Slice-of-life animes have the capacity to take you on a journey to understand characters on a very intimate level. They allow you to get out of your own head and watch someone else's journey with happiness, pain, loss, fear and day-to-day struggles. They are relatable, honest, emotional, and relaxing all at once. This genre of anime is popular and has earned a badge of admiration in the hearts of many because of its impactful nature.
Here are 11 anime series with beautiful storylines alongside wonderful life lessons.
10 Barakamon (2014)
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Written and illustrated by Satsuki Yoshino, this anime produced by Kinema Citrus is there to remind you about the good things in life. Barakamon tells the story of Handa Seishuu, a gifted calligrapher who takes pride in his art but who is forced to go to the Goto islands in Japan by his father after punching an art curator who criticized his award-winning work for being uninventive in a reception. He is sent to reflect on his attitude and to face his anger in a quiet environment where he can find some peace and develop his own unique art style further.
However, his journey ends up culminating in much more than mere reflection. Upon his arrival on the island, he finds a world completely foreign to his own; one that is not what he expected. Handa finds himself in the company of warm neighbors and kids who want to get involved in his life at every possibility and embarks on a new journey with his surroundings that changes him forever.
This charming anime will remind you of the beauty of living, simply, appreciating what you have, and embracing every moment to the fullest through play and connecting with others. Barakamon is a story about friendship, growth, and what truly matters in life. If you crave an anime filled with laughter and innocence, then this is for you.
9 Fruit Basket (2019)
This heartwarming story was brought to life by Natsuki Takaya and was produced by TMS Entertainment. Fruit Basket portrays the darkness and goodness found in humans and how they can beautifully co-exist together through hope and healing. After facing a tragedy, Honda-San, the protagonist, moves into a tent in the woods but is later found by her schoolmate Yuki Sohma, who offers her the opportunity to move in with him and his family.
However, the Soma family is unlike any other family, and soon enough, Honda is forced to handle a new reality full of hard pills to swallow that involves finding out that the family she is living with has a dark secret; a secret rooted in isolation, shame, and fear. In this delicate anime, the story unravels complex emotions, obstacles, and ultimately the power of surrendering to somebody else’s willingness to help you.
Throughout the series, each character ends up showing off their raw self and becomes accepted for it. The protagonist who has her fair share of pain, has managed to be the beacon of hope for the Soma family through her kindness, positive attitude, and loving nature. They end up both getting saved by opening their hearts to each other. Fruit Basket is much more than a cute anime. It is full of lessons about forgiveness, self-acceptance, being less judgmental, and standing up for those you care about.
If you’re looking for an anime that can remind you of how good you’re capable of being while accepting the parts you’re less proud of, then this is for you. This anime is the perfect depiction of those who love you and see you with so much more beauty than you see yourself.
8 Haikyuu!! (2014)
Haikyuu!! is adapted from the manga written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate and produced by I.G Studio. Hinata Shoyo dreams of becoming a professional volleyball player who has mastered his craft. He ends up joining his high school’s volleyball team (Karasuno) and quickly discovers how incapable he is compared to his team members. Yet, he doesn’t let himself get discouraged and is determined to work his way up through every challenge, defeat, and moment of doubt. It is full of details about the sport, team tactics, technique, and the amount of training and consistency it takes to potentially be a pro athlete.
Haikyuu might be a sports anime, but at its core, there is a fountain of life lessons to be learned from this feel-good anime. Haikyuu has many characters within each team and each one of them is different enough from the others. It realistically depicts how that can result in conflict but be the reason for growth for everyone who’s willing to use that difference to their advantage. Each character in the anime has a relatable element. You can zoom in on them individually, but at the end of the day, what makes them successful is their joint dream and faith in each other. If you want an anime that will inspire you, motivate you, and restore your faith in yourself, then this is for you.
7 Your Lie in April (2014)
Your Lie in April was written and illustrated by Naoshi Arakawa and produced by A-1 pictures. This anime captures what it is like to lose interest in something you once loved due to trauma and find your way back to it through the power of friendship. Protagonist Kousei Arima used to play the piano since he was a kid, but when he suffers a huge loss, he completely loses his ability and willingness to play the piano.
