Anime is made up of tons of different genres, giving fans everything from epic mech battles in space to everyday misadventures. Some of the most popular tend to incorporate elements of the latter in their narratives. Slice of life anime are easy to watch and can mix in various elements like comedy, drama and romance within their narratives. While typically not the longest anime, these titles never fail to amuse.
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Like any genre, slice of life has tons of classic series that often get suggested to newcomers. This often causes some great titles to go underappreciated despite being just as good, if not better, than the more popular shows. While they might be somewhat under-the-radar, these slice of life anime are just as good as anything you’ll find in the genre.
10 Hinamatsuri
Mixing in elements of sci-fi with the typical shenanigans of most slice of life anime settings, Hinamatsuri is a unique series that makes good use of its absurd narrative and characters. The series follows Yoshifumi, a Yakuza who has his life turned upside-down when a young girl from the future drops into his living room.
The girl, Hina, possess extraordinary psychic powers and is adopted by Yoshifumi after she threatens to use her powers to break his furniture. The two have an interesting dynamic that makes for some great comedy, and Hina’s presence always invites some sort of absurdity into the show.
9 School Babysitters
Like most slice of life anime, School Babysitters makes use of a school setting. But it adds in its own unique twist to differentiate itself from the slew of other titles in the genre that do the same. The show focuses on two brothers, high school freshman Ryuichi and preschooler Kotaro, who after the deaths of their parents are adopted by the chairwoman of a reputable school.
This is done under the condition that the two attend the school, with the elder brother helping out with the school’s daycare while juggling his school life. School Babysittersreally shines when focusing on Kotaro and the other babies throughout their various misadventures. Seeing how Ryuichi interacts with his brother and the rest of the babies make for some of the show’s most memorable moments.
8 March Comes In like a Lion
There aren’t that many anime out there that focus on shogi, but that’s not what March Comes Like a Lion stand out. The series follows Rei Kiriyama, a young shogi prodigy who moves out of his appositive family’s home to gain some independence and escape the various pressures facing him.
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March Comes In Like a Lion focuses on Rei’s relationship with the three Kawamoto sisters, who dealing with past traumas of their own, establish a unique familial bond with him. The show manages to strike a unique balance between aspects of Rei’s life as a shogi player, and the dynamic between him and the three sisters.
7 School-Live!
School-Live! might seem like your ordinary slice of life anime but there's much more to it than initially meets the eye. The character designs and setting give off a much lighter impression than what actually plays out.
The show focuses on a group of girls living inside their school alongside their teacher. The deceptively innocent veneer quickly shifts into a survival story when the audience learns that the girls are hiding out during a zombie apocalypse. School-Live! is full of twists and tense moments, and its horror elements make it one of the most unique shows in its genre.
6 Tamako Market
One of the many great anime helmed by the talented Kyoto Animation, Tamako Market is the only show on this list not adapted from a manga or light novel. The series follows the titular Tamako, who one day encounters a talking bird claiming to be on the lookout for a potential bride for his country’s prince.
The bird ends up freeloading in Tamako’s home after engorging himself on mochi and becoming overweight, and Tamako goes through a variety of ordeals in the time after his arrival. The anime ran for 12 episodes followed by a movie that concluded its narrative.
5 Urusei Yatsura
One of the oldest and most acclaimed series on this list, Urusei Yatsura doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves when compared to its modern contemporaries. The series follows Ataru Moroboshi who, following an alien invasion is randomly selected as the Earth’s representative in a competition for its freedom.
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Facing off against the alien Princess, Lum, Ataru wins the competition by chance and in turn piques Lum’s interest. After misinterpreting Ataru’s celebrations as a marriage proposal, Lum accepts, much to the dismay of his actual girlfriend, Shinobu. The rest of the series plays out as a love triangle-type situation, with Ataru unsuccessfully trying to juggle the two girls and Lum usually punishing him for his lechery in humerus ways.
4 My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected
Spanning for three seasons and nearly 40 episodes, My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected mixes in slice of life elements with typical school romance tropes. But as the name suggests, this series does things differently than most.
The story is told through the perspective of Hachiman Hikigaya, a loner with a matter-of-fact way of examining the dynamics between those around him. Through the interventions of his teacher, Hachiman is forced to join the School’s Service Club alongside another student, Yukino Yukinoshita. Once one of Hachiman’s classmates, Yui Yuigahama joins, the group spends their days helping other students while slowly discovering more about themselves.
3 Azumanga Daioh
While series like Nichijou and Daily Lives of High School Boys get talked about most when discussing comedy slice of life anime, Azumanga Daioh just might outdo them both. Like both Nichijou and Daily Lives, Azumanga Daioh excels at surrealist comedy.
The series is set in an unnamed high school and follows six students and their two teachers. The show plays off the dynamics between the characters, setting up some of the best comedic sequences you’ll find in any anime.
2 Interviews with Monster Girls
Slice of life anime can get pretty creative with their format, and often mix in elements of various other genres to make a truly unique experience for the viewer. There are tons of anime out there that feature monsters interacting with humans, but the way Interviews with Monster Girls works on the trope really sticks out above the rest.
The show takes place in a world where demi-humans have gradually become integrated into student society. Tetsuo Takahashi, a biology teacher, hopes to learn more about the various variations out in the world and conducts his research by interacting with and learning more about some of the demi students at his school.
1 Himouto! Umaru-chan
You can find plenty of that anime deal with characters leading double lives, but Himouto! Umaru-chan puts a much more humerus twist on things. The series follows the titular Umara who, despite seeming like the perfect student harbors a few secrets she’d rather not get out.
Composed, collected and studious at school, Umaru turns into a loafer who spends all her free time eating snacks, watching anime and playing games late into the night once home. Demonstrated by a crude, chibi character design, Umaru’s at-home personality worries her older brother, Taihei. The series focuses on the relationship between the two siblings, alongside Umaru’s efforts to enjoy the most of her free time while maintaining her school-life persona.
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