Yotsuba&! volume 8

Yotsuba&! volume 8
Story and Art: Kiyuhiko Azuma
Rating: All Ages

There’s just something about Yotsuba&! that makes reading every volume magical. Perhaps it’s due to the series’ perception of innocence that that threatens to transport readers back to their own childhood.

Resembling the manga equivalent to the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, Yotsuba&! follows the story of a little green haired girl named Yotsuba, whose inquisitive nature often leads her to the discovery of new and exciting things that we as adults may no longer find appealing or take for granted.

Picking up where the last volume left off, Yotsuba and her father have just returned from their trip from a ranch. Yotsuba, being the ball of energy that she is, races off to show everyone her souvenirs. When she receives another gift from a neighbor, she proclaims it opposite day decides that everything she says is the opposite of what she really intends. Naturally, not everyone understands the concept and more than a few are caught off guard by what she says.

Afterward, Yotsuba and Koiwai decide to experience a cultural festival in which the enthusiastic little girl meets a “panda” as well as traverse through a haunted house. Later, Yotsuba’s hankering for a strawberry cake send everyone scrambling.

Kiyohiko Azuma’s artwork for the series is inspired, meshing relatively simplistic character designs with hyper detailed background images.

With only one more volume to go before the English release catches up to its Japanese counterpart, fans are in for a long wait. Still, this is a title that has the ability to bring a smile to everyone’s face and thus is more than worth the wait.

Yotsuba&! volume 8 - A