10 Books/Manga Like Yotsuba to!
Yotsuba to! is an outstanding manga. It was written and illustrated by Kiyohiko Azuma for the monthly magazine Dengeki Daioh and 15 volumes were released. Its premise wasn’t anything complex. It follows a girl named Yotsuba who explores her mundane setting to learn more about it with her friends and family beside her. The manga’s known for having a calming atmosphere, cheery characters, and relatable circumstances for Yotsuba and her buddies to tackle.
If you’re in the mood for more slice-of-life and comedy manga that offers a similar vibe, fear not! We’ve gathered together 10 books/manga to check out when you’ve caught up with Yotsuba to! Of course, if you feel we’ve missed any of your favorites, do comment below and let us know!
Azumanga Daioh – Kiyohiko Azuma
Similarities – Comedy & Same Author
Azumanga Daioh is another work by Kiyohiko Azuma. It’s another manga that you can read with your brain turned off. It doesn’t offer a complex narrative or exposition-heavy dialogue. What readers can expect is a story filled with well-executed jokes, gags, and slapstick that’ll make you giggle and smile nonstop. From funny facial expressions to wacky scenarios, Azamunaga Daioh has it all.
Like Yotsuba to!, Azumanga Daioh’s cast lives mundane lives. However, it’s how they interact with each other and their environment that makes it such a wholesome piece of art. The character designs are simplistic, but there are times when Azuma’s artwork looks absolutely jaw-dropping. From dynamic perspective shots to gorgeous landscapes, Azuma knows how to make captivating locales. If you’re searching for another enjoyable story centered around kids and comedy, this one’s worth reading.
Ryushika Ryushika – Yoshitoshi Abe
Similarities – Characters, Comedy, Slice of Life
Ryushika Ryushika is a wholesome slice-of-life manga. It’s a series of chapters that delve into the lovely life of a girl named Kimika. She’s an innocent and energetic young girl with a wild imagination. Nothing escapes her sight and fans will adore following her on her multiple charming endeavors.
Like Yotsuba to! this manga features vast comical elements, exaggerated facial humor, and quirky characters to adore. The stories are simple and don’t offer any complexity. They mainly center around the daily adventures of two young girls and how they deal with the obstacles set in their path. Fans should go into these works expecting cheerful family and friend interactions.
However, both stories have entertaining comedies to avoid feeling dull and pointless. Both authors employ humor that varies from funny facial reactions to puns, gags, and witty jokes. Furthermore, both stories offer a childlike view of the world that will make many fans grow attached to the work and feel like a child again. If you’re looking for a cheerful story to read to wipe away any stress from your life, Ryushika Ryushika is worth checking out.
Spy X Family – Tatsuya Endou
Similarities – Slice of Life & Comedy
Spy X Family is an action-packed family comedy. It’ll make viewers ponder what it means to be a part of a healthy family. It revolves around a spy named Twilight. He takes on the alias Loid Forger for his mission. His mission is to defeat Donovan Desmond to ensure peace between Ostania and Westalis. However, Donovan only appears at his son’s school Eden Academy.
This hurdle encourages Loid to enlist the help of two girls named Anya and Yor. He starts a fake family with them to get closer to Donovan. Little does Loid know that his new wife is an assassin and his daughter is a mind-reading psychic. This family’s built on deception but each member develops a strong fondness for the other.
Although Yotsuba to! offers place its protagonist in bizarre circumstances, none of them compare to the chaotic and energetic scenarios Loid and company get roped into. Furthermore, Anya differs from Yotsuba by having powers and being an integral part of Loid’s plan to murder Donovan. On that note, characters will get roped into many deadly circumstances unlike Yostuba and her friends. If you enjoyed Yotsuba’s joyful family themes but wanted something with more action, Spy X Family should be on your reading list.
Barakamon – Satsuki Yoshino
Similarities – Slice of Life, Characters, Themes
Barakamon is about a rookie calligrapher named Handa. He doesn’t like how people perceive his work and this gets him exiled to the Goto Islands. Upon his arrival, Seishu notices that the terrain feels more rural than Tokyo. While it lacks creativity, he’s set on finding something inspirational about this place that will help him craft engaging work.
Unfortunately, the residents won’t be giving him alone time. Seishuu will meet many colorful people at the Goto Islands including a little girl who is as energetic, innocent, and imaginative as Yotsuba. Our story centers around the relationship between a man, a toddler, and the people surrounding them. Although he likes to keep to himself, Seishuu will develop unexpected feelings for everyone.
This helps his character become less of a shut-in and more of an open-minded individual. Furthermore, this series contains some fun lighthearted humor that will tug at your heartstrings. From compelling jokes to exaggerated facial expressions, you’d find it difficult not to laugh at its characters. If you’re searching for another cheerful manga about family life, this one’s worth your time.
Aria – Kozue Amano
Similarities – Slice of Life
Aria is an atmospheric slice-of-life manga. Unlike Yotsuba to, Aria takes place in the distant future where humanity resides on the planet Mars. However, some people still reside on Earth. Our protagonist Akari is a new resident of Mars and wants to become a tour guide for it. She joins the Aria Company to help her get closer to accomplishing her goal.
