With shows known far and wide like Dragon Ball or One Piece, it's hard to deny the popularity of anime. Still, even the most action-oriented anime viewer can enjoy a simple story about the day-to-day lives of its characters.
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The slice-of-life genre can contain hilarious comedic moments, serious drama, and even a bit of romance — it all depends on what viewers are looking for. Still, fans and critics alike agree that certain shows are the cream of the crop and are more likely than most to be enjoyed by those that give them a try.
10 Wagnaria!! (Working!!)
Most people have worked a service industry job like in a restaurant in their lifetime. However, few have had such a wacky arrangement of coworkers wrapping them up in increasingly silly antics. How many kitchens have a floor chief that swings a katana around?
Wagnaria!! has highly laughable moments spliced in over a backdrop that almost anyone can identify with making it incredibly satisfying to watch. It's certain to put a smile on anyone's face.
9 Maison Ikkoku
This classic 70s anime has inspired many slice-of-life shows that have come after. It takes place at a boarding house that the anime is named after and follows Yuusaku Godai as he falls head over heels in love with the new manager there — Kyoko Otonashi.
The eccentric tenants of the boarding house offer many light-hearted moments as the romance between the two blossoms into something truly special.
8 Horimiya
Horimiya was the most-watched romantic comedy debut of all time. Its charming and relateable characters won over the hearts of fans and it was one of the most popular anime of the Winter 2021 season.
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It's both down-to-earth and has surprisingly spicy moments for a slice-of-life show. This show tends to lack the forced drama of other romances as well making it surprisingly refreshing to watch.
7 Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid (Kobayashi-san Chi No Maid Dragon)
Who hasn't suddenly woken up from a night of drinking after climbing a mountain and meeting a dragon only to find the dragon now wants to serve them as a maid? The premise for the show is quite silly but Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid is more heartwarming than most other shows out there.
The show has an isolated and lonely programmer in Kobayashi slowly open up as her household expands alongside the other dragons that slowly start coming to the human world. With season 2 coming soon, there's never been a better time to pick this one up.
6 Laid-Back Camp (Yuru Camp△)
Rin has only ever camped all alone by herself at the foot of Mount Fuji but soon that's all about to change. She's forced out of her usual solidarity due to a mishap in plans for her trip and has to make friends with the only other person she can find to get through.
With a second season now released, there are plenty more camping adventures to watch though for fans that fall in love with the show.
5 Daily Lives Of Highschool Boys (Danshi Koukousei No Nichijou)
With "daily lives" right in the title, it's easy to see how this is a slice-of-life anime. This show is basically the stories imagined up by its three main characters — Hidenori, Yoshitake, and Tadakuni. The scenarios can range from an epic RPG fight to anything else high school boys might think up of. It's a lot of wacky fun and shows what life is like for those that let go now and then.
4 Silver Spoon
It's hard to believe that both Silver Spoon and Full Metal Alchemist were created by Hiromu Arakawa but it's true! This show is far less dramatic than the adventures of the Elric brothers and instead focuses on what farm life looks like.
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The show doesn't shy away from things like butchering animals and where eggs actually come from but manages to keep even these topics pretty light. Watching Yuugo slowly find himself in this farming high school is incredibly rewarding for all that come along on the journey.
3 Non Non Byori
The lives of four girls living in rural Japan are suddenly changed when a girl from the big city of Tokyo moves into town. It's one of the coziest anime in all of existence and is hard to watch without instantly feeling a sense of overwhelming peace. Anyone feeling a bit stressed out should put this show on the screen and allow themselves some moments of pure joy.
2 Nichijou - My Ordinary Life
This anime is by far one of the most hilarious shows in all of existence. Seriously, even people who haven't even watched the show will recognize its characters from various memes across the internet.
The show focuses on the daily lives of a trio of high school girls and lifelong friends. There are certainly traditional moments but its over-the-top nature is part of what gives this show incredible amounts of charm.
1 Barakamon
Barakamon might just look like a quirky show about caligraphy but it goes far deeper than that. It's the definition of an iyashikei — an anime created specifically to have a healing effect on the soul.
Viewers get to see the main character, Seishuu Handa, travel off to rural Japan to learn to not have such a fierce temper. Those watching get to grow with him while enjoying the scenic countryside, the interesting inhabitants of the Goto Islands, and all of the heartwarming moments that take place.