Ranked #2090

Yozakura Quartet (Manga)

Ever heard of too much character development? If not, here's a nice example.

STORY: Yozakura Quartet (Rolls right off the tongue, right?) is about a quartet of teenagers (For those who don't know what quartet means, it's another word for four, but truthfully the group is actually six or seven teenagers, but that doesn't matter) consisting of three unique demon girls, Hime Yarizakura the town major, Ao Nanami who has cat ears and can read minds, Kotoha Isone who can summon things when she emphasizes words, and one human boy, Akina Hiizumi the human boy... STOP!

Now I know what you're probably thinking, that it already sounds like the unoriginal basic set up of any typical harem story, but Yozakura amazingly dodges that bullet and is really about the daily lives of the characters, filled with action, comedy, drama, and supernatural elements that uniquely mixes a little bit of shonen and mostly slice of life elements into a slightly different style of story telling.

The characters themselves are very likable and are ripe with personality and humorous quirks with solid character build up that occurs in very chapter (Almost enough to give it a 9 instead of an 8, it's more of an 8.5).
And with a very fast paced and to the point first chapter, it makes it a very promising series to get into.

Truthfully there's actually quite a lot of character development, and it spends most of it's time doing so...
I mean thats not a bad thing per say and it shouldn't be considered one, but it gets to the point where you'd think the manga artist may have forgot about including a plot (although it is very apparent that there is one, it's just very easy to completely over look such a paper thin plot), but there is one, you just have to dig into it to actually discover one (The first story arc that makes progress in the story I mean).

This, unfortunately, robs Yozakura of a decent paced story that doesn't explain a lot of story essential elements that acur early and doesn't bother to get around to do it at any appropriate moment, keeping curious readers in the dark.
(Basically the character know something important, but doesn't care to even think about, but instead occasionally hints about it).
And really, the majority of the character development is watching the character ponder around for several chapters, literally looking at them live their daily lives, you'll even feel like you're eavesdropping on the characters rather than reading an actual story (I mean really,one chapter is focused on one character's entire daily routine, from getting up out of bed in the morning to watching them go back to sleep).
The result ending up making said early events not making any sense as the story continues on at a snails pace with it's characters go about their daily routines.

ART: Complementing the characters personalities are well thought out and stylish character designs (As a bonus to anyone who are into Durarara, this manga is created by the same artist who made Durarara's character designs) and overall very detailed and clean artwork.
The only glaring flaws are easily mistakable assumptions that can make some think the characters are typical archtypes (Like tsundere or moe), and some of the most laziest monster designs that you'll ever see and laugh at.

OVERALL:
The Good:
+ Great fleshed out characters to be interested in.
+ Excellent art and stylish character designs.

The Bad:
- Spends too much time on character development and pondering.
- Slow story, and slower development on everything else.

Yozakura Quartet gives you plenty of reasons to be interested in the characters, unfortunately it does seem to forget that a good paced story is required to help keep ones interest.
However, to me it is charming enough to keep me very interested (And enough reason to grade enjoyment an eight), and I would recommend sticking around for at least ten chapters as it slowly starts to develop an actual ongoing story and for you to deceide if you become interested in it like I have. read more

Story
The story of Yozakura Quartet has yet to come to full bloom; to people who merely skim the surface of the events that happened thus far might pass it off as something of little worth, but I for one cannot help but feel a bit of nostalgia when I see the heartwarming events that unfold.. There might not exactly be blurring action every step of the way, but the story meanders in a way that makes you get lost in it's world. It is a world full of youkai, or "demons" (the word is only a rough translation), and a certain town is full of them, and looked after by a young mayor. Many mysteries and perils are coming, and unless she and her friends step up to the challenge. Their cherished days together will end as they know them.

Art
The art, if nothing else, is perfect. The characters are beautifully drawn, and the artist skillfully creates a world that is both believable and enjoyable.. Balanced, sharp and pleasing to the eye - it's some of the best art I've seen, and I've seen quite a bit, if I do say so myself. Each character is designed distinctly and uniquely, and the sometimes the backdrops are simply breathtaking.

Characters
Each character has his or her own quirks, abilities, strengths, weaknesses; they really come alive in a way that may astonish you. It has been accused of overdevelopment of characters to the point where the storyline is forgotten, and that is true to a certain point. Even so, what ends up happening is the characters literally coming to life, moving on the pages drawing you further in. I for one do not find anything wrong in that.

Enjoyment
All these elements come together in a way that leaves the reader satisfied and wanting more. To be sure, there are things that need to be brushed up, but if one were to ask if it is worth the time, my answer would certainly be a resounding YES. read more