YOTSUBA&!, Volume 2

Another great installment of the Yotsuba series! Once again, we have stories about the day-to-day life of Yotsuba Koiwai, her dad, their neighbors, and friend Jumbo.

Each of the stories stands on its own pretty well, as with the first volume, but I noticed that there are several little things that carry through from one to another, whether its a previous background detail becoming prominent, or an old story point showing up in the background of a later story. I really enjoyed that attention to detail!

This volume introduces Ena's friend Miura, who likes to tease Yotsuba - probably it's a direct result of their first meeting, when Yotsuba was totally astounded by Miura's wheelie shoes. It also continues the thread of Jumbo's crush on show more eldest sister Asagi (the scene in the 12th story "Yotsuba & Pools" when he thinks Asagi will be going to a fancy water park with him, Koiwai, and Yostuba is just amazing in his dorkiness).

The 9th story "Yotsuba & Revenge" may very well be one of the funniest yet. While watching a gangster/detective sort of movie with her dad and Jumbo, Yotsuba decides to act it out. She gets her water gun and goes on a killing spree...sort of? and then tries to catch the killer (who was herself, of course). At one point, she comes across a dozing Fuka and squirts the watergun up Fuka's nose - I was literally in stitches when reading those panels, Yostuba's own laughter was so infectious. (Actually, there are several bits that I'd love to share, but it'd be easier to just scan the images - like when Yostuba pauses after kicking Ena's door open in order to carefully execute a somersault into the room. A verbal description simply can't match seeing it.)

Then again, the 11th story "Yotsuba & 'No Bother'" is also pretty hilarious. After pulling an all-nighter, Koiwai asks Yostuba to play quietly while he sleeps. She decides to decorate her toy box (the 'Yotsubox' in this translation) by drawing a picture of him, then adds a mustache and beard to the picture. Naturally, he needs it now, too, so she draws the same on the sleeping Koiwai... with an indelible marker.



I was really disappointed after I read the first volume at the library and couldn't get the second one for some reason. I ended up trying to find scans and translations online, and absolutely loved them. But after rereading the downloaded files a few times, I felt that I really needed to buy the book itself - and with luck, I found a copy at a used book store which I'd visited by chance. I'm so happy I did!

This volume 2 is a great book, and now I can share it - one of the nice things is that you don't need to have read the first volume to be able to enjoy the second. All the important character relationships and backgrounds are made clear without explicitly providing a summary or character sheet. show less

In this second volume, I found myself getting very attached to the character of five-year-old Yotsuba. She's quite a character.

I felt sorry for her in Chapter 8 (Drawing) when her drawing of a lake, trees and a duck was meanly criticized by neighbor Eno's friend Miura. At least Yotsuba had others who did like her drawing...including me!

Chapter 11 (No Bother) was hilarious. Yotsuba had to entertain herself while her dad was sleeping. She decided to draw a picture of her dad on a box,. Then she added a mustache and beard to his picture. However, what she did after that had me laughing so loudly that I woke up my husband. I don't often laugh out loud at any comics other than Pearls Before Swine (drawn by comic artist Stephan Pastis) but show more this Yotsuba chapter was simply too funny.

I love this book...and very much look forward to reading volume 3. show less

Annoyance: abating.
Enjoyment: increasing.

The timing in these stories is great. The pauses, asides and sudden outbursts work really well.

I found Yotsuba's Dad and friend perving over the 16-year neighbour a little weird, but it wasn't so bad (and I don't know how old they're supposed to be yet).

I really shouldn't compare it to Nichijou, but it is different in two ways: the main protagonist is much younger, and it can't shake the tinge of lecherousness that the father and his friend Jumbo manage to tickle out now and again.

Listen, im no ignoramus. I know storks bring babies, but it's really weird that this story about a pre-schooler who toddles around the world on amusing adventures and quirky behaviors is often overshadowed by her adopted father.

See, I can't even remember what moment in the previous book gave me this feeling of, I can't call it fanservice because it's not, it just lecherousness. In this one however, it's clear. When the dad gets tickets to a water park, his friend Jumbo asks Yotsuba to invite the eldest show more daughter to come with them. I'm assuming that Jumbo and the dad are in their twenties and the girl, Asagi is at least 18 or 19, but the fact that Jumbo refers to Asagi as the a friend of Yotsuba, a toddler, really rubbed me the wrong way.

Thankfully Asagi wasn't able to come, her younger sister (a teen) comes instead and is frequently lumped in with the adults, further proving my suspicion that she's older, and they're not that old, but that feeling of lechery remains.

How is it that the feeling can't be shaken? It bothers me and ultimately detracts from my enjoyment of this series and I'm not sure I want to continue because of it.

Also, despite it not being a chronological or Classic Story, theres a lack of continuity that Nichijou manages. Maybe it's because we don't see any growth for the characters? Hmm. show less

The characters of the sisters next door begin to take shape, and the cast gels. Whether it's a water gun or a quest for cake (and, wow, did I ever want cake after that segment), magic marker gone wrong or a trip to a publc pool, Yotsuba is spirited and charming.

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Title: Yotsuba&! Vol. 2
Series: Yotsuba&! #2
Author: Kiyohiko Azuma
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 192
Words: 8K

Synopsis:

Chapter List:

Yotsuba & Drawing

Yotsuba & Revenge

Yotsuba & Cake

Yotsuba & Donmai

Yotsuba & the Pool

Yotsuba & the Frog

Yotsuba & Asagi's Gifts

My Thoughts:

Ahhh, this was just what I needed. After the previous week having been such a mess, reading this Saturday morning was perfect. I laughed, I laughed and then I laughed show more some more. Not uproariously, not side-splittingly kind of laughing, but a continual amusement and fluffy kind of laugh.

The above picture is a chapter where Yotsuba is watching a gangster tv show with her dad and Jumbo and sees a gangster kill someone. She then proceeds to squirt gun her dad and Jumbo to death and then switches characters to hunt down the person who killed her beloved dad and friend. She goes next door and kills all of the girls next door, except for the eldest, Asagi, who ends up killing Yotsuba. The chapter ends with Yotsuba admitting to her dad and Jumbo that she failed to avenge them and died. Jumbo moralizes that nothing good ever comes from revenge.

I am finding that Azuma is able to do a ton of world building and character sketches in just a couple of panels. It is rather amazing. It gives the manga a bit of depth that makes it easier to digest. It also makes this re-read possible and future re-reads a real possibility, if not a sure thing.

★★★★★ show less

Belly shaking comedy.
When small Yotsuba trys to paint a picture, buys fancy cake or catches a toad it´s plenty a room for comedy.
If you start reading you can´t stop!
But don´t read it in the train unless you like to get strange looks, I did.