When he meets free-spirited Kaori Myazono, a violinist with a tragic secret of her own, she slowly inspires him to face his old wounds. This emotional narrative closely looks at trauma and how it can have burdensome implications on someone’s life. It shows the weight of immense pain, and how it can often make us lose our spark. Yet, it also depicts an element of hope, and that is the ability to heal and not let your past hold you captive.
With this anime capturing friendship and how it has the capacity of pulling someone out of the dark, it also shows how releasing our emotions through a certain medium like music can be a truly healing experience. Your Lie in April is filled with soft and melodious music. It will remind you to truly live and embrace your passion. If you love music and want some inspiration as well as an emotional storyline, then this is for you.
6 Usagi Drop (2011)
Written and illustrated by Yumi Unita and produced by I.G productions, Usagi Drop tackles a rare anime topic, parenting. It tells the story of single 30-year-old Daikishi Kawachi who ends up adopting six-year-old Rin Kaga under unexpected circumstances. The anime depicts the transition into parenthood and all its challenges realistically. It depicts how being a parent means a new world of responsibility, sacrifice, and personal development. Having kids changes a person's life forever and Usagi Drop captures the endearing, sweet moments as well as the hectic and less perfect ones.
It is this mature approach that draws you in, where parents and non-parents can relate to the storyline and its attention to the details of parenthood. Daikishi and Rin develop a close relationship despite this transition, and we are taken on a journey of what it means to build a warm family despite the hiccups of everyday life. This anime often serves as a glimpse into the inner dialogue of parents trying to show up for their kids, which makes you appreciate parents more. On top of that, it shows you the beauty of human connection, that even though someone might not be related to you by blood, you can find a family in each other.
Usagi Drop is short, sweet, and memorable and a reminder that we can step up into challenges we think are bigger than us and make someone else’s life better.
5 Grand Blue (2018)
This manga was produced and written by Shinji Takamastu, illustrated by Kimitake Yoshioka, and adapted by Zero-G Production. Set in a coastal setting, new college student Iori Katahara moves into a room above his uncle’s diving shop in the seaside town of Izu. He finds himself surrounded by wild men who love drinking and diving and gets entangled with them and is forced out of his comfort zone.
He embarks on diving adventures and funny embraces. Grand Blue depicts the reality of moving into a new environment that is very foreign to what we are used to but ultimately blending in and finding joy in it. Part of the college experience is meeting others and having fun and this anime will give you that experience. Every new environment brings something out of us and this anime reminds you to fully enjoy who you can be in that moment and to seize the day. Grand Blue’s coastal setting is visually pleasing and the premise of the story is light-hearted and filled with funny, awkward, and exciting moments.
If you want college students to drink, make weird decisions, mess up, and have fun with their youth, with a comedic twist at every turn, without taking what they’re doing too seriously, then this is for you.
4 Great Teacher Onizuka (1999)
The Great Teacher Onizuka manga series was written and illustrated by Tooru Fujisawa and was animated by Pierrot Co. Studio. The story focuses on perverted Eikichi Onizuka, a virgin and ex-gangster member who dreams of becoming the greatest high-school teacher in Japan. Yet, his dream is not stirred by his love for teaching but rather for the power, influence, and admiration he thinks girls will give him for it. Upon landing a job as a teacher at a high school, he learns that students hate their teachers with passion and unite in an attempt to make them quit. However, Onizuka is not like other teachers; he’s unconventional, bizarre, dangerous, fun, and interesting and when put to the test, he manages to turn the tables around through his fun nature.
Even though Oznikua initially decides to be a teacher for one reason, he ends up developing a passion for it for another reason and that is to help students enjoy their school days and fix their personal problems. This anime discusses social issues such as harassment, depression, and problems with school systems. It highlights the importance of teachers and the phenomenal impact they can have on students’ lives when they truly care and are in tune with their needs. Great Teacher Onizuka is truly special because with school being such an integral part of society, there is nothing more needed than great teachers, and when they are found, they can never be forgotten. If you want to watch the story of someone who manages to change things around and actually influence others positively, then this is for you.
