Siliconera’s Guide to Slice of Life Anime You Shouldn’t Miss

The slice of life genre has been, and will likely continue to be one, of the most popular genres in anime. One of the reasons behind this is that the range of topics it can encompass is so expansive that there’s always something for everyone. You would be hard pressed to not find at least one slice of life anime that you can relate to. So, here are six you may want to check out.

Image via J.C.Staff

Best romance anime:  Toradora!

Based on the light novel series by the same name, Toradora! follows Taiga and Ryuji as they maneuver their way through the minefield that is high school life and try to find love for both their friends as well as themselves. It is a classic slice of life anime and one that will leave you laughing, crying, and wanting more.  Toradora! is available for streaming on Netflix, Prime Video, and Crunchyroll.

Image via J.C.Staff

Best household anime: The Way of the HouseHusband

The Way of the HouseHusband is an absolute fantastic addition to the slice of life genre and sure to be a classic. Tatsu, a now retired yakuza member, takes over the household chores while his wife works and adds his own yakuza touch to everyday chores. His interactions with both past associates and people he meets on the streets make for a hilarious anime that’s perfect to watch when you need a laugh at the end of your day. The Way of the HouseHusband is streaming on Netflix.

Image via Studio Pierrot

Best laid-back anime: Shirokuma Cafe (Polar Bear’s Cafe)

There really should be a picture of the panda from Shirokuma Cafe next to the dictionary definition of “laid-back.” Shirokuma Cafe is a very slow-paced anime revolving around a cafe where animals and humans alike come and interact with each other. Featuring a loveable cast of both humans and animals, this anime is geared towards those looking for a calm anime with some laughs and great puns. Shirokuma Cafe (Polar Bear’s Cafe) is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Image via A-1 Pictures

Best sad anime: Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

Warning: Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day is heart-wrenchingly sad. It follows the story of a group of friends who, after drifting apart due to a death in the group, begin the difficult task of processing that death and coming together at the behest of their friend’s ghost who has appeared to one of the members suffering the most. It is a great slice of life anime and often comes up in conversation when someone mentions “anime that made me cry”. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Best anime movie: A Silent Voice

This slice of life movie had a profound effect on me. It follows Shouya Ishida, a graduating high school student who is trying to apologize for the pain he caused Shouko Nishimiya, a deaf girl, when they were in elementary school. This movie highlights the scars bullying can leave on both the victim as well as the bully as they grow up.  This is a great film for those who were bullied and even those with the guilt of having been the bully. A Silent Voice is available to rent on Prime Video, Google Play, and Apple TV.

Image via A-1 Pictures

Best anime featuring adults: Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku

If you’re tired of seemingly every slice of life anime being about school-aged kids, this is the one for you. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku is an anime about otaku adults working in a traditional company together and follows them as they find out how to express their feelings to each other and most importantly, their nerdy hobbies. It’s a breath of fresh air to get an anime like this centered around adults rather than children for once. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku is available to stream on Prime Video.

Honorable mention: The Great Passage

This is another good anime centered around adults. The Great Passage is about …putting together a dictionary. No! Don’t click away yet! I know that may not sound super interesting to some of you, but it is!  Mitsuya Majime, the lead character, is picked to help put together Genbu Publishing’s new dictionary – a difficult but rewarding task. The characters in The Great Passage are believable characters and you get an interesting peek into the overlooked world of dictionary publishing. The Great Passage is streaming on Prime Video.