Creative Staff
Story/Art: Keiichi Arawi
Translation/Adaptation: Jenny McKeon
What They Say
While the title suggests a story of simple, everyday school life, the contents are more the opposite. Set in a strange school where you may see the principal wrestle a deer or a robot’s arm hide a rollcake, the days that transpire through the course of Nichijou are curious and hilarious, if not downright bizarre. However amidst all the chaos and comedy Arawi still takes time to share everyday slice of life stories giving readers an insight to modern Japanese youth culture.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Originally kicking off in 2006 with Keiichi Arawi writing and drawing it, Nichijou ran for ten volumes before concluding in December 2015. My introduction to the work came originally from the 2011 anime series that was simulcast but unfortunately not currently licensed for release. The show was one that took some time for me to warm up to but once I connected with it and got into the groove of it I became the biggest advocate for it. Originally serialized in Monthly shonen Ace, the series is one that works a non-standard pacing in that the chapters average around ten pages or so with a few one-off pages here and there to provide some standalone fun. This keeps it from running gags in the ground, which was one of the biggest pluses in the anime adaptation.
The premise of the series is straightforward enough in the way that allows for just about anything to happen, which is great in making it a sandbox series. Taking place in the real world with a few comic skewings, we’re introduced to a group of high school girls as the leads along with the weird world that comes with all of that. The core group is made up of Yuko, your outgoing and energetic type with hilarious sayings, Nio, the more violent and panicky type, and Mai, the smart girl with glasses who is the quiet in the storm that has the truly twisted sense of humor. These girls all get along well and get into all sorts of situations together. One of the best gags involves Mio as she really loves drawing yaoi material but ends up doing that in her homework notebooks, resulting in some real panic when she has to turn them in. Yuko’s fun in how she gets all action-y with things but also in how she tries to come across as unique by saying good morning to people in Indonesian.
And honestly, with Mail, the quiet girls are just unnerving because you never know what will come out of them. Mai doesn’t have too much of that in this volume, but anime fans know how her deadpan side can play out with others.
The book also works a fun range of other characters that are just starting to be introduced, such as Kojio, the son of a farming family that portrays himself as a rich aristocrat, or Tsuyoshi the mohawk kid who has a hot dog flying through his hair during one of the more creative action-tracking sequences in general for manga. My favorite other student is Nano Shinonome, an earnest young woman who wants a great high school life but is trying to cover up that she’s a robot created by the eight-year-old scientist known only as the Professor. Their dynamic is just beautiful to watch, especially as she makes Nano into a dangerous weapon with a machine gun in one hand and a rollcake maker in the other. Tasty rollcakes, mind you.
The series also works in a host of other characters with the principal being a real favorite as he does his best dad jokes along the way as well as having one of the best wrestling with a goat sequences ever illustrated. We also have an up and coming teacher known as Izumi that’s trying to do the best she can but is so easily flustered to the point of utter silliness. She’s young and trying and has to deal with the other teachers that are a little world-weary as well as the principal that’s trying to shape her. There’s such an engaging cast here put into play early on that will only grow over the volumes that seeing these early nuggets and knowing what the develop into makes for a lot of excitement as it’s like seeing humor going through a rock tumbler, rough and intriguing and fun that’s being polished into something truly beautiful.
In Summary
When going from watching a comedy anime series to taking in the manga that it’s based on, it can be difficult because you have preconceptions and voices in your head already. Nichijou is a rough around the edges book that has a lot going for it out of the gate, but I also know my preconceptions are there with it. I love the look of the characters and the way Arawi works the layouts and camera angles as he toys with his cast and their lives. Vertical’s book is solidly put together with a couple of color pages included and a well done translation that captures things well and explains what little it needs to when it does. This is a very fun series that has me looking forward to seeing how it reveals more of itself as it progresses.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: B
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: All Ages
Released By: Vertical Comics
Release Date: March 29th, 2016
MSRP: $10.95