Whether you’re rich or poor, busy or idle, human, or another living being, everybody needs good relaxation once in a while. But what do you do for relaxation?
If you want to relieve your stress or tension, you might have a few ways like talking to someone who really cares for you or listening to your favorite music, etc. But we’ve got the best way to make you feel alive even after your stressful work or exhausting day.
Here we brought an ultimate list of the best Slice of Life anime which spices your life even more. These anime are like tension relief pills but without any side effects.
These shows give you a realistic experience in the most beautiful way possible. Well then, let’s dive right into the list of the best slice of life anime of all time.
Also read: 10 Best Isekai Anime You Should be Watching Already!
Table of Contents
Best Slice of Life Anime!
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day is an 11-episode anime that you’ll regard as a masterpiece, right after watching it. The story follows Jinta Yadomi, who lives his everyday life by skipping school and playing video games at home.
One day a ghost appears in front of him, and she is none other than his childhood friend Menma who died five years ago in an accident. She asks him to fulfill a wish of her and willing to accept it, he agrees. Soon he is reunited with his childhood friends while solving the mysteries, and they confront each other feelings in the meantime.
The best thing about this anime is, it is unique in every way. Being a slice of life anime, it gets straight to the point in terms of story. Each character is portrayed wonderfully, and the story moves smoothly at a good pace. Since it only has 11 episodes, you might think it won’t cover enough story.
But that is why it is a Masterpiece of the “slice of life anime” genre. With pure fun and warm moments along with some intense mysteries, it entertains you a lot. If you’re here for the slice of life anime, this would be our best recommendation for you. Make sure you watch it at least once.
TONIKAWA: Over the Moon for You
Nasa Yuzaki is all set to achieve his dream of ranking first in the national mock exam and aiming for the best high school. He is pretty confident that he can make it possible, but life can get manipulative sometimes.
One usual day, when he is getting back home, he encounters a beautiful girl and tries to approach her. However, he gets saved by the girl when he was about to get hit by a truck. Still, he can’t stop looking at her and asks her out. To his surprise, the girl agrees, but only if he marries her.
If you’re sick of all the romance dramas with the routine love story stuff, then Tonikaku Kawaii is definitely for you. It is so light-hearted and feels so relaxing. Just from the synopsis, you can pretty much tell the uniqueness in the story.
So, if you’re looking for a slice of life anime with a little romance theme in it, then suit yourself to experience this delightful story that takes you on a beautiful journey.
Toradora
For romance anime lovers, Toradora is like a feast for their eyes since it contains most of the cute and adorable moments with a sweet couple. The slice of life anime gem is about Ryuji and Taiga who possess quite opposite personalities. Since they both have respective crushes, they form an alliance to make it possible.
Instead of helping each other, their attempts always backfires on them, and they find themselves in awkward romantic situations. Who knows what their fate is planning? Maybe it wants them to get together or something else?
Toradora is very popular among the slice of life romance anime because of its well-written story and masterfully developed characters. In the beginning, you find Taiga repeatedly abusing Ryuji. But don’t have the wrong impression because of that, the main beauty of the series lies ahead of you.
As you go through the episodes, you learn more about characters and their backstories. Unlike any other slice of life anime series, it gets intense with every episode. Thus, we thought it might be best if we include this emotional rollercoaster ride in our list of the best slice of life anime.
Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket is a sweet and warm story that gets you to keep moving along with your life, even if you want to give up on it. The story follows Tohru Honda, who loses her mother and decides to stand on her own. But as some incidents take place, she ends up living alongside Somas in their house.
As she gets more closer to them, Yuki and Kyo find happiness in their life and they treat her like a family. But little did she know, Somas are different from ordinary people, and there is something unpleasant waiting for Yuki. If you want something to make you feel good, then you must watch this slice of life anime.
With a pleasant story, it entertains you a lot. But it’s the pace isn’t something you should be concerned about because once you roll up into the story, you will just stare at the beautiful moments of the anime.
