akemianko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
veelaughtland's review against another edition
4.0
Yotsuba is an excitable child who expresses joy and wonder at everything she comes across, and the stories in this volume were at times sweet and at other times hilarious. I love her facial expressions as they never fail to make me smile.
I can't wait to pick up the next volume soon, excellent stress-relief!
grasstaxi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
juekker's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
moongoblin38's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
gudny's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
diya_04's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
corncobwebs's review against another edition
5.0
http://kcc1.pbworks.com/KCC-Reviews-and-Recommendations
I just finished this series, of which there are five volumes (hopefully a sixth volume will be coming out this summer). I haven’t read a ton of comics series, but I would have to say that this is my favorite. Yotsuba, the titular character, is the most ebullient and life-loving little girl – but not in a corny way. She is fascinated and overjoyed by everyday things – from air conditioners to cicadas to ice cream. In addition to being totally endearing, her naivete is oftentimes laugh-out-loud hilarious.
Another reason why I love Yotsuba is that she has this amazing hodge-podge family. We don’t know exactly where she came from, but we do know that Koiwai adopted her during the course of his travels. As a result, Yotsuba doesn’t have a traditional nuclear family. Her family includes the next-door neighbors and an aptly-named man called Jumbo (who is connected to Koiwai in some way – again, the specifics are ambiguous). I love the idea that you can make your own family - regardless of your blood relations – and Yotsuba, with her love of life and people, has done just that.
And, being a summer girl myself, I love the fact that these books are set in summertime Japan. While the country and the culture may be different, there is definitely universality in the feelings and activities that accompany summer. Reading about Yotsuba’s daily summertime antics will probably remind you of your happy summertime days – it certainly had a kind of nostaligic quality for me.
A note about the title: the ampersand and exclamation point are included because each book is comprised of a series of vignettes – Yotusuba & Rain! for example. The exclamation point really emphasizes the enthusiasm that Yotsuba has for everyone and everything.
Overall, Yotsuba&! encourages you to enjoy life, and for this reason I would highly recommend it to anyone – young, old, comics-lover or not. No matter who you are, you can’t have a bad day when you share it with the girl with the green hair.