This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission

Title: Yotsuba&! Vol. 12
Series: Yotsuba&! #12
Author: Kiyohiko Azuma
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 208
Words: 8K

Synopsis:

Chapter List:

Yotsuba & Torako

Yotsuba & Blue

Yotsuba & Helmet

Yotsuba & Halloween

Yotsuba & Camping (part 1)

Yotsuba & Camping (part 2)

From Wikipedia

A short opening sequence shows Yotsuba drawing Danbo in chalk on the street before noticing migrating geese flying overhead. She welcomes Torako to the Ayase household where she shows off her photographs and learns to tie a bow. After arriving to the flower shop too late to help Jumbo paint a desk, Yotsuba finds a can of blue paint in the shoe rack at home and paints a kitchen table while her dad is working, staining her hands and leaving drips and blue footprints throughout the house. She futilely tries to clean up the mess and is confronted by her dad, who laughs instead of scolding her. Before Mr. Koiwai shows her how to use paint thinner, they go to the grocery to purchase ingredients for mapo tofu and a helmet from the bike shop. On Halloween, Fuuka and Miss Stake dress Yotsuba as a pumpkin, explaining how to ask for candy before also dressing in costume to go trick-or-treating together. Early the next morning, Miura's mom and Ena's parents see them off for a camping trip organized by Jumbo and Koiwai. Yotsuba is unpleasantly surprised to learn that Yanda has invited himself along, but ends up laughing at his jokes on the journey. At the campsite, the girls help pitch the tent, rest in a hammock, and cook curry for lunch. For dinner, they grill the meat given as a present by the parents and Yotsuba wakes early the next day, surprised by the sunrise simultaneous with the moonset.

My Thoughts:

You know, I'm starting to recognize why I didn't do many individual manga reviews back when I was tearing through them. It doesn't help that there's not a “plot” per se to this series either. This was another wonderfully cute and fluffy set of vignettes that I thoroughly enjoyed and wish I had the words to show that.

This picture is when Yotsuba and gang are going camping and they are driving. Yotsuba and Ena (the neighbor girl) begin playing the Fancy Lady Game, where they talk like how they imagine fancy ladies talk. While I found the panel with Yotsuba talking about “country bumpkins” to be absolutely hilarious, what I enjoyed was just how the manga-ka captured in just a few panels an aspect of childhood, that ability to be imaginative and create a game out of almost anything. Yes, it is idealized but it is also completely true to life. I really like experiencing that for just a few minutes again.

★★★★★ ( )

This series continues to be absolutely precious and hilarious beyond belief. Yotsuba's quest to deliver coffee next doors had me close to tears, I was laughing so hard. The chapters about the hot air balloons as well as Yotsuba's bear were my favorite of the book. Once again, Yotsuba&! proves how it can take the average and turn it into the extraordinary through the eyes of a strange child who enjoys everything. Once again, I can't wait to read more of this series. Oh Yen Press, Y U NO have volume ten planned for release until October? SOB. ( )

This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission

Title: Yotsuba&! Vol. 9
Series: Yotsuba&! #9
Author: Kiyohiko Azuma
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 208
Words: 8K

Synopsis:

Chapter List:

Yotsuba & Schedules

Yotsuba & Juralumin

Yotsuba & Coffee

Yotsuba & Barbecue

Yotsuba & Visitors

Yotsuba & Hot Air Balloons

Yotsuba & The Sky

My Thoughts:

Delightful and whimsical aptly sum this volume up. Yotsuba's dad buys a coffee maker and there is a running gag of Yotsuba trying to get a cup of coffee over to the neighbors house and spilling it each time before making it.

This picture is from the chapter Juralumin, where Yotsuba's dad is going to buy her a teddy bear, which in other panels she misprounces as beddy tear. I chose this one because Mrs B absolutely loves funny faces in manga. It's one of the reasons she started reading Skipbeat! and is why we continue to buy the books as they come out, to support the manga-ka. Sparkly eyes are a particular killer :-)

★★★★★ ( )

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.com by express permission of this reviewer     Ahhh, Yotsuba. The cute factor of a little girl who has no inhibitions, isn't afraid of people and IS afraid of silly things.   One of the things that I am really enjoying about Yotsuba&! [each chapter is called Yotsuba and "X"!, because everything is new to her] is the lack of some sort of overarching plot.   I don't have to worry about the end of the world, saving the world, falling in love, finding "the one", battling aliens, driving a giant robot, having my relatives kidnapped or killed, going to other planets, having magic invade every part of my life. Nope,none of that!   Instead, I get to experience the joy of blue paint.  the deliciousness of s'mores, the sheer wonder of life itself. While I don't normally subscribe to the "cute little girl charms everyone" thought process, Yotsuba HAS completely charmed me.   12 volumes and I'm still not tired of her. The mangaka is doing an awesome job of looking at life without any of the jadedness of adulthood. Part of me wishes that it would be written faster, but another part of me is willing to let it just flow at its own pace. " ( )

I totally love this series of books. The more of these volumes I read, the more endearing all of the characters become...even Yanda.

My favorite parts of this volume were the camping trip, Yanda making Yotsuba laugh by having open eyes drawn on his eyelids, the picture of everyone having dinner at the campsite (which reminds me of a long-ago trip with another family to West Virginia), the three girls asleep in their papoose-like sleeping bags, Jumbo sprawling on top of the three children when they were testing the direction of the tent pad, and the picture of Yotsuba sitting on her dad's lap watching the fire. Such love.

I'm ready for volume 13 to be available here in the United States! ( )