Some people think it is boring, but most others absolutely love it. Here it is, a slice of life anime. Whether you hate it or not (if you are reading this, chances are you actually love this genre), it is still one of the most beloved genres by anime fans, and it is shown by tons of people who keep looking for a new slice of life anime every season.
Best Slice Of Life Anime Of All Time
And for today's topic, we are going to make a list of the top 50 best slice of life anime of all time. You can also make this as your watchlist if you have not seen it. Because 50 is not a small number and I did tons of research making the list.
If you read my articles, I would normally talk about quite an in depth explanation about this and that related to our current topic. But as the time went on, I realized that it might be not interesting and some people only want to read about what is on the list, what is not, and which one they are interested in which are not.
So I just want to tell you that by writing this article, I hope that I can show you how vast the world of slice of life anime is. Heck, I do wish that some of this anime is somehow managed into your watching list. Because for me, some of these truly are amazing anime that need more acknowledgment from the public.
So, without further ado, let us start from number 50:
50. Gakkougurashi
The number 50 is probably the most unusual slice of life on the list. Here we have the story about a bunch of school girls who try to survive in the middle of a zombie apocalypse in their school. In spite of that, they are still trying to live their life as normal as possible while still being cautious.
Gakkougurashi is a unique slice of life that portrays the daily life of people who live in the middle of such a horrifying situation. They are trying to keep smiling even though they realize that danger could come anytime and anywhere. The dynamic of these school girls is also really interesting to follow.
That being said, it might be too eccentric for some people who want a normal slice of life where the characters live peacefully. Regardless, it is a good slice of life anime for those who want to try watching something new and exciting.
49. Sakamoto Desu ga?
Sakamoto is a perfect high schooler who can literally do anything flawlessly. He has good grades, he can do sports, cooking, everything. This anime follows his daily life at school and how he handles all the problems that come to him while keeping his perfect student persona.
If you have not realized already (you may have, you may not), it is the plot of a comedy slice of life anime. And the main highlight is of course Sakamoto's daily life on how he tackles all the problems he has. Most of the time it could be finished in the most unpredictable way we could ever think.
However, some of the fans think that the comedy is repetitive and gets stale in no time. But you should already know that comedy is a personal preference and pretty much subjective. Sakamoto Desu ga is a good benchmark for the upcoming school, comedy slice of life anime on the list.
48. Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai
You know… I have difficulty explaining this anime (call it Oreimo if it is too long). It is basically about bonding between siblings. The brother was named Kyousuke Kousaka, and her sister was named Kirino Kousaka. They actually have not talked for a long time, and seeing their interactions is the highlight of the show.
But it is more than just a sibling related slice of life anime though. It also has brilliant side characters with their own back stories and motives. It makes them really endearing and interesting to watch, just as much as our main characters.
And at this point explaining the anime becomes more difficult because of, you guessed it, spoilers. I do not want to tell you that much so you can watch it without having bad thoughts about it. So, to make things easy, I will link you to what I dislike about Oreimo, and you can judge it by yourself.
47. Blend S
Blend S narrates the story of Sakuranomiya Maika, a sweet girl with an intimidating aura when she smiles. She wants to study abroad and is currently looking for a part time job to pay for her studies. Maika then found a part time job vacancy in a cafe, and so began her daily life working in that cafe.
Blend S is your pretty much standard working environment slice of life that contains comedy, heartwarming moments, and a dash of romance. The comedy is actually kind of funny, especially Maika's smiling running gag that terrifies people when they see it.
Overall Blend S is an okay slice of life anime. Sure it might be generic, but what else do you want from a slice of life? A bombastic bijuu bomb vs kamehameha? Of course not. What Blend S did to the slice of life lover community is more than enough to satisfy their love towards slice of life.
46. Himouto! Umaru-chan
This anime follows Doma Umaru, a beyond perfect student at her school, but an extremely lazy kid at home. She sleeps, plays games, and often makes her brother, Doma Taihei, more difficult because of her antics. Yet, she is still able to have 100% attendance at school and get a 100% score every time.
It is a funny (and sometimes annoying) slice of life anime that is filled with friendship and siblings related topics. And sometimes it may also relate to you all in real life. Except maybe for getting perfect scores one while gaming the whole night. That is impossible.
Some anime fans think that Umaru's character is beyond annoying because she often does something that is irritating. But for me, it is just an anime that should not be taken seriously. Or perhaps her personality at home hits slightly close to home, hence the reason why they do not want to see that kind of personality in anime? Who knows.
45. Komi-san wa, Komyushou desu
(Before we started, Komi-san fans, lower your pitch and torch please, thank you) After years of asking, we finally got a legendary slice of life manga into anime adaptation, that narrates the story of an extremely shy girl who wants to socialize with her high school peers.
