'''Azumanga Daioh''' (''あずまんが大王 Azumanga Daiō'') és un manga creat per Kiyohiko Azuma que va ser adaptat a l'anime en 2002. Publicat a la revista ''Dengeki Daioh'', el manga consisteix gairebé íntegrament en quatre panells que són coneguts cóm a yonkoma al Japó, subseqüentment va ser compilat i re-editat en format tankōbon. L'anime originalment va ser retransmès des del 8 d'abril del 2002 fins el 30 de setembre del 2002, en segments de 5 minuts de duració els dies laborables i cóm una compilació de 25 minuts cada cap de setmana. A més d'aquests existeixen dos episodis més: The Very Short Azumanga Daioh Movie, un trailer de 6 minuts, i Azumanga Web Daioh.

== Argument ==
Tant el manga cóm l'anime expliquen la vida diària d'una escola de secundària japonesa. Els lectors i/o espectadors segueixen l'obsessió de Sakaki amb els gats de la barriada, els esforços de Chiyo per trobar acceptació en un grup de companys d'edat més avançada, el dèficit d'atenció d'Osaka i la seva lentitud, la poca paciència i la híperactivitat de Yomi i el caràcter de la seva millor amiga Tomo totalment oposat. L'espai temporal són els tres anys de secundària de les noies, la sèrie es centra bàsicament en les festes, exàmens, vacacions i competicions esportives anuals. Encara que generalment segueix la vida de cada dia, la sèrie està marcada ocasionalment per brots de surrealisme i absurditat. 

A l'anime, els episodis de l'1 al 10 segueixen el primer any de secundària i presenten als personatges principals i a les seves personalitats. Els episodis 11-19 tracten del segon any, les noies es tornen més madures i Kagura entra en el grup al ser traslladada de classe. Els episodis 20-26 tracten del tercer i últim any, i cóm les noies es preparen pels exàmens d'entrada a la universitat, la sèrie conclou amb la cerimònia de graduació.

El títol de la sèrie no té cap sentit, Azumanga és un joc de paraules amb el nom de l'escriptor i Daioh prové de la revista on va ser publicada.

{{Infobox animanga/Header
| name            = Azumanga Daioh
| image           = 230px
| caption         = Azumanga Daioh
| ja_name         = あずまんが大王
| ja_name_trans   = Azumanga Daiō
| genre           = Slice of Life<ref name="ann-azumanga-genre"></ref>
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Manga|
| title           = 
| author          = Kiyohiko Azuma
| publisher       =  MediaWorks
| publisher_en    =    ADV Manga
| publisher_other =  Daiwon C.I. <br/>  Norma Editorial <br/>    Tong Li <br/>  Kurokawa <br/>  Tokyopop <br/>  Punainen jättiläinen <br/>  Negibose Comics
| demographic     = Shōnen<ref></ref> <!-- do not change without discussion, including presenting evidence that is more authoritative than the publisher's own claim that Dengeki Daioh is aimed at a shōnen audience -->
| magazine        = Dengeki Daioh
| first           = February 1999
| last            = June 2002
| volumes         = 4
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Anime|
| title           = <br />Azumanga Daioh THE ANIMATION
| director        = Hiroshi Nishikiori
| studio          =  J.C.Staff
| licensor        =     ADV Films<br>   Madman Entertainment
| network         =  Tooniverse<br />  China Television<br />  Anime Network<br />
| first           = April 8 2002
| last            = September 30 2002
| episode_list    = List of Azumanga Daioh media
| episodes        = 26
}}
{{Infobox animanga/OVA
| ONA             = yes
| title           = Azumanga Web Daioh
| director        = Fumiaki Asano
| studio          = Chara-ani.com
| episodes        = 1
| released        = December 28, 2000
| runtime         = 
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Other
| title           = Related works
| content         = *''Wallaby''
*''Yotsuba&!''
}}

 is a MediaWorks in the shōnen magazine ''Dengeki Daioh'' from 1999 to 2002 and collected in four tankōbon volumes.<ref name="ann-manga"></ref> It is drawn as a series of vertical four-panel comic strips called yonkoma and depicts the lives of a group of girls during their three years as high-school classmates.

It was adapted as an Starchild Records;<ref name="starchild"></ref> the five-minute segments can be distinguished by their individual titles.

==Title==
The series title has no particular significance to the story. "Azumanga" is a portmanteau of "Azuma" (the author's name) and "manga," while "Daioh" comes from the magazine in which it was originally published, ''Dengeki Daioh''.<ref name="ann-manga"/> In the anime, "Daioh" is mentioned during the next episode previews, in context meaning "great king."

