Azumanga Daioh is peak slice of life

Azumanga Daioh is my favorite manga series and anime of all time. It’s a surreal, slice of life series that follows six girls through high school.

I bought the omnibus from Barnes & Noble in 2007, though the series was written from 1999 to 2002. It was the first book I ever bought with my own money, and the first manga series I ever owned. Prior to that I was just reading whatever I could find at the library in my small, rural town (all we had was Pokemon and Fruit Basket).

But nostalgia is not the only reason I’m making this video. Azumanga Daioh certainly has a following. The entire series is available on YouTube and there is still a clear fanbase after all this time. But, it’s not a series that really took off in America, and as sad as it makes me, I can see why.

There’s a lot of wish fulfillment in anime for people. Who doesn’t want to fight like a badass, or have a harem of people obsessed with them, or have the ability to kill people with a book? Or have gorgeous hair that goes down to your ankles?

Azumanga Daioh is just about six girls going to school.

Let’s rip this apart.

THE CAST

Even the supporting cast of Azumanga is hilarious to watch. The main cluster of people we follow around is well-balanced in terms of spear carriers, zanny personalities, and straight characters.

Tomo Takino - The self proclaimed, wildcat highschool girl, Tomo Takino is the most annoying person I’ve ever seen in an anime (right up there with Sumomo, Tsukune, and, fucking, Meowth). But, Tomo’s obnoxiousness is tempered by her other friends. And, even with all the screaming and antics, Tomo is really funny. She’s the embodiment of a classmate who is so desperate for a specific identity when they’re young that they completely shoot themselves in the foot. It’s hilarious watching her fall on her face. Tomo is reminiscent of Finn Wolfhard, ah, Bill Hader, AHEM, Ritchie Tozier from IT. Even when Tomo feels bad that she’s hurt someone’s feelings, or is upset about something, her instinct is to crack a joke. To try to make people laugh. To express herself in her own way. She’s extremely competitive with some of her peers even when she’s not at all equipped to challenge them. We find out in Azumanga Daioh: Supplementary Lessons that Tomo’s father is a lot like her, and that he embarasses her. The most poignant thing about Tomo is she wants to be distinct, and tries so hard to do so that she doesn’t realize how unique she actually is. While her personality certainly irritates her friends and teachers from time to time, Tomo is capable of great things when she applies herself. She’s probably one of the most relatable characters in the series, because even if you weren’t the student who smacked your teacher in the face with a lunch tray, going through an identity crisis in high-school is why that time of your life feels so tumultuous. What ultimately grounds Tomo are the people around her, and by the end of the series, she knows who she is and what she wants to do about it.

Koyomi Mizuhara - Yomi is Tomo’s oldest friend, and their dynamic is a staple of humor, tension, and even heart throughout the series. Yomi is a complete foil to Tomo, and she is far more calm, mature, and rational than most of her friends. Yomi’s biggest running gag or joke (though whether or not it’s funny depends on your sense of humor) has to do with her weight. Yomi is constantly dieting. The only person who picks on Yomi for her weight, or even mentions it, is Tomo, and that seems to hinge on Yomi’s obsession rather than Tomo actually thinking there’s something wrong with the way Yomi looks. She is the only person who manages to bring out the immature, emotional side of Yomi, causing them to bicker like sisters. Yomi is incredibly sarcastic, with Tomo receiving the brunt of it. That said, they do care for each other. Tomo does compliment Yomi often for her figure and for how smart she is. There are several times throughout the anime, and even more throughout the manga, where they confide in one another. And hey, ToYomi is a really popular Yuri coupling within the fandom. Even though there is a canonical pairing in the series, I’ve seen a lot of people laud this one above all others so, hoopa-doopa-do internet, have fun.

Sakaki - Sakaki is tall, athletic, and quiet. Her whole shtick is that everyone around her thinks she’s cool, and is this mysterious, stoic girl; BUT, would you believe she loves cats?! Cool people can’t like cute things! Sakaki also loves stuffed animals, stickers, and she’s very protective of Chiyo Chan, a character we’ll talk about in a minute. What I like about Sakaki’s obsession with cats is that every cat she comes into contact with absolutely hates her. It’s never clear why, she’s nothing but patient and kind, but a huge plot point is that an entire species just hates her. There are even funnier moments in the comics with this, and all the other characters in the series think that Sakaki is even more of a badass because she’s always coming to school with cuts and bruises from “fights.” And I sympathize with Sakaki feeling out of place way more in high-school than I do with that chick from Tall Girl, because this series actually earns each heartstring it tugs out of my chest cavity. Suck it Jodi!

