If you’ve kept up with Yotsuba&! like I have, then you know it’s been a long while since we’ve gotten a new volume of it — I mean, a long while. Almost 3 years of no Yotsuba? What happened? Well, based on internet information, it’s simply Azuma doing other work or just not working on this series.
Well, it’s a good thing he is back to working on this manga, since it’s always nice to see what shenanigans Yotsuba is up to this time.
After giving “souvenirs” to Asagi and somehow convincing Fuuka to play with her in the sandbox, most of the volume involves Yotsuba seeing her grandma. She is one of the bigger influences in this volume, since she’s not just trying to teach her to be responsible, but she’s also trying to teach her what it’s like to deal with separation. It’s not super dramatic, but it’s something we all have to go through, and how we handle it shows how we ultimately mature.
The disappointing part of this volume is the lack of focus on the Ayases for most of the volume. Maybe two chapters at the start was enough, but I think it would’ve been cool if the family could’ve met Yotsuba’s grandma, not just Fuuka (though it was hilarious how they met). It’s not the craziest thing ever since Yotsuba’s grandma was around, but she doesn’t really get to see the family that’s helped Yotsuba in their small ways.
Obviously, this is just a personal nitpick. There’s still a lot of Yotsuba&! to love, especially as Yotsuba immediately tries to headbutt her grandma as soon as she sees her, or when she desperately tries not to explain why there’s blue paint on the floor to her grandma (please refer to Volume 12 on what happened to Yotsuba). If you’ve missed this series, well, here’s the reminder that it’s back — and that girl with the four leaf clover hair is waiting for you to read her stories.