Anime has been an integral part of my life, for the past 3 years.It has helped me to open myself to a whole new world, the one which I am very much obsessed about. Not a day passes without me watching a sayian fight, a ninja protect his village or a pirate looking for treasure. I am sure that once you step into this world, there is no going back! The ‘part I’ in the title might seem a bit vague, which I will get back to later. For now, lets talk about,
TOP 5 ANIME in the ‘Slice of Life’ category
‘Slice of life’ couldn’t have been a more self explanatory term. Its a genre in which you generally come across events concerning the day to day life of a person. There is nothing supernatural or out of the box happening here. It might seem a bit boring, that’s actually what I thought until I got acquainted with it. Also, the fact that it has all the girly and cute stuff, is a misconception. So don’t worry all the action loving guys reading this, you too will find a soft spot for this genre. Also, this genre is perfect for someone who is new to anime, and wants to step into the world of this beautiful art form.
P.S – All the entries in this blog are available in English dubbed and I am attaching the link (at the end) so as to where you can watch them online for free. Enjoy!!
HYOUKA
The protagonist of this classy anime lives by the motto, ‘If I don’t have to do it, I won’t’. Calling himself an energy conservationist through out the series, he has a gift of being able to solve mysteries. His lazy yet highly intellectual nature, gets paired with a sweet girl’s hunger for curiosity. Forced to be a part of ‘Classic Literature Club’, he finds himself stuck between his best friend, his old school frenemy and the club president, the curious cutie.
The story revolves around the Classic Lit. club’s anthology ‘HYOUKA’ and the series of mysteries surrounding it. Hyouka literally translates to ‘Frozen desserts’, but the interpretation Hotaro, the lead guy, comes up with, is stunning. Then the events that follow are both mesmerizing and somewhat realistic.
Apart from being of ‘slice of life’ genre, this anime deals heavily with mystery as well.
There actually was a school named Kamiyama High,which had a classic lit. club and the work of its members is published as a 5 book series. The first part of the book series was turned into a manga, and its anime adaption is what you are reading about! (and probably will be watching soon too!). This realism attached to the anime makes it all the more touching, and you feel attached to it.
The episodes of this anime are filled with mysteries along with its simple and logical solutions.
ANOHANA – The flower we saw that day
This anime ‘defines’ slice of life, though there is a bit supernatural stuff in it. My blog may not be a ranked list, but Anohana has the potential top it.
You can’t imagine such a classic anime to begin with some boob talk, but it does! Gradually you realise something is off, and then the title track is a total give away. As the 1st episode progresses, that ‘something’s missing’ kinda feeling grows and then at the end (of the episode, not the series) you come to know what it is… And I am not going to spoil it for you guys.
The story is about a bunch of kids in their early teens, coping up with life, emotions which regular teenagers go through, like puberty, getting in a reputed high school, and making friends. Friends with whom they have to fake out, not be themselves. They have forgotten that they had real friends, back when they were small and things were simple. A tragic incident had made them drift away, but have they crossed the point of no return?
Flashback – Everyone thinks about life and friendship in a different, sort of childish way, and who wouldn’t at the age of 10? But now, 5 years and a heartbreak later, reality had hit them all. They no longer are friends, behaving as almost strangers along the roadside. Sequentially they realise that they actually are still the same, the way they were back then, at the age of 10. Even after half a decade, they hung to those feelings which were buried deep down, waiting to burst out.
A total emotional roller coaster, where all their individual feelings regarding the same incident, make up for a beautiful canvas. The feelings of hatred, love, anger, aggression, grief, jealousy, sorrow, insanity, desperation, helplessness, and the most important, friendship beautifully blooms out at the conclusion.
There are lot of questions that needed to be answered but each piece, slowly and gradually, fits right in.
I am sure that even if you are not the emotional type, you would be all water works after the end of this. I highly recommend Anohana, particularly if emotional drama interests you. It will entice you through its plot, absorb you through the brilliant execution and leave you mesmerized with tears of joy.
HIS AND HER CIRCUMSTANCES
More popular by its Japanese name ‘KARE KANO’, the title seems to be a bit sad and gloomy. The genre is romance, but it takes a while to get there. The anime begins by showing 2 high school model students, both calm, confident, loved by students and teachers alike. Later we find out that the girl has dual personalities, showing the good and ideal side of her during class time while taking off the fake mask when she gets back home. Coincidentally, her competitor, the second ideal male student from school, discovers her ‘other side’ and then things start to get interesting. This is just the 1st episode here, and the ride is about to start.
The girl confronts him, so as to ensure that he doesn’t spill the beans about her secret. This gets them together. Then they slowly get to know each other, growing as individuals, as friend, leading to being something more. They realise that they actually are very similar, yet nothing alike. Both have their own reasons for wearing the fake smiles for the world, to earn the praises of others. Those reasons, those circumstances are revealed down the line, giving depth to their personalities.