Fruits Basket came out in 2001, but in 2019, a reboot for the 2001 anime has aired and became a huge success. So, if you are thinking to watch it, we would recommend you go with the reboot. After all, you shouldn’t miss this beautiful story which can leave you a scar in your heart. And so, it is one of the best slice of life anime out there.
Sakura Quest
Sakura Quest is an anime that tells you that life isn’t something you can give up. It follows the story of Sakura, who goes on a quest to finding a job that suits her. But even after many attempts, she fails to find a good job. One lucky day, she receives a job offer from a travel agency, and she gets a job in a rural village “Manoyama.”
The purpose of her career is to bring Manoyama back to life by attracting tourists to the village. In the beginning, she finds it very hard, but when her friends stay alongside her, she will be able to do her job correctly.
This slice of life anime is about how a dream becomes achievable if you have a strong will, and that dream shouldn’t be small. It also conveys to us that if you have patience, there’ll always be someone who can help you.
Just like in the anime, where girls face many obstacles, and their dream of bringing Manoyama back to life seems almost impossible. But they didn’t give up; instead, they made it possible with everything they’ve got. Thus, this anime holds its place in one of the best slice of life anime.
March Comes in Like a Lion
March Comes in Like a Lion is a rare slice of life anime you can ever find. The story follows Rei Kiriyama, who is a professional Shogi player. As situations demand, he moves into a new apartment in Tokyo. But even though he couldn’t let go of his loneliness and depression.
However, after Rei meets his sisters Akari, Hinata, Momo Kawamoto who live with their grandfather, helps him with his traditional wagashi shop. Along the journey, the sisters help Rei seeking friendship and better habits to make him into a good personality. Soon, Rei finds a difference in his lifestyle, and his life finally greets his happiness.
Presenting the story with the professional player of Shogi, it isn’t just about some strategic game. It shows the complexities of life and how hardships occur in real life if you feel low. Like how Rei faces his loneliness in his life, most of you have already experienced it. But even in hard times, there always lies hope beneath it.
The characters in this slice of life anime make it look more alive. This emotional rollercoaster not only leaves you speechless but also presents you with unusual events that make it more unique than the other slice of life anime shows out there.
ReLIFE
As you can see, the title refers to a new life. It follows the life of a 27-year-old Arata Kaizaki. When he quits his first job, he tries to find a fitting job for him, but he fails. People familiar with him even sometimes refer to him as a loser. But one day, he meets Ryou, a girl who offers him an opportunity to change his life by taking a mysterious pill.
With nothing left to lose, he prefers to give it a chance. And the next morning he wakes up and finds that he is 17 years old. Now he must attend school for a year to make the experiment successful by ReLife Research Institute.
This slice of life anime shows us how tough it is to adjust to a new life and not repeat past mistakes. And we can see that in Arata’s life and how he struggles with his new life. But yet it proves that ReLife is a blessing where you don’t leave any regrets behind.
This chance to do over life isn’t something that you can even in your whole life, but if it is possible, almost everyone would like to have it. ReLife also shows how better one’s life can become if he makes use of this chance in the right way. With a farcical comedy and meaningful story, it gets your attention right from the start.
Also read: Best Romance Anime Series of all Time!
Himouto! Umaru chan
Himaouto! Umaru chan is about a cute and annoying little sister who leads a double life. Despite being an over-achieving student, she has an entirely different personality at home. Not just in character but also in personnel. She turns into a cute little girl once she reaches home, and the real fun begins now.
Whenever she turns into a little girl, she becomes lazy, leaving all the household work to his brother Taihei. But when she is normal, her life is just like normal students but fills with passion. In this adventure of Umaru chan and Taihei, it includes a lot of cute and hilarious moments.
If you’ve watched Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, you know how beautiful the scenes become when the maid girl acts cute. Just like that, whenever Umaru chan turns into a cute little loli, the scenes following her automatically makes you laugh and adore her. In the meanwhile, it also connects you emotionally because of the relationship between Umaru chan and her brother.
