NK: Yeah? What is it?
T: You've watched Azumanga Daioh a few times. How much do you like it?
NK: I like the series a lot. It has a charm to it that drives me to rewatch it every so often.
T: Japanese or English?
NK: Japanese. The English voice acting is far below par, especially Osaka's voice. Can't stand it.
T: Is there really a plot? I've never noticed one...
NK: There is one, despite it being sort of hidden. It's really just a story of growth in strange surroundings, for example, Chiyo-chan being in a high school. Each character seems to have their own mini-plot, though it's really about how the group grows together as a whole. The friendships they form.
T: Speaking of characters, who's your favorite?
NK: Oy...They're all so well done it's sometimes hard for me to choose. I usually choose Sakaki-san as my favorite in the series, though Tomo and Osaka are both viable choices for me.
T: Any particular reason why you choose Sakaki-san?
NK: Her story intrigued me the most. The fact that she obsesses over cute things even though everyone else views her as an adult is quite funny at times, especially when she tries to hide it.
T: Why not the other two? Is there something wrong with them?
NK: I wouldn't say something was wrong with them, no. Tomo's just your average hyper character. She never really changes during the entire series. Osaka doesn't change much either, though she is a funnier character than Tomo, as her airheadedness constantly creates interesting conversations. In fact, I could probably say that Osaka and Sakaki-san are tied.
T: And the other characters?
NK: Don't get me wrong, I like all of the characters in the series, including Yukari-sensei, Nyamo and Kaorin. I wasn't drawn to them quite as much, though.
T: Any favorite episodes?
NK: Is all of them a choice?
T: Um...no.
NK: Drat. All right. Hmm...Episode 2, the episode where Osaka gets the hiccups, is pretty funny, though the scenes may seem a bit drawn out. Episodes 4 and 5 are also pretty funny, giving us a better look at Yukari-sensei and Nyamo's friendship. 5 is also the first episode with the Yukari-mobile, a constant running joke in the series. The two episodes depicting the cultural festival, 7 and 16, are also pretty good, as well as the final sports festival, episode 23. Episode 24 would probably be my favorite if I could only pick one, though I won't explain why. That would be giving away a spoiler, in my opinion.
T: I see. What about the music?
NK: The themes aren't too impressive, though the opening theme is somewhat catchy. My favorite song from the series, "Saa, Hajimari You", is heard a lot during the series. It has sort of a marching beat to it. Sticks in my head every once in a while.
T: What about the art style?
NK: I don't usually make a big fuss over art, but I feel like Azumanga Daioh has some of the best art in an anime. It's cute, especially when Chiyo-chan gets excited about something, and all of the expressions are done so well, you could probably watch without subtitles and still figure out what's going on. I also love the way cats are drawn in the series. Just saying.
T: So, would you recommend this anime?
NK: Yes. I think most people who watch anime would enjoy this one. If you're one of those people who searches for a good plot, look elsewhere, as that's not the point here. Anyone looking for good characters or a good slice of life anime, search no further.
