Azumanga Daioh is a slice of life anime that follows six friends throughout their three years of high school. There is no overarching plot other than following the experiences of these six characters through high school; however, Azumanga Daioh still succeeds on its strong cast of characters and their interactions. The main characters are all female, and the friends - and their teachers - get into some very interesting and hilarious situations. They are: Tomo, the energetic one with no self control, Yomi, Tomo's...'friend' through all their school years, Chiyo, the 10 year old genius, Osaka, the airhead, Sakaki, the tall, athletic and shy one with a thing for cats, and Kagura, the athlete and self-proclaimed rival of Sakaki.
Credits: destati
Story & Characters
Ah, the famous (and even somewhat infamous) Azumanga Diaoh. There's a lot that's been said about this series, and most
of the points do have validity, but for the sake of all involved I'll try to keep it concise, but no promises. The story
here is definitely the most dividing aspect of this anime. Detailing the journey of six girls in high school: the
precocious Chiyo, the spacey Osaka, the ditz Tomo, the serious Yomi, the sporty Kagura, and last but not least the
reserved Sakaki. The anime follows this core group of six from the first day of high school to the graduation and
entrance exams, while also following their, erm, colourful teachers and a couple of fellow students. Among the
activities are the club days, the sport rallies, the summers at the beach, and, of course, the big field trip to
Okinawa. Throughout the entire thing there's nary a hint of drama, aside from the occasional brief bit of infighting
that Tomo always seems to initiate.
What I've failed to mention so far though, is that the plot is the main thing that tends to divide people over this
show. Namely because it's really rather, well, non-existent. However, if I may be so bold, I would declare this, in some
sense at least, to be the Seinfeld of anime: at its roots a show about nothing. But to tell the truth I'd have it no
other way. Gone is the expected drama, the heartbreak, the cat fights. None of the girls transform into super heroes
(and no, no matter how much Tomo wishes she could it doesn't count) and the world isn't at stake at any point during the
series. But it is this lack of plot that I feel allows such endearment to the characters, who really are the story from
my perspective.
To elaborate, without the excess drama, this entire show becomes a rather interesting character study. And I almost
assure that everyone who watches and enjoys the show will come out with one or two favourite characters. Even the
teachers, Kimura, Yukari, and Nyamo have their followings. Also because of the focus on characters, Azumanaga is a nice,
light anime to watch whenever you have a moment to spare. Mind you, the story also suffers from the lack of cohesiveness
sometimes, in that while some will find the lack of it to be a nice change of pace, others will not find enough
motivation to compel them to continue watching.
While some would argue that the story does revolve around getting to the point of graduation, I would argue that this is
merely the focus of the last episodes. But the series is better off for it, in my opinion. I note that I haven't gone
into details of the characters in order to avoid ruining letting the audience discover the quirks and intricacies for
themselves.
Rating: 8
Art
The art in Azumanga Diaoh is truly one of it's strong points, always manic and energetic, while maintaining a smoothness
and fluidity that is quite endearing to watch. In order for most of the sight gags to work in the show the animation has
to be good, and thankfully it lives up to all expectations in this department. All the movements are natural and
unforced when they need to be, while off the wall and chaotic when called for. The characters all move and Whether it
be the downtown shopping districts, the classroom, or Chiyo's sprawling home, all of the backgrounds are very rich and
detailed. The characters, however, are the crowning jewel of this series, with each being unique in and of themselves.
Unlike some other anime where there are the four templates (young male, young female, adult male, adult female) each of
the girls has a unique face and mannerisms, and while the female teachers Yukari and Nyamo are a little closer together
in terms of looks I doubt the two could ever be confused.
The colouring is also done spectacularly, with the vibrant and bright mood of the series almost being made to colour the
world so to speak. I will apologize once again for seeming to be vague, for once again I would rather not get lost in
the numerous details that each character brings to the table, nor do I want to spoil the sort of knowledge that a person
should garner from watching the series for themselves.
Rating: 9
Sound
The music and voice work are another strong element of Azumanga Daioh, and they are another one that is well done in the
scope of things. The opening and closing themes of the show perfectly illustrate the upbeat nature that one should
expect when approaching the series. The main "theme" of the show itself: a light melody played on the flute,
is well placed and always helps to keep the mood cheerful and sunny. The voice work is also wonderfully done, which is a
must for a show that is more centered around the characters than most others out there. The Japanese voice work,
however, is recommended over the American actors from my perspective, as it is with most series. A special nod also goes
out to Kimura, the only male character prominent in the show. While he only ever speaks a few words compared to the rest
of the cast, he's always a riot to watch, and listen to. At the risk of a minor spoiler though, I genuinely wish that
Yomi's voice actress, Rie Tanaka, would have been allowed to sing a time or two. Those that have watched the series know
why she can, but she has an amazing singing voice, judging from the work she has done in other series, so it did sadden
me a little that she never got a chance to show off her true vocal chops, although her voice work, like all the other
characters, is extremely well done.
Overall, the sound work adds to the already solid theme of the almost cavity inducing amounts of sunshine rainbows that
exude from the series. From the manic, to the occasionally a slightly more reflective moment, which, while not sombre,
still has a greater weight overall for the show than the happiness of every other scene. The only negative here is that
after a while the music can tend to get repetitive, but that's a small complant considering the overall quality of the
sound in general.
Rating: 8
Presentation
While somewhat lacking a true concept, Azumanga Diaoh is one of the few series that isn't overly hurt by not having one.
The humour, while sometimes over the top and repetitive, is almost always guaranteed to make you crack a smile or have a
good laugh. The characters are endearing without being drama magnets or super powered dynamos. This is a show that could
almost serve as a vacation from other anime, something to pick up after you just got through the more heavy offerings
like Eva or the like. While it will never have some of the more universal appeal of the flashier more action packed
fair, it's easily one of the most endearing little pieces of work to come along in quite awhile, a romp down the yellow
brick road where no one stays mad for too long and feelings are never more than scuffed. A place where the strange is
relegated to the imaginations of girls, and where strawberry heaven is just another school day hanging out with your
friends. I hope that you enjoyed the review, if you have any comments, criticisms, or the like, feel free to post it or
drop me a line. Until next time, Minitokyo!
Rating: 8
Final Verdict
8.17 (good)
Reviewed by Thegman, Dec 12, 2006