History Manga / AzuMangaDaioh

''Azumanga Daioh'' is a comedy ''{{yonkoma}}'' {{manga}} series written and illustrated by Creator/KiyohikoAzuma, which revolves around six high school girls, as well as their classmates and teachers. ChildProdigy Chiyo Mihama [[GradeSkipper enters high school at the improbable age of ten]], and befriends five other teenage girls: intimidating but [[ShrinkingViolet shy]] Sakaki, loudmouthed GenkiGirl Tomo Takino, her beleaguered StraightMan Koyomi "Yomi" Mizuhara, airheaded {{Cloudcuckoolander}} Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga, and brash PassionateSportsGirl Kagura. Being episodic to the point of resembling sketch comedy, and largely lacking serious conflict or drama, the series has little in the way of conventional storylines, instead revolving around [[SliceOfLife the ennui of everyday life]].

The WorkInfoTitle combines the author's name, "Azuma", with the word "manga", appended with the title of ''Dengeki Daioh''. It can be read in full as "Azuma's Manga for ''Dengeki Daioh''". The magazine is aimed mainly at young teenage boys, so ''Azumanga Daioh'' is considered [[ShonenDemographic shōnen]], contrary to its premise and characters. However, since it mostly lacks many tropes common in shōnen, it's often mistaken for [[ShoujoDemographic shōjo]], or occasionally {{seinen}}.

* MascotsNameGoesUnchanged: Most honorifics in the English dub are translated, which the exception being Chiyo. She is always called "Chiyo-chan". This led some fans to believe "-chan" was a part of her name and everyone was on a FullNameBasis with her, being a time before dubs began to leave honorifics alone. Part of why it was translated was likely due to this, however it's also [[TooLongDidntDub hard to translate]] "Chiyo-chan" to something that both sounds right and fits the MouthFlaps.

** One that only appears in the anime as a result of some slight AdaptationExpansion. When Yukari decides to make the class play sports instead of learning English, Osaka suggests that her team be called Team Sea Slug in an anime-exclusive gag, much to Chiyo and Kaorin's dismay. Later, during the class trip to Okinawa, Osaka finds some sea slugs while diving and starts playing when them in a bit carried over from the manga; Chiyo still isn't amused.

* PunBasedTitle: In addition to the "Azuma's Manga for Dengeki Daioh" reading mentioned above, ''Azumanga Daioh'' can also be interpreted as "Emperor Azumanga"; the manga itself would title one strip after this alternate reading, jokingly describing Osaka as the "Empress of Forgetting". The characters also discuss this in the anime during one OnTheNext segment, concluding that if the series is "Emperor Azumanga", the preview must be "Prince Azumanga".

* {{Iyashikei}}: While not to the same extent as is successor series ''Manga/{{Yotsuba}}'' (or even most other examples of this trope), ''Azumanga Daioh'' is very much a series meant to leave the reader/viewer with a pleasant feeling afterwards. This is especially the case with episode 19 of the anime adaptation, a fully original installment with a far more warm and tranquil atmosphere to it compared to the more gag-filled nature of the rest of the series.

* {{Expy}}: Before the manga began, Azuma was well-known among doujin circles for his ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' fanwork; as a result, the early style and characterization of the series takes heavy influence from ''NGE'', though in a much more lighthearted setting. The most obvious expies are Yukari (of Misato, down to the {{Beergasm}}s), Tomo (of Asuka), and Sakaki (of [[ReiAyanamiExpy Rei]]). All three characters diverge significantly from their sources as Azuma finds his footing, though Yukari still keeps a lot of Misato in her.

* TheTroublemaker: Tomo makes a lot of trouble for everyone, accidentally and on purpose. The best (worst) example is when the group takes a trip to Chiyo's summer home. Chiyo comments how it would be terrible if she lost the house's only key. Cue Tomo grabbing the key and tossing it into the forest, just for a laugh.

* AlwaysLate: Yukari Tanizaki, despite being a teacher who despises laziness from her students, is [[SenseiChan so lazy and immature herself]] that she frequently shows up late to her own class. Usually it's because of her poor sleep schedule, preferring to doze off rather than get up on time, while other times it might be due to things like showing up to the wrong class or getting stuck in line for the newest UsefulNotes/PlayStation game. Eventually, her friend and coworker Nyamo starts driving her to school, allowing her to start showing up on time more often.

* WackyHomeroom: Yukari's classroom is home to a number of shenanigans throughout the series, thanks to a mix of her personal dysfunctions and the strange students assigned to her class. For instance, Yukari is late for class one day because she wanted to buy a UsefulNotes/PlayStation game, and at another point she calls off teaching English to do P.E. instead.

* BleachedUnderpants: While the actual characters and setting are quite different, several of the character designs (most notably Yukari's) were near-identical lifts from some hentai manga Azuma had done previously.

