Every month we take turns to delve into our trusty longboxes, pluck out a dusty back issue, and give you our thoughts. We’ll also try and place it in the context of the time it was originally published.

After the smash hit of his Azumanga Daioh four-volume series, and its accompanying TV adaptation, creator Kiyohiko Azuma settled on something radically different for his next offering. In contrast to the high-school drama’s theme of belonging, Yotsuba & !’s core concept is that of exploring the world through a child’s eyes, and the unlikely sources of entertainment that brings.

At the start of the fifth volume, covering chapters 28-34, the book’s set-up is fully established, with Yotsuba and her long-suffering father undertaking a variety of low-key escapades with the latter’s acquaintances. The structure of the series is strongly episodic, although ongoing elements, such as Jumbo’s bid to outperform another character’s knowledge of Hawaii and the gradual introduction of new characters, ensure that reading in order is rewarded. In contrast to Daioh, which explicitly included surreal and board line supernatural elements in the story, such as the girls’ growing conviction that one of their number is the offspring of a demonic cat, the only source of the unusual is the star’s mindset, and the logical yet curious way she goes about tasks.

By this point, the title’s initial teething troubles are long-gone, with the book having completely found its own identity. The series initially tried to hook readers in through the mystery of Yotsuba’s origins- we know that she’s adopted, and her original father’s account of how they ended up living together was slightly mysterious. This story strand has been quietly forgotten, with the simply stories of Yotsuba’s gradual discovery of the world now enthralling on its own merits. Another initially anomalous element was the three teenage sisters living next door to the pair, apparently left over from Azuma’s previous work. Over time, the Ayase family have been more organically incorporated into the book, as a relatively normal backdrop to contrast with Yotsuba’s worldview. That’s not to say that the instalment is purely comfort food, however, as this collection includes the now-traditional “jarring” chapter, showing the child’s violent hatred of one of her father’s acquaintances.

Lacking the publicity of an anime tie-in, Yotsuba has enjoyed a much lower western profile than Azuma’s previous work, and the appearance of translated books has been slow and protracted. This is regrettable, with the five-year-old’s adventures arguably superior to Azumanga Daioh. Effortlessly charming, and soaked in a lazy summer atmosphere, Yotsuba & !’s small-town innocence has a unique appeal.

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