at making use of Yotsuba's enthusiasm and naivety for her own personal amusement, albeit without any malicious intent.^[1] Her mother claims Asagi was very much like Yotsuba when she was young. Mrs. Ayase is puzzled how such a cute child could turn out to be a delinquent, much to Asagi's annoyance. Asagi's irreverence may have come from her mother's teasing when she was a child. For example, in the past when Asagi presented Mrs. Ayase with a four-leaf clover, her mother mischievously asked for a five-leaf clover instead. Unable to locate one, young Asagi was reduced to tears. Yotsuba often refers to her as the "Pretty one".^[19]

Fuuka Ayase (綾瀬 風香, Ayase Fūka)

The middle Ayase sister, Fuuka (also romanized as Fuka) is 16 years old and in her second year at a local high school. She appears to be the most dependable and responsible of the sisters. Fuuka is often called upon to purchase the groceries; she is knowledgeable and active in civic affairs within their community. During Yotsuba's eventful first visit to her school, one student calls her "vice-president."^[20] Fuuka often finds herself going out of her way to help out the Koiwais, even though she does not really intend to do so. Besides Jumbo, she has observed the Koiwais' eccentricities and oddball tendencies more than anyone else. Fuuka is often slightly ridiculed by the other characters because of her fashion taste and sense of humor; she is fond of making bad puns which irritates Asagi and she tends to wear t-shirts with odd or childish graphics (such as Chiyo's "father" from Azumanga Daioh, who also appears as a plushie in her room and as a keychain on her bag).^[21] Yotsuba has referred to her as "the one who is not pretty", much to Fuuka's dismay.

Ena Ayase (綾瀬 恵那, Ayase Ena)

The youngest Ayase sister, Ena is about 10 years old and enrolled in a nearby elementary school. Being the one closest to Yotsuba's age, she and her best friend Miura are Yotsuba's most frequent playmates. Arguably the most genuinely kind and considerate member of the entire cast, Ena is generally well-liked by everyone she interacts with. She tries to be environment-friendly by informing others about the negative effects of global warming (she limits her usage of air conditioning) and teaching Yotsuba the benefits of recycling. Appreciative, level-headed and smart, she behaves as an ideal big sister figure to Yotsuba. However, her attempts to spare the five-year-old's fragile feelings sometimes lead her to say little white lies, like praising Yotsuba's unspectacular drawings^[22] or letting Yotsuba believe that her friend Miura (concealed in a cardboard costume) is a real robot named Cardbo (in ADV's translation) or Danbo (in Yen's translation) (ダンボー, Danbō),^[23]- with repercussions that more often than not rebound on herself and Miura. During her free time, Ena often sketches (she has very good drawing skills) or plays with her finely-dressed teddy bears, either by herself or with Yotsuba. Eager and willing to try out new experiences, Ena is unexpectedly not squeamish and even enthusiastic about such activities like handling large frogs and cleaning out live fish. Yotsuba once referred to her as the "small one".^[24]

Mrs. Ayase (綾瀬家の母, Ayase-ke no Haha) / "Mommy" (かーちゃん, kā-chan)

The mother of the Ayase sisters. She frequently has Yotsuba over as a guest and even encourages the child to visit them every day. Yotsuba's overly-familiar habit of calling her "Mom" is due to her generosity (she is fond of giving Yotsuba treats because she likes to watch her eat) and tolerant nature (she doesn't mind Yotsuba soaking her with a water pistol then acts dead to play the part). Nostalgia might be the primary reason for her endearment towards Yotsuba; she is able to relive and reminisce on Asagi's younger years (cuter and better days according to her) through the little girl. Asagi's pranks and vexing behavior exasperates her constantly, although her husband's remark that the two have very similar personalities - an observation that both Mrs. Ayase and Asagi deny.^[25] She has a fondness for ice creams, cakes, and other sugary desserts. These items are often regularly stocked in the fridge, and Yotsuba often comes to the house to satisfy cravings, much to Mr. Koiwai's embarrassment and disapproval.

