There is something incredible about watching small, seemingly mundane moments from everyday life portrayed on the screen. With the recent trend of romanticizing one’s life dominating social media discussions, slice-of-life anime’s popularity is coming back. The best slice-of-life anime series and movies teach meaningful lessons to the audience.
Unlike sci-fi or action series, slice-of-life anime feel much more down-to-earth and relatable since the characters deal with the same things as the audience. Slice-of-life anime invites viewers to live in the present, enjoy simple pleasures, and form meaningful connections with other people. Slice-of-life anime is often blended with comedy, romance, and, occasionally, magic.
Updated on April 5th, 2023 by Alexandra Locke: Slice-of-life anime are among some of the most calming and poignant stories. They teach valuable lessons that pertain to real life, even if the show is full of magic. Though they are not flashy, what they lack in action they make up for in emotional maturity and beautiful animation. There is something to be said about the way slice-of-life anime make fans feel, and that is most of their charm.
30 Classroom Of The Elite
25 Episodes
The Advanced Nurturing High School is unlike any other educational establishment. Every amenity the students could ever want or need is provided for them. However, their class test scores are directly tied to how many credits they have to spend every month. This is an unfortunate fact for Class D.
Thankfully, Suzune Horikita is not one to give up lightly. Enlisting the help of the enigmatic Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, the pair work together to overcome the corrupt system and climb the ranks in Classroom of the Elite.
29 Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie
12 Episodes
Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie is a romantic comedy series fans can watch on Crunchyroll. The anime is about Shikimori, a popular girl who is dating Izumi, a kindhearted guy with hilariously bad luck. While she wants to be seen as cute, Shikimori often looks strong and protective because of how often she has to protect Izumi from his own klutziness.
Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie is nothing revolutionary, but it is a great pick for fans who want to kick back and relax while watching something enjoyable. Shikimori is a strong female lead, and her interactions with Izumi are adorable. It is a solid slice-of-life series with a gorgeous art style and likable characters.
28 Tsuki Ga Kirei
12 Episodes
Tsuki ga Kirei follows Kotarou Azumi and Akane Mizuno – two middle schoolers who develop crushes on each other and start to fall in love. Akane is a rising star in Track, while Kotarou is a budding writer hoping to become published. As their relationship develops the two teens always support each other and encourage one another to continue doing what they love.
This slice-of-life anime is perfect for those looking for a heartwarming romance with a happy ending. Though audiences do not get to watch Kotarou and Akane become adults, images at the end paint a picture of the two lovebirds living a happy and fulfilling life together. Though there are twists and turns, Tsuki ga Kirei is a lovely story about young love and growing up.
27 The Devil Is A Part-Timer!
25 Episodes
The Devil is a Part-Timer is a quirky slice-of-life reverse isekai. After a battle with Emilia Justina, Satan is forced to retreat to Earth and loses his powers. He then resolves to live his life as normally as possible and gets a part-time job at the local MgRonalds. Unfortunately, it appears Emilia has followed him to his new world of residence.
This anime is a hilarious tale about the mundanity of life on Earth — juxtaposed with the dark fantasy setting of Sadao and Emilia’s original world. The fact that Sadao is a competent employee makes this show even funnier considering what his life used to be like.
26 Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku
11 Episodes
Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku is set in a workplace with an older cast, so it is perfect for fans who are tired of a high school setting. It is a romance anime at heart, but its comedic elements are where it hits home.
Narumi struggles to keep her obsession with games a secret, but Hirotaka doesn’t judge her for her hobbies. He does not even understand why she keeps it a secret. The most prominent theme in this anime is juggling a work-life balance, so it is something to which many viewers can relate.
25 Silver Spoon
22 Episodes
Silver Spoon follows Yuugo Hachiken as he attends an agricultural high school in the country. Despite living in the city his whole life, Hachiken goes to the farming school to get away from the unending pressure he felt from his parents in middle school. However, farm life proves to be a lot more difficult than he anticipated.
