A Glimpse Into Slice of Life
In the world of anime, nothing makes sense to the average layman more than Slice of Life. A genre where nothing really happens, and is just people going through their everyday lives.
The Slice of Life genre might seem unappealing to newbies who are getting into anime. Admittedly, I, too, am one of the many raised by the Shonen genre, where action is its core.
Until recently, I suddenly developed an appetite for Slice of Life. Perhaps this stems from the fact that I have a day job. After that gruelling 9 to 5, you just want to go home and unwind. Maybe catch up on your hobbies or get a pick-me-up. So get cozy as we have;
< Behind the Supermarket, Smoking with You> by Jinushi follows Sasaki, a 40-something-year-old Salaryman who worked in a toxic working environment. After a long day at work, Sasaki would take the train ride home and stop by his local supermarket to buy some essentials. He would specifically check out at Isle 2, where the cherry and beautiful cashier, Yamada, resides.
On one particular night, Sasaki was doing his routine shopping, but Yamada was nowhere to be seen. Dejected