Slice of life anime are about serendipitous encounters and profound awakenings that can alter the course of the protagonist’s fate. Since these anime focus on exploring a particular chapter of a character’s life, they provide a more intimate and grounded experience.
- 13 best fighting anime to get your blood pumping before your next ranked game
- Top 5 romance anime to watch in 2024
What makes slice of life anime so special is the fact that they are not confined to a particular genre. This can also make choosing the right slice of life anime to watch an immensely challenging process since a romance anime can fall into the slice of life category, just like a psychological thriller anime can be a slice of life anime.
As such, we have diligently curated our list of the top 5 slice of anime recommendations. Below is our list of top 5 slice of anime to watch in 2024.
Best slice of life anime to watch in 2024
Asatte no Houkou (Living for the Day After Tomorrow)
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 12
Asatte no Houkou is a quaint slice of life anime that sincerely explores subjects like acceptance and gratitude. It takes place in a serene summer Japanese town, focusing on the lives of a middle-school girl, Karada Iokawa, who’s desperate to become an adult, and a young woman, Shōko Nogami, former girlfriend of Karada’s brother, who’s harboring herself from the intricacies of adulthood.
Both women yearn for something they can’t have, and when their paths cross at a country shrine that grants wishes, Karada ends up transforming into a young adult and Shōko into a middle-school girl.
Asatte no Houkou perfectly encapsulates how it feels to live for the day after tomorrow. It’s a moving story about accepting to embrace the present, no matter how dire it may seem. It’s also inexplicably meditative to watch, especially in spring or early summer time.
Laid Back Camp
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 25
Laid Back Camp is one of the most soul-soothing slice of life anime to date. It’s not just an incredibly comfy anime about winter camping with lots of dazzling vistas and scrumptious food porn, but a surprisingly accurate representation of how winter camping works in Japan. The show highlights several real-life camping spots in the Japanese countryside, most of which piqued tourists’ interest after Laid Back Camp’s season 1 aired.
The story follows Rin Shima, an introverted high-school girl passionate about solo winter camping, and a nonchalant girl of the same age, Nadeshiko Kagamihara, who befriends Rin and develops a taste for winter camping as well.
Laid Back Camp follows the adventures of Rin and Nadeshiko, as well as the Outdoor Activities Club members, as they all come together due to their collective interest in camping and everything surrounding it.
Blue Period
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 12
Blue Period is a vibrant and painstakingly detailed slice of life anime about discovering and pursuing your passion. It’s powerful and surprisingly layered with a complex yet intriguing cast of characters that presents numerous memorable moments throughout the show.
The story follows Yatora Yaguchi, an academic scholar, who’s going through an existential crisis as the end of his high school days draws near. Confused as to which direction to steer his career, Yatora discovers and develops a keen eye for art.
Despite its artsy theme, Blue Period is surprisingly grounded in its approach to storytelling; diligently exploring themes of self-evaluation, existentialism, and the overarching purpose of creating art. It’s also a surprisingly detailed representation of the everyday struggles of art aspirants and the intricacies of arts colleges’ entrance exams.
Oregairu
Seasons: 3
Episodes: 41
Oregairu is a delightful examination of the minds of high school youths through the eyes of a slightly narcissistic loner, Hachiman Hikigaya, and the prideful Yukino Yukinoshita, who, despite their clashing personalities, come together to be part of their school’s Service Club dedicated to helping students with their problems.
It’s a character-driven anime unlike anything else this genre has to offer. Oregairu is a metaphorical web with several thought-provoking moments that are too real for its own good. At its core, it’s also a slow-burn romance that’s truly one of a kind.
A Place Further Than the Universe
A Place Further Than the Universe is an adrenaline-filled coming-of-age story about a mismatched group of high school girls who go on a life-altering expedition to Antarctica. This makes it a perfect part of our slice of life anime list.
The story follows an ordinary high-schooler, Mari Tamaki, who never tries anything out of her comfort zone despite wanting to. It all changes when Mari stumbles upon a fellow schoolmate, Shirase Kobuchizawa, daughter of an Antarctic observation crew member, who has been saving up money to travel to Antarctica to pursue her mother’s disappearance.
Mari and Shirase eventually join forces alongside two other girls of similar age, Hinata Miyake and Yuzuki Shiraishi, as they prepare to go on an expedition to Antarctica.
A Place Further Than the Universe is a ferocious adventure about unshackling yourself from your comfort zone and pursuing the cold depths of the unknown to find something meaningful. A Place Further Than the Universe is empowering in a way few slices of anime dare to. It’s about forging powerful bonds. It’s about girl power. Most importantly, it’s about facing your fear.
That sums up our top five best slice of life anime list.
READ MORE: The six best anime series to watch in March 2024 — you’ll love these!
