30 Best Laid-Back Slice-Of-Life Anime To Relax You

Summary

• Slice-of-life anime genres can be diverse, ranging from school life stories to ones with mystical twists that create healing and comforting experiences.
• The best laid-back slice-of-life anime provide peaceful escapes allowing fans to forget the world and unwind from daily troubles.
• A great slice-of-life anime can also offer an educative experience about a niche hobby people might not be familiar with.

While action may be a spectacle and drama can be intriguing, sometimes the best anime are laid-back slice-of-life series. Slice-of-life is an absolutely pivotal genre in anime, as it can show the small intricacies of day-to-day life that be affirming. Sometimes, after a difficult day, nothing beats unwinding with a great slice-of-life anime.

While slice-of-life is its own genre, it is certainly a diverse one. Slice-of-life anime can be about school life, city life, rural life, and can even have a slightly mystical twist. More than just simple though, all these series can almost be healing as their more peaceful nature shines through.

The best laid-back slice-of-life anime are peaceful enough to make fans forget the world and their problems for a little while, and sometimes, that’s exactly what’s needed.

30 Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day is a Calming Series About Overcoming Grief

Original Anime Series By A-1 Pictures

Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day is a 2011 anime series by A-1 Pictures about a former friend group fractured by the death of a young girl named Menma. Deeply affected by the passing of his friend, group leader Jinta has become a shut-in who is unsure of where to go with his life. That all changes though when the ghost of Menma appears to not only get Jinta out of his shell, but to also push their former friend group back together.

All of that may seem like a lot for a series that’s supposed to be laid-back, and while it can occasionally be, Anohana’s focus is far more on healing through the lingering effects of tragedy. This healing makes Anohana an incredibly relaxing watch even when the series delves into deeper topics. Anohana is one of the best anime series of all time, so it’s no wonder it would rank among the best slice-of-life series too.

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29 Fruits Basket (2019) is a Brilliant Reinvention of a Classic Series

Anime series by TMS Entertainment, Based on the Manga By Natsuki Takaya

The Fruits Basket manga is one of the most beloved Shojo romance series of all time, and its 2019 adaptation more than lives up to that pedigree. The series follows a girl named Tohru whose world is turned upside down after the death of her mother. After living in a tent in a forest near her school, Tohru is eventually taken in by the eccentric Sohma family. Though the Sohmas have many problems, their biggest is that they are all cursed to turn into one animal of the Chinese Zodiac whenever they experience extreme emotions.

Though character conflict is naturally at the heart of the series, Fruits Basket’s pastoral setting and lovable cast still make it quite a relaxing watch. Any fan of Shojo owes it to themselves to watch Fruits Basket, making it a perfect slice-of-life series.

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28 Polar Bear Café Uses Its Odd Premise to Incredible Effect

Anime By Studio Pierrot, Based on the Manga By Aloha Higa

Polar Bear Café is exactly what it says in the title, a series about a polar bear who runs a café frequented by animals and humans alike. Two of the cafe’s regulars are a well-meaning but not terribly smart panda who enjoys ordering bamboo and a penguin who is good friends with Polar Bear.

Polar Bear Café’s
studio, Pierrot, is also the studio responsible for anime such as
Naruto
and
Bleach
.

What immediately stands out about the series is the striking designs of its three lead animals. Contrasted with far more anime-esque character designs for the human characters, the three main animals’ realistic designs always make them seem hilariously out of place in the anime. There is something inherently comical about Polar bear, with his real polar bear proportions, wearing his apron and serving coffee. All of this means that Polar Bear Café is a consistently hilarious low-stakes show that’s always an easy watch.

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27 Hyouka is One of Anime’s Coziest Mysteries

Anime Series By Kyoto Animation, Based on the Classic Literature Club series by Writer Honobu Yonezawa

One of Kyoto Animation’s best anime series,Hyouka is a slice-of-life mystery series centered around a young man named Houtarou. Houtarou lives by the philosophy of energy conservatism, the idea of drifting through life with the least amount of effort as possible put into all tasks. Unfortunately for Houtarou, his life is changed after he’s forced to join the school’s literature club and is repeatedly asked to solve the problems of fellow club member Chitanda. This eventually spirals into the whole literature club investigating the mystery of Chitanda’s uncle, who disappeared.

Mystery and slice-of-life might not seem like they go together, but Hyouka is an absolutely cozy series that’s easy to get lost in. The characters are all incredibly well-fleshed out, making the cast easy to care about. Overall, Hyouka is one of the few mystery anime that will leave fans less tense after watching an episode.

