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With shows likeDragon BallorOne Pieceknown far and wide, it’s hard to deny the popularity of anime. Still, even the most action-oriented anime viewer can enjoy a simple story about the day-to-day lives of its characters. Theslice of life animegenre can contain hilarious comedic moments, serious drama, and evena bit of romance— it all depends on what viewers are looking for.
Even if perhaps not as inescapable and popular as some other genres and themes, slice of life stories are eternal, with most seasons producing a few new shows that fit the bill. The anime industry will always have a place for wholesome tales about carefree schoolgirls attending their afternoon clubs or adults finding solitude in nature. Let’s take a look at thebest slice of life animeever.
Updated June 20, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Summer 2025 is absolutely packed with exciting new SOL anime; therefore, I’ve highlighted a few, just to get things going.
Best Summer 2025 Slice Of Life Anime
A new season is underway, andSummer 2025covers such a wide and impressive spectrum of genres. Yes, the lineup has multiple slice of life anime! I mean, properSOL animetoo, not romances or comedies that kind of fit the description. As they are competing with the likes ofDandadan,The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity,Kaiju No. 8, andGachiakuta, these anime might struggle to make a big impact since they are seemingly designed to be quiet and unassuming. However, if you are a slice of life fan, definitely check out these Summer 2025 series:
Sometimes, slice of life anime can seem like they are just cycling through new activities, usually while featuring an almost solely female cast of characters.Ruri Rocksis not an exception, but mineralogy is a relatively interesting profession to spotlight.
Beyond that, the two main characters, Nagi and Ruri, have a charming mentor-student dynamic, which is not that common in the genre. As they hunt for different rare minerals, they mostly spend their time in the great outdoors, allowing for consistently gorgeous imagery that propelsRuri Rocksinto iyashikei territory.
Sometimes, all you need is two girls hanging out at a food court while talking about everything and mostly nothing. In lesser hands,See You Tomorrow at the Food Courtcould have come across as pretentious, but the anime largely avoids stepping over the line by grounding its leads, Wada and Yamamoto. They are just average teenagers who love to talk about games, their futures, boyfriends, and small talk. They also eat fried chicken and spicy ramen, scenes that will make you hungry (at least, they made me crave a good bowl of noodles).
I would not blame you for exhibiting some caution at the prospect of watching an anime featuring a woman and an animal as protagonists, butWith You and the Rainis 100% wholesome slice of life fluff. Fuji finds a “dog” while walking home, and she decides to take him in despite knowing very little about animals in general. Her new pet seems to be way more capable and intuitive than the average canine, and they quickly form a cute bond.
Along with being perhaps the most adorableromance of 2024,Pseudo Haremis also a pure slice of life that is relentlessly endearing. Rin very clearly has a crush on her senpai, Eiji, but she is not quite ready to directly reveal her interest. Therefore, she uses her acting talent to portray manga trope characters, effectively becoming a one-waifu harem. I mean, that is just cute.
Although likable, Eiji is very oblivious, and he does not seem to pick up on Rin’s obvious clues. Despite obvious romantic subtext,Pseudo Haremmainly just chronicles Rin and Eiji’s daily interactions. Their relationship has a bit of forward momentum, but their interactions are mostly just cute and funny.
Anime witchescome in many forms, but they do not typically feature in low-key slice of life stories set in the normal world.Flying Witchbucks that trend by delivering a traditional entry in the genre, albeit one with a hint of magic. A witch-in-training, Makoto will be spending some time living with her family in Aomori, a peaceful town surrounded by nature. With the aid of her cousins and aunt, Makoto experiences the slow life as she continues her training as a witch, which largely plays out like a coming-of-age narrative.
Flying Witchdoes an impressive job of balancing the mundane with the fantastical, creating a universe that is one step removed from reality. The “witch” element takes a backseat for most of the season and is fairly subdued, as the focus is squarely on Makoto’s everyday interactions with the larger community.
Although hardly new, theboys' love genrehas been on a tear since roughly 2019, and quite a few of its best shows could qualify as slice of life. That said,Sasaki and Miyano,Given,Cherry Magic!, andTwilight Out of Focusare primarily romances and should mainly be watched by people craving those types of stories. In comparison,Welcome Home(akaTadaima, Okaeri) fits cozily into the slice of life sphere, all the while telling a nuanced tale that explores socially relevant themes like discrimination.
Due to being part of the Omegaverse, the anime is set in a universe with gender classes (Alphas, Omegas, and Betas). While this aspect influences the story’s core dynamics, it is ultimately not that important.Welcome Homefollows Masaki and Hiromu, a married couple who have started a family. They spend their days in (mostly) blissful happiness, enjoying each other’s company while trying to be positive role models for their children. They also interact with their neighbors, some of whom have prejudices they must overcome through experience.