Mr. Ayase (綾瀬家の父, Ayase-ke no Chichi)

The father of the three sisters and head of their household. Mr. Ayase is almost never seen at home, particularly during the regular workweek. While his profession is not yet revealed, it is comparable to the life pattern of a common salaryman. Asagi frequently teases him about his constant absences, even sometimes referring to him in the past tense as if he has died already. Still, Mr. Ayase is very good terms with his family; he is doted by Ena and is quite protective of Fuuka. Laid-back, congenial, optimistic, and sentimental, Mr. Ayase's personality is apparently inherited by his more agreeable children, Fuuka and Ena. Whenever he is at home during Yotsuba's visits, she seems to be extra courteous towards him and appears to put on her best behavior even though Mr. Ayase has treated her like a member of the family ever since their first acquaintance.

Friends

Takashi Takeda (竹田 隆, Takeda Takashi) / "Jumbo" (ジャンボ, Janbo)

A friend of Koiwai and Yotsuba who has known Koiwai since they were children.^[26] He dwarfs the other characters at 210 centimeters (6 ft 11 in), most notably Yotsuba. He is always called by the nickname "Jumbo" and works as a florist at his father's flower shop, which Yotsuba and Fuuka only discover by visiting through chance. Jumbo helps the Koiwais move in and frequently visits their house (usually with gifts for Yotsuba such as ice cream), and Yotsuba more or less sees him as family. His dry wit and penchant for making deadpan quips can be confusing to the other characters but he usually means well, especially towards good-natured children like Yotsuba and Ena.^[27] At the same time, he is rather impulsive, and often goes all-out in organizing impromptu activities for the younger children such as catching cicadas, fishing and star-gazing. He also develops a deep infatuation with Asagi at first meeting, but is too shy and awkward around beautiful women to directly act upon it. As a result, he often takes advantage of Yotsuba's close relationship with Asagi to improve his chances. Unfortunately, due to Yotsuba's naïveté, these schemes are never effective, much to Jumbo's annoyance. These failures lead him to get to know other characters such as Fuuka and Miura.

Miura Hayasaka (早坂 みうら, Hayasaka Miura)

Ena's close friend and classmate who lives in a nearby high-rise condo. Miura is tomboyish and brusque, in both her appearance and speech (this is very noticeable in the Japanese version; see gender differences in spoken Japanese). She maintains a shorter hairstyle, often dons athletic apparel (such as jerseys of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Dodgers) and is never seen dressed in overly girly attire. Jumbo once greeted her as Lamborghini Miura and then asked if she was a girl (Miura was wearing not-so-boyish clothing that day), much to her embarrassment. She has an active nature: she is proficient at the unicycle, for instance, and occasionally wears roller shoes. Most of the time, she is frank, sometimes to the point of callousness; Miura tends to verbally retaliate in a tsukkomi-like manner whenever she feels wronged or ridiculed. Miura also sometimes playfully teases Yotsuba, even up to the point where Yotsuba is on the verge of tears; Ena always has reliable counter-measures on hand if her friend's pestering goes overboard. However, she really is a good kid deep down who is courteous, appreciative and repentant; Miura, Ena and Yotsuba share a close bond as good friends and constant playmates. In contrast to her brusque manner, Miura is very squeamish. For example, when Jumbo took the younger children fishing, Miura vehemently refused in continuing to use the live bait then opted for salmon roe instead (a luxury according to her); she also distanced herself from the sight of Jumbo and Ena cleaning out their catch. She was also terrified by a large frog that Yotsuba brought home to the Ayases.^[24]

Torako (虎子)

A close friend of Asagi who also attends the same nearby university. The two young women frequently plan trips and hang out together. Focused on being 'cool', Torako smokes cigarettes constantly and is very skinny. Her name means "tiger" (虎, tora) "girl" (子, ko) and Yotsuba enjoys calling her just Tora ("tiger"). She is fond of dabbling in amateur photography using her old SLR camera and is the only member of the younger cast shown driving a car. Jumbo has yet to meet Torako and was quite apprehensive, assuming that she was male and Asagi's boyfriend. Generally humorless and diligently adhering to a no-nonsense mentality, Torako was initially irritated and even exasperated by Yotsuba's quirkiness and antics. Admitting to Mr. Koiwai her troubles in dealing with young children, Torako then told him that Yotsuba is an exception; she eventually began to like the little girl and now considers being around her "fun."^[28]

Yanda (ヤンダ) , actual surname Yasuda (安田)

Yanda is a friend of Koiwai and Jumbo. Though mentioned in the first and fourth chapters, when Jumbo calls Yanda "no good" for making lame excuses for not helping the Koiwais move, he does not appear until chapter 30. He is somewhat childish, as shown by the tit-for-tat pranks he plays on Yotsuba, including bribing her with candy then taking it back when it does not work and prank-calling her, and is shown enjoying teasing Yotsuba and acting as her "nemesis". Koiwai refers to Yanda as his kōhai, but in what context he is Koiwai's junior is unknown. He is living from paycheck to paycheck, telling Koiwai that he eats instant ramen because he does not get paid until the end of the month,^[29] and only eating frozen meals the rest of the time.