It has been a few months since it was released, yet it gained a lot of fans because of its cute and heartwarming story about Komi-san. We can see her struggle to even say simple words. It kind of encourages those who have the same issues, and it certainly made a bullseye mark to fans' hearts because there is no way they are not squealing seeing Komi-san trying.
It is too premature to judge if it is an exceptional slice of life anime (not manga, please note that). Some fans are still debating whether they are satisfied with the adaptation or not. And it is interesting to see how Studio OLM adapts next chapters, because clearly the fans absolutely love the manga.
44. Beastars
Beastars is a slice of life anime about an animal society where carnivores and herbivores coexist. One night, a wolf named Legoshi meets a tiny female rabbit named Haru. After that night, Legoshi develops this strange feeling towards Haru, and is unable to understand what it is about.
Yes, that is Beastars' main premise. It is weird, but not only that. Beastars also tackles some real-life issues like bullying and ethnicity, but it is wonderfully crafted to fit into the animal kingdom, and then applies its own twists that might only apply to animals but still feel right for us humans.
Unfortunately because the actors are all animals, many people associate them with furry anime. While true to a small extent, Beastars' theme of the wedge of psychological life should be the highlight rather than the furry topic. You should understand it after watching the first episode.
43. Crayon Shin-chan
Spoiler, this is the oldest slice of life anime on the list, and perhaps among the funniest. Its main character is Shinnosuke Nohara or Shin-chan, a preschooler who has an incredibly annoying antics and often makes his surroundings' life more difficult because of him.
It is so funny seeing Shin-chan doing his things and often getting forgiven because he is still a child (man I wish I stayed as a child). We often see how desperate his mother and teacher are to shape his attitude yet there is not much change over the time.
This anime is actually targeted for children, so the story might be a bit childish. Yet it also has some ecchi related stuff. Regardless, it has quite a lot of heartwarming moments and it is something that is worth watching even though you are older than its targeted demographic.
42. Azumanga Daioh
Based on a 4-Koma Manga, Azumanga Daioh is among the most OG slice of life just like Crayon Shin-chan. This anime tells the story of a bunch of girls in high school with their respective personalities, doing their… Daily life. Whether at school or at home, or any other places.
The plot is rather simplistic, but just like any other slice of life anime, it is pretty much effective. Even among other anime on the list, it has one of the most interesting casts and interactions. Pretty much any conversation with a character with one another is a comedy gold that should be appreciated.
Azumanga Daioh also understands the art of prolonging a frame with filler. Since it is based on the 4-Koma Manga, it might provide too little source for the anime. J.C. Staff did a good job by making some of the scenes or frames longer than usual, adding more comedic effects and also more materials to use for the anime.
41. Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san
Just like Komi-san, Nagatoro-san is among the hottest anime in 2021. It narrates the story of a female high schooler named Nagatoro Hayase, who loves to tease her senpai, Naoto Hachiouji. Everyday, she makes sure that not even once she misses to tease her nerdy senpai.
I give you a clue: this is a romcom slice of life anime. And if you are a veteran anime fan, I think it should be clear the real motives of Nagatoro-san teasing Naoto. It is sometimes hilarious, and also there are some heartwarming moments between those 2.
Regrettably, Nagatoro-san's attitude could be slightly annoying for some fans. But you know, girls have their own way to express their feelings. For me personally, it is not too late to follow the daily life of Nagatoro-san teasing her senpai. There is still time at least until the 2nd season is released. Go on. Grab the ticket.
40. Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san
Nishikata is a junior high schooler who is constantly teased by a girl named Takagi (sounds familiar, am I right). Almost everyday, he makes a bet to Takagi so that she will stop teasing him. A bet that he is somehow always losing thus making Takagi even love to tease him more.
The basic premise is pretty similar with the previous list. Except the part where other girls come up and made the show even rowdier. The main focus of Takagi-san is well, only her and Nishikata. It is a pure love and friendship between 2 teenagers without ecchi stuff and sort things.
But of course, it still has the same premise from Nagatoro. Takagi-san is slightly more wholesome and that is why in my opinion, putting it above Nagatoro is a right choice. Of course you can switch the place for your personal preferences if you think otherwise.
39. Hinamatsuri
A chaotic good anime that tells a weird robot alien thingy that resembles a female kid named Hina, suddenly appears in the house of a Yakuza member named Yoshifumi Nitta. After that day, Nitta has somehow become her guardian and he reluctantly needs to take care of her.
What makes Hinamatsuri successful as a comedy slice of life, is mostly because of Hina's silly antics that adds some dry yet confusingly funny humor, and also other side characters' daily life that makes the show have some soul. It is weird, but acceptably weird.