The name "Azumanga" is also used as a general term for Kiyohiko Azuma's other works (illustrations and comics).<ref> , a commentary by Hideki Satomi contained in ''Azumanga Recycle''.</ref> The titles of two collections published in 1998 and 2001 containing official comics of Pioneer animations<ref>The official comics of Pioneer animations included in two work collections published in 1998 and 2001 were ''Tenchi Muyo!'', ''Battle Athletes Victory'', ''Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure'', ''El-Hazard'', ''Magical Girl Pretty Sammy'', ''Serial Experiments Lain'', ''Doki Doki Pretty League'', and ''Forestall Army Corps''. <!--What does this reference have to do with what it's footnoting?--> </ref> were ''Azumanga'' and ''Azumanga 2''.<ref> [http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4894524953/ ''Azumanga 2''] on Amazon.com. Accessed 2006-12-16.</ref> ''Azumanga'' was later republished in a reduced-size edition called ''Azumanga Recycle''.<ref> [http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4840218617 ''Azumanga Recycle''] on Amazon.com. Accessed 2006-12-16.</ref>

==Synopsis==
''Azumanga Daioh'' chronicles everyday life in an unnamed Japanese high school in Sakaki's obsession with cute animals, Chiyo's struggle to fit in with girls five years older, Osaka's spacey nature and skewed perspective on the world, Yomi's aggravation at an annoying best friend, Tomo, whose energy is rivaled only by her lack of sense, and Kagura's efforts in sports and school. The story covers three years of tests, culture festivals, and athletic events at school, after-school life at the nearby shopping district, at Chiyo's large house, vacations spent at Chiyo's summer home on the beach and at Magical Land, a theme park. It is generally realistic in tone, marked by occasional bursts of surrealism and absurdity, such as Osaka's bizarre imaginings and an episode featuring the characters' New Year's dreams.

The manga and anime follow the same story line, though there are differences in small details.<ref name="diff">For example, when Yukari and Nyamo go out for dinner in episode three of the anime, Nyamo tells Yukari she is not holding her chopsticks correctly; in the manga version, it is Mr. Kimura who tells her this.</ref> Some jokes could not be dramatized as written and were either changed or excised completely. In the first manga volume, Osaka's appearance is noticeably different from in the anime and succeeding manga volumes. In the same vein, Sakaki's initial unapproachable demeanor in the manga is downplayed in the anime.

==Characters==

The main cast of ''Azumanga Daioh'' consists of six schoolgirls and two of their teachers. Secondary characters include a creepy male teacher (Kimura-sensei) with an unhealthy obsession with teenage girls and a classmate (Kaorin) with a crush on Sakaki.thumb|The main characters. From left to right: Sakaki, Kagura, Chiyo, Tomo, Yomi and Osaka. Kagura is not pictured as this promo pic was released before her debut.

;: A Japanese high school). She is a target of jealousy due to her intelligence and wealthy family. Chiyo's twin ponytails were used in several visual gags in both the manga and anime, such as flying wings in Osaka's daydreams. 

;: An extremely energetic and competitive girl, despite being nonathletic and a slacker. Tomo's character is extremely impulsive and rarely considers the consequences of anything. 

;: A grade-school friend and general antagonist of Tomo's, Yomi, as she is commonly known, is the title's voice of reason, carrying herself as the most mature and serious of the group. Though smart and athletic, she is constantly dissatisfied with herself due to her weight and is always trying various diets in an effort to become thinner. 

;: A tall, soft-spoken girl uncomfortable with her height and busty physique. Her reticence is misinterpreted as mysterious, or cool. She is naturally athletic but she has no real interest in sports. Sakaki is, in reality, an emotionally sensitive person who holds a secret longing for cute things. She loves cats, but the neighborhood cats dislike her and her parents do not allow cats in their house because her mother is allergic. 

;: More popularly known by her nickname , Ayumu is a transfer student from non-sequiturs, but exceptional at answering very specific types of riddles. 

;: A girl who joins Yukari's class in the second year. Yukari selects her as a shoo in to win the school athletic competitions. Originally in Nyamo's class and with little success in studies, she devotes her time to the swim team but is an all-around good athlete. She is genuinely nice to her classmates but is competitive and has a slight obsession with Sakaki, with whom she sees as an athletic rival due to Sakaki being a naturally gifted athlete with no training at all. She also tends to be a bit of a cry-baby. 

;: The girls' English and homeroom teacher (class 3), with very unconventional methods and a close relationship with the class. Her students are casual enough to call her by her first name: Yukari-sensei, and even use the very informal and intimate name and title of Yukari-chan. She can be moody and, like Tomo, is incredibly impulsive and has a tendency not to think things through. Yukari has a rivalry/friendship with Minamo and attempts to prove that she is the superior teacher. Yukari is known for being an absolute horrible driver with a car beaten entirely with dents. Yukari's driving skills are responsible for Chiyo-chan developing an occasional phobia to riding in cars. 