Product Details

• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English, Japanese
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Adv Films
• DVD Release Date: August 31, 2004
• Run Time: 125 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002IQFMC
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #210,149 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Hooray! Festival season is back! Get ready for a slew of crazy new challenges in the sports fest, culminating in an action-packed 10-K race. The ever-hyper Tomo is dying from excitement, but Osaka is afraid of just plain dying! Later, Chiyo-chan adds to the hilarity as she scrambles to pull things together for this year’s culture fest. Will it be a big hit – or a miserable miss – for our cast of high school cuties? But wait – there’s more! Curricular activities aren’t the only source of action. Between classes, the girls doggedly debate things like the color of pandas, the merits of dieting, and the existence of Santa – or even more improbable, Mr. Kimura’s wife! And, speaking of spouses, isn’t it time Minamo found a man? Her busybody mother sure seems to think so! With trips to Hokkaido, Magical Land and a hilarious visit to the local karaoke club, this charming, comical, costumed volume of Azumanga Daioh proves once and for all that time spent with friends is time well-spent!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The cutest culture fest, the springtime of youth in Vol. 4, December 30, 2004

By 

Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Azumanga Daioh - Friends (Vol. 4) (DVD)

The fourth volume in the Azumanga Daioh anime series continues with the adventures of Miss Yukari's high school girls. The next sports fest confirms what Kaorin figured out in Disc 3, that Miss Yukari got Kagura into her class so that she could win against her rival, the much nicer Miss Minamo Kurosawa. Osaka gets a chance to participate in an obstacle course, so she can grab a candy in a vat of flour with her teeth, but when that event comes, she keeps shoving her face in flour without getting the candy, giggling.

Keirsey's personality studies definitely point to Tomo-chan as an Artisan. Knowing that she probably won't win the 10km marathon, she uses up her energy to be first for the first kilometer, being the very bright light that burns out.

The girls also meet Ms. Kimura, the wife of the odd literature teacher, who proves to be a very nice but clumsy lady. But it makes one think that despite Mr. Kimura's thing for high school girls, the fact he has a loving wife and daughter means he isn't all that bad.

The culture festival here is one of my favourite AD episodes. It outdoes the previous culture festival in its cuteness and hilarity, as is the brainstorming for the project. As class representative, Chiyo-chan's stress levels increase during the preparations. At one point, when she screams for someone to turn back the clock, Osaka brings a chair and tries to reach the clock.

However, the scenes with the Chiyo-chan in her squat penguin suit is hands down the best and cutest thing that makes this episode succeed. Does she waddle and charm everyone? Heck yeah. When Yukari brags to Ms. Kurosawa about Chiyo, Kurosawa remarks to herself that the only warped thing in the class is Yukari.

The highlight of the Christmas episode's silliness comes when Kagura and Tomo argue over Santa Claus for fear of disillusioning Chiyo-chan, whom they assume still believes in Santa. Osaka has a dippy rant about Santa misusing Rudolf for his nose. "If you told a bald guy he was useful cuz his head was shiny, he'd clobber you," she says by way of analogy.

Later, Yomi spends New Year's in Hokkaido, and both Tomo-chan and Ms. Yukari get very jealous because Yomi got to eat snow crab at a buffet and have all sorts of fun. However, a series of misfortunes cause Tomo to lose her temper and attack Yomi with a lunch tray.

The One Spring Night episode is unique in that none of it is material from the four original manga. The theme is a celebration of youth and freedom. The girls wonder about their future, and their goals, as next year, they are seniors who must study for their college entrance exams. Yomi feels envious of people who actually have a goal, like Kagura, who's active due to her swim team activities, and is now aiming for the Nationals. Ms. Kurosawa wonders if she should follow her mother's advice and go through an arranged marriage. After all, she isn't get any younger. This episode is noteworthy in that Chiyo-chan and Kagura have a nice talk together regarding their future. The sight of falling cherry blossoms signifying beauty, youth, and dreams, and how to appreciate youth while it lasts.

Bonus features: art studies of Yomi, and various interiors of the high school, such as the cafeteria, faculty offices, girls' locker room, etc. Another great series of episodes, and as Osaka tells Kurosawa about their café, "Don't worry. You won't any dead cats or nothing."

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars azumanga Daioh! DVD 4 by Mew Kiki, July 8, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Azumanga Daioh - Friends (Vol. 4) (DVD)

I LOVE THIS ANIME SOO MUCH!!! IT WAS TOO FUNNY! WHA-HA-HA-HA!!!!
ITS MY FAVORITE ANIME IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD OF ANIME!!!! HA-HA-HA-HA!!! -Mew Kiki