Yotsuba&! Discussion Questions

[Kristen]

1. Who is your favorite character? Why?

2. What do you think of the art, including the character designs, backgrounds, etc?

3. Do you like the slice of life genre? Why or why not?

4. Do you think Yotsuba&! would make a good anime? Why or why not?

5. What is your theory about where Yotsuba comes from?

6. Have you ever met anyone like Yotsuba?

Feel free to answer as many or as few of these questions as you like. Please remember to hide any spoilers.

[Nekokit]

1. My favorite character is Yotsuba! Because she is really funny and she is full of joy.

2. Art is detailed and looks azumangarish. (Which I like)

3. I like the slice of life genre, because it is something that most of us can relate to.

4. It would make a very good anime because, it is so funny and Azumanga Daioh has it's own anime! Why can't Yotusba have one as well?

5. In a orphanage?
6. Yes, but someone a lot older. But in age circumstances, no.

[jenny]

1. My favorite character is Yotsuba because she makes me laugh more than any manga character ever.

2. I love everything about the art. So much of the character's personality is shown in the way they are drawn. The art is very clean and easy to look at, yet still very detailed.

3. Slice of life is one of my very favorite genres because I love to see how other countries/cultures live their day to day lives. I can see the similarities and the differences.

4. I think it would make an excellent anime. It's hilarious and cute, and could be enjoyed by all ages.

5. Maybe she was raised on a deserted island or somewhere very isolated?

6. I have never met anyone just like Yotsuba, but I do know some people who find wonder and joy in everyday things. Those are very special people.

[Selena]

1. I'd have to say Jumbo. I have no idea why, though.

2. Everyone and everything looks so normal, and then there's Yotsuba. It really makes her stand out, and considering the story's about her and her eccentricities, it makes perfect sense.

3. Slice of life can be good, depending on the story. This is an example of it done well.

4. Azumanga Daioh made a great anime (same creator). This one probably would to. If anything, there's more to work with than Azumanga.

5. My guess is something mundane in the world of anime. Her mom probably died when she was really little, and her craziness is because she's had to entertain herself because her dad's busy and there doesn't seem to be a lot of kids her age.

6. Everyone has a little Yotsuba in them somewhere.

[Yue]

1. Youtsuba obviously! She is damn funny.

2. I like the art cuz it is simple but nice and expressive.

3. I am starting to think I like Slice of Life more than any other genre. I am very interested in Japan so it is nice to learn more about their culture, which is so different from mine.

4. It is surprising this manga does not have an anime. It would be a must-watch if there is any.

5. No idea

6. Most children are like Yotsuba in that age I think.

[Mike]

1. Hard not to pick Yotsuba, but there are a lot of characters that really amuse me personality-wise (Fuka and Jumbo come to mind).

2. Simple in some ways but very expressive and great for the tone/story.

3. Love it. I've read a lot of great slice-of-life manga.

4. Yes, but it would also be surprisingly easy to mess up.

5. Better not knowing. Don't have vol 1 in front of me for the exact quote but I have to say the initial description of something to the effect of "have you seen a really strange little girl around?" was fantastic.

6. Every young child ever to some extent. That's what makes her and her story so phenomenal.

[Kristen]

1. I love all of the adult males in the series. I love seeing grown men let down their guard and act silly with a little girl. It's so cute ^w^

2. I'm a nut for backgrounds and Yotsuba&! has beautiful ones.

3. Slice of life is probably my favorite manga genre.

4. I think it would make a good anime if it were done right, but I think it would be hard to pull off. I think the timing of all of the jokes would be completely wrong. There would be lots of scenes of Yotsuba staring into space for 5 minutes. It's funny in the manga, but I don't think it would be funny in an anime.

5. Well' I don't think her origins will ever actually be explained, but my theory is that she had a background similar to that of Goku from Dragon Ball: living in the woods with a single guardian with no outside influences.

6. The only child that I've hung out with for any extended amount of time is my cousin's daughter. She's almost four, but she is nothing like Yotsuba. She's usually pretty grumpy and/or toned down. I've met a few children fleetingly who reminded me a bit of Yotsuba's wonder of the world.

[Fauuzzie]

Ok, firstly: Yotsuba&! has been one of my favorite mangas ever since I started reading it. It is sooooooo gooooood.....

1. Hmm...I've gotta say I like them all, but especially Yotsuba and Jimbo.

2. I like how the art is simplistic without being lazy. And it works perfectly for the simple story. Sometimes I think too much detail just muddles up the picture to the point where you can't tell what it is anymore. Luckily that isn't the case here:)

3. I loooooove it so much. Sometimes books get too caught up in being important or complex. It's good to find a manga that does the exact opposite.

4. It would make a great anime! Granted, it would have to be done carefully, as transferring the humor of the manga to anime would be difficult. But if done right, it would definitely be one of my favorites.

5. Honestly, I think it just has to do with the mangaka's tastes. She doesn't need her stories to be so intricate to enjoy them.

6. My cousin Livvy is kind of like Yotsuba, but not exactly. Everyone is different in their own ways, of course:)

[Elizabeth]

1.) From what I've read thus far, Yotsuba is my favorite character. She's so childlike (which she should be as she's a young child) but, at the same time, she's more naive than a child her age should really be (not knowing what swings are, for instance). Another aspect of her, though, is that she also seems wise and mature for her age.

2.) I like the artwork. I like the depth and personality it gives to the characters. With Yotsuba, for instance, you really don't need the dialogue to understand her personality. I think it comes across spectacularly in the way she was drawn.

3.) I do enjoy this particular genre of manga. I think, in some respects, it's easy to relate to. Yotsuba is a little off but the rest of the story makes me think I could be reading about the lives of the people in my own neighborhood. It's not so hard to imagine their day-to-day lives as the day-to-day lives of myself or my neighbors.

4.) I can actually picture Yotsuba in my mind as an anime. The entire time I was reading it, the characters just felt so alive to me. I would really love to watch this one.

5.) I think Yotsuba might be from some alternate universe or other world (not necessarily an alien but, perhaps, a fairy creature or something like that).

6.) I've met several people that share some aspects of Yotsuba but not anyone that is completely like her.