Throughout the show, they have wonderfully portrayed almost all the emotions a teenager goes through. Be it butterflies in your stomach due to a crush, exam pressure, siblings fighting over stuff, even friendship and jealousy. As the anime progresses, they keep on introducing new characters with their backstories, showing why they actually behave the way they do.
They both become the best of friends eventually, and try to shed of their fake masks. The journey, of helping each other achieve this goal, is beautiful. To be able to behave the way you want to, and not to think about the ‘image’ you have built, is of course difficult. And maintaining good grades while doing all this personality development stuff, is almost impossible!!
This slice of life anime gives you a chance to have a look at the world by being in the shoes of a intelligent teenager. Not only that, almost all the important characters have their own ‘point of view’ episodes, giving you a better picture. It might be more enjoyable for females, as the girl has a lot of screen time. She also is the one who expresses herself in all the different and wonderful ways, making you connect with her better.
HAVEN’T YOU HEARD? I AM SAKAMOTO!
You know its going to be a cool anime when the title is a rhetorical question, right?
This one completely focuses on the life of a high school student, yes you guessed it right, Sakamoto. He has the solution to every problem, and that too in style. Dealing with bullies, he is cool. Dealing with fake paranormal activities, he is cooler. Dealing with your best friend’s mom who has a obsessive crush on you, he is coolest!
Sakamoto takes the image of the model student to a whole new level, making it fun to watch as well as sending out a message. As the character develops, his relationships with other students is nicely explored.
It might seem that there isn’t a storyline, an actual plot in here but there is. Sakamoto is the goodie guy and everyone wants to get a hand on, boys and girls alike, but both under different pretexts. He uses is ‘secret techniques’ to tackle dire situations, while you wonder with awe and jiggles. And guess what, he does it with style!
Being affectionate towards other living creatures, going out of the way to help strangers and having every possible talent are some of his qualities. Apart from being exceptionally intelligent, athletic, smart and handsome of course. He is better then you, at the things you are best at!
Its a small anime, but does not fail to find a place in your heart, making you smile and fill you with tears down the end.
They also have an OVA episode, which has a few fourth wall breaks. What made this special so interesting is….wait, let me not spoil it for you. Just be assured you will really enjoy this hilarious and entertaining anime!
KIDS ON THE SLOPE
I just LOVE this one, and I can go so far as to say its my most favourite anime.
It was my first one of this genre, so I was not sure weather I’d like it. Plus, its sub-genre being music made me all the more picky about starting to watch it. But it went on very smoothly. Just like the saying ‘Take a step and wonder how you did it’, it lands directly on the top of my list of most loved ones.
Its a piece of beauty. It perfectly highlights life of a teenaged child prodigy, coming from a rich background with family issues. But this isn’t about him, or his backstory but about 3 friends who are just sailing through life. A life of a young adult filled with all kinds of emotions, but doesn’t matter what happens, music is their saviour.
I am the one who doesn’t watch the anime beginning or ending tracks, but I have never missed one, of this piece of art. The beginning title track is calm, joyful and soothing. Even though you won’t understand it (being in japanese) you’d feel happy and content hearing it. The end track is kind of sad and gloomy, like the songs you want to hear while appreciating your solitude. Isn’t life like that too? A mixture of happy and sad moments, all you need is to enjoy every feeling.
I won’t spoil the story for you, but just rest assured that this one too is going to be an emotional roller coaster. Melodious songs, realistic setup, mesmerizing story line and of course sweet and simple, relatable characters is what makes this truly enjoyable.
Even though there are a lot of musical pieces in the anime, there is this particular jazz tune which plays a lot. Its so joyful and catchy that you won’t be able to get it out of your head. Its been more than a couple of years since I first watched it, but still the tune melodiously places in my head, echoing in my heart.
If you are someone who loves music then this one is for you. The story is beautiful enough, but the music enhances it, taking it to a level of sublime perfection.
There is so much I want to talk about, the contrasting personalities of the lead guys which prove that ‘opposites attract’. The way the plot unfolds, little by little with a twist right round the corner. The feelings of love and friendship, and how its not difficult to jumble up the two at that age. I could go on and on about how heart touching ‘Kids on the slope’ is, and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you to watch it.
So that’s it. My recommended list of top 5 anime in the ‘slice of life’ category to binge watch. Now there are tons of anime left to be explored and there is a very high probability that I’ll have to keep on adding new stuff to this list. That’s the reason I added a ‘Part I’ in the title, being prepared for the future!
Thanks for going through my blog, and do let me know how you liked it. My post, as well as your personal feedback after watching the anime mentioned here.
Happy Watching!!!
top5withamish 