#torako

Torako is an interesting character in Yotsuba, for a lot of reasons.

She's VERY androgynous. This is not elaborated upon. Yotsuba certainly doesn't notice, she's too distracted by the fact that Torako smokes. In fact, no characters remark on Torako's androgyny at all. It has no bearing on the story, and isn't the source of any jokes. This is interesting, especially given that the series is fundamentally about how Yotsuba reacts to the world around her. Of all the gags surrounding Yotsuba's confusion at new things, Torako's androgyny isn't one of them.

Manga and anime series LOVE to make jokes surrounding women who look like men, and make it a crucial "bit" in the character, but Yotsuba& doesn't bother. The closest we ever come to a "joke" about it is this:

Of all the aspects of the world Yotsuba gets confused by, Torako's gender expression goes over her head. I found this very refreshing, and it makes me wonder why Azuma chose to go that route. Perhaps it's a more conscious decision on his part, but honestly I think he just didn't think it would be that funny.

Instead, the only real thing Yotsuba latches onto is that Torako smokes.

Azuma isn't particularly interested in avoiding her smoking because it "might be a harmful influence on kids". It's another example of how Yotsuba& isn't really a manga about kids FOR kids. The adults Azuma writes are very nuanced and realistic, but again, he doesn't need much effort to do it. He just takes real-life things he observes and includes them, instead of stylizing or exaggerating them for comedic effect.

One of the main cornerstones of Yotsuba& is the idea that lots of ordinary things in our day-to-day life are funny, especially to an outside observer like Yotsuba.

I think that I, along with many other readers, can also relate to Torako's difficulty around kids. She doesn't dislike them, but she doesn't really know how to interact with Yotsuba on her level. She can't really put on a face for Yotsuba or act differently for her sake.

Though, at the end of the day, most of the adults in the manga don't treat Yotsuba like a kid. This is another true-to-life aspect of the series that makes it unique.

A lot of the time, kids at Yotsuba's age have just reached a point where they can often tell when they're being talked down to. Putting on a show for them doesn't always work anymore. (I imagine it's one of the main reasons Yotsuba hates Yanda, because he treats her more like a child)

That's why Torako's inexperience dealing with kids is precisely what makes Yotsuba so instantly endeared to her.

And of course, we can't really talk about Torako without bringing up her deadpan personality. It's another personality trait that just goes over Yotsuba's head, and another that isn't remarked on by the other characters. It's just who she is, and everyone is used to it.

We also get little peeks into who she is that, in true Kiyohiko Azuma fashion, we didn't necessarily need to be shown, but give you a peek at her personality. Things like her solving a rubiks cube while alone in a restaurant.

If she woofs.

TCG Illustration Contest: Charizard (2022)

Artist: Torako