Tall, athletic, beautiful, and insanely well proportioned, she is the idol of the school. On the other side of the spectrum is Sakaki. She can be snide, but by and large, she is genuinely likable, and believably her age without being the slightest bit bratty. She also has mysterious ponytails and purposely messes with people's reality using the Power of Cute. She is an optimist to a fault, but often foiled by the antics of her teacher and her classmates. What makes Chiyo-chan so cool is that, while she's incredibly intelligent, she's also downtrodden, a bit obsessive-compulsive, and terrible at athletics (even worse than most girls her age).

Most characters like her are cloying, precocious, and too perfect for their own good. If anyone can be considered the star of the show, it's Mihama Chiyo, Child Genius. This is a character showcase, and each character gets her time in the sun. Instead of being an escapist fantasy like most another anime, Azumanga Daioh thrives on nostalgia and a stellar cast of quirky, but very true-to-life characters played by the best ensemble ever assembled in anime, period. They're just everyday girls with everyday problems. Not magical super heroines, not romance-obsessed angst bunnies, and not violence-magnet gangster girls. They also intended the show to depict high school girls as they really are. The director, Nishikiori Hiroshi, and the creator, Azuma Kiyohiko, intended this show to bring the viewers back to a period in their lives when everything revolved around hanging out with friends: the transition between childhood and adulthood. It's not even a soap opera - there's almost no male cast, and only an inkling of romance (but only as a one-sided crush played for laughs).Īzumanga Daioh is not about conflict - it's about mood. It's even more episodic than Urusei Yatsura, and there's no big overarching storyline or pressing matter to save Tokyo or anything like that. Interestingly, Azumanga Daioh really doesn't have all that much of a plot.

The title Azumanga Daioh literally translates to 'Azuma's manga for Dengeki Daioh (Great King Magazine)' and has no other meaning apart from that.Ī handful of schoolgirls, three of their teachers, and assorted animals have various misadventures in everyday life in modern Japan. Based almost directly on Azuma Kiyohiko's four panel gag manga series of the same name. Notes: This review covers the television series as well as the two shorts, which aren't long enough to warrant standalone reviews. Related Series: Azumanga Daioh: The Very Short Movie, Azumanga Web DaiohĪlso Recommended: Fruits Basket, His and Her Circumstances, Kimagure Orange Road Length: Television series, 26 episodes, 23 minutes eachĭistributor: Currently licensed by Sentai Filmworks.Ĭontent Rating: 7+ (mild slapstick violence, childish innuendo, recreational alcohol use by adults) AKA: あずまんが大王 THE ANIMATION (Azumanga Daioh: The Animation), Azumanga Daiou, Azumanga Daio

Azumanga Daioh by Kiyohiko Azuma