I should mention that back when Hinamatsuri was released, a lot of people skipped it because it did not look interesting. But as it is right now, a lot of anime fans give Hinamatsuri high regards because the comedy and humor is some of the funniest they have seen, and the story itself is pretty heartwarming for a comedy show.
38. Given
A music themed slice of life anime that narrates the saga of a bunch of school boys, Mafuyu Satou, Ritsuka Uenoyama, Haruki Nakayama, and Akihiko Kaji, who plays music and has a deep connection between each other and agreed to make a band between them 4.
When I said it is about a music themed slice of life, it really does talk about music. It is not something that is just there, this anime legitimately talks about it and being completely serious about music. You can feel their passion when it comes to music.
However, Given also falls into a “Boys Love” category, not something that people, mostly men and boys, like to see. Understandable since most men do not want to watch an intimate relationship between the same gender. But trust me on this, the story is really good, that it is a miss if you do not want to watch it just because it is a BL.
37. Yuru Camp
Many anime fans said that this is the comfiest anime they ever watched. Well, they are kind of right. Seeing a group of girls, who… Camp (duh) in Mount Fuji, doing what campers should do like making campfires, fishing, stargazing, or something like that.
Even though it does not portray annoying things during camping such as mosquitoes and basically any insects (yup, that is all annoying parts of camping), it is somehow able to persuade you to venture outside and go camping. It even makes you think that camping is relaxing and something you certainly need to do at least once in a lifetime.
Just like Given, some fans considered Yuru Camp to fall under the “Girls Love” category. But I disagree, because it is the fans who actually make it that way. Do not listen to them. Yuru Camp is a good slice of life anime and it does not depict as a GL in any way at all.
36. Working!!
Another part time comedy slice of life anime. This time, it is all about the daily life of this semi-lolicon (not really a lolicon. It is too complicated to explain here) guy named Takahashi Souta who works in a family restaurant. He has to deal everyday with his “unique” work colleagues.
If you have seen American Sitcoms, then this anime perhaps resembles that closely. Working!! has a variation of characters who have their own quirkiness. Most of the cast do not have what you called “normal” personality, and they almost never break out from their characters.
Working!! also has their own spinoff with the same premise but at a different place called “WWW.Working!! From what I have seen however, it is not as successful as the original Working!! But they are all still a good slice of life anime, regardless whether or not they are what you called “succeeded”.
35. Lucky Star
Kyoto Animation is arguably the most popular animation studio that adapts a lot of slice of life anime. And spoiler, there will be some of them that can be considered as among the best slice of life anime of all time. And I believe starting from Lucky Star is a good start.
And I am a bit confused on where to start about Lucky Star, because it is pretty much your basic slice of life anime that narrates the everyday life of a group of high school girls, lead by Konata Izumi. And the rest is everything you want from a normal slice of life anime.
It has funny parts, stupid moments, and wholesome story. Lucky Star might not be the best slice of life anime, but it is still loved by lots of fans because of how simple the story is and many memorable moments especially those who watched it live back in late 2000s.
34. Grand Blue
This anime is about diving. Yes. It is absolutely true. It tells you the story of Kitahara Iori who just moved into the coastal town of Izu for his freshman year at its university. He then lived above Grand Blue, his uncle's scuba diving shop. And it was the start of his daily life becoming a college student and as a diver.
Grand Blue is an anime about diving. Kitahara's daily activities consist of getting drunk and naked. Funny because it is an anime about diving. More than that, he also needs to deal with his surroundings, who are slightly unusual for his taste. And of course, not forgetting to dive for once in a while.
As I stated, Grand Blue is a diving anime. You may see some unusual things happen with Kitahara, but it is all about diving. And you can also expect some of the real college problems that may occur in real life. But more than that, it definitely IS a diving anime. And a really good one.
33. Natsume Yuujinchou
Since childhood, Takashi Natsume has had the ability to see the spirits that descended from his grandmother, Reiko Natsume. This ability makes him friendless because children his age find him strange. Before she died Reiko bequeathed him a Book of Friendship, a book containing the names of the spirits that Reiko had conquered.
Another OG slice of life anime that is perhaps more suitable for more mature viewers. Unlike most of the previous entries, Natsumi Yuujinchou brought your usual slice of life topics such as friendship and other kinds of relationships from a more mature point of view.
It might be a niche show, but it is a beautiful and kind of sublime anime rather than your usual slice of life. The great thing about this is that the show is still continuing after all these years, and so does the manga. You would not have run out of source material for this if you like the show.
