Comedy always was and will always be a double-edged sword. Either you burst out laughing, laying waste to the nearest furniture in the meantime, you get what you came for or you only manage to grin faintly at best... the summoned feelings can differ significantly between two otherwise similar persons. You don't need to be an expert to find out about this swing of feelings when searching for something fun to read/watch.
But one comedy genre stays out of this top-or-flop cycle, since it deals with themes we all are quite aware of or had been in the past and where we will almost always inner agree; the adventures of being a child.
The starting quote, basically being the leifmotif of the manga in question here, sums up a certain child's life perfectly. You surely recognized by now: this child is named Yotsuba and the manga deals with her everyday adventures.
Seeing our today's world through the eyes of a kid... what can there be to it, you may ask? No, do not think of an ordinary farmer's girl or one living in a wealthy mansion.
Think differently!
Direct your thoughts into the mind of a young girl coming to town for her first time. How will you process all the impressions you perceive? Are you actually overwhelmed? Does curiosity seize you completely? Close your eyes for a short moment and try it... Imagine...
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So, what have you seen? Maybe a great shopping mall, an awesome articulated bus, wide streets or huge crowds of all kind of humans? Have you deeply inhaled this air of novelty into you?
Now, you are prepared to attend Yotsuba on her efforts to understand and enjoy her upcoming life.
Following are some thoughts I have to direct to her:
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Yotsuba, what a crazy and inquisitive five-year-old child you are. You do not need many dialogues to demonstrate your outgoing character, you gain new friends in no time, you face your goals head-on.
Even with tiny things which adults tend to overlook; you will find a possibility to make the most out of them.
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But what I admire most about you, Yotsuba, is your sheer ability to make every new experience an adventure, thus sharing some kind of life consultation with us. You show us how to not hold back in front of unknown places and conquer new life areas with lots of curiosity to receive an everlasting memory. Seriously, many people of today's society could learn a lesson from you and your pureness. Or, to put it into your father's words: "Kids really can jump into things without holding back."
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Yotsuba, in addition to your adorable nature, you are really fortunate to have such a supporting folk around you. Be it an adrenalin pushed dance with your daddy, your visits next-door (you sure don't get bored of them) or you curious talk with a random shop clerk, you will definitely remember them for their unexpected helpfulness in guiding you through a world of infinite potential. "We really live in amazing times", Torako says, and it definitely seems so for you; every day is another amazing one.
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I'm not overdoing it by giving her this much credit. She really deserves all the given attention. Now, beside her memorable character, let me mention another point which distinguishes Yotsuba's life from other children based comedies: While other works may work with forced and somewhat cheesy punchlines at a chapter's end, this comedy always keeps its human nature and won't exaggerate (it doesn't have any need to in the first place), which will let you smile and enjoy her life even more.
You know, smiling and laughing have a much deeper meaning in life than you probably would have thought. Are you actually aware of why Japanese people have such a high life expectancy? It's partly because they laugh a lot, not only to jokes, but also to issues where other cultures would rather look away or might feel offended. I've recently watched an interview with three Japanese centenarians stating exactly this matter of laughing as their main reason why they live on. No wonder they became this way, since they can enjoy such splendid comedy manga their whole life along without any problems like ceasing replenishment of fresh works.
In addition, if they had grandchildren like Yotsuba, what other things would there be to wish for? For myself, I'm able to admit without a doubt that having a child like Yotsuba would greatly increase the value of my life. Seriously!
Yotsuba... so why is this manga actually called Yotsubato? The "to" after her name means "and" in English. "Yotsuba and..."; It has been Yotsuba and me for a long time now, and I hope that in the near future, we can proudly say: "Yotsuba and you".
