4-koma manga has steadily been growing in the U.S. After the rampant success of Azumanga Daioh, and the numerous titles to follow such as Hidamari Sketch, Lucky Star, and S.S. Astro.
So today, let's delve into S.S. Astro. Astro is short for "Asashio Sogo Teacher's ROom," and gives you an idea of what we're dealing with: four teachers who work at Asashio High School. A mix of Lucky Star and Azumanga Daioh, with a little bit of yuri thrown in for good measure, this title may entertain plenty of you.
So, let's get into it!
S.S. Astro Volume 1
Written and drawn by Negi Banno
Translated by Stephen Paul, Lettering by Alexis Eckerman
Published by Yen Press
Originally release in August 2008
Our four heroines cover most of the different areas of the school. There's Izumi Maki, the gym teacher who has yet to grow up; Yuko Nagumo, the Japanese teacher with a penchant for food; Setsuna Arai, the Nursing Teacher (not nurse) who's a bit of an otaku and a sadist; and Kaname Karasuma, the Foreign Language teacher who's not all that interested in men, but will try and spend her way into Izumi's heart.
The group, as the title implies, forms based on the fact that they're all co-workers. Izumi and Yuko are both friends from high school who start working at Asashio together, while Setsuna and Kaname have been there a while -- and were around when the other two were still students there. The group of teachers all work to support each other as they go about their day, trying to act like responsible adults, even if they have no idea how.
The stories throughout the volume are well-paced between humor, romance, and character exposition, making the book flow very well. The problem is, that means the book is over way too soon. Clocking in at around 117 pages, plus the translation notes and a preview chapter of Suzunari!, the book is over before you know it, leaving you wanting a lot more. I found myself flipping back at random points to re-read stories, or pay close attention to the colored art featured in the book -- mostly promo images done for magazines or events. Unfortunately, Yen Press decided not to print some of the color versions of strips, which, for me, is a little disappointing.
I compare S.S. Astro to Lucky Star and Azumanga Daioh in this regard: The series features otaku humor regularly, but in a far more mainstream and basic sense -- like what you might see on The Colbert Report or such -- but in the end, it's part of the greater patchwork of these characters' school lives. So, if high school drama on a teacher level is what interests you, then S.S. Astro may grab your attention. But the series does come in at $11 a volume (typical for Yen Press), and with the low pagecount and quickness of this series, you'll likely find yourself not satisfied and looking for something more.
19 comments
Im getting this.