Story:
The story is very loose, but it actually is there. We follow a class in high school all the way from year one to their graduation. We get to see recurring events like the sports festival or the summer vacation, but in general, Azumanga Daioh focusses on the everyday happenings of the girls. This is basic slice of life formula, a genre that this show did not invent, but it popularized it. Despite its bizarreness (and despite Tomo) the pacing is rather slow, which plays into the overall good feeling Azumanga Daioh is spreading.
8/10
Art:
Well, the animation is absolutely okay, there is not much I can nitpick about. What could be considered mediocre however is the general character design. Everybody seems to have the same face (which is pretty normal for a simplistic artstyle) and they look weird when shown from the side. Also, big breasts look weird as well, as if they were artificial or something. It doesn't really hurt the viewing experience, but it is noticeable.
5/10
Sound:
I am not sure why the opening gained such a cult status. Yes, it's catchy, but I also find it pretty annoying. The ending song is better, transmitting the relaxed atmosphere of Azumanga Daioh. The background music from the anime itself is surprisingly good, helping to create the mood, be it creepy, tranquil or insane. I think I even heard a little surf rock at one point.
8/10
Characters:
Everybody knows Osaka, no matter if you've actually seen Azumanga Daioh or not. I think this is a good example of how memorable the characters are. Everybody is well designed, has hidden depths (or a hidden abyss) and the combinations between all of them creates the entertainment provided. One could argue that some are too much over the top (Tomo, Yukari) or getting too much focus (Sakaki), but I found them to work as they're supposed to just the way they are.
9/10
Enjoyment:
The episodic nature of Azumanga Daioh makes it (in my opinion) a little hard to watch too much at once, something I noticed in other episodic anime I've seen and that I like too. The entertainment factor however is always high enough to make you want to watch more and by the end of the show, if you don't get a little teary-eyed when the girls graduate, you officially have no heart.
8/10
Overall:
7.6/10
