Intermission: Yotsuba & Four-Panel Manga
The intermission image has Fuuka in a Hawaiianesque top and skirt (not grass) that leaves her midriff bare. She has a lei on her head and another around her neck. She's playing, trying to play, or pretending to play a ukelele. Yotsuba is wearing a muumuu, and a pair of leis like Fuuka's. She appear to be doing a hula.
For this intermission, the format of Yotsuba&! is changed to yonkoma instead of... whatever you would call its normal format.
True identity
Yotsuba hears a cicada, a starts drawing. When her father asks what, she says "Tsukutsukuboshi!" We see the picture: a man with a cap standing in midair against a tree. A note tells us that "boshi" is a homonym for "cap".
Flying
Koiwai is working. After finishing a tough stretch (presumably of translation), he lets out a sigh of relief. Yotsuba hops in his lap, but he tells her no, because he's not done working yet.
Ready, Set...
Koiwai works some more, and lets out a "Hmm." Yotsuba quickly gets up, and Koiwai tells her "No, not yet." She stares at him, and he says he won't be done for a while, and suggests she go play.
The Kickoff
At the park, Yotsuba finds a ball and picks it up. Ena tells her you can't pick up a soccer ball* with your hands, because it's against the rules, and that you can only use your legs. Yotsuba tries holding it between her knees. Ena tells her to kick it.
Goal
Yotsuba kicks it, earning encouragement from Ena. Yotsuba realizes she knows it as "shooting". She "shoots", kicking the ball into Ena's face. "Pass... I pass..." she says, which Yotsuba has heard of.
Playing By The Rules
Yotsuba says she'll kick it home. Ena asks why. Yotsuba repeats the restriction. Ena starts to probably say that if you're just taking it home, you can carry it with your hands, but instead, they kick it around some more.
The Hand Of God
Yotsuba is home, and is welcomed back. Her dad notices that she's picked up a soccer ball. She says she had to, or she'd never have made it home.
Cruel
Ena is intensely reading "Global Warming Made Easy To Understand". From it, she learns that the US produces a quarter of the world's CO 2. Asagi comes in with ice cream on a stick, and asks if she's reading homework. Ena asks her how America can be so cruel.
(I think it's a little unfair to conclude malice; save doing that for when you're talking about supervillains in '90s era cartoons. I'd assume that nearly all pollution everywhere, including America, is due to trading a bit of the environment for a little convenience or money. And yes, that's the case even when we're talking about a member of a political party — or entire wing — that you don't like.)
Actually, It's Brown
Asagi thinks we'll be fine if everyone just does what they can instead of blaming America. Ena asks if she turned off the A/C in her room. It's still on, so Ena tells her to turn it off, repeating her "everyone does what they can" statement. "Look at you with your blonde hair! Are you trying to be an American?" "Uh, I don't think that's possible."
A Tough One
Yotsuba approaches Torako. They greet each other. After an awkward pause, Torako asks if she's a foreigner. Yotsuba responds with a "... Maybe." Torako asks where she came from, and Yotsuba says "The left." Torako blows a smoke ring to her right, Yotsuba's left. Yotsuba tells her she gets it.
Not Getting It
Torako asks her to be more specific. Yotsuba says "Left" again, then "a long, looong way left." She concludes with "then a little to the right." (If she really wants to know, perhaps Koiwai-san would be a better source.)
Where's She Going?
Yotsuba asks where she came from. Torako starts giving directions, but Yotsuba wants her to blow a smoke ring. (Something tells me she'd be fascinated by Gandalf.)
The Spanking
The soccer ball is kicked while inside, and it breaks a window pane. Yotsuba realizes she's in trouble, and tries to pretend it was someone else, but Koiwai saw her do it, and so...
Done A Bad Thing
Koiwai sighs, and sets to picking up broken glass. He cautions her to stay back, because it's dangerous. Yotsuba offers to pay for the damages when she's grown up, but Koiwai says it's fine.
The end-of-chapter image has Yotsuba sleeping with her arm around the ball.
Next time: Chapter 25! Back to its regular format!
