By 
Yotsuba is back! It’s been a long while since we saw a new manga volume for Yotsuba &!, as Yen Press’ last one showed up in September 2021. So seeing volume 16 return with more adventures is very welcome. But what strikes me most about this installment is how it highlights her development and growth as a character. Kiyohiko Azuma had us watch this kid grow up over the years, and some of the chapters this time around really highlight how she’s maturing in some ways.
This idea comes up as volume 16 of the Yotsuba & manga begins, as we watch her dad Yousuke Koiwai watch her on her bike. She’s come quite a long way when it comes to riding it. It’s a sense of visible progression and experience, since earlier entries of the series actually showed when she first got one and her learning how to use it. We can also see him sort of realizing how she’s growing up, with even the bike shop owner kind of dropping those hints to him. She’s still very silly and enthralled by Christmas decorations, so we see that innocence is present too.
One way in which we see Yotsuba growing up a bit in volume 16 of the manga relates to her relationship with her father’s friend and coworker Yanda. He teases her in the way an older brother would and she very much doesn’t care for him. However, when a hike up a mountain is tied to him being around as a second authority figure and the two getting along, we see that actually work out. (There are still plenty of funny moments between the two, however.) Considering how past incidents went, it’s real progress.
Going to school is another big part. We see Yotsuba and Koiwai run into Ena and Miura. This leads to learning about what it will be like when she heads to class. She learns about teachers. We see her head down the way she’d take to get there. She uses the equipment in the yard and sees that maybe even a teacher would have problems with it. And again, we see that while she is starting to think seriously sometimes and maturing, in that she brings up possibly becoming a professor, she’s still very Yotsuba in that she wants to turn her dad into a rhinoceros beetle.
What also feels appropriate is that as Yotsuba is approaching major milestones in her manga, this volume also serves as an update on the development of another Kiyohiko Azuma manga too. As teased last year, this is the installment that included an Azumanga Daioh crossover. We get a peek at what happened to Ayumu “Osaka” Kasuga after the series. Considering she could be occasionally silly in that slice-of-life story, learning she’s become a teacher somehow fits. It’s especially lovely to see her interact with Yotsuba and realize that hey, she might influence her in the same way Yukari Tanizaki did for her.
The manga Yotsuba &! remains an absolute slice of life delight, and volume 16 really highlights the character’s development. She’s growing up! The kiddo is still very innocent and silly, of course. But now she is thinking about things like school. She’s riding her bike with no issues. She’s even able to get along with Yanda, if need be! It’s really something to see.
Volumes 1-16 of the Yotsuba &! series are available now and Yen Press doesn’t have a release date for volume 17 yet. The series is still running in Japan.
We may earn a commission if you purchase from certain links. Learn more here.
