Azumanga Daioh

There's a lot of history to Azumanga Daioh. While not the first slice of life anime, it was the one that really popularized the "cute girls doing cute things" variant, which of course led to anime like K-On and Nichijou. It was also such a massive phenomenon that shaped how fandoms on the internet would work, for better or worse.

Azumanga Daioh is a slice of life series about a group of kids getting through high school. There isn't much of a story here, even by slice of life standards (K-On had the music club and Nichijou had Nano). Instead, it feels more like a montage of the high school years of the main cast, going through three years in the course of only 26 episodes. It's as if you're watching one of those slideshows the school plays at the end of graduation, giving the whole anime this nostalgic and bittersweet vibe to it. And when the anime ends with the entire cast graduating, it ends up being really emotional. Azumanga Daioh is primarily a comedy, and a pretty good one at that. Aside from the many now iconic scenes, there are plenty of funny quips and memorable running gags. However, I think the anime suffers from some pacing issues for a lot of its first half. Some of the jokes go on a bit long, the episodic storytelling isn't as tight, and certain gags end up being overplayed, the worst instance being Sakaki getting two episodes in close succession about her inability to pet a cat. From Episode 13 onwards, Azumanga Daioh really starts to be much more consistently strong, with nearly every episode having at least one memorable comedic setpiece.

Azumanga Daioh's greatest strength is definitely the likable cast of characters, all of whom get chances to shine. The series also never pigeonholes the characters into specific pairs (for example, Tomo doesn't only spend time with Yomi and Chiyo doesn't only spend time with Osaka), with plenty of moments allowing everyone to interact with each other. Many of the characters also have hidden depths that are hinted at throughout the series, like Tomo's outward confidence seemingly hiding a lot of genuine insecurities. My personal favorite members of the cast were Osaka, Yukari, and Tomo, but most of the characters were at the very least likable. The only character who I didn't like was Kimura, the creepy old teacher whose jokes mostly revolved around his weird school-girl crush. I found most of his appearances to be pretty uncomfortable, since an old guy awkwardly hitting on high schoolers isn't really funny at all.

On the animation front, Azumanga Daioh isn't the nicest looking slice of life series out there. The movements can be a bit stiff at times, the backgrounds are faded-out, and plenty of footage ends up being reused or dragged out. However, there is definitely a charm to this anime's look, often times literally feeling like a manga or comic book in motion. The simplistic big-eyed character designs are adorable, the cartoonish movements only bolster the humor, and the many reused assets and gags like Chiyo's father and the Sakaki cat are utilized in fun and creative ways. I also seem to get the same early 2000s vibe I got from shows like Teen Titans and FLCL, which is always a good thing. The music fares a lot better, though. The background music is catchy and charming, with many themes having multiple different variants. The OP is cute and the ED is relaxing, adding up to a really enjoyable soundtrack. 

Azumanga Daioh has plenty of fun episodes, especially in the second half:

Summer Break: Azumanga Daioh's best episodes are the ones that take place over the summer, and while this is the weakest of the three, it does serve as a big boost in quality for the series. Yukari's awful driving is introduced this episode, along with some memorable scenes like Osaka's failed fireworks prank, and Kaorin seeing pictures of the break.

Exams: This episode is a good example of how well this show lets all of its characters interact. The Bonklers (formed by Osaka, Tomo, and Kagura) were so entertaining to watch, and we got to see these dorks interact for the entire episode. Aside from all the humor, though, there's also the reveal that Tomo can do anything she sets her mind to, proven by her getting into Yomi's high school out of sheer pettiness.

The Ocean, Summer Kimonos, And A Party: The second of the three great summer break episodes, this one has its own share of memorable moments. There's Osaka's elevator rant, Chiyo's anti-Yukari-driving measures, Osaka floating away, Nyamo chugging down sake so Yukari doesn't have any, and of course, that iconic "birds and the bees" scene.

Sports Fest, 2nd Year: This was the one good Kimura episode, as the subplot about his wife was genuinely hilarious (it also coined the term "waifu" so thanks, I guess?). Aside from that, the sports festival antics were hilarious this time. The decision to focus the episode around Chiyo's hopelessness at sports definitely resulted in a lot of funny scenes here, but there's also Kaorin racing with Sakaki, Osaka putting her head into the flour, and Tomo losing the marathon by sprinting at the start.

School Trip/Yamamayaa: While both episodes are great, I needed to put them together because they both deal with the heartwarming resolution to Sakaki's cat subplot. Maya is adorable, and seeing Sakaki finally get a cat that likes her is just so sweet. The trip to Okinawa in the former episode is also really fun, containing a lot of goofy antics within the class.

Entrance Exams Study Camp: The last (and best) of the summer break episodes, Entrance Exams Study Camp has the best and most iconic scene in the entire series: Osaka and the knife. Not to mention, there's also the best Yukari driving scene, as well as Nyamo's ineffectiveness at math and Tomo's despair upon realizing she has to study.

Graduation Ceremony: This was a pretty perfect series finale for Azumanga Daioh. It was funny (Osaka's sneeze), heartwarming (Chiyo's standing ovation), devastating (Kagura crying), and satisfying (Yomi passing the exam). The whole cast got a moment to shine, many of the show's running gags paid off, and it managed to showcase the best aspects of the series. 

Overall, while Azumanga Daioh has a slow start, some shaky pacing, and Kimura, this is still an incredibly likable and funny anime with great characters, charming animation, and a strong second half. Not to mention how much it influenced one of my favorites genres of anime.

3/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: Graduation Ceremony