Overview

Alright, so you have absolutely no idea what Azumanga Daioh is? Or do you want to learn more about it before going out and buying the stuff? (Or are you here to poke fun at my review? T_T;;) Well, that's alright! I've got you covered with my personal opinion and review about Azumanga Daioh.

Azumanga Daioh is one of the most unique anime/manga I have ever come across. Instead of having a plotline, the story is entirely character-driven. We see the lives of six high school girls as they venture through the three years of high school (Japanese high schools don't start until the equivelant of "Sophmore" year, so one in ninth grade is still in junior high). Because it's a slice of life situation, we see how the girls develop; going through things such as sports festivals, cultural festivals, summer vacation, and their schoolwork.

Some of the things Azumanga Daioh lacks of the typical shojo genre include mystical powers, talking animals (with the exception of Chiyo-chan's "Dad"), giant robots, time traveling, swords, gun-toting lunatics, and just everything else you have seen in other series. While the show is technically considered a shojo series, it doesn't have things like love relationships, going through a terrible ordeal (except, maybe, when Yukari losses her wallet), or fighting off evil forces that want to take over the universe. Nope, prepare to be cleansed - this is Azumanga Daioh.

The characters are extremely unique, refreshing, and are total opposites of each other. They also typify the meaning of stereotypes. There's Chiyo-chan, a child prodigy; Tomo, a loud and obnoxious idiot; Osaka, a spacey and "unique" thinker; Sakaki, the tall and quiet athlete with a love for animals; Yomi, the typical smart one and the crazed dieter; and Kagura, an extreme athlete who belongs to every single sports club the school offers. However, we cannot forget the teachers - from crazed Yukari to trusty and kind Minamo, even the perverted Classical Literature teacher Kimura - they've got some interesting instructors.
The character designs are pretty simple - the most complicated outfit I've ever seen in the anime is probably Yukari's sweater. They seem to match the characters and their personalities quite well.

Compared to most anime and manga, Azumanga Daioh has very simplistic artwork. It's not bad artwork; I mean, think about it. Azumanga Daioh isn't a complex series, so complex art just wouldn't match. It has the typical Japanese animation traits - big eyes, sweatdrops, agitation marks, diluted pupils, and everything else. One thing that was new to me was the whole "turn the character ghost-white". This happens to Chiyo-chan a lot, and occurs to Yukari in the beginning of the first episode.

The colors are good, but some of them bug me. I can't quite say, but sometimes, the art just sorta blend together and can wreck your eyes if you're not careful.

Ah...music...well, uh...don't say anything, but this anime lacks music in crucial spots! To me, most of the music doesn’t really match the series at all. Sure, "Sora Mimi Cake" sounds Azumanga Daioh-y, but if you read the translations - ho boy, that’s completely different! With lines like "Don't cry anymore Good-bye sadness", "A girl awakens to the apple of memories and bestows a kiss", and (the ultimate), "Everyday, the fluffy temptation of wheat", one begins to wonder if Oranges and Lemons even took a glimpse at the series.
The music isn't an entire loss, though. The march tune that plays between where commercial breaks, "Kaze no Iro March" is catchy and fitting. Some of the music is really great, and others are just...blah.

However, I don't think music is supposed to be a big part of the Azu series. Other animes, such as Inuyasha and Cowboy Bebop, rely heavily on the background music to set the mood. Azumanga Daioh, however, relies mainly on the characters. Yet, there are some bare spots where some sort of music could've been inserted.

Overall, I adore Azumanga Daioh and its creator, Kiyohiko Azuma. The series is excellent, and my only wish is for it to be longer! Unfortunately, this isn't the case - the typical 26, 30-minute episodes is what we get.

However, there is a movie entitled, "Azumanga Daioh: The Very Short Movie". It was created as tie-in with the Sakura Wars flick, and was released on the sixth DVD. There is also a short movie simply called, "Azumanga Daioh Web", which uses a completely different voice cast and is made in a much bolder, thicker animation.

But if you're still craving more Azuma-ness, then check out Yostubato!, which is currently being released through ADV Manga. Although not the same as Azumanga Daioh, it's...strangely satisfying. ^^;;



Manga-ka/Original Concept:
Kiyohiko Azuma
Appeared In:
Monthly Comic Dengeki Daioh
Director:
Hiroshi Nishikiori
Music:
Masaki Kurihara
Music Performance:
Kuri-Coder Pop Orchestra
Character Design:
Yasuhisa Kato
Animation:
GENCO, J.C. Staff
Broadcasters:
AT-X, TV Aichi, TV Osaka, TV Tokyo
Production:
Azumanga Daioh Production Committee, GENCO, Imagica, J.C. Staff
Released In English By:
ADV Films



Seiyuu (Japanese/English):

Chiyo Mihama (Chiyo-chan):
Tomoko Kaneda/Jessica Boone
Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga:
Yuki Matsuoka/Kira Vincent Davis
Tomo Takino:
Chieko Higuchi/Mandy Clark
Koyomi "Yomi" Mizuhara:
Rie Tanaka/Nancy Novotny
Sakaki:
Yuu Asakawa/Christine Auten
Kagura:
Houko Kuwashima/Allison Sumrall
Yukari Tanizaki:
Akiko Hiramatsu/Luci Christian
Minamo "Nyamo" Kurosawa:
Aya Hisakawa/Monica Rial
Kaorin:
Sakura Nogawa/Tiffany Grant
Kimura:
Kouji Ishii/Andy McAvin
Chiyo-Dad:
Norio Wakamoto/Jason Douglas
Chihiro:
Akane Omae/Hilary Haag