Kagura - Kagura is the least developed of the main cast at the start, but the way Azuma wove her into the rest of the cast is seamless, and with good reason. Kagura starts out as another athletic girl who’s viewed as a rival of Sakaki. She starts out in a different homeroom from the bunch until she’s brought in junior year by their teacher; a move that most classmates theorize is an attempt to improve their chances for sports festivals. What I like about Kagura when she formally introduces herself to Sakaki, is she comes right out and jokes that they’re rivals, and everyone is expecting them to compete. Sakaki couldn’t give less of a shit about this, which further fleshes out her softer side. The best part is Kagura laughs it off because it doesn’t really matter to her either, and by doing this, she gives herself the room to grow beyond the archetype she was assigned at the beginning of the series as just, ‘a second-rate Sakaki.’ Her personality blends in well with the herd, because she can be just as high-strung as Tomo, just as sarcastic as Yomi, and even has a hidden softer-side like Sakaki. But, outside of that she manages to become a rounded character, with her own interests and insecurities. One of Kagura’s biggest struggles is that she’s too hard on herself, and with her over-the-top involvement in running and swimming, it’s implied that her parents are hard on her too. She’s not the best student, so she has to set herself apart from her peers athletically instead. We see Kagura happiest with her friends, and I appreciate her arc for portraying a character who gains friends as high-school goes on, giving herself a chance to enjoy the race rather than focusing on crossing the finish line.

Chiyo Mihama - Chiyo Mihama, or Chiyo Chan, is arguably the main character of the series. If that’s true, then I love that the protagonist isn’t at all relatable, because to me, under baked protagonists that exist so the reader can “step into the world and walk around,” fucking suck. Chiyo Chan is a 10 year old child prodigy who skipped middle school and has gone straight to high school. I remember first reading the manga and thinking that she was never going to be more than a gimmick, but her inclusion in the group honestly helps tie the other personalities together. Chiyo Chan is smart like Yomi, and is responsible for her age, but she’s still young and naive enough to fit in with the more immature members of the cast. Tomo gets a lot of mileage out of teasing Chiyo Chan. Her relationship with Sakaki is one of my favorites in the series. I wish the pair was more popular within the fandom, because Sakaki is a great big sister for Chiyo, and Chiyo Chan’s respect and appreciation of Sakaki gives her a chance to come out of her shell throughout the series, preventing her from being a one-note, dark and brooding teenager. Chiyo Chan’s kindness is another trait worth noting. She is sweet and naive enough that she entertains the fantasies of the final member in the group...

Ayumu Kasuga - Ayumu Kasuga, is my favorite of the six girls, hands down. Nicknamed Osaka after moving from said city, (much to her dismay, thanks Tomo), Osaka is a more subdued daydreamer who says exactly what she’s thinking, even if it weirds out everyone around her. In the anime, she has a southern accent, and initially people comment on the way she pronounces certain words. Oof, I feel that; I say milk, windowsill, and crying when I talk way too fast and kids are merciless when they know something makes you self-conscious. Actually, the reason Osaka is a character I gravitate towards is because she’s the one I relate to the most. I was one of the quiet kids all throughout school, but not in a cool way like Sakaki. I was more like Osaka, who would be so lost in thought that people just kind of forgot about me. A running joke for Osaka is that so many people call her by her nickname, even teacher’s don’t know or use her real name for rosters. But even with her strange trains of thought and shyness, Osaka has a place in her friend group and she doesn’t take it for granted. She’s just happy to be included, and finds joy in small or at times bizarre things. She’s also smarter than people give her credit for. She knows a lot about marine biology and loves solving riddles. A lot of Osaka’s struggles come from the fact that she gets distracted easily, but when push comes to shove, she works hard and proves that she has talents and hobbies that make her happy. I don’t want to spoil too much for the series, but my favorite plot thread for Osaka is her involvement in a bread eating competition. She is super excited to finally participate, but gets hung up on which bread she should choose from the multiple flavors they’ve included.