The story focuses on Aria’s life on Mars as she takes in its beautiful sights and indulges herself in multiple activities that are commonplace here. Yotsuba to and Aria engulf readers with their relaxing approach to storytelling. Aria’s environments evoke a tranquil and serene aura which is enhanced by Mars’s lack of residents. This makes the world feel more peaceful and quiet.
Both series harbor colorful and likable characters. Akari and Yotsuba can view the world through an optimistic lens, but Akari provides folks with more sophisticated views of her world. However, if you loved Yotsuba to’s way of valuing the small and beautiful moments of life then you’ll adore Aria’s similar and distinct approach toward that goal.
Flying Witch – Chihiro Ishizuka
Similarities – Slice of Life
Flying Witch is a wholesome manga for those who enjoyed laid-back stories like Yotsuba to! It engulfs readers with its comfy atmosphere but adds some fantasy elements to spice things up. In it, we follow a witch named Makoto. She leaves her parents behind to seek knowledge and training alongside her cat Chito. They arrive at Aomori, a location favored by most witches.
After taking refuge at Makoto’s second cousin’s home, their journey of wizardry begins. This manga acts as a love letter to those who adore nature, magic, and cozy narratives. The manga includes Makoto in wacky scenarios to avoid feeling uneventful, though. You’ll love seeing how she interacts with the fantastical and mundane life during her outings in Aomori.
The characters receive a fair amount of development, so there’s no need to worry about the story feeling pointless. If you’re craving another story that will make you feel all warm inside, give this a shot.
Silver Nina – Itokatsu
Similarities – Slice of Life & Comedy
Siver Nana is a relaxing slice-of-life manga with enjoyable humor and characters. Shutaro, our series’s male protagonist, struggles to make a living in Tokyo due to being unemployed. After returning home from a trip, he finds a silver-haired girl in front of his fan. The girl turns out to be his niece, Nina, who wants to become an Akiba Idol.
Although his life’s been dull and difficult, Nina will make Shutaro’s journey better than he anticipated. Although both stories have female characters participating in cutesy activities, Nina doesn’t feel like the star in Silver Nana. That title goes to Shutarou who receives incredible development throughout the story.
Nonetheless, Silver Nana and Yotsuba offer themes of innocence, family, and love. These mangas don’t have a general story arc, but the comedic situations they get pulled into should encourage readers to continue reading them. With its charming atmosphere, well-rounded characters, and laughable humor, Silver Nana is a perfect manga to read after Yotsuba to!
Hinamatsuri – Masao Ohtake
Similarities – Comedy
Hinamatsuri is a supernatural comedy that offers some similarities to Yotsuba to! Our characters get involved in absurd scenarios that will require them to work together to overcome them. Hinamatsuri’s plot feels nonsensical but offers charming protagonists who’ll win readers over with their personalities and chemistry.
The situations feel more spy-oriented compared to the circumstances Yotsuba endures in her story. You’ll see characters wielding weapons and fighting people a lot in this work. The humor between both works is similar as Hinamatsuri contains some fabulous slapstick and situational humor that will have you laughing hysterically.
For those curious, our story centers around a yakuza member named Izumi. He must monitor the mysterious Hana, a young girl who exits out of a strange capsule and has supernatural powers. After defeating a rival group, Izumi takes Hana under his wing and forms a tight connection with her as the story continues. For those craving a manga with an excellent father-daughter dynamic, check out Hinamatsuri.
Nichijou: My Ordinary Life – Keiichi Arawii
Similarities – Comedy
Nichijou: My Ordinary Life is a funny story with a straightforward premise. It follows the daily lives of five female friends who like to cause their neighborhood pain with their pranks and stunts. This manga banks on its wide variety of humor to keep people entertained. It contains clever jokes, gags, slapstick, and other forms of comedy.
Unlike Yotsuba to!, Nichijou can feel slightly over-the-top. Despite having an “ordinary life” tagline, our girls’ lives are far from mundane. While completing chores and homework falls into that category, readers will witness our characters fighting animals and getting into intense car races despite being children. It’s wacky and strange but works so well. If you’re ever feeling stressed or need something quick to read to make you smile, Nichjou’s worth reading.
Bocchi The Rock – Aki Hamaji
Similarities – Slice of Life & Comedy
Bocchi The Rock is an incredible manga that touches on real issues like social anxiety. Its protagonist, Hitori is likable, funny, and relatable. She aspires to be a famed musician but doesn’t have the courage to push forward in life. That all changes when she meets Nijika, a girl who offers Hitori a chance to play for her band called Kessoku Band.
After establishing connections with the other band members and the staff at Starry Club, Hitori vows to make her and her friends’ dreams a reality. This manga provides a comical spin on social anxiety but handles the subject with care. Like Yotsuba to!, Bocchi The Rock offers a vast amount of lighthearted activities for Hitori and her friends to participate in.
These events will help Hitori overcome her insecurities and push forward in life. You’ll cheer for her when she succeeds and laugh at her when she makes simple mistakes. At the end of the day, you’ll walk away proud of Hitori’s efforts to change and become a stronger person. If you’re craving a wholesome and funny manga with a genuine plot and cast, give Bocchi The Rock a read.
So there we have it, our 10 books/manga to read after you’re caught up with Yotsuba Ito.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!