32. Horimiya
Another romcom on the list, and this time is certainly a wholesome one, of course. This is the story of 2 teenagers Hori Kyouko and Miyamura Izumi, who are classmates but not that close. Until Miyamura brought Hori's brother back to his house, they began to get to know each other. In and out.
Among the latest anime romcoms Horimiya is quickly gaining a lot of fans because the story is quite fresh and, as I said, healthy. The fans also come from those who have read the manga and have been waiting for it to be adapted into an anime for years.
That said, there are also those who are disappointed because they missed a lot of stories from the manga. And it's a shame because there's a lot of anime detail saved in the manga. But if you're okay figuring out what you're missing by reading manga, then that shouldn't be a problem.
31. Kokoro Connect
Have you ever imagined switching bodies with your friends? This is what happened to all 5 members of the Student Cultural Society. Starting as a simple joke, they soon realized that it is not something that they can play around with, because they know that it will expose some of their deepest secrets.
When we talk about anime that emphasize friendships, Kokoro Connect should definitely get into their minds if they are true anime fans. Despite being “just” an anime, their reaction is pretty much just like a human in real life whenever facing difficult situations.
Sure there are some rough parts and perhaps a bit unnecessary, but that does not mean it will lower the overall score (my overall score) of Kokoro Connect. The story is beautiful, and it makes you learn to accept your friend's flaws and encourage them to become a better person.
30. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun
Shizuku Mizutani is apathetic towards her classmates. Her cold outlook on life begins to change when she meets a troublemaker named Haru Yoshida. However, it turns out he wasn't much different from her. Much to Shizuku's surprise, he declared that she would be her friend and immediately confessed his feelings for him upon meeting her.
As you may guess, this is a plot of a romcom slice of life but with an interesting twist that is quite rare among this kind of anime tropes. The dynamic between these 2 isolated students is pretty amusing to follow despite looking like your general romcom couple.
Speaking of which, you might find something related to those couples that might be too much for your taste. But most people would not care about it. It is just my personal caution for me since these days, it could be a huge topic. In the nutshell, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is a really good romcom slice of life anime that is worth watching.
29. Amaama to Inazuma
This anime narrates the life of Kouhei Inuzuka, a father who tried his best to make his daughter, Tsumugi Inuzuka, happy and healthy. But having such little time with his daughter, he struggled to feed her nutritional yet delicious dishes. That is until he asked his student, Kotori Iida, to make them a healthy dish every night.
If we are being honest here, a story about single parents who tried their best to make their children happy is always captivating. And it is no different from Amaama to Inazuma. It is heartwarming, funny, and cute at the same time. It is a delight to watch.
What you need to pay attention to the most is Tsumugi's antics, which never tire you everytime you see it. Apart from that, those who have watched it might agree that it is worth watching anime and you should give it a try whenever you crave a parent-children relationship slice of life anime.
28. Usagi Drop
(Yes we are currently in dad anime zone, bear with it) This heartwarming anime tells the story of Daikichi Kawachi, a single man who adopted a child named Rin Kaga. She is Daikichi's grandfather's illegitimate child, hence no one would want to adopt her. They think of her as an embarrassment.
Yes, that is really cruel from the family. And that is even more reason for Daikichi to keep her close to him. And the rest is actually pretty similar with Amaama to Inazuma, except it does not really involve foods and stuff, but more of “how to parenting 101”.
That synopsis alone has actually convinced me to watch this anime. It is so calming and relaxing. Despite being compared a lot with Amaama to Inazuma, Usagi Drop has a more mature theme, and it tries to be as realistic as possible. You can feel that this kind of event could actually happen in real life.
27. Barakamon
They said if you live long enough in the city, then moving to the village will help you detoxify poison from the city. You can feel that your body is becoming fresher and healthier, and that also applies to your mind and soul. And Barakamon exactly depicted that specific premise.
It narrates the story of Handa Sei, a calligrapher who is banished into a village on an island after a certain incident. At first, he could not adapt to the life of the village. But slowly, he was able to blend in with the local people and started to get comfortable in that place.
I will not get too philosophical and too deep with the plot, but it makes me personally want to escape to a village and have a peaceful life, just for a while to cleanse all my stress I get in the city. I urge you to watch Barakamon if you ever feel under pressure to at least release some stress.
26. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Back in the day this was among the hottest anime and became a sensation. It is all about Kyon, a teenager who used to not believe in supernatural things. That is until he met a mysterious transfer girl named Suzumiya Haruhi, who somehow attracted a lot of supernatural beings around her.
A lot of anime connoisseurs argue that after Azumanga Daioh, Haruhi Suzumiya became the next pinnacle of more stuff and another step of evolution of slice of life anime (that is a lot of “of” lmao). The character tropes have become your basic main characters on any slice of life. Not to mention the unique story about Haruhi Suzumiya herself.
