Last week, I had the pleasure of finishing Azumanga Daioh, an anime which is perhaps one of the funniest series I have ever seen. Set in high school, Azumanga Daioh follows the story of six girl students, their two teachers, and all is wrapped with a healthy dose of hilarious antics.
The story is easy to follow, and comedy relies on the user being able to identify with the high-school scenario, but more importantly, each individual character's development, and their interaction with others.
There's Chiyo, a child prodigy who has skipped five grades to 10th grade, the airhead Osaka, the random factor of the group, the sexy athlete Kagura, always up for a challenge, Koyomi, the mature girl who dislikes her weight, the energetic Tomo, who is a complete slacker, and the soft spoken Sasaki: uncomfortable with her tallness, and busty physique.
The great thing about Azumanga Daioh is that it is different to almost everything else on the market. It doesn't deal with subject matter we're used to seeing in visual media, but instead the basis of all high-school students: trying to finish school. We are shown the girls trying to pass exams, participate to some degree in sporting events, making friends, and most importantly, hoping to eventually graduate, and start life for real.
While the story is presented in a rather wacky way, you can't help but feel how true to life it really is. With great voice acting, catchy music, and clear visuals, Azumanga Daioh shouldn't be missed. Perhaps its best viewed once you've finished high-school, perhaps it gives a good view on high school girls when they aren't discussing such issues as sex - whatever reason you might want to, or not want to watch Azumanga Daioh, it must be said that its in a class of its own - no wonder it's become an instant cult classic.
Comedy is rarely this good, and easily ranks amongst many favourites, but best of all, Azumanga Daioh hits all the right notes.
The story is easy to follow, and comedy relies on the user being able to identify with the high-school scenario, but more importantly, each individual character's development, and their interaction with others.
There's Chiyo, a child prodigy who has skipped five grades to 10th grade, the airhead Osaka, the random factor of the group, the sexy athlete Kagura, always up for a challenge, Koyomi, the mature girl who dislikes her weight, the energetic Tomo, who is a complete slacker, and the soft spoken Sasaki: uncomfortable with her tallness, and busty physique.
The great thing about Azumanga Daioh is that it is different to almost everything else on the market. It doesn't deal with subject matter we're used to seeing in visual media, but instead the basis of all high-school students: trying to finish school. We are shown the girls trying to pass exams, participate to some degree in sporting events, making friends, and most importantly, hoping to eventually graduate, and start life for real.
While the story is presented in a rather wacky way, you can't help but feel how true to life it really is. With great voice acting, catchy music, and clear visuals, Azumanga Daioh shouldn't be missed. Perhaps its best viewed once you've finished high-school, perhaps it gives a good view on high school girls when they aren't discussing such issues as sex - whatever reason you might want to, or not want to watch Azumanga Daioh, it must be said that its in a class of its own - no wonder it's become an instant cult classic.
Comedy is rarely this good, and easily ranks amongst many favourites, but best of all, Azumanga Daioh hits all the right notes.