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26 Silver Spoon Makes Farmwork Look Fun

Anime series by A-1 Pictures; Based on the manga by Hiromu Arakawa

A-1 Pictures’ Silver Spoon is centered around Yuugo Hachiken, a studious young boy who enrolls in an agricultural school after failing to get accepted into his high school of choice. While Hachiken goes into his new school expecting an easy workload, he ends up having to work even harder than he thought, and he and his friends all end up richer for the experience from it.

Silver Spoon was created by Hiromu Arakawa of Fullmetal Alchemist fame, and the shift to slice-of-life did nothing to diminish her abilities as a writer. Far from the action and intrigue of Fullmetal Alchemist, Arakawa pulled from her own background growing up on a farm for Silver Spoon, thus giving it a definite air of authenticity, and just like Fullmetal Alchemist, Silver Spoon has Hiromu Arakwa’s keen eye for character writing to create a cast that’s nothing but endlessly entertaining.

25 Natsume’s Book Of Friends Brings Serenity To The Supernatural

Anime series by Shuka; Based on the manga by Yuki Midorikawa

Shuka‘s Natsume’s Book of Friends is about the titular Natsume, a young man who can talk to spirits called yokai. After the death of his grandmother, Natsume is given an incredibly valuable book containing the names of more than a hundred yokai who were previously in the service of Natsume’s grandmother. Natsume makes it his mission to nullify the contracts of each spirit in the book so that they can move on to the afterlife.

While it does feature more than a few evil yokai that require a bit more effort to confront, Natsume’s Book of Friends is quite calming with its focus on nature and healing, and it ends up being a relaxing series to watch more often than not. As strange as it sounds, an anime about ghosts and spirits can still be one of the best laid-back slice-of-life-anime.

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24 Komi Can’t Communicate Has A Beautiful Handling Of Social Anxiety

Anime series by OLM, Inc.; Based on the manga by Tomohito Oda

OLM, Inc.’s Komi Can’t Communicate focuses on a girl named Komi who becomes popular in high school due to her seemingly stoic beauty. Despite the attention she gets though, Komi’s apparent stoicism is actually due to difficulties in communicating with others. Together with an average-appearing boy named Hitohito Tadano, Komi makes it her goal to break out of the shell of anxiety and make 100 friends.

What makes Komi Can’t Communicate so great is how effortlessly it balances its differing tones. Komi Can’t Communicate always knows how to complement its comedic moments with its more serious character-driven ones, so Komi’s growth and management of her social anxiety never feels too heavy-handed or too much like a joke. It ends up as one of the best explorations into social anxiety because of it, and with the great character interactions surrounding it, it’s a great slice-of-life series from start to finish.

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23 Nichijou Is Surreal Writing & Animation At Its Finest

Anime series by Kyoto Animation; Based on the manga by Keiichi Arawi

More on the silly end of slice-of-life, Kyoto Animation’s Nichijou is a hilarious series where the stakes are small and the jokes are big. This slice-of-life classic follows a group of girls as they navigate life in a small town, with the antics they and the other people in town get into often delving into the surreal in terms of concept and how they react to them.

What makes Nichijou so remarkable is how well it uses animation to tell its jokes. Instead of just relying on funny dialogue or situations, Nichijou truly gets the most out of being an anime by including plenty of visual gags and over-the-top animation that sell the comedy to an incredible degree and make every gag an absolute riot. At the end of the day, when looking for slice-of-life comedies, anime fans really can’t go wrong with Nichijou.

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22 Do It Yourself!! Makes DIY As Engaging As Possible

Anime series by Studio Pine Jam; Directed by Kazuhiro Yoneda

Studio Pine Jam’s Do It Yourself!! is set in near-future Japan and follows Serufu Yua, a clumsy teenager who’s never given much thought to anything before stumbling upon her school’s DIY club. Amazed by the concept, Serufu becomes the only member of the club aside from the club president, Rei, so she needs to help draw in new members to save the club while learning the ins and outs of DIY, herself.

Do It Yourself!! has a distinct and striking visual style and an ensemble cast of memorable characters. The show highlights the budding relationships the club members form, as well as Serufu’s dynamic with both old and new friends alike. The educational element of Do It Yourself!! also plays into its charm for always making such a mundane concept seem interesting, and overall, it always manages to perfectly combine coziness and humor in every episode.