Since there is not much to say that is not a spoiler, I should mention that there are others who despise this anime because of one single thing. And again, this contains spoilers, so I would not mention it. You can read it here by yourself. But besides that one thing, Haruhi Suzumiya is a good slice of life anime.
25. Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii
(Or Wotakoi, if it is too long) Halfway through, we got a romcom slice of life anime that tells the love life of Otaku. The pairs are as follows: Nifuji Hirotaka, a game maniac with Momose Narumi, a manga and anime lover, and Koyanagi Hanako, a drama and BL expert with Kabakura Tarou, basically an all rounded Otaku.
It depicts the story on how even an Otaku can have a lover. Yes, their lover might also be an Otaku, but hey, a lover is a lover. And what makes Wotakoi so great is how realistic it may look to have an Otaku girlfriend or boyfriend, even though some of you may not experience it already.
I was just joking, please do not take it seriously. Anyway, as a romcom anime, Wotakoi did provide a fresh air to a slice of life anime lovers. It is funny and cute, and definitely makes you wish to have an SO who is also an Otaku.
24. Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou
If you translate Nichijou into English, it literally means “every day”. And Danshi Koukousei roughly translated as “high school boys”. Combined together, you should expect something like “a daily life of high school boys” or stuff like that, right? Well, kind of.
While it still tells you about the everyday life of high school boys, there are way way too many absurd things that happen in their everyday life. It is so absurdly absurd that you can help yourself to laugh on something that you could not comprehend.
Some people think that the comedy of this anime is out of this world. It is arguably among the most underrated comedy anime, since it only has one season and it was way back then. Regardless, most fans who have watched the show can agree that Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou is one of the best yet undervalued by lots of anime fans and should get more exposure.
23. Kimi ni Todoke
Being physically like the infamous ghost Sadako, Sawako Kuronuma is often mistreated to be a cold hearted girl, when in reality she is the sweetest among the sweetest. Luckily, there is at least one person who notices her true nature. And that is a famous boy in school, Shouta Kazehaya.
When it was first released in 2009, Kimi ni Todoke quickly gained a lot of fans because the story is so cute and heartwarming. It attracted a lot of female viewers because the relationship between Sawako and Shouta is something they can only hope for. And until this day, they are probably still dreaming about it.
Joke aside, this anime is truly a feast for romance anime lovers. Yes there are some romance cliches, but they are not necessarily a bad thing. If you fall into the category that I mentioned earlier, Kimi ni Todoke should be on your watchlist.
22. Ao Haru Ride
2 romance slice of life anime in a row. This time it is all about the tomboy female teenager named Futaba Yoshioka, who wants to be a popular student in her class and shrugs off her tomboy-ish behavior. One day, she met her old crush, Mabuchi Kou. And just like other romance anime, so begins their love story.
I honestly have no idea what to say anymore about this kind of anime. I believe everything has been said, especially having Kimi ni Todoke before this one. It is really similar to it, with of course some twists so that it has its own uniqueness.
And you may think that it is your generic romance slice of life anime. Well, you are right. But when the elements are done correctly, I personally do not mind whether it is too generic or cliche. And luckily, Ao Haru Ride did its job well and it is certainly not a boring anime to watch. For me, at least.
21. ReLIFE
A unique anime about time loop but not as dark as others. It tells the story of Arata Kaizaki who was offered to repeat his life one more time “ReLife Research ” (did not see that coming am I right?) Since his current life is pretty miserable, Arata decided to accept their offer and re-live his life.
When it comes to time loop anime, the plot is usually pretty depressing. ReLIFE is actually kind of relaxing. It is just like your usual slice of life anime but we are reminded that Arata's life is not permanent, since he is actually from the future.
But most of the time, the viewers tend to forget that stuff because the anime itself does not feel like your typical time loop anime. It is quite refreshing to see the main character does not suffer that much from time looping. Apart from that, you have basically everything you want from slice of life anime.
20. Free
Haruka Nanase, Rin Matsuoka, Nagisa Hazuki, and Makoto Tachibana, were talented swimmers back in elementary school. But when they are reunited in high school, Rin becomes a cold person and does not even care about their friendship like before. All Rin cares about is to prove that she is a better swimmer than the other 3, especially Haruka.
Free is more than just a naked male bromance. The swimming action is pretty good to watch, and the art is really beautiful thanks to Kyoto Animation. And despite also being counted as a sports anime, there are times where we can enjoy the characters simply just doing their daily life.
And yes, since it is filled mostly by men, you may find some sort of shippings among the characters. But if you ignore some of the shipping, you can finally enjoy Free despite being a man. Most importantly, you should not miss this good slice of life anime.
