Slice-of-life anime is a genre that focuses on its characters’ everyday lives, typically presenting them in commonplace settings that reveal their personalities and relationships. These shows can be lighthearted and humorous, or they can be emotional and thought-provoking.
This article will rank the best 18 most popular slice-of-life anime, from heartwarming and nostalgic to laugh-out-loud hilarious. Whether you’re a lover of the genre or just looking for something light and entertaining to watch, these anime will not disappoint.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy our list of the greatest 18 slice-of-life anime!
18
Tanaka-kun is Always Listless
Tanaka, a high school student who is exceedingly lazy and lacks energy, is the protagonist of this slice of life series. Tanaka is surrounded by a cast of funny and lively companions who assist him get through his daily life despite his lack of enthusiasm. Tanaka and his friends are followed in this story as they go about their school days, coping with normal adolescence issues but also learning the importance of hard effort and friendship.
17
Laid-Back Camp
The plot follows a group of high school girls who like camping and other outdoor activities. Rin Shima, the primary character, is an introvert who loves to camp alone. She meets Nadeshiko Kagamihara, a new transfer student who enjoys camping and other outdoor activities. The two girls join forces and embark on camping vacations, where they meet other girls who share their passion for the outdoors. They appreciate the beauty of nature as well as the simple joys of camping together.
16
Bunny Drop
The story centers around Daikichi, a 30-year-old bachelor who discovers that his recently departed grandpa had an illegitimate child. Rin, the youngster, is a 6-year-old girl in need of a guardian. Despite his lack of preparation, Daikichi decides to take Rin in and nurture her as his own. Daikichi and Rin build a deep friendship and learn significant life lessons as they negotiate their new family dynamic and the hardships of parenthood.
15
Natsume's Book of Friends
Natsume’s Book of Friends is a supernatural anime with a cluster of drama.
Natsume, a teenage kid with the ability to sense ghosts, is the protagonist of the story. He gets a book after his grandmother’s death that includes the names of ghosts she has vanquished and tied to her will. Natsume must now defend the book and its spirits from those who desire to use them for evil ends, while also attempting to liberate the spirits from their chains. Along the way, he builds close ties with both human and spirit companions who assist him in his quest.
14
Nana
With a rating of 8.5+ on MAL, Nana is noted as one of the best slice of life anime out there.
Nana is a slice-of-life anime following the lives of two young ladies named Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki. The two Nanas have completely different backgrounds, attitudes, and objectives, yet they meet by coincidence on a train to Tokyo and become roommates. As they negotiate their new lives in the big city, the two Nanas form a strong bond and encourage each other through their difficulties and struggles. The show delves into their personal and professional lives, including their love relationships and music business professions. Nana is a gripping and emotional slice-of-life anime because of its likeable characters and realistic depiction of city life.
13
Barakamon
Barakamon is a slice-of-life anime about Handa Seishu, a young, gifted calligrapher who is sent to a tiny island off the coast of Japan to think on his work and attitude after an altercation with a reviewer.
Handa encounters a wide group of individuals on the island, including the hyperactive Naru, a little girl who becomes his friend, and the quirky islanders who teach him about life and the joy of the simple things. Handa struggles throughout the series to create his own style and voice as a calligrapher while also adjusting to life on the island. Barakamon is a beautiful and engaging slice-of-life anime with charming characters and uplifting stories.
12
March Comes In Like a Lion
March Comes In Like a Lion is a slice of life themed series revolving around Rei Kiriyama, a 17-year-old professional shogi player who battles with loneliness and solitude after losing his family at an early age.
Rei builds relationships with a variety of individuals as he navigates the competitive world of shogi, notably the three Kawamoto sisters, who help him open up and learn to trust others. The series delves with subjects such as family, grief, and the challenges of growing up.
March Comes In Like a Lion offers a compelling and thought-provoking drama through its diverse and multifaceted characters.
11
Wolf Children
Directed by Mamoru Hosoda, this anime movie is now a decade old, but still highly rated.Â
The film tells the story of Hana, a young lady who falls in love with and marries a wolf-man. Hana is left to raise their two children, a boy called Yuki and a girl named Ame, on her alone when her husband dies. As the kids get older, they fight to accept their wolf heritage and learn to control their skills. Hana must also deal with the difficulties of raising wolf offspring in a human environment while also defending them from those who would harm them.
Wolf Children’s beautiful and moving narrative tackles themes of family, acceptance, and the difficulties of growing up.
10
Mushi-Shi
Mushi-Shi is one of the classics.
The story follows the travels of Ginko, a “mushi-shi,” or someone with the ability to see and understand supernatural creatures known as “mushi.” The anime follows Ginko as he meets people affected by mushi and uses his knowledge and abilities to help them. The anime looks at the interaction between humans and the natural world, as well as the repercussions of breaking that bond. Overall, Mushi-Shi is a wonderfully designed and thought-provoking series that digs into natural world secrets.
9
Beastars
Beastars is a unique anime but popular, nevertheless. With over 700K listed fans, Beastars is noted as one of the best slice of life anime out there.
The narrative takes place in an anthropomorphic animal world where predators and herbivores coexist. The plot revolves around Legoshi, a quiet and introverted grey wolf who is a member of Cherryton Academy’s theatrical club. As they traverse the complexity of their varied culture and cope with personal and societal concerns, he becomes interested in the lives of other pupils, including the cheerful rabbit Haru and the aloof red deer Louis. The series delves at prejudice, discrimination, and the differences between carnivorous and herbivorous animals.
8
The Garden of Words
Not a series, but a film. The Garden of Words is widely loved, following a story about Takao, a high school student who is enthusiastic about shoe design and enjoys skipping class to draw in a park.
He meets Yukari, a mystery woman who is also skipping school, on a rainy day. They create a bond and start meeting in the park on rainy days to discuss their thoughts, dreams, and experiences. They learn about one other and develop feelings for each other as they spend more time together. Their connection, however, is hampered by their age gap and the secrets they each keep hidden. The film delves into issues such as love, desire, and the passing of time.
7
My Dress-Up Darling
My Dress-Up Darling is one of the newer slice of life anime but is heavily adored. Gaining over 809K followers in less than a year from its release, its tremendous fan base speaks volumes for how great of a series My Dress-Up Darling really is.
Wakana Gojou, a high school student, spends his days honing the technique of making hina dolls, aiming to one day achieve his grandfather’s level of proficiency. While his classmates are preoccupied with pop culture, Gojou finds fulfilment in creating outfits for his dolls. Nonetheless, he goes to considerable measures to keep his unusual passion hidden, believing that if it were exposed, he would be mocked.
Marin Kitagawa, an exceptionally beautiful girl whose confidence and elegance contrast sharply with Gojou’s humility, enters the picture. It would contradict logic for the friendless Gojou to associate with Kitagawa, who is usually surrounded by her classmates. However, the unthinkable occurs when Kitagawa finds Gojou’s sewing prowess and openly confesses to him about her own hobby: cosplay. She decides to enlist his assistance because her sewing abilities are pitiful.
As Gojou and Kitagawa collaborate on one cosplay outfit after another, they can’t help but get close—despite the fact that their lives are worlds apart.
6
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You
This slice-of-life series revolves around Sawako Kuronuma, a timid and misunderstood high school student who has been compared to the character in the horror film “The Ring” due to her likeness to the girl in the movie. Regardless, she is a sweet and kind girl who wishes to make friends and be loved by her classmates.
Shota Kazehaya, a popular and extroverted student, teaches her how to open out and make friends. They develop affections for one other as they get to know each other and strive to manage the hurdles of growing up and falling in love.
5
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a sci-fi-themed slice of life, with enough mystery and comedy to keep you in suspense but also humoured.Â
The plot revolves around Haruhi Suzumiya, a high school girl, and her strange encounters with a group of classmates who are secretly supernatural beings. The group, which includes an alien, a time traveller, and an esper, must conceal their actual identities from Haruhi, who has the power to change reality with her powerful subconscious wishes.Â
While they work together to keep her unaware of their powers and protect her from accidentally creating havoc, they also try to keep her engaged and keep her from getting bored and possibly dangerous. The series delves into subjects such as identity, friendship, and the implications of altering reality.
4
ReLIFE
After being dismissed as a hopeless loser by those around him, 27-year-old Arata Kaizaki bounces around from one job to the next. His mediocre life changes dramatically when he meets Ryou Yoake, a member of the ReLife Research Institute, who gives Arata the chance to transform his life for the better by taking a strange pill. Arata accepts it without hesitation and awakens the next day to see that his look has reverted to that of a 17-year-old.
Arata quickly discovers that he is now the subject of a one-of-a-kind experiment and must attend high school as a transfer student. Though he initially feels it will be a breeze because of his superior life experience, Arata is proven severely mistaken on his first day: he flunks all of his exams, is completely out of shape, and is unable to keep up with the new school policies that have emerged in the last ten years. Furthermore, Ryou has been assigned to observe him, much to Arata’s chagrin. ReLIFE follows Arata’s attempt to adjust to his frenetic new lifestyle and avoid making the same mistakes he made in the past, all while learning more about his classmates.
3
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid is a slice of life series that everybody would enjoy. 1.1M+ people can vouch so. It introduces background plot and hilarious humour.
This anime follows a story about Kobayashi and Tooru, a 9-5 working civilian and an interdimensional magical dragon, who happen to live in the same apartment together. Tooru’s affection towards Kobayashi is unwavering, so much so that she has decided to live as a maid in the Kobayashi household.
Their life together, however, is challenged on multiple occasions, by uninvited magical beasts from parallel worlds to basic dramatic characters from Kobayashi’s work life. Life is never as peaceful as Kobayashi would hope.
2
Hyouka
More than 10 years after its release, Hyouka is still widely loved and considered one of the greatest slice of life anime ever. If you haven’t tried this series yet, then make sure to add it to your watchlist.
Hyouka follows a story about Houtarou Oreki, a high school freshman, who lives an unmotivated life, to say the least. His life of tranquillity abruptly comes to an end though, when his older sister, Tomoe, insistently requests his help in saving a member-lacking club from disbandment.
Although at first reluctant, Oreki decides to join the club of his own volition when he meets Eru Chitanda, a cheerful girl who as it happens, also just joined the club. Interested, Oreki, spends his days indulging Chitanda’s curiosity in seemingly trivial, yet mystifying, cases that permeate their lives.
1
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day is one of the most loved short series – especially in Japan – and is the most popular slice of life anime on MyAnimeList.
This anime follows a story about Jinta Yadomi, a recluse who, on this particular summer, has had Menma appear to him, the ghost of a long-passed childhood friend. Menma spends the summer pestering him, urging him to grant her dearest wish, which peculiarly is unbeknownst to her. However, given the abnormality of the situation, Jinta shrugs her off as a mere hallucination, a product of his grief.
As the summer progresses, Menma’s presence in his everyday life becomes more and more influential, compelling Jinta to at the very least look into her wish. With some rekindling of old friendships, Jinta and his childhood friend group begin to work out their differences whilst investigating the sudden appearance of Menma’s ghost.