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21 Kiyo In Kyoto Highlights The Charm Of Cooking & Geisha

Anime series by J.C. Staff; Based on the manga by Aiko Koyama

J.C. Staff’s Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House stars Kiyo and Sumire, two friends who moved to Kyoto before the show’s start to become maiko, or trainee geisha. Things didn’t go quite to plan for the pair though, as while Sumire prospered in training, Kiyo struggled, and was eventually dismissed. All was not lost for Kiyo though, as she quickly proved herself in another way, becoming the maiko house’s new cook.

Kiyo in Kyoto sees the two friends flourish in their roles and provides insight into both the maiko lifestyle and Japanese cooking. Both fields are areas Western viewers are bound to be unfamiliar with, especially maiko, so Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House serves as a great educational experience for Japanese culture, and for anyone interested in that, it should not be passed up.

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20 Deaimon Tells You Everything You Need To Know About Japanese Sweets

Anime series by Encourage Films; Based on the manga by Rin Asano

Deaimon sees the main character Nagomu Irino return home to his family’s traditional sweet shop after years away, only to find that in his absence a young girl, Itsuka, has been taken in by his family and is expected to inherit the shop in his stead. What follows is a competition, with both Nagomu and Itsuka trying to prove that they are capable of running the store, and the pair develop a charming sibling-like bond along the way.

In addition to its great character writing and animation, Deaimon excellently shows the skill that goes into making wagashi, traditional Japanese confectioneries, and also does a great job of showing how making new and unlikely connections can help people to evolve. All in all, it’s an anime that’s great for slice-of-life fans and one that should not be passed up.

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19 Super Cub Is A Great Look Into The World Of Motorcycling

Anime series by Studio Kai; Based on the light novel by Tone Koken

When Studio Kai’s Super Cub begins, its protagonist, Koguma, is very lonely. She has no family, no friends, no real hobbies, and lives a quiet and isolated life. This all changes when Koguma buys herself a motorbike, the titular Honda Super Cub, which leads her to meet two other girls at her school who also ride motorbikes and gradually learning to open up.

Super Cub is a quiet anime that shows what a big impact a beloved hobby can have on a person’s life, and Koguma’s gradual progression over the course of the series is heartwarming to watch unfold. The series also details the care that goes into maintaining a motorbike down to the smallest detail, so even people who don’t care much about that can still walk away feeling more knowledgeable about something so unique.

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18 A Place Further Than The Universe Is A Slice-Of Life Anime Unlike Any Other

Anime series by Studio Madhouse; Directed by Atsuko Ishizuka

Studio Madhouse’s A Place Further than the Universe stars Mari Tamaki, a young girl who always seeks to live her life to the fullest by going on an adventure. One day, Mari gets her wish when she has a chance to join in on an expedition to Antarctica, and it ends up being a much bigger adventure than she could have ever dreamed of.

Despite the harsh climate that Mari and her friends find themselves in, A Place Further than the Universe is a relentlessly positive series that wears its heart on its sleeve. The great art and animation that are common with Studio Madhouse are on full display, and more than that, there’s just something so genuine and comfortable about the relationship between Mari, Shirase, Hinata, and Yuzuki that makes this series an instant classic slice-of-life anime.

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17 Flying Witch Makes A Comfy Experience Out Of Magic

Anime series by J.C. Staff; Based on the manga by Chihiro Ishizuka

J.C. Staff’s Flying Witch is an iyashikei anime, an anime focused primarily on people living out peaceful lives, that follows Makoto Kowata, a young witch who moves to live with her relatives in the Aomori prefecture as part of her training, all the while teaching friends and family alike about the various oddities of the magical world.

A perfect choice for fans of Kiki’s Delivery Service, Flying Witch showcases the small quirks of Makoto’s witchcraft and how it evolves as she spends time with her family and friends, all while striking a perfect balance between comedic and heartwarming moments. Focusing on life’s small pleasures among the beautiful scenery, Flying Witch perfectly embodies the core tenants of the iyashikei genre of anime, and as such, every episode of Flying Witch is full of comfort from start to finish and great to watch.

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16 Restaurant To Another World Adds A Fantasy Twist To Food Anime

Anime series by OLM, Inc.; Based on the light novel by Junpei Inuzuka

In OLM, Inc.’s Restaurant to Another World, Nekoya is, on the surface, a normal restaurant that specializes in Japanese and Western fusion cuisine, but that changes on Saturdays. On Saturdays, Nekoya is connected to a fantasy world, and in addition to being customers, the strange inhabitants of the world frequently use it as a place of business and general merriment.

