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.

Updated October 7, 2021 by Adriano Valente: Slice-of-life anime might not be as action-packed as Shounen titles or have the excitement of Isekai anime, but they’re still among the most enjoyed. These anime can take relatively mundane settings and concepts, and craft unique narratives filled with enjoyable characters who can win over the most finicky fan. The genre is so oversaturated with content, that plenty of great shows go overlooked as the years go by. Some titles are forgotten to time, while others never really got the recognition they deserved. Anime fans won’t regret watching these underrated slice-of-life anime.

15 Working!!

Working-anime

What really makes a slice-of-life anime stand out is how its cast plays off of each other. Working !! boasts a sizable cast of characters, each possessing their own quirks that bring something to the table comedically.

Working !! follows the daily lives of various people working at a family restaurant. Each cast member has their own unique circumstances which are explored throughout the series. It's a great show for viewers looking for some laughs but offers much more than that through its run.

14 Nichijou

A scene of unfathomable wackiness

There aren't many anime out there that can compete with Nichijou's brand of comedy. This zany slice-of-life anime boasts a dynamic ensemble cast, but mainly focuses on the misadventures of four schoolgirls, a child prodigy, and a talking cat.

This might as well be one of Kyoto Animation's best works. The art, music, and voice acting all come together in a way that makes Nichijou one of the most unique experiences in anime. The series is filled with memorable comedic moments and performances that will ensure it leaves an impression on all viewers.

13 Kokoro Connect

kokoro-connect

Kokoro Connect might not be as easygoing as other anime on this list, but it does make the most of its school setting and slice-of-life elements. The series follows a group of students who are suddenly given strange abilities and start experiencing various supernatural phenomena relating to one another.

As the show progresses, the group tries to figure out the cause behind their new powers, while also discovering more about each other's deepest secrets. Kokoro Connect has a stronger focus on drama and romance compared to other slice-of-life titles, which gives fans of the genre some a nice change of pace.

12 Daily Lives of High School Boys

Four high school boys acting strange

Like Nichijou, Daily Lives of High School Boys features an ensemble cast while focusing on a core group of students to tell its story. The series follows the daily lives of Tadakuni, Hidenori, and Yoshitake alongside their fellow students and family members.

The anime isn't afraid to put its main characters in some awkward situations, and the show is at its best when playing off of their adolescent woes. This is a great show for fans of comedy anime who need something new to binge.

11 Seitokai Yakuindomo

seitokai-yakuindomo

Seitokai Yakuindomo's crude comedic style might not be for everyone, but the show is good at what it does. The series focuses on a formerly all-girls school that is converted to a co-ed institution. With a new student perspective to take account of, the members of the school's student council randomly recruit a male student named Takatoshi Tsuda to serve as vice president.

Tsuda must acclimate himself to his new school environment while juggling the bizarre student council members and their offbeat personalities. At its core, Seitokai Yakuindomo is a pure comedic experience with not much in terms of narrative. Still, it offers viewers tons of great comedic moments to indulge in.

10 Hinamatsuri

Hina and Anzu Playing games In Hinamatsuri

Mixing in elements of sci-fi with the typical shenanigans of most slice of life anime settings, Hinamatsuriis 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

The Cast of 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

The Cast of 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!

The cast of 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

Tamako and Mochizo in 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

Ataru, Lum & Shinobu Together In 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

Hiki, Yui and Yukino in Snafu

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

The cast of 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

The cast of 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

Umaru from 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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