Azumanga Daioh not only pioneered the slife of life genre, but it perfected it. Slice of life is arguably the most frowned upon genre in Anime, and for good reason. Most of these shows are borderline nothing. Personalityless characters, and 0 plot giving the audience nothing to grasp onto. So what makes Azumanga so special when it's also a show also about nothing? Azumanga Daioh's greatest accomplishment is its entirely female lead cast of characters. Men are pushed to the side and lack any personality. Mearly faces in the crowd, a body to make the classroom feel more alive, but beyond that the men in this show do nothing. The only man that has an ongoing presence, that could be considered apart of the main cast, is a complete sicko. A teacher that only became one so he could look at teenage girls all day. He is both parts hilarious and downright disgusting. In contrast, every woman in this show has a completely dynamic and unique personality, and they are what make this show worth watching. A 3 year time span, starting on the first day of high school and ending on their graduation, you see these girls change so much. They're still the same people but their bond and their experiences together give them these tiny shifts in their personalities. Azumanga Daioh never breaks away from its sense of humor. The pacing of jokes, and even the episodes themselves, move about as slowly as the main characters brains. On the flipside the show can also be very chaotic and sporadic, which is also a reflection of the main characters. The show never has some dramatic 2nd half tonal shift, and it won't wow you with any existentialist themes, but it will take you by surprise with how human it can be. Some of the shows greatest moments are the one's where nothing happens, and instead its just these friends enjoying each others company, taking one day at a time. Azumanga Daioh is a show about nothing and yet it has so much to say.