This is a Public Service Announcement. While those like Zigg and I who preordered the volume online have already recieved their copy, today is the official release day of Yotsuba& Vol. 11 in English, published by Yen Press. I suggest you proceed to your nearest Amazon or Rightstuf (or your local Barnes and Noble if you’re a weirdo and/or need it immediately, I know the temptation.) and purchase it right now.

If you’ve ever taken a gander at our twitter profile or noticed the icons we use for our webpages, you may know that Yotsuba is the de facto mascot of the Glorio blog, as well as basically the reason for Glorio’s existance herself. That in and of itself is a story for another time. Our anniversary isn’t too far off, you know. While anyone with a soul loves Yotsuba, we do so with a passion, and while we may fight over many things, and our chatlog can heavily attest to that, we are united in this story because it is such a good one.

The life of this energetic and curious young girl is something that all ages can relate with because Yotsuba is someone we all know. Maybe this is how we acted as kids, how we got into trouble because we just wanted to explore and see what life was like. Maybe it’s from what we remember of our friends, who would go out into the world with reckless abandon and live to tell the tale. When you were young, the world was immense, and every new discovery was like an epiphany in and of itself. That is the core of Yotsuba. Growing up, we forget how much joy can be found in catching bugs or looking out at the stars or even simply riding a bike.

This is told so well by the art style of Kiyohiko Azuma. Everything is incredibly detailed, from houses and vehicles to trees. Everything except for our cast.  Yotsuba is totally a being of pure expression, everything she feels is clear as day. As you go to the older members of the cast, their features become more distinct, until you come upon elderly characters who are drawn in complete realism. It’s as if to show how much growing up has stolen their wonder for life and become a part of this amazing world instead of truly experiencing it as Yotsuba does. Still, even those hardened to the realism of the world see Yotsuba for what she is, a darling of pure curiosity and willpower, affecting everyone she meets and making their day that much brighter.

If there’s anything that’s worth your money, Yotsuba is it. It is a heartwarming tale that will always bring a hearty chuckle and a smile from ear to ear.

(PS: Steins;Gate’s official release was also today, watch out for a review IN THE FUTURE!!!)