Why No Yotsuba Anime?

I don't get it. And I bet many of you don't get it, either: why hasn't there been any Yotsuba anime? And why aren't there even vague plans for one? Sure, there were rumors about it since three years ago, but nothing solid ever came into being; and now the manga's creator Kiyohiko Azuma (of Azumanga Daioh fame) explains just why that is. Or, rather, isn't.



Azuma's recent explanation comes in response to a new wave of rumors in Japan, claiming that the lack of a Yotsuba anime is due to his "friction" with the Azumanga anime staff (namely with director Hiroshi Nishikiori and with voice actress Tomoko Kaneda - Chiyo's seiyuu). Though amused by them, Azuma clearly denies these rumors, and gives a much more simple reason instead:

"Azuma explains that the reason that a Yotsuba&! anime has not been attempted so far is the difficulty of adapting its idiosyncratic storytelling. For example, he notes there is one scene in which the title character Yotsuba is visiting the Ayase family to play. Yotsuba walks in the door and says, "Konnichiwa-" ("Hello!"). Azuma uses several panels of nothing happening to represent time passing, and then the scene just ends."

It's a crying loli shame, that such a hilarious manga as Yotsuba&! is still not getting the animu treatment, even though the same author's earlier Azumanga Daioh manga was blessed with a perfect anime adaptation. They're both quirky slice-of-life comedies, and they both sport some mighty cute lolis (see above). Oh, well, a Yotsunoha anime is fine, too...