One of the best food-related anime to be released in recent years, Restaurant to Another World is a slice-of-life anime that truly stands out from its contemporaries. While this series does make use of many fantasy and isekai genre traditions, Restaurant to Another World‘s ultimate focus is on the personal stories of the restaurant’s staff and customers, rather than their heroic exploits. With its mouthwatering dishes and sense of escapism, Restaurant To Another World is a fantastic blend of genres.

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15 Spy x Family is Surprisingly Wholesome Despite its Dark Premise

Anime series by Wit Studio & CloverWorks, Based on the Manga By Tatsuya Endo

Few anime have taken the world be storm in recent memory like Spy x Family has. The series follows a spy named Twilight who is sent on a mission to keep an eye on the leader of a prominent political party. To help, Twilight creates the fake identity of Loid Forger and adopts a young girl named Anya, who unbeknownst to him, is psychic. Completing the family is Loid’s fake wife, Yor, who is actually an assassin working for Loid’s enemies.

Despite the promises of high-octane spy action, Spy x Family is mostly a lighthearted comedy series that uses its fun premise in funny and creative ways that are never draining on the viewer. Though all the characters are great, Anya and her many meme-worthy faces are the series’ true highlight. With its fun characters and its great animation, fans can trust that Spy x Family is one of the best slice-of-life anime.

14 Kimi ni Todoke Explores a Budding Relationship

Produced by Production I.G., Based on the Manga Karuho Shiina

Following Sawako, a young girl that’s commonly referred to as Sadako, the character from The Ring, due to how she looks. Despite having a difficult time making friends, Sawako tries her best to be social, and gains the attention of one of the popular boys in her class, named Kazehaya, who opens her eyes to a brand-new world, allowing her to start making friends and truly experience freedom for the first time.

Kimi ni Todoke many firsts for teenagers, and the growing pains that come with them through the lens of a girl that’s just happy to be included. It’s a love song to introverts that yearn to be able to be more socially active with the people that they care about, and has become an absolute staple for fans of the genre.

13 Laid-Back Camp Never Fails To Make Camping Seem Great

Anime series by C-Station & 8bit; Based on the manga by Afro

C-Station and 8bit’s Laid-Back Camp, also known as Yuru Camp, stars Rin Shima, a solo camper who’s convinced by her classmate, Nadeshiko Kagamihara, to join their school’s camping club. From there, the two of them and their fellow clubmates travel around Japan to various campsites, always finding new ways to enjoy themselves in the great outdoors.

Very few slice-of-life anime that have come out in recent years have left as much of an impact as Laid-Back Camp. Not only does it have consistently great art and animation, but the character interactions in Laid-Back Camp always succeed in emphasizing the comforting nature of the story, which is exactly what a story centered around camping needs. Characterized by its cozy atmosphere, beautiful scenery, and dedication to quiet moments of perfection, whether found in the food the campers make or the hot springs they visit, Laid-Back Camp is an iyashikei anime that perfectly showcases the benefits of the outdoors.

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12 Lucky Star Is A Perfect Time Capsule To 2000s Anime Culture

Anime series by Kyoto Animation; Based on the manga by Kagami Yoshimizu

Kyoto Animation’s Lucky Star focuses on the daily lives of Konata Izumi, a lazy otaku gamer, her friends and family, and the various people they all associate with. Most of the series is focused on the comedy of the interactions between the cast, but the anime also features a bevy of jokes and parodies of popular anime from the 90s and 2000s, most notably The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Like many slice-of-life anime, Lucky Star excels through its incredible comedic writing. Whether it’s through its various parodies of, and jokes about, anime, or through the basic character interactions between the cast, Lucky Star never fails to deliver excellent jokes for the viewer, no matter how out there the jokes may be. A lot of the references are undoubtedly dated and won’t resonate with modern viewers, but even with that, it’s still one of the Kyoto Animation anime and best slice-of-life anime, in general, that a person can watch.

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11 K-On! Is The Pinnacle Of Cute Girls Doing Cute Things

Anime series by Kyoto Animation; Based on the manga by Kakifly

Kyoto Animation’s K-On! centers around the four, later five, girls who make up Houkago Tea Time, the amateur band of their school’s light music club. The series follows the girls’ growth as musicians, both individually and as a band, but the main focus tends to be the interactions between the girls in their daily lives.

A well-known series with plenty to satisfy both comedy and musical anime fans, K-On! is still great to watch over a decade following its original release. The character writing and comedy is still among the best of any Kyoto Animation series, and it’s to the point that most of season 2 of K-On! was original content that allowed for even more slice-of-life antics, all of which helped take the quality of the writing even further. Add in some incredible animation, and it’s a slice-of-life anime no one can complain about.

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