Ask John: What are the Best Slice of Life Anime?

Question:
What are the best slice of life anime?

Answer:
In order to even attempt an answer to this question it’s essential to first distinguish precisely what should and shouldn’t be considered. For the sake of my own convenience I’m going to exclude from consideration anime titles that equally or better fit into other genre categories than “slice of life.” That means that I’m going to exclude eroge adaptations, moe anime, iyashike anime, romance anime, cooking anime, and sports & hobby anime. I’m also going to arbitrarily exclude anime that feature or include supernatural or non-real life elements like robots or sci-fi & fantasy settings. What’s left are dramatic and comical anime that star average, ordinary people living conventional lives. While these exclusions may seem draconian, without them most anime can be arguably called “slice of life” since many anime detail the lives of their characters.

Japanese domestic comedies have to be mentioned, although I suspect that they’re not the type of anime that average American viewers instinctually think of as “slice of life” anime. Shows like Jarinko Chie, Sazae-san, Chibi Maruko-chan, Atashinchi, and Nono-chan are strictly “slice of life” anime because they illustrate the ordinary day-to-day lives of broadly representative Japanese families. Similarly, shows like the 1998 Sentimental Journey and 2003 Human Scramble television series may technically be among anime’s best examples of true examination of ordinary, daily life. But these show aren’t ones that particularly appeal to American otaku. Rather than examine the most literal examples of slice of life anime, I’ll point out some examples of excellent “slice of life” anime that interest typical otaku anime fans.

Based on the handful of episodes I’ve watched, the 1983 Stop!! Hibari-kun! television series is a memorable favorite. This predecessor to Mariaholic is a sitcom revolving around Hibari Oozora, the most attractive and popular girl in school, who actually happens to be a boy that loves cross-dressing and acting like a girl. The show is lighthearted and fun, and filled with sight gags and situational humor that never gets unbelievable.

After stating that I’m going to exclude romance anime, the 1996 Mizuiro Jidai television series comes close to being one. But while this look at junior high school life does involve romance, the focus of the show stays centered on day to day trials and character relationships rather than making romance the show’s pivotal component. This is a nice series because of its tendency to remain realistic and believable, without relying on hysterics, exaggeration, or manipulative romantic tension.

I’m honestly uncertain over whether the 1998 Momoiro Sisters television series should be considered strictly a comedy or whether it should also be considered a “slice of life” show. This very funny short series revolves around the days and nights of two adult sisters and their worries over work, dating, sex, and dieting.

Azumanga Daioh wasn’t the first slice of life anime of the 2000s, but it may be the earliest debut from this decade on my list. This 2002 show is as much a comedy as it is “slice of life,” but since it does depict its characters lives both in and out of school and work, it definitely qualifies as “slice of life.” The AzuDai cast is certain eccentric, but there’s nothing supernatural or unbelievable about the show, which explains a lot about why the series is much fun. It’s witty, zany, and affecting all while remaining realistic and grounded in believable, everyday reality and ordinary people.

2004’s Maria-sama ga Miteru is frequently classified as a romance anime, but placing excess emphasis on the show’s romantic aspects doesn’t accurately represent the show. MariMite is an engrossing, affecting drama about the lives and relationships of schoolgirls as they progress through high school and graduate into college. Viewers get to see nearly every aspect of the characters’ lives, and the girls are all normal and ordinary, albeit some of them come from wealthy families.

Similarly, romance is prominent in 2005’s Honey & Clover, but the show isn’t primarily a romance anime. Like the next evolution of MariMite, Honey & Clover details the daily lives and relationships of college students, deeply delving into their psychologies and relationships, which makes them very empathetic and the series beautiful and touching.

The sadly nearly forgotten 2006 Binbo Shimai Monogatari television series treads the line between “slice of life” and “healing” iyashike anime. Since it does depict the ordinary daily lives of two poor sisters with poingnance and affective beauty, I think it deserves a position on this list.

The Minamike anime that premiered in 2007 and introduced new seasons in 2008 and 2009 has its ups and downs in both production values and narrative strength, but the good parts of this series are easily enough to qualify it as one of the most enjoyable anime to illustrate the average, ordinary day to day lives of its cast.