Tanizaki Yukari - Even though Azumanga Daioh mainly focuses on teens in school, there are a few teachers we should mention. The first character the entire series opens with is the homeroom teacher for class three, Miss Yukari. What’s she like? Tanizaki Yukari is also an English teacher, and to say that she’s unique as an educator is an understatement. Similar to Tomo, Yukari is not unintelligent, but she lacks motivation and so a lot of people underestimate her abilities. She’s incredibly competitive, high-strung, and prone to angry outbursts when challenged. Her least favorite student is Tomo, which is hilarious given how similar they are. In fact, that may be why Yukari is so annoyed by Tomo’s antics as she likely reminds her of herself when she was a teenager. Which honestly would be torture I imagine, going in to work everyday and dealing with someone who is basically you at one of the most cringe inducing times of your life. The best thing about Yukari is that she isn’t perfect. Far from it; she’s not the worst teacher in the whole school, but she’s not out here shaping young minds and encouraging them to seek out a bright future that’s “just around the corner.” She is honest to a fault with her students and has no problem bursting anyone’s bubble, not even Chiyo Chan’s. If I think back about any teachers and professors in my time as a student that I actually liked, they were a lot more like Miss Yukari. They were up front about the fact that they hated the administration and shit like that. It’s no surprise that the main characters actually do like Miss Yukari. They genuinely ask her for advice and recognize that as crazy as she can act, she knows how to teach and is fluent in another language, and like Tomo and Osaka, is smarter than people first assume due to her boisterous personality. Is she selfish? Yes. But hateful? Not at all.

Minamo Kurosawa - Tomo has Yomi, and Miss Yukari has Minamo Kurosawa. Their dysfunctional friendship mirrors that of their students, and is another source of recurring gags Azuma uses. Miss Kurosawa is the homeroom teacher of class five, and is the school’s PE teacher. Unlike Yukari, Kurosawa is popular with nearly every student, and that obvious fact is something Yukari is incredibly jealous of. Kurosawa is kind and responsible, but similar to Yomi, she isn’t above making mistakes and getting riled up because of her best friend’s behavior. Kurosawa, or Nyamo to Yukari and the main cast later on, often impresses everyone with how put together she is. A sore spot for her is the fact that despite being pretty, hard-working, and well-liked, she struggles to maintain romantic relationships. Needless to say this is something Yukari teases her about often. But, similar to Yomi, Nyamo gets in jabs where she can, and it becomes apparent throughout the series that her ability to handle Yukari’s energy head-on, and Yukari’s ability to roll with Nyamo’s hidden, sarcastic side is why they’re such great friends.

I’m a big fan of ensemble casts because they’re challenging to write, especially if you want each person to be distinct, not just sitting there filling space. What I think is so impressive is that Azuma managed to create characters who are quite similar at times, but their storylines don’t feel redundant or stale. And, when personalities clash or a character takes center stage, the series doesn’t resort to just giving us a barrage of over-the-top caricatures.

Well, there, I’ve spent a huge chunk of this just talking about the cast. But is that it? Is that all this anime’s got? Oh ho ho ho, no.

MANGA TO ANIME

This show is really beautiful you guys. Having read the manga, I appreciate how well they captured Azuma’s illustration style… then elevated it. It’s exciting to see panels from the manga in color. Seeing the comics on screen makes my heart warm and fuzzy. The anime has some great original shots that are both unique to the show and pay respect to Azuma’s work.

The music for this show is perfect. I don’t know what sort of soundtrack I was expecting, or what kind of music I heard in my head while reading the manga, but each tune is just, amazing.

Oranges & Lemons are the music duo responsible for the intro and credit themes, fuck yeah, I love lemons. The soundtrack is really relaxing to listen to. It reminds me of the ambient music you’d hear in Rune Factory Frontier or Harvest Moon. It’s not like the show would’ve gone for a sound like Attack on Titan, but the music compliments the overall mood of the show in its restraint and delicate tone.

THE STORY

Azumanga Daioh is similar to sitcoms like Friends or Seinfeld. It’s a show about nothing. It’s just a gaggle of people with relatively low-stakes issues that are entertaining as hell to watch. Osaka gets hiccups, and that’s a bigger plot point than it has any right to be, but I feel bad for her watching everyone trying to help get rid of them.

I did not have the best time in school, honestly I’ve blocked a lot of it out, but what I can remember is portrayed well by the series. Classmates who were always messing around, dealing with insecurities about your appearance, wanting to fit in at some point, even make new friends over the years who you may have competed with in the past. And, you have teachers dealing with their own problems, from their past, and in the present. Azuma doesn’t write about characters who are perfect by the end and ready for adulthood.

I feel like this series reflects my time in college more than high-school, but the final episode where everyone is moving on to the next chapter can be as emotional for me as Closing Time by Semisonic when I’m in a sentimental mood. You can be excited for future prospects while missing the good old days. Feeling lost during that transition isn’t something that goes away after highschool either, and I think that’s why I can come back to the series over and over again and still enjoy it. I don’t know if that’s motivating for you or not but follow your dreams kids. Follow them so life can crush them.

Azumanga Daioh strikes the perfect balance between frustrating, comedic, and heartwarming moments. If you enjoyed this analysis please let me know.