Yotsuba&!

I've loved comics in the past. My childhood was filled with the wonderful drawings and silly stories of comics. I live in Indonesia, and most comics available here are Japanese-made comics, so that's pretty much the category of comics  that i read.

I'm not really into superhero comics, or action comics, or legendary kung-fu comics. No offence but my definition of entertainment is those in which the stories narrated is not more complicated than my actual life. This only applies to comics though. I'm a hard core fan of complex novels and non-fiction books on world issues. I also like action movies to maximise my speakers hahaha..

Anyway, it saddens me (yes, sad) that i haven't really been in touch with this world. Ever since coming back from Australia back in '99 i haven't really found a comic that i really like (well, like in sense of want-to-buy like) .. that, my friends, has ended..

I found this comic reffered by Agung ( a fellow debater and scale modelling enthusiast). At first the comic just seem stupid, yet it becomes more intriguing per episode.. it's called Youtsuba&!

So far the've printed 7 comics of Yotsuba, very few remembering the person who made it started the thing back in 2000..  Yotsuba doesnt have a main arc of a story, it just tells episodes of the daily lives of Yotsuba (a little, but very curious girl), her adoptive father, and her neighbours (three sisters).. It's packed with full of pure stupidity, fun, yet inspiring.. It even have issues like global warming and stuff.. Every story tells what Yotsuba learns by the day, and how she sees things from her innocent, young mind.. That's why the series is called Yotsuba&!, because every episode is titled Yotsuba @ .... ! (... is a short nutshell on the episode --i.e. Yotsuba&Global Warming!)

I also like this comic because Yotsuba reflects an actual person in my life. A girl, whom the curiosity, sense of fun, and rich soul of Yotsuba i find in this adorable, cute, girl that i like. I even use Yotsuba as the name on the ID of her phone number in my mobile ^^v

I think what appeals me to collect this series is the fact that its a comic that combines intelligence, pure comedy, and wisdom. The illustrations are attractive, the stories are simple, yet it's not just another story for the sake of it. Each episode builds Yotsuba, and we can actually see how she implements her newlyfound knowledge of the world.. Simply fascinating, so fascinating that i actually acquired the figurines from the series.. You can see from the pic that i have all 7 published series, and 3 figurines (yotsuba, danboard, and miura --one of her friends).. I also have an e-version of the doujin (wont tell you what that means, but for those who gets it, shoosh!) called "Pretty Neighbour"

Highly recommended serial.. a story about the complex world of reality as seen by the eyes of a simple girl.. a 8.5/10 i would give (the minus 1.5 is the fact that i have to spend money in order to collect it LoL).. For those who have access to my place is welcomed to borrow them for enjoyful reading..