Hi,
I don't usually do this, but for this fic in particular I wanted to have a sort of author introduction to give some context and lay down the groundwork for the story you're about to read.
Azumanga Daioh is something that probably means more to me than it does to a lot of people. Many tend to dismiss it as cliche slice of life, and I don't blame them. But to me, I saw something in these characters that meant a lot to me. I saw the childish innocence that I used to have growing up. Watching the show felt like watching these silly characters I loved "grow up", and reach a point in their lives where they would soon have to face adulthood, like we all do eventually.
In the past year, I've had to face that same difficult fact more times than I'd like to admit, as I'm now a university student, I have my own job to pay for my own bills, etc. The message that I hope this fanfiction can convey to you all is that no matter how old you are, even if you feel that you've lost your childlike innocence there will still always be opportunities to sit back and observe where you are, and how beautiful life can be. I always appreciated Azumanga Daioh for its subtle messages about enjoying the little things in life, whether it be Osaka's eye floaters or Tomo's boundless enthusiasm for everything in existence. I hope that from reading this fic readers will realize that just because you've grown up doesn't mean life has to stop being beautiful or fun, and no matter how dark things get you can still see the beauty in the little things.
With this fic I want to try to show that Azumanga's characters can work with a darker subject matter, and hopefully I'll be able to accomplish that by the end. When I first came up with the early concept for this story, I wanted it to follow closely with the original source material in terms of the wholesome plot and characters. But over time, and partly due to my own limitations as a writer, I decided it would be best to make this fic into a new and interesting experience with the Azumanga girls uncovering a dark mystery, which fits with the theme of adulthood and becoming exposed to the 'real' world.
The story takes place roughly a year after the girls' graduation from highschool and subsequent entrance into university, as the main cast is reunited and we meet some newcomers along the way. I hope you all enjoy it :)
-Wes
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Azumanga Daioh: College Days
FanfictionIt's been 1 year since the Azumanga gang has graduated from highschool and been accepted into university, and the girls have decided to have a reunion! Traveling to New York where Chiyo is a student at New York University, not everything is as it se...
