The convenience of having it all in one volume seems to be the only real advantage, as I saw nothing major in the way of additional material, save for some explanatory material at the end to explain some of the jokes that might fly over a Western reader's head.
Granted, you might get a hernia from trying to lift the sucker, but you'll get that from laughing at the storylines anyhow. All four volumes of the original series will run you about $40, but the hefty omnibus, which prints on larger paper, comes in at a solid $25. ADV recently released Azumanga Daioh: The Omnibus, collecting the entire series in one volume. The good news is, there's now a great new way to experience this series. Once you start reading it, you'll see what I mean. I know…sounds like a real snooze-fest when I talk about it, doesn't it? Again, this is a series you need to just bite the bullet on and pick up. Oh, it's not necessarily for kids, but the real fun of the series lies in the personalities of these six girls as they interact with each other, their semi-crazy teachers, and the larger world around them. Believe me, when I told my friend one of my favorite series involved the high school years of six schoolgirls, all he wanted to know was how many upskirt shots there were. Granted, it's difficult to sell someone on this series simply by telling them about it – Azumanga truly must be experienced firsthand. I've hooked more than a few friends who are new to manga by using Azumanga as the initial bait. Take five or six of them and work in a small bit of continuity and over time you've got a massive story told in tiny increments. The idea is to take four panels, generally of equal size, slap a gag in there and read it from top to bottom. If you've read any newspaper comic strip, you're already familiar with yonkoma. It's arguably one of the best series to use to introduce manga to a complete newbie, because it's written in the aforementioned yonkoma format. While the subject matter is decidedly nothing like any of those books, like them Azumanga Daioh is a book I will be re-reading well into my old age…I guarantee it. I personally rank it up there with other all-time classics like Akira, Monster and Ghost in the Shell. It's something that, whether or not it's to your tastes, should at least be experienced if you're going to get a well-rounded education about all things manga. It's one of the best series to help introduce a newcomer to the genre, as well as a great collection of yonkoma strips for the manga lover who's looking for something a little different to add to their bookshelf. Art by: Kiyohiko Azuma Published by: ADV Manga Let me get it out of the way right now – if you've never read Azumanga Daioh, you're missing out on one of the true gems in the crazy crown we call "manga".
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