nichijou: my ordinary life, Volume 2

Yuuko attempts puns and fails to make anyone laugh. There's a brief, out-of-the-blue flashback to when Nano first started going to school. (Also, the professor is apparently only 8 years old??) After some difficulties with a test, Yuuko offers to draw pictures for their teacher's next English text. She and Mio have an art battle that deeply frustrates Mio. A new animal cast member is added, in the form of Sakamoto, a little black cat that the professor adopts and gives a little bandana to that allows it to speak.

Volume 1 never really made me laugh, but this one worked a little better for me. I enjoyed the scene in which Yuuko desperately tried to kill mosquitoes in her bedroom. I also enjoyed the part where a sick Yuuko did magic tricks show more for Mio but flubbed every single one.

Sakamoto's design is super cute, and I liked the contrast between his serious attitude and Nano and the professor's behavior. As far as animals go, this volume also gives us a random dog who shows up out of nowhere whenever Yuuko needs comforting, as well as a parakeet with issues.

If ever there was a time to include translator's notes, it's in comedy manga. I wish Vertical had included something for this series, since I suspect quite a few jokes are going over my head. Also, a translator's note would have cleared up my confusion about Yuuko/Yukko faster. It took some googling to learn that this was not, in fact, frequent misspelling on the translator's part, but rather the character's given name (Yuuko) vs. her nickname (Yukko).

Extras:

A couple full-color pages, and a bonus chapter that's actually a early prototype of Nichijou.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) show less

This is an amazing manga comedy with jokes that actually made me laugh (which doesn't happen often when I'm reading a book). It has a great story though it doesn't really go anywhere. It's a really fun and surreal slice of life that I recommend to anyone with a sense of humor. Although some of the jokes can be really boring the jokes that are hilarious make up for it. I enjoyed this so much I just HAD to get the second volume. Like I said, I'd recommend this to anyone with a sense of humor. Some of the jokes are a little TOO surreal for me and don't make much sense, but it's not supposed to make sense so that's fine.

I love the characters so much, Mio and Mr Sakamoto are easily my favorite characters. I snorted so hard at the drawing contest, and I really liked the dream that Yuuko had about Mio's hair. It was a nice change of pace and somehow just seemed to fit in despite being so different (I honestly wouldn't mind reading a separate manga for that story line).

I read the whole thing out of plain stubbornness, but I just couldn't find anything funny.