Yotsuba&!: does it need any introduction? Or, would any paltry introduction I wrote for it be enough?

(Let me apologize in advance for the quality of some of my images. I have to scan this one myself, and I don’t especially want to tear up my manga for the sake of perfect scans.)

Yotsuba&! is just brilliant. Azuma has crafted a story out of everything good and humorous in family life without resorting to darkening every other thing in true postmodern fashion, and I have to respect him for that. It’s not wry or sardonic, the characters don’t suffer horribly — it’s just fun. And funny. It’s probably the funniest manga I’ve ever read, and I don’t make such claims lightly.

Insofar as its predominant theme is the enjoyment of everything, Yotsuba&! is like a contemporary suburban Aria, in a way. And, as with Aria, it’s difficult to settle on one favorite moment, or one moment that seems representative of the whole thing. So I suppose I’ll go with the moment that earned Yotsuba&! the title of Funniest Thing Ever in my mind, the ninth chapter. Here, Yotsuba sees an action movie, and decides to take up arms herself, just because.

First, she does away with her dad and his friend.

Then she resolves to avenge them by taking out the neighbors.

Unfortunately, the indomitable Asagi ends Yotsuba’s quest for vengeance once and for all.

The last page brackets the whole thing nicely.

The best part is how willing the adults are to play along. This may be my favorite thing about Yotsuba&! in general, actually. These people haven’t forgotten the importance of having fun with life, and if we’re to take anything away from Yotsuba&!, any message or moral, I’d say it should be that. Enjoy everything indeed.

[Read the next moment here]