19. The Ancient Magus' Bride
A beautiful fantasy anime that tells the story of Chise Hatori, a 15 year old Japanese girl, who is sold for 5 million pounds at auction to a tall masked man. The man turned out to be a Magus, an ancient magician with human and fae characteristics. Since then, Chise lived her life with this Magus and had to be the bride at the end of the day.
When I say it's beautiful, I really mean it. Thanks to Studio Wit, the artwork and frame by frame are beautiful to look at. It fits perfectly as a fantasy anime with lots of shots of the environment and magical creatures. This is probably among the most serene and graceful anime on the list.
And talking about all the environment and magical creatures, seeing them has become a part of daily life, and frankly it is really soothing. If you want to see something calming and relaxing, The Ancient Magus' Bride is your kind of anime.
18. Kyoukai no Kanata
Akihito Kanbara instinctively tries to save a girl who goes to the same school as him, Mirai Kuriyama, from an attempted suicide. But then, Mirai actually stabbed Akihito using a sword formed from his blood. Mirai was astonished, because Akihito turned out to be a “half-youmu” immortal, the son of a human and a supernatural being youmu.
I get it that it is not your typical slice of life anime plot, which is why it was pretty surprising when I first saw the anime. And honestly, Kyoukai no Kanata is quite normal despite the synopsis, with of course a hint of mystery and supernatural components in it.
We have seen some slice of life anime adapted by Kyoto Animation on the list, and frankly they are all really good shows to watch. Each of them also has their own themes. Kyoukai no Kanata is exactly the same and this statement is to make clear that we simply need to trust Kyoto Animation when it comes to slice of life.
17. Hyouka
Energy-efficient high school student Houtarou Oreki ends up with more than he expected when he enrolls into the Classics Club at his sister's behest, especially when he realizes how deep-rooted the club's history really is. Reluctantly, Oreki is dragged into an investigation into the 45-year-old mystery surrounding the clubroom.
Having mystery as it's secondary theme makes Hyouka so loved by mystery anime lovers. You get what you want from a mystery show such as clues, lores, and twists while watching the show. Even better, all of them actually make sense if you follow the trail carefully.
And one thing that elevated Hyouka even more is arguably Oreki's super relatable attitude. He is lazy, straightforward, and apathetic, just like most of us. But the difference is that he is reliable at some point. As a main character, Oreki is really a likeable character and that is one of few reasons why people should watch Hyouka.
16. Great Teacher Onizuka
Another OG anime that tells the daily life of a former biker gang leader named Onizuka Eikichi who somehow becomes a teacher in high school. But it is no ordinary high school. It was a troubled high school called the Sacred Forest Academy.
As a teacher, despite having a lot of personal problems, Onizuka is very pleasant as a human being. We can see how he solves many problems the academy has with his eccentric methods. And it is kind of satisfying to watch him solve a problem just like that when high school did not really know how to solve it for years.
Great Teacher Onizuka is a brilliant slice of life comedy anime. Because it is quite an advanced anime at that time, the animation looks old school, yet people who were not born in that era feel nostalgic for something they have never seen. This is a must watch for slice of life anime lovers.
15. Saiki Kusuo no psi-nan
This anime takes a different approach to being a psychic. Here we have the daily life of Saiki Kusuo, a psychic who does not like being a psychic and just wants to be an ordinary student. He thought that his strength was more of a hindrance than useful.
Saiki Kusuo (will not mention the full title lol) is a slice of life comedy that follows Saiki's struggles to become a psychic. And what is special about this anime is how extreme the side characters are and how often they break through the 4th wall. The interactions between Saiki and the other characters are also a major highlight of the show.
Although it may sound nitpicking, because it is adapted from a manga, the dialogue and scenes can be very fast and sometimes impossible to follow. What a mess. But for some fans, it adds to the comedy and makes them laugh because they do not understand a thing.
14. Violet Evergarden
Another beautiful slice of life anime created by Kyoto Animation. It narrates the story of Violet Evergarden, a 14 years old girl who has become a war veteran. She was trained to be emotionless. After the war ended, she joined to become basically a mail writer, to search for the meaning behind the word “I love you” that was spoken by her superior before his death.
Apart from its beautiful artwork and animation, Violet Evergarden also provided an emotional story. Some episodes will make you have an ugly cry (trust me, I did). Violet as a character is also really compelling even though she barely has any emotion. Seeing her slowly learning to become more humane is a treat for us.
Since the story revolves around drama and some emotional stories, I have to admit that it is not suitable for those who seek an enjoyable and relaxing slice of life anime. However, those who want to enjoy drama more than anything else, should definitely watch this.