Hachiken does his best, though, and ends up making great friends who teach him about the, sometimes tough, realities of farm life. Eager to learn and do his best, Hachiken does whatever it takes to work his hardest for his friends, even at the cost of his own health. Silver Spoon is a matter-of-fact look into the agricultural community that also has a great story attached to it.
24 Aggretsuko
50 Episodes
Retsuko is and downtrodden accountant working for a boss who hates her. In addition to her coworkers piling their work on top of her, Retsuko only has one outlet for all her stress: singing death metal karaoke. Once her secret stress relief is discovered, Retsuko embarks on a wacky journey of self-reflection, romance, and finding her confidence.
Aggretsuko is a fun, relatable romantic work comedy that practically any working adult can enjoy. The characters are adorably quirky, and Retsuko is a beautiful mess of a character who fans cannot help but love. They may be animals, but the casts is incredibly human.
23 Horimiya
13 Episodes
Horimiya depicts what happens after the confession. Unlike other romance anime that only show the build-up and tension growing between two characters, Horimiya gets all the “will-they-won’t-they” dynamics out of the way early on.
Miyamura and Hori seem like opposites to everyone else, but they keep each other’s true selves a secret from the rest of the world. Above all else, they behave like an actual couple. Plus, Horimiya fleshes out the relationships between the side characters. For example, Ishikawa gets rejected by Hori but eventually starts dating Yuki.
22 Laid-Back Camp
30 Episodes
Laid-Back Camp is a series that falls into the “cute girls doing cute things” subgenre and is a G-rated adventure in the great outdoors. These high school girls eschew fast-food restaurants and karaoke bars and opt for camping on the weekends or whenever they have the time.
Laid-Back Camp is charming, relaxing to watch, and doubles as a mildly educational peek into the basics of camping and surviving outdoors. The characters are simple but adorable, and the scenery is stunning.
21 Nichijou
26 Episodes
While containing elements of “cute girls doing cute things,” Nichijou is more accurately described as “cute girls doing outrageous things.” This bizarre comedy series is set in an ordinary high school where just about every character has a wacky secret or hobby.
Yuuko is the most ordinary girl, and even she is totally silly. Meanwhile, the young Professor loves sharks and snacks. There is a robot girl with a crank, and Mio, an excitable girl who tries to hide her hobby of drawing amateur BL manga.
20 Azumanga Daioh!
26 Episodes
Azumanga Daioh!, based on the comic strip-style manga of the same name, finds charm and beauty in the ordinary life of high schoolers. The main characters are a handful of eccentric girls who get part-time jobs, adopt pets, annoy each other on field trips, and more.
There is little drama and few real stakes, but that does not stop Azumanga Daioh! from serving as an accessible, timeless gateway anime series for anyone who is looking to get into Japanese animation. It also has a quirky and hilarious opening credits song.
19 Kimi Ni Todoke
38 Episode
Sawako Kuronuma is a plain girl who is often teased about her looks. Her classmates also steer clear of her, thinking she is a menace when all she wants are friends. Fortunately, she finds a kindred spirit in Shouta Kazehaya, the most popular boy in class. The two bond due to their friendly demeanors, and eventually become friends.
Kimi ni Todoke is an adorable show that highlights young love and friendships in high school. Sawako is a completely endearing character, and Kazehaya’s attempts to get closer to her are humorous and sweet. Fans of romance anime and light-hearted shows will love Kimi ni Todoke.
18 Your Lie In April
22 Episodes
Your Lie In April is a dramatic series notorious for pulling on the viewers’ heartstrings, especially towards the end. Kosei Arima, the protagonist, is a musical prodigy who can no longer hear or appreciate his own music.
Kosei’s troubled relationship with his mother soured his piano skills until he meets an upbeat girl named Kaori. Kaori helps Kosei fall back in love with music and makes it an important part of his life again. Though Kosei’s personal journey is inspiring, Your Lie In April’s sad ending reminds viewers never to take what they have for granted.
