Ever feel life is just getting tough or that you are going through a tough patch in life? I hear ya! And now that the summer is almost here, you might need a boost to lift your spirits up! I am here to give you that boost and tell that the best way, for me at least, is watching a good show and anime. I think watching a show, where you do absolutely nothing, sit down, and look at a screen can help you relax and start feeling the right mood.
As a veteran anime-goer, my tip for all of you people to start watching on your own is to check out what genres you like. For this piece, if we are taking a look at only feel-good anime, look for anything that falls under the category of ‘slice of life’. Slice of life is typical anime that revolves around everyday life and the wacky adventures that ensue in hilarity. There is never any sort of long-term conflict or plot, but it usually is about two or more people and their everyday life experiences. It is not limited to normal day and average people, animators and writers can add a flare of uniqueness such as super powers or crazy adventures. Today, I would like to share with you my list of the top five ‘feel-good’ anime.
For number five, “Sweetness to Lightning”. This summer 2016 anime, I remember watching every week and appropriately as it was coming out last year was one of those shows that I knew that it was going to be a nice, relaxing series. This twelve episode series is about Kouhei Inuzuka, a high school teacher and widowed father of one, caring for his energetic daughter, Tsumugi. We can all relate to the overworked Kouhei and with the added stress of raising a child, life gets rough for him. However, because of Tsumugi, her father gets the best kind of motivation to always work his hardest to care for her. One day, Kouhei Inuzuka and Tsumugi run into a student of his, Kotori Iida, at a Sakura blossoming event. Kotori sympathizes to her teacher and invites them both to her mother’s restaurant. However, when they arrive, Kotori was unaware of her mother’s absence. Fortunately, Kotori and Kouhei are not deterred by this and both make an attempt at making dinner, a repeating theme in the series. Their experience is so rewarding that Kouhei decides that making and preparing food for his daughter will be a regular thing. At first, Tsumugi is reluctant because her father’s cooking is not at the least bit decent, but because she had so much fun cooking with her dad and Kotori, and that her dad’s cooking improved, she looks forward to it everyday. You can watch the entire series today on www.crunchyroll.com. If you enjoyed the series, you can extend the experience by also reading the ongoing manga. Both the anime and manga add a little bonus by giving the recipes for the episodes’ or chapters’ meal to the audience to try and mimic it themselves. Don’t worry, if you have ever seen another show called “Food Wars”, it is nothing like the crazy recipes there, in “Sweetness to Lightning”, the recipes are simple and seem quite appealing, so you can give it a try!
Number four: “Usagi Drop” follows 30 year-old bachelor, Daikichi Kawachi, who was going through life like any other day until his grandfather dies. He travels to his family home to pay his respects when he finds a young and incredibly shy girl named Rin Kaga. To his surprise, he finds out that Rin is his grandfather’s illegitimate child and the rest of the family is discussing options of what to do with the child. She is isolated and ostracized by her family and develops a harsh coldness to others due to her family’s treatment. When Daikichi hears that she would be sent to a foster home because no one would take responsibility to take her in, he becomes angered to their harshness and announces to everyone that he take care of Rin. With no past experience with children, he begins his lessons and journey with Rin, dealing with her initial bitterness. “Bunny Drop” is a sweet tale of a single man who is suddenly responsible for another human being and discovers the happiness of being a father (even though his ‘daughter’ is technically his aunt). You can watch all eleven episodes on www.crunchyroll.com.
Number three is “Poco’s Udon World”. This anime is about Souta Tawara who returns to his home in Kagawa to escape his busy life in Tokyo. He finds his way back his recently deceased father’s udon shop. Souta begins to clear off the dust and finds a boy hidden away in one of the wooden pots. At first, he thinks he may be a runaway and gives him food and clothing. Then all of a sudden, the young boy begins to grow two furry ears and a fluffy tail! The boy runs away and Souta runs after him trying to find out what is going on. He finds out from one of the local monks that that there are tanuki spirits who take on the appearance of people. For those who are not sure what tanukis are, the best way to describe them is that they are Japanese raccoon dogs. The tanuki that Souta finds begins to trust and grow closer to Souta becoming almost like a son of his. Over time, Souta starts to experience the same troubles that his own father had with his children and Souta begins to learn how important family is. The series is only twelve episodes and is a very recent show that ended in last December.
Number two: “Barakamon”. Did you ever want to punch someone like a boss or teacher (I don’t encourage physical violence)? Well, Seishuu Handa, a young, talented, and upcoming calligrapher, did do that. While at a showing, a veteran art critic finds Handa’s work to be ‘unoriginal’ and berates him in front of the entire show causing Handa to lose his temper and punching the critic. Handa’s father punishes him by exiling him to the Goto Islands in an attempt to have him self-reflect. Coming from the busy lifestyle of Tokyo, Handa must find inspiration for his work in the rural country. While the countryside is regarded as peaceful, Handa certainly does not receive any peace from a neighboring kid, Naru Kotoishi. At first, Handa is desperate for peace and quiet, he suddenly finds the inspiration that he was searching from Naru’s interactions and learns some of the most important lessons that he will ever get. This classic anime is only twelve episodes long and if you liked this show there is second season that precedes “Barakamon” and is called “Handa-Kun”, which is about Handa during his high school days.
Number one: “Non Non Biyori/Non Biyori Repeat”. This anime is second to none to being the quintessential slice of life anime ever. The story is about four schoolgirls, of different grade years, who live in the rural countryside of Japan. Miyauchi Renge, Koshigaya Komari, Ichijou Hotaru, and Koshigaya Natsumi love to just simply explore their village surroundings and hang out. Due to how little students that their school has, students study in the same classroom, regardless of intelligence or grade years. Seriously, this show is the very definition of slice of life, there is no conflict, no overarching plot, and relaxing scenes. This is a simple feel-good anime that will make you enjoy the rural lifestyle. Give this show a chance and you will understand why the genre of slice of life is a popular style for anime to make content for. “Non Non Biyori” and “Non Non Biyori Repeat”, both consists twelve episodes and there are two additional O.V.As. In recent news, the release of the eleventh manga volume of Atto’s “Non Non Biyori” confirmed that there is a new anime project. As of now, there is no confirmation whether or not if this is a new season or O.A.D. of “Non Non Biyori”, but fans are certainly excited to see the project come to fruition. All five of these anime are available to watch on www.crunchyroll.com and if you would like to search for other slice of life anime to watch, I recommend https://myanimelist.net/anime/genre/36/Slice_of_Life.
Did you agree with most or all of the list's shows? Were there any that I missed? Tell me in the comments below and have a good summer everyone!