The plot is good, and the characters are well developed, and more than anything it gives you a warm feeling while watching it. What more do you want from a slice of life anime? We would recommend you to watch it if you don’t believe in only strong plots.
Orange
Orange is one of the most emotional rollercoasters for sure. It follows the story of Naho Takamiya, who receives a strange letter from her future self. At first, she never believes the message, but after several events, she realizes that it’s true. The message from future Naho tells her that her life is full of regrets in the future.
The future Naho implies that she shouldn’t repeat the same mistakes that she did. The letter also tells her to keep a close eye on her classmate Kakeru who plays a crucial role in her life. With the letter as her guide, Naho should avoid her mistakes concerning Kakeru.
If you have seen a slice of life anime like Toradora, they usually highlight romance, but anime like Orange highlights romance, guilt, depression, and bullying. While these aspects are common in some anime series, but it stays unique in the pace and presentation.
Kakeru’s depression due to her mother’s death turns to regret later. This series is deep, and with every episode, it makes you uncomfortable and lets you experience some beautiful scenes as well. Before you watch it, keep one thing in mind, this slice of life anime messes with your feelings.
Also read: Best Thriller Anime That Will Blow Your Mind!
5 Centimetres Per Second
5 Centimetres Per Second often regarded as one of the masterpieces of Makoto Shinkai is well-known for its emotional attachment and heart whelming story. The story follows Takaki and Akari, who become close friends from regular classmates.
But they face hardship when Akari moves to another town because of her parents’ job. Both of them try to maintain their relationship as it was, but time keeps them apart. But soon Takaki is about to move to a faraway city, so he decides to meet her one last time. Will they reunite again?
If an anime sets its place among the best ones for its visuals and pinnacle details, then it must be one of Makoto Shinkai’s masterpieces. They are well-known for artistic frames and perfect visuals, but it doesn’t mean they have a weak plot. The plot is a crucial role in his movies, and most of them leave you speechless.
Well, this anime is no exception. Focussing on the best meaningful details we barely pay attention to isn’t an easy part, but this anime proves it. Before you watch this slice of anime, make sure to grab some tissues because you’ll eventually end up in tears.
Poco’s Udon World
Poco’s Udon World follows Souta Tawara, who returns to his hometown, after being away for some time. Although his parents are no longer with him, his home and his family’s beloved restaurant keeps him going on with his life. One day, Souta visits the udon restaurant and finds a young boy resting in the restaurant.
Souta offers him food and clothing, but suddenly the boy sprouts a pair of ears and a tail who is a shape-shifting tanuki. He names him Poko, and eventually, the two of them become best friends, and Souta’s life becomes more meaningful.
Poco’s Udon World lets you feel the essence of a real slice of life anime. “There is no place like Home”- one of the most meaningful and lovely phrases you can recur. While presenting the heartwarming relationship between Poko and Souta, this slice of life anime lets you know how one’s life can change from being bitter to lovely.
One of the two main characters, Poko is a mere example of the above words, and his personality makes you cherish the most beautiful moments of your life. Don’t believe me? Well, I guess you can find it out by watching. Thus we suggest you watch this slice of life anime at least once.
Conclusion
While most people prefer to watch action/adventure anime, Slice of Life is an exceptional genre where you get to watch some meaningful anime that lets you feel alive for a moment. Instead of depending on the plot, it develops a pleasant atmosphere and wins the hearts of viewers.
If you think the slice of life anime shows are boring or contain a weak story, you’re going to hell. To be honest, at some point everyone wants a better life than they already have, but you’ll never know our life is best until you think about it positively. Surprisingly, these slice of life anime shows convey it in an entertained way.
No wonder, some people prefer a slice of life anime over any other genre. If you’re here to start your first anime from this genre, trust me, this is one of the best things you did in your life. And we made a perfect list for you, and we guarantee you these recommendations won’t disappoint you even a bit.
Well, what do you think of our list? Are there any other anime that should be included in the above list? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
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