17 A Silent Voice
130 Minutes
A Silent Voice, based on the short manga series of the same name, packs a punch with its brilliant blend of drama and comedy. A Silent Voice is chock-full of meaningful lessons about forgiveness and redemption.
Shoya Ishida was a cruel bully in elementary school. Shoko, his deaf classmate, became the target of his harassment. There was even an incident where he ripped her hearing aid out in front of the whole school. Shoya regrets his actions after enrolling in high school and wants to make things right with Shoko before he runs out of time.
16 Hyouka
23 Episodes
Hyouka is the story of a growing Literature Club that solves school mysteries. At the behest of his sister, Houtarou Oreki joins the club, becoming the main detective in all their cases. He groans about joining the club at first until he is asked by Eru Chitanda to help solve her uncle’s disappearance.
Hyouka is a calm, but intriguing anime that is great for fans who enjoy shows with slower paces. The anime allows the mysteries time to build up, creating strong tension in the process. Plus, there are a few endearing romances at the show’s heart for fans of love stories.
15 The Ice Guy And His Cool Female Colleague
12 Episodes
The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague follows a group of coworkers just starting at their office job. While the new hires form a friend group, Himero and Fuyutsuki are becoming even closer. Though they are descended from a snowwoman and humans respectively, the two find they have a lot in common, and fall madly for each other.
Himero and Fuyutsuki are an adorable couple who always seem to let their reservations get the better of them. However, with each passing episode, the two colleagues come closer and closer to revealing their true feelings. This is a wholesome, heartwarming show that can warm even the coldest of hearts.
14 Only Yesterday
118 Minutes
Taeko Okajima is a young working woman who takes a trip to the countryside to visit her distant family and take a break from the hectic city life of Tokyo. The train ride home brings back memories from her childhood and her school days.
The narrative switches between the past and the present as Taeko contemplates the incidents which left a lasting impact on her, leading her to ponder how much she has changed. In the end, she is left with a quiet epiphany as she decides to settle down in the countryside. Only Yesterday is a beautiful, meditative film with a sense of wistfulness and bittersweet nostalgia.
13 Dagashi Kashi
12 Episodes
Dagashi Kashi is a sweet treat for viewers who want to watch a food-themed anime series. Dagashi Kashi revolves around a shop that sells reasonably priced sweet treats and candies, also known as “dagashi.” Kokonotsu, the son of the shop owner, has no intention of running the shop, as he wishes to be a manga artist.
One day, the stranger Hotaru Shidare arrives hoping to recruit Kokonotsu’s dad to join Shidare Corporation, an internationally renowned sweets company owned by her family. The dad will only agree if she can convince Kokonotsu to take over his shop. Given that dagashi shops are pretty rare, this heart-warming series highlights a part of Japanese culture viewers may have otherwise missed.
12 Gamers!
12 Episodes
Gamers! is a show about life, love, and video games. When Karen Tendou tries to recruit Keita Amano into her gaming club, she is surprised when he rejects her. The snub runs deeper, though, as Karen starts to realize and obsess over her new feelings for Amano. Many hilarious misunderstandings ensue, involving even more students and complicating their love lives.
Gamers! is an uproarious and relatable show about the pratfalls of young love. Amano and Karen’s romance is especially endearing, as they both struggle with admitting their feelings and how to be good significant others. Gamers! is a story made for fans of bombastic romantic comedies.
11 Kiki’s Delivery Service
102 Minutes
Kiki’s Delivery Service is a classic Studio Ghibli film that stars Kiki. After leaving her home in the countryside, Kiki travels to the big city on her own to live an independent life, as is customary for all trainee witches.
A slice-of-life coming-of-age fantasy film, Kiki’s Delivery Service focuses on the ups and downs of the titular protagonist’s life as she makes new friends and starts a courier service to deliver goods to people on her broomstick. Kiki’s Delivery Service is a brilliant blend of slice-of-life with mysticism.