In 2009, to celebrate the series' tenth anniversary, Azuma wrote up a new series of "Extra Lessons" interquel strips, featuring the first (and only) new pieces of official ''Azumanga Daioh'' content since the end of its anime adaptation. That same year, a reprint of the original manga was put out featuring redone artwork by Azuma; while it wasn't a full front-to-back redraw, it did feature a good amount of touch-ups, especially for the first volume (where several characters originally looked [[EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference very different from their later designs]]), and even included some new strips slotted alongside the old ones (separate from the "Extra Lessons" installments). The anniversary was also marked by the release of ''Osaka Expo'', an anniversary book split half-and-half between retrospective looks at ''Azumanga Daioh''[='=]s influence on pop culture (such as marketing, merchandise, and even its international translations) and a series of strips drawn by guest artists who were influenced by the series, such as ''Manga/HidamariSketch'' author Creator/UmeAoki and ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'' author Keiichi Arawi. Since then, no new material has been put out, not even for the 20th anniversary in 2019.

In 2009, to celebrate the series' tenth anniversary, Azuma wrote up a new series of "Extra Lessons" interquel strips, featuring the first (and only) new pieces of official ''Azumanga Daioh'' content since the end of its anime adaptation. That same year, a reprint of the original manga was put out featuring redone artwork by Azuma; while it wasn't a full front-to-back redraw, it did feature a good amount of touch-ups, especially for the first volume (where several characters originally looked [[EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference very different from their later designs]]), and even included some new strips slotted alongside the old ones (separate from the "Extra Lessons" installments). The anniversary was also marked by the release of ''Osaka Expo'', a series of strips made by guest artists who ''Azumanga Daioh'' influenced, such as ''Manga/HidamariSketch'' author Creator/UmeAoki and ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'' author Keiichi Arawi. Since then, no new material has been put out, not even for the 20th anniversary in 2019.

* NoAntagonist: Well, no ''true'' antagonist, though it does have a pretty damn evil cat instead. Not to mention the infamous "[[TheAllegedCar Yukarimobile]]", given how it ''scarred Chiyo for life'' through [[DrivesLikeCrazy Yukari's driving]].

* IntraScholasticRivalry: Class 3 (Yukari's class) and Class 5 (Nyamo's class) have a longstanding rivalry that typically gets played out during the yearly Sport's Fest. This is largely fueled by the animosity between Yukari and Nyamo, who could best be described as frenemies. The only member of Class 5 that we get to know by name is Kagura, and she ends up in Yukari's class the very next year to serve as a ringer in this very rivalry.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[{{Tagline}} "You belong."]] [[labelnote:note]]Left to right: Top row: [[ShrinkingViolet Sakaki]], [[PassionateSportsGirl Kagura]].\\

--> '''Osaka:''' ''(to Yomi and Tomo)'' So do y’all have boyfriends to show off your style to?
--> '''Chiyo:''' Sakaki, did you steal my height? You stole it didn't you? [[BrokenRecord You stole it didn't you]]?

Its humor, especially in the manga, is heavily character-driven and often relies on {{Beat Panel}}s, subtle changes in facial expression, {{Running Gag}}s, references to Japanese culture, and jarring shifts into absurdism. It's also notable for demonstrating that a series about high school girls could be popular and profitable by focusing on their personalities [[{{Fanservice}} instead of their bodies]]. Its impact on Japanese media was strongly felt, as the formula and tropes that it popularized would go on to define an entire genre, the SchoolgirlSeries.

* HowCanSantaDeliverAllThoseToys: After accidentally asking Chiyo if she stills believes in Santa, Tomo and Kagura discuss this, among other things, to cover their asses in case Chiyo thinks Santa is real. According to Kagura, Santa's presents are paid for by the government, he's a master lockpicker (to get into houses with no chimneys), he makes deliveries by flying at Mach 100, and he can do it because he isn't human. It's all moot once Chiyo reveals she knows Santa doesn't exist.

* OnTheNext: The anime ends each episode with a preview of the next, which are generally less descriptive and more the nonsensical chitchat variety.
* OverlyLongGag: ''Lots'' of them, moreso in the anime, to accommodate for the manga's extensive use of {{beat}} panels. Most notable is probably Tomo's "Why in the heck?" sequence in her dream, which takes up exactly two panels in the manga but goes on for a good 30 seconds in the anime.

* DreamsOfFlying: Azumanga Daioh is famous for its opening and ending themes that harkens to Osaka's dream involving all the girls flying. She has a recurring dream motif where Chiyo can fly but also detatch her pigtails.

* PandaingToTheAudience:
** Chiyo mentions wanting to buy a panda book that just came out, but adds that it might already be sold out. Cue [[AnimalLover Sakaki]] racing down the halls. Osaka asks Chiyo whether a panda is black-and-white or white-and-black, which leads to them PlayingPictionary.
** Later, Chiyo acquires a copy of the panda book and shows it off. Osaka again asks whether pandas are black-and-white or white-and-black (this time to Tomo), and then mentions wanting to go to the zoo, so she can see pandas and [[MyLifeFlashedBeforeMyEyes have a near-death experience]].

* CatchPhrase: "A!"/"Ah!", shouted by various characters at the end of certain segments in the anime.

* LudicrousGiftRequest: In December 2001, Tomo asks Yomi what she would pick if she could get anything for Christmas. Yomi responds by asking for a hundred trillion yen, which Tomo tries to get her to pare down to a more realistic amount; Yomi's response to that is to suggest ten million yen instead. Later, when Tomo asks Chiyo the same question, she responds with the star on top of the train station's Christmas tree, with Tomo ribbing at Yomi by describing Chiyo's wish as purehearted.