Yotsuba&! Manga Volume 7 Review

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Time to get the latest Yotsuba&! goodness. ^_^

Things get started with Ena showing Yotsuba the fun of a cup-phone connected with string. Miura gets in on the fun and the line is eventually tossed between Yotsuba’s house and the Ayase home. I never made one of these phones as a kid so I’ve no experience in the subject, but I do know about them. The fun part of the chapter is Fuuka getting busted using the cup-phone to talk to Koiwai-san and then Asagi deciding to use Yotsuba as “e-mail” by taping an envelope of pictures to Yotsuba’s back and sending her to deliver it to her father.

In the next story, Yotsuba and Ena pay a visit to Miura’s apartment high rise, which Yotsuba assumes is all Miura’s. Miura then rides her unicycle to the park with Yotsuba and Ena. Not much to say here beyond smiling at how Yotsuba mistakes the apartment tower for a single home. Miura’s remarks about being a poor princess (because she can’t afford a whole bike) made me smile too.

Yotsuba gets sick in the next story, meaning the fun trip to the ranch is canceled to her dismay. One of the things I remember about being sick is how my parents, specifically my mom, allowed me to do things we wouldn’t normally get to do. My mom has always been a firm believer in eating healthy and so as kids, we ate healthy. For beverages, we had orange juice at breakfast, milk and lunch and dinner, and water anytime else, save on very special occasions. When sick, we got to drink apple juice and ginger ale too, which always made being sick a little more tolerable. *lol*

Yotsuba may not have gotten that, but she too received special treatment by having her futon moved to in front of the TV. ^_^ Also, I couldn’t help but feel her extreme disappointment at not getting to go on the trip.

One more thing on this part of the story, I did laugh at Yotsuba’s belief that “coffee milk” came from black cows. My one set of grandparents owned a huge farm and thus had cows, chickens, hogs, and the likes in addition to crops. As such, I knew that milk came from cows, but my grandparents did not have black cows. So one afternoon as we are driving someplace, I see a field of black cows and the thought occurred to me that this must be where the chocolate milk in the store came from. I told my grandparents this and naturally they thought that was funny, especially my grandfather. Good memories.

Continuing with the manga, Yotsuba gets properly introduced to Fuuka’s friend Shimauu (aka: “Miss Stake” in the English adaptations), who’s real name is Hiwatari. Together, the three decide to make a cake and do some dancing in the process. Not really much to say here but still a fun read.

The next story is Yotsuba’s solo trip to the nearby convenience store to buy some instant ramen for the both of them and she ends up having to give up something when she doesn’t have enough money to buy two instant ramen and the candy she wants. I chucked at what she ended up giving up but at the same time, I was reminded of a similar event from my own youth, only at a festival event at the private high school attached to our private elementary school. I was told I had enough money for a popcorn and soft drink but it turned out to be short. So the students working the booth gave me a partial bag of popcorn and a partial cup of coke. I was always suspicious that maybe those “big kids” were cheating me but popcorn and coke were good, even if I didn’t get all I wanted. *lol*

The final story is the largest and doesn’t appear to be complete at the manga’s end — Yotsuba’s trip to a ranch. Yotsuba, Jumbo, Yanda, and Koiwai-san take the trip where Yotsuba learns about sheep, cows, milk, ice cream, and more. I so loved this story starting with Yotsuba’s and Yanda’s continued clashes and continuing with the wonder as Yotsuba sees farm animals up close. I laughed out loud when she clocked the sheep that head-butted her and how she was close to clocking a cow to prove she wasn’t afraid. *lol* I also was very amused at Yotsuba’s attempt to make it “tomorrow” quicker by going to bed very early, only to wake up and discover it is still “yesterday.” *lol*

I’m really glad Yen Press picked up this series because it is such a delight for me to read. As I’ve said, every time I pick up a volume to try working on a review, I end up rereading the whole thing instead of writing. *lol* I just can’t say enough good things about this manga and I look forward to the next volume when it comes out.