3 Love Means War (2019)
Written and illustrated by Aka Akasaka, and produced by A-1 Pictures, Love Means War is an anime primarily about ego. Two elite students at the Shuchiin Academy, Kaguya Shinomiya Miyuki Shirogane develop feelings for each other and make it their mission to make the other admit their feelings first. Their pride and self-image are in the way of letting their guard down.
They see a confession of love as a weakness and a battle unravels, where they both use clever tactics to make the other admit first, and so the war begins. Known for its unique plot, Love Means War serves as an entertaining, intense, and comedic anime that has complex and funny characters. The series highlights an opposing view to romance shown in movies where someone makes a sweeping love statement to the person they love, yet the protagonists clearly love each other through their actions.
This show takes this theme and magnifies the element of narcissism found in the characters, develops the characters, and teaches you something along the way. If you like romantic comedies, psychological battles, and intense build-ups, then this is for you.
Orange (2016)
Orange was created by manga artist Ichigo Takano and was produced by TMS Entertainment. This soft anime is about a high school student who receives letters from herself 10 years into her future. In these letters, she is asked to take a different course of action to avoid a future full of regrets. The letters serve as a guiding force, even predicting day-to-day occurrences, which makes her take these letters very seriously.
Naho Takamiya is forced to pay attention to her friends, and the boy she loves so that she could cherish every moment she could with them and save them along the way. This delicate anime is a reminder of the mental battles people go through alone and how it can eat them alive. Yet, it is also a reminder to pay attention to and understand those we care about because there is always more to them than what meets the eye. Orange also plays with the idea of decisions and how each one of them can lead to a completely different path, making you question your past and future. Through trying to make the right decisions to change her fate, a bond full of purity and thoughtfulness is shown between the characters that is bound to make you feel something.
Orange will remind you not to take any day with those you love for granted and to show them you care. If you love deep, emotional animes that are not fast-paced, then this is for you.
2 Romeo's Blue Skies (1995)
Romeo's Blue Skies is adapted from the novel The Black Brothers written by Liza Tetzner and produced by Nippon Animation. Romeo is a young boy who lives in a village in Switzerland. Yet, Luini, “The God of Death” tracks children to buy them and sells them as chimney sweepers. He decides to cause financial and health problems for Romeo and his family, which makes Romeo sell himself to go to Milan in order to help his family financially.
On his journey to Milan, Romeo meets Alfredo, who was also sold to a master, and they form a powerful friendship. Fate separates them, but it also reunites them once again where they become each other’s support system in facing the world, especially their abusive masters and a gang known as the “wolf pack”. This anime depicts the very harsh realities that some children have to face very early in their lives and how they have to learn to survive despite it. It is a story about our world, its darker side, yet it is coupled with two beautiful and courageous children who derive their strength from each other.
Two boys who are innocent, sweet, and who remained untouched by adversity are put under the worst circumstances and become better humans because of it. This anime educates and increases empathy. Romeo's Blue skies is a story about poverty, power, kindness, and bravery. If you want an anime that deals with heavy subjects through child protagonists, then this is for you.
1 Natsume’s Book of Friends (2008)
Natsume’s Book of Friends was created by manga artist Yuki Midorikawa and was produced by Brain’s Base Studio. Takashi Natsume is a 15-year-old boy who has had the ability to see spirits since a young age. As a result, Natsume suffers from loneliness, fear, and discomfort firstly because of the spirits that target him, but also from society as he is seen as an outcast.
Upon stumbling on a book he inherited, he learns that this ability was inherited from his grandmother, who used to defeat spirits and keep their names in a book where they can’t be freed. Unlike his grandmother, Natsume wants to free these spirits, although it can be quite dangerous. He is sensitive and kind. Through the episodes, stories about Natsume, his grandmother, and the spirits are highlighted, making the viewer dive deep into a battle between evil and good.
This anime has an interesting premise because it touches upon two separate yet intertwined worlds that come through Natsume. This anime explores the theme of humanity and a good mix of optimism and melancholy at the same time. It portrays how nothing is black or white. If you like supernatural premises and are looking for a calm, different, wholesome anime with a tinge of sadness, then this is for you.