some guy named Larry (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} lnhammer) wrote in ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} yotsubato,@ 2008-05-08 11:16:00 |
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chapter 3: "Yotsuba & Global Warming" (20 July)
The first two chapters were local; now that Yotsuba has settled in, she's ready to take on a SERIOUS issue of GLOBAL proportions, and the chapter splash page reflects this.
More or less. I like the art, though.
We start shortly after the end of the previous chapter, with Yotsuba asleep in the living room of box furniture. She wakes to find Fuka's portrait, decides to thank her for the gift, and gets a slightly more practical lesson on how to use "that button that makes people come out." The Pretty One, er, Asagi introduces her to the concept of air conditioning, and Ena gives a muddled explanation -- she is, after all, also just a kid* -- of global warming, which Yotsuba immediate turns into the absolute commandment that A/C is Bad. Not a subtle child. Worried, she dashes home to discover -- gasp! -- that Dad is an "enemy of the earth!" She returns to the Ayase house, where Ena has mysteriously relocated to the living room with a magazine, for consolation, and Asagi explains that A/Cs are actually good for global warming, because they cool things, right? Yotsuba buys it and returns home, perfectly happy with having A/C, to Dad's puzzlement.
It's an okay chapter, though the punchline falls a little flat, especially after the funny of Asagi's explanation. The ignorance of A/C thing is a little odd, but Azuma at least handwaves an explanation (dropping us the detail that they've been living with Koiwai's mother). The chapter develops another major aspect of Yotsuba's personality, her credulity and literalism. Not to mention, introduces how Asagi is the best Ayase at managing her. Asagi rocks. Just in case you didn't notice. And I hope you notice that ice cream she's eating -- it becomes important. And finally, we meet Ena's tendency to little white lies in service of sparing someone's feelings.
Favorite panel: The establishing shot of Ena's room (first frame of page 101). It's neat, it's got an interesting mix of toys, the window's open (notice the curtains in the breeze) despite the A/C downstairs, and even though it's the first day of summer vacation, she's writing at her desk. It establishes many things about her character, not just the change of setting.
Scattered notes:
* The Japanese Wikipedia page says Ena's in 4th grade, which fits my impression that she's about 10.
---L.
The first two chapters were local; now that Yotsuba has settled in, she's ready to take on a SERIOUS issue of GLOBAL proportions, and the chapter splash page reflects this.
More or less. I like the art, though.
We start shortly after the end of the previous chapter, with Yotsuba asleep in the living room of box furniture. She wakes to find Fuka's portrait, decides to thank her for the gift, and gets a slightly more practical lesson on how to use "that button that makes people come out." The Pretty One, er, Asagi introduces her to the concept of air conditioning, and Ena gives a muddled explanation -- she is, after all, also just a kid* -- of global warming, which Yotsuba immediate turns into the absolute commandment that A/C is Bad. Not a subtle child. Worried, she dashes home to discover -- gasp! -- that Dad is an "enemy of the earth!" She returns to the Ayase house, where Ena has mysteriously relocated to the living room with a magazine, for consolation, and Asagi explains that A/Cs are actually good for global warming, because they cool things, right? Yotsuba buys it and returns home, perfectly happy with having A/C, to Dad's puzzlement.
It's an okay chapter, though the punchline falls a little flat, especially after the funny of Asagi's explanation. The ignorance of A/C thing is a little odd, but Azuma at least handwaves an explanation (dropping us the detail that they've been living with Koiwai's mother). The chapter develops another major aspect of Yotsuba's personality, her credulity and literalism. Not to mention, introduces how Asagi is the best Ayase at managing her. Asagi rocks. Just in case you didn't notice. And I hope you notice that ice cream she's eating -- it becomes important. And finally, we meet Ena's tendency to little white lies in service of sparing someone's feelings.
Favorite panel: The establishing shot of Ena's room (first frame of page 101). It's neat, it's got an interesting mix of toys, the window's open (notice the curtains in the breeze) despite the A/C downstairs, and even though it's the first day of summer vacation, she's writing at her desk. It establishes many things about her character, not just the change of setting.
Scattered notes:
- Other firsts: Yotsuba's messenger bag of holding, though she doesn't seem to have much in it yet, and her wide-eyed gasp of amazement.
- Dad's started unpacking those boxes in the living room.
- The Ayases have a flat widescreen TV, which would have been fairly new in 2003 -- keep this in mind next chapter.
- This time, Yotsuba's tall enough to reach the doorbell, as she will remain in the future.
- Yotsuba doesn't come across as energetic just to us, but also Asagi.
- Who, just to be clear, rocks.
* The Japanese Wikipedia page says Ena's in 4th grade, which fits my impression that she's about 10.
---L.