While rare, a fewslice of life animestart with a shot to the heart before settling down into a cozy rhythm for the rest of their run.School Babysittersopens with a backstory that would be considered tragic for a drama, let alone a comfy show about brothers babysitting their siblings at their school. Once that setup is out of the way, the series quickly transforms into a lighthearted and touching tale about familial love and friendship.
Featuring a cast primarily consisting of babies and their older brothers,School Babysittersdoes an admirable job of differentiating all of its characters, including its many toddlers. Along with providing an overabundance of adorableness, the anime is also consistently funny.
After years of abuse at the hands of his boss, Momose finally quits and joins another company. At his new workplace, he is assigned Shirosaki as a supervisor, and Momose quickly realizes that his new senior is the complete opposite of his former boss. To his delight, he also learns that Shirosaki can be a bit silly at times, even if it is usually unintentional.
My New Boss Is Goofyis just a lovelyworkplace comedy. Momose is still carrying scars from his previous job, but he is in the ideal location to regain his confidence. All the central characters are endearing and likable, and the show has a cozy tone that complements its easy-going humor. I enjoy slice of life for its healing qualities, andMy New Boss Is Goofyis literally about a protagonist who is recovering from past trauma.
A prominent slice of life subgenre is known as “cute girls doing cute things,” and these anime generally deliver exactly what they advertise on the tin. Initially,YuruYuricomes across as a stereotypical example of this type of story; it brings together four girls with archetypal personalities and doesn’t do a lot with them. At least, that is the case for most of the anime’s opening season.
After that point,YuruYuriimproves quickly and considerably. The show gets progressively weirder as it introduces more secondary characters, all of whom seem to have a crush on each other. I also found myself consistently laughing along, especially in the sequel seasons.
March Comes In Like a Lionis a fantastic series with gorgeous animation, realistic and relatable characters, and intelligent writing. While certainly worth recommending based purely on its quality, the show’s depiction of depression and the first season’s extensive focus on shogi meansMarch Comes In Like a Lionmight not be what everyone is searching for in a slice of life anime.
The second season is particularly strong, but it is also emotionally draining. At times,March Comes In Like a Lionismore of a drama with slice of life elements than the other way around. The show still has enough slice of life aspects to qualify as a recommendation, but I would advise against watching this if you are specifically looking for an anxiety-free experience.
In the aftermath of both of his parents' deaths, Hayato has been left to take care of his three siblings, who are all still in school. Struggling to carry the load that comes with this responsibility, the oldest son does not always manage to balance work and taking care of his brothers, although the latter try to help whenever they can.Fall 2023’s most conventional slice of life anime,The Yuzuki Family’s Four Sonshas a fairly heavy premise, although the show itself is lighthearted and wholesome.
The four siblings all have distinctive personalities that bounce well off each other, and they are grounded in reality and are not presented as overly cute caricatures.The Yuzuki Family’s Four Sonswent somewhat unnoticed during its initial run, which makes sense since the story does not have much of a hook; however, the series has some pretty great all-around writing, and it even handles a few challenging themes well.
Komi Can’t Communicate’s sophomore effort solidified the show’s position among thebest slice of life animeof the modern era. Due to experiencing intense social anxiety, Shoko Komi has spent most of her life alone, her silence misunderstood for aloofness and snobbishness. Determined to change things in high school, Komi sets out to make a hundred friends, a journey that commences when she befriends the unpopular Hitohito Tadano.
Komi Can’t Communicateoffers quite an idealized take on social anxiety, which is OK, as not every story needs to be extremely realistic. Komi and Tadano’s relationship is sweet, and their friendship paves the way for quirkier characters to be introduced. Some supporting characters are annoying, but I liked most of them.
Released in 2007,Lucky Star’s influence on the slice of life genre can still be seen today. This show helped write the blueprint for how to put together a modern “cute girls doing cute things” anime; consequently, it can feel a bit uninspired when viewed through a modern lens framed by more than a decade of CGDCT stories.
Slow-paced even for a slice of life anime,Lucky Starlives and dies by its characters. Konata Izumi is theanime’s resident otakuand most popular figure, but the rest of the cast should not be dismissed either. Kagami’s antagonistic personality is especially important forLucky Star’s humor. Just be warned, the first episode is not the anime’s strongest.
The first sketch is painfully slow, and I can see it putting off some people from watchingLucky Starentirely. However, the anime hits its stride quickly after that point, so try to reserve judgment for a couple of episodes.
