Azumanga Daioh

[Gypsy]

Upon the recommendation from Brian C, I went out and bought the first volume of this new manga. I have never laughed so much over a manga before (usually, it only merits a smirk or two) but this one is hilarious! There are a couple immature elements in it, and some mild language, but overall I loved it and can't wait for the second issue.

[BrianC]

I really enjoyed the first GN of Azumanga Daioh. Personally, I like it better than the other manga ADV is publishing so far, Full Metal Panic. I liked Full Metal panic, but the first GN of FMP didn't get into much of the plot yet and the humor is fairly repetitive (I still liked it, though). The first GN of Azumanga Daioh is much funnier.

The characters and situations in Azumanga Daioh are priceless. You have the teacher with the mind of a high schooler that is Yukari, the scatterbrained Osaka, hyperactive Tomo, the cute 10 year old high schooler, Chiyo, the pet lovin' Sakaki, and other great characters.

I like how ADV is handling manga so far. Both Full Metal Panic and Azumanga Daioh have a larger print size than any other $9.99 GN I have seen and some full color pages at the beginning of the GN. The translation in both seem to be great too.

[Technomancer]

Have you seen the anime? I also remember seeing a really weird web-comic spoof of Witch Hunter Robin done Azumanga style. It was a pretty good laugh, might've been better if I knew Japanese though.

[Spiritsword]

I'm glad you started this topic, Gypsy! I almost started the same one the other day. I just bought the first volume of Azumanga Daioh and found it very unique and entertaining, not to mention funny. I'm not sure how much is kept/lost in the translation, but the style of humor is different than what you would see in US panel comics--it strikes me as an interesting insight into Japanese humor, if there is such a thing. The manga itself was unexpected--much of it is done in a four-panel, individual strip format. It is more a compilaion of these strips than a graphic novel, though there are longer chapters as well. Kind of like Megatokyo. But yes, this is a great manga and well worth the price, if you like humor. I'm just waiting for azufan to join us in this thread!

[yog^sothoth]

i've got all of them but they are in japanese! Oh well....can't read it all quite yet. I've seen the aniem though. good stuff! People say there is a lot of fan service. I don't think it has so much.

[Gypsy]

The manga itself was unexpected--much of it is done in a four-panel, individual strip format. It is more a compilaion of these strips than a graphic novel, though there are longer chapters as well. Kind of like Megatokyo.

Yeah, that got me at first. It went something like: "Vertical panels! Eww!" But after the second page, it just kept flowing, and the format didn't matter after that. And even thought it was comedy based, the character development that was crammed in there was impressive.

[Haibane Shadsie]

YOU MEAN IT'S TRANSLATED?!!!!!

I thought it wasn't translated yet! I got a copy of the first volume in Japanese at Anime Expo. I cannot read Japanese, so I just decipered it from my knowledge of the anime (which I've seen fansubbed and I read is coming out in official translation soon).

Where do I get English volumes of Azumanga Daioh? Seriously, I loved the anime to death!

[BrianC]

YOU MEAN IT'S TRANSLATED?!!!!!

I thought it wasn't translated yet! I got a copy of the first volume in Japanese at Anime Expo. I cannot read Japanese, so I just decipered it from my knowledge of the anime (which I've seen fansubbed and I read is coming out in official translation soon).

Where do I get English volumes of Azumanga Daioh? Seriously, I loved the anime to death!

The first translated volume of Azumanga Daioh manga is published by ADV and is available in bookstores like Borders. It can be ordered from online stores like amazon.com. The second volume is coming out in November.

The translation of Azumanga Daioh is good, but it has been localized a bit with Yukari giving Spanish lessons and Osaka talking with a Brooklyn accent. However, the localizations capture the essence of the original very well.

http://www.adv-manga.com is the official site for the publisher, but there isn't much there yet. Both of the mangas pictured there are already out and there is a third one out that isn't pictured at the site (Seven of Seven).

[Shao Feng-Li]

what are these manga's rated?

[Spiritsword]

It's rated T (13+). It is a very cute and funny series, and definitely woth checking out!

[true_noir_chloe]

Azu Manga Daioh is one of the funniest mangas that you'll want to read over and over again. It's a mild T, as Spiritsword has already said. I love the anime too.

[Gypsy]

Which is better, the anime or manga?

[Gypsy]

Ok, while clicking around and looking for a concrete release date, I found the pic I attached. Just that pic alone makes me want to laugh. Actually, trying to guess what was being said (knowing those two) did make me laugh. Now the question is, do I hit ebay, or do I wait for the US release?

[Tet-chan]

I prefer the manga more than the anime

[chibi_chan]

the third vacation is so funny (in the anime)

[Kireihana]

I saw a bunch of scanlations online before actually buying volume 1 of the manga. The scanlations were translated much more word-for-word, and so I would have to say that I found some of the ADV translator's a little far-fetched. For example, instead of the kids learning English in Yukari's class, they learn Spanish, and a few other things that are a big part of Japanese culture were changed completely. I can see why they might wanted to make it more relative to American society, but I enjoy learning about Japanese culture in manga. Anyway, it's still an incredibly great manga and I am definitely gonna buy the 2nd and 3rd volumes! (and the rest!)