Hiwatari (日渡) / "Miss Stake" (しまうー, Shimaū)

A friend of Fuuka's, given name unknown, who is in the same homeroom. Her first official appearance is in chapter 45, when she visits Fuuka's home and recognizes Yotsuba from her trip to their high school in chapter 40.^[30] Hiwatari has a somewhat eccentric personality. She is normally called by her nickname Miss Stake (しまうー, Shimaū) due to a "mistake" she made when she first introduced herself to her class (in Japanese, shimau used as an auxiliary verb can mean to do something by accident, hence the pun).

Development

In 1998, Azuma published a one-shot manga and two webcomics called "Try! Try! Try!", in which Yotsuba, her father (who is unnamed), Ena, Fuka, and Asagi first appeared.^[1] Although some of these characters, including Yotsuba herself, are largely the same as in Yotsuba&!, Fuka has a different character design, a more mischievous personality, and a different spelling of her given name (in "Try! Try! Try!", it is written with the kanji 風 夏, meaning "wind-summer"; in Yotsuba&!, it is 風 香, meaning "wind-scent").

Media

Despite its popularity and the success of Azumanga Daioh, no plans have been announced for an anime adaptation of Yotsuba&!. In an entry posted on his website on 15 May 2005, Azuma said there were no plans for it to be animated;^[31] he reiterated this on the 5 December 2008, claiming that the stories and style of Yotsuba&! are not well-suited for animation.^[32]

Manga

The manga is written and illustrated by Kiyohiko Azuma, and published by ASCII Media Works in the monthly shōnen (aimed at teenage boys) manga magazine Dengeki Daioh since the March 2003 issue, with serialization on-going. Chapters have been collected in twelve tankōbon volumes.

In English, Yotsuba&! was originally licensed by ADV Manga,^[3] who published five volumes between 2005 and 2007 before dropping the license. The North American license was picked up by Yen Press,^[6] which republished the first five volumes along with the sixth in September 2009. All twelve volumes have since been released.^[7] In addition, the series is licensed in France by Kurokawa,^[33] in Spain by Norma Editorial,^[34] in Germany by Tokyopop Germany,^[35] in Italy by Dynit,^[36] in Finland by Punainen jättiläinen,^[37] in Korea by Daiwon C.I.,^[38] in Taiwan by Kadokawa Media,^[39] in Vietnam by TVM Comics,^[40] and in Thailand by NED Comics.^[41]

Each chapter of Yotsuba&! takes place on a specific, nearly sequential day of a common year starting on Wednesday. The year was initially believed to be 2003, coinciding with the date of the manga's serialization, but Azuma has stated that the manga always takes place in the present day.^[42] This allows the appearance of products created after 2003, such as the Nintendo DS Mr. Ayase plays in chapter forty-two.

Calendars

Both monthly and daily Yotsuba&! calendars have been released every year since 2005, although a monthly calendar for 2009 was not released due to constraints on Azuma's schedule.^[43] The 2005 edition of the monthly calendar featured pictures of Yotsuba playing with animals such as lions, zebras, and kangaroos. The 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010 editions feature photographs altered to include Yotsuba doing such things as playing with other children or reaching for a balloon.^[44] The photographs were by Miho Kakuta, with drawings by Kiyohiko Azuma. The daily calendars have a mix of original and manga artwork, with occasional captions, as well as other fun items – for example, the 2006 calendar had a game of shiritori ongoing through the year.^[45] The daily calendars run from April to March, following the Japanese school year instead of the calendar year.

The 2010 monthly calendar was released in November 2009.^[46]

Music

Two Yotsuba&! music CDs have been released, both purely instrumental, called "image albums".^[47] The music is designed to elicit mental images of events described by the titles. Both albums are composed by Masaki Kurihara and performed by the Kuricorder Pops Orchestra, who also worked together on the Azumanga Daioh soundtrack.

• The first album, Yotsuba&♪, released in April 2005, follows Yotsuba throughout the course of a typical day.^[48]
• The second album, Yotsuba&♪ Music Suite (General Winter), released in November 2006, depicts the season of winter, including Christmas and New Year's celebrations.^[49] "General Winter" (冬将軍, Fuyu Shōgun) is a personification of harsh winters, similar to Jack Frost.

Picture books

A Yotsuba&! picture book, Yotsuba & Monochrome Animals, was published on 16 December 2006 (ISBN 978-4-8402-3714-7).^[50] The book has pictures of Yotsuba playing with various black-and-white colored animals, such as pandas. The name of each animal is given in Japanese and English, along with the scientific classification of the species. Another book called Find Yotsuba was released in 2013, which is actually a compilation of all the calendar illustrations released previously.

Reception

Fuuka (left on bicycle) and Yotsuba (behind) return from an over-successful shopping trip.

Yotsuba&! is drawn not in the vertical four-panel strips of Azuma's earlier series, Azumanga Daioh, but in a full-page format, giving him more artistic scope.^[51][52] Azuma's work on Yotsuba&! has been noted for its clean art,^[53][54] detailed backgrounds,^[55][56] and expressive faces.^[57][58] Azuma is also praised for his joyous tone,^[55][59] slice-of-life storytelling,^[51] comedic writing,^[54][60][61] and eccentric yet realistic characters, especially Yotsuba herself.^{[1][2][52][59][62]}

The Comics Reporter described the series as "read[ing] like a love letter to the way kids can be at the age of 2–5,"^[63] and a reviewer at Anime News Network compared Azuma's ability to capture "the wonder of childhood" to Bill Watterson's in Calvin and Hobbes.^[52] Manga: The Complete Guide described it as "a light, feel-good manga, like an endless summer day."^[64] Nicholas Penedo of Animeland said "with Yotsuba, we find ourselves plunged into the wonderful world of childhood," calling the French edition of volume eight, "A beautiful manga for children and adults."^[65] BD Gest praised Azuma's skill in making distinct secondary characters, calling them "immediately recognisable", and saying that they each spice up the story in their own ways.^[66] However, Azuma has been criticized for creating characters that are "too clean, too perfectly functional,"^[60] for overusing "outrageous expressions and reactions,"^[52] and for dragging out jokes too long.^[61]

Yotsuba&! has been popular with readers as well as reviewers. For example, on Amazon.co.jp, volume six was the third best-selling comic in Japan for the first half of 2007 and volume eight was the second best-selling comic in Japan for 2008;^[67][68] volumes seven and eight both were number two on the Tohan comics chart the week they debuted.^[69][70] Volume eight sold more than 450,000 copies in 2008, making it one of the top 50 bestselling manga volumes on the Oricon chart for the year.^[71] The first five volumes of the English translation were each among the top 100 selling graphic novels in the United States in the month of release.^[72][73] Volume six of the English edition reached number 3 on the New York Times best seller list for manga, and it stayed on the list for four weeks.^[74][75] Volume 8 debuted at No. 2 on the manga best seller list.^[76]

Awards and recognitions

Yotsuba&! received an Excellence Award for Manga at the 2006 Japan Media Arts Festival, where the jury citation praised the vivid characters and gentle atmosphere.^[77] In 2008 Yotsuba&! was nominated for the 12th Osamu Tezuka Culture Award^[78] and the Eisner Award "Best Publication for Kids" category,^[79] but did not win either, and was runner-up for the first annual Manga Taishō award.^[80] The English translation was listed as one of the best 20 comics of 2005 by Publishers Weekly,^[81] one of the best comics of 2006 by the staff of The Comics Journal,^[82] and one of the top graphic novels for teens in 2008 by YALSA.^[83] Volume one was named Book of the Month in the June 2005 issue of Newtype USA.^[58]

There was an exhibit of Yotsuba&! artwork at the Gallery of Fantastic Art in Tokyo from 2–17 December 2006.^[84] The lead article of the May 2009 issue of the Japanese design magazine Idea was a study of Yotsuba&!, focusing on book design, interior layout, and how translated editions were handled.^[85][86]

Notes

External links

Official websites

• ASCII Media Works website (Japanese)
• Yotsuba Studio, Kiyohiko Azuma's studio website (Japanese)
• azumakiyohiko.com, Kiyohiko Azuma's personal website (Japanese)
• ADV website at the Wayback Machine
• Yen Press website

Other

• Yotsuba&! (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Momotato Daioh