13. 3-gatsu no Lion
(Or March Comes Like a Lion in English) Is a story about a shogi prodigy named Kiriyama Rei. It is focused mostly on Rei's journey to find some sort of fulfilment for himself. Whether it is through playing shogi, or simply by just having fun with his friends.
This is the one anime that I do not wish to write a lot about its synopsis. It will destroy its magic as a calming, heartwarming slice of life anime. What I can tell you is that despite the plot looks pretty heavy, there are few moments where you can enjoy this anime without having to worry about some of the emotional stuff.
And you also can expect March Comes Like a Lion demographic is targeted for someone older. It brought some negative issues that could be found in real life. And for me personally, it only adds depth to this anime hence putting this among the top on the list is certainly a right choice.
12. Nichijou
Just like our previous “Nichijou”, you can expect the story itself is pretty much about everyday life. But that is what I thought at first, because obviously I did not expect what would happen after seeing the first episode. Nichijou is certainly more than “Nichijou”.
It takes your daily routine into something ridiculously ridiculous. Some fans consider Nichijou to be one of the funniest shows they have ever watched. There are quite a few characters to follow, and each one of them has their own traits and jokes and it's amazing that it's never tiring to watch.
Nichijou, as you may expect already, is a slice of life and comedy anime. And the previous paragraph's explanation is already more than enough to do this anime justice. To close this section, perhaps we should thank Kyoto Animation for creating such a bombastic slice of life anime and taking it to another whole new level.
11. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai
In Japan, chuunibyou is someone who has a wild imagination inside their head and brings that to real life. So in this anime, we have the daily life of Takanashi Rikka, a chuunibyou, and Togashi Yuuta, a former chuunibyou, doing… Well, as you might have guessed, their life.
The dynamic duo is regarded as one of the cutest couples in anime. The formula of this anime is actually pretty common for romcom slice of life anime. Starting off as not really liking each other, and then slowly understanding one another, and eventually accepting each other's flaws. But it works really well for this anime.
Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai has managed to lift your usual romcom anime into something that is unique and kind of fresh. It was released back in 2012, yet I doubt there are other anime even by today that follow the same formula and can be this iconic. It must be on your watchlist due to how brilliant it actually is.
10. Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon
Imagine you woke up and suddenly found a dragon became your maid. It must be a dream come true for some degenerate, but not for Kobayashi. She started to get confused when Tooru, the dragon, willingly became her maid, and even rejected her. Slowly but surely, she started to accept her to be her maid and help her house duty.
Miss Kobayashi Maid Dragon was so popular and accepted especially by the slice of life anime because it has everything you want from this particular genre of anime. Humor, brilliant characters, heartwarming stories, and a dash of fan service, you can get it all by watching this anime.
I personally could not find any bad things about this anime. And this might also apply to all of the top 10, because they are all considered as the best slice of life anime of all time, and those who have watched these can testify how brilliant all of these are. And that includes Miss Kobayashi Maid Dragon.
9. Non Non Biyori
I have written some of these slice of life plots are just the characters living their life. But Non Non Biyori is perhaps depicted in that description the most. So much in fact that I do not have an idea on what to explain about it except that thing only.
Non Non Biyori does not have massive conflicts. It does not have anything to note specifically. It simply tells the story of village girls who live their life with simplicity. They can feel happiness with the simplest thing like finding a grasshopper or knowing their teru teru bozu works to stop the rain.
Many fans consider Non Non Biyori as their healing anime. It is so peaceful and you do not really need to think that much while watching the anime. Simply sit in front of your screen, prepare some snacks and beverages, and watch. No need to think about the plots and what comes next because that is pretty much what you will get.
8. Mushishi
If you know this anime, then congratulations, you either have a good taste or you are old enough to accept that good anime does not necessarily need to have bombastic action scenes every few minutes and screaming so loud that it can make you deaf.
Mushishi's story is really simple: a man who wants to find the truth of “mushi”, a simple life being in this anime. And that is all. It is the kind of adventure slice of life anime whose main selling point is its simplicity and straightforwardness (I have no idea if that was a legitimate word or not).
When you watch this anime, you do not expect things like I have mentioned in the first paragraphs. You will be rewarded by a relaxing, peaceful story. I can say that when the time has come for you to watch this anime, you officially can be called as a mature human being who no longer seeks excitement and looks for peacefulness.
7. Toradora
Toradora is an anime that narrates the love story of Aisaka Taiga and Takasu Ryuuji. Each of them has a crush towards each other's best friends. So long story short, they are trying to work together with the hope that they can eventually get closer to their respective crushes.
Toradora is among the OG romcom slice of life and considered to be the predecessor of the same genre. Even the classic “tsundere” female character with a soft teenager is portrayed beautifully by Taiga and Yuuji. And I personally can say that not many can follow Toradora's success as a romcom slice of life anime.
And at this point, telling you more about the story means that I have to spoil some parts from the anime. But you can mark my word that there is a reason why Toradora is among the most popular romcom anime even though there are the same genre newer anime coming out every season.
6. Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru
(Or just call it Oregairu if it is too long) Narrates the story of a pessimistic Hikigaya Hachiman who sees his adolescence is pretty much a lie and nothing will come good out of it. That is until his teacher asked him to join a public service club, led by an Ice Queen, Yukinoshita Yukino.
It is a romcom slice of life anime that does not feel like it at first. It is so subtle not because the plot tells so, but because the characters have their own problems expressing their emotions. But the main highlight of this show is definitely our apathetic Hachiman.
He is so likeable despite having such a personality. A lot of fans can relate to him because they have similar experiences just like him. It feels like he is so humane even though he is a fictional character. I can confidently say that Hachiman is like 50% of the reason why people watch Oregairu.
5. Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket is not an anime about fruits in a basket (that was a really bad joke I am so sorry). It is all about an orphan named Honda Tohru who has a twist of fate when she was invited to live with the Sohma clan. And since that day, she found out the secret of the clan that they desperately tried to cover.
Apart from slice of life, Fruits Basket has a lot of branch themes, like comedy, drama, romance, mystery, supernatural, and even a tiny bit of psychology. For a “mere” slice of life anime, that is plenty to offer and definitely add some depth into it.
One thing to notice about Fruits Basket is that it is a literal rollercoaster of emotion. You have to be prepared to laugh at your hardest at some point, then cry like a baby after that. Whether it is a good thing or not, fans argue that this is what makes Fruits Basket a worthwhile watch.
4. Chihayafuru
Anime is perhaps among the few media entertainment that is able to make something dull into something that super interesting. Like a game of karuta for example. It is a card game where one person reads the content of the cards, and the players look at the cards that are currently being read.
It is pretty boring seeing the actual game to be honest. But Chihayafuru makes it incredibly exciting. This is mainly because the plot and the characters are quite humane and relatable, making us the watcher feel absorbed into the game and you can help to cheer the characters during the game.
It is still very much a slice of life manga despite my previous explanation. You can see their daily activities, motives behind their actions, etc. It is really compelling and it is proved by how many fans who actually love this anime. If you ever find one, there is a huge chance that they cannot stop to persuade you to watch Chihayafuru.
3. Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai
(Or just call it Anohana if it is too long) Is a story about Yadomi Jinta, who was suddenly haunted by his childhood friend who died years ago, Honma Meiko aka Menma. Menma has a wish to fulfill, thus making Jinta collect his old gang, with the hope that they can carry out Menma's wish.
Anohana is more of an emotional slice of life anime that revolves around drama. It is absolutely adored by drama lovers because not only it has exquisite storytelling, it also has an emotionally draining topic and plot that made most of the viewers cried while watching it.
This kind of anime is not suited for those who want to seek calmness and happiness while watching slice of life anime. It is however targeted for fans who enjoy seeing a sad story and tons of drama. Some of them even argue that Anohana is in the top 3 of the best drama anime they have ever seen.
2. Clannad
Clannad tells the story of a delinquent named Tomoya Okazaki who thinks that his life is boring and unmeaningful. One day, he met a “seemingly” normal girl named Nagisa Furukawa. His meeting with her has changed his life to a completely different direction.
On paper, that is your really basic plot from romance anime. So, what makes Clannad so popular? It is perhaps the most emotional slice of life anime ever. Like, ever. Similar to Anohana, it is a real tearjerker for some anime fans. It is almost like it makes you bleed inside because the plot is so touching.
Its premise is certainly pretty niche for some people and does not hit that close to home. But after watching it, somehow you can imagine the characters' feelings. If you have watched Anohana and also have a liking for romance slice of life, you definitely do not want to miss Clannad.
1. K-On
It is not only my opinion that K-On resembles what a slice of life anime should look like. The story of a bunch of girls who “plays music” in a music club has become known worldwide for its story. It has captivated many fans because of its simplicity as a slice of life anime.
People may say that K-On is merely girls doing moe things and lacks music. But I personally do not think K-On is a music anime. It still is a slice of life anime but the characters are doing a tiny bit of music. The music has never been the main part, but rather as a device to show the dynamic between the characters.
And frankly there is nothing wrong with seeing girls doing cute things. Some anime on the list have the same base premise like K-On and it works. Of course it depends on your taste and preference. But there is no denying that K-On is a solid slice of life anime and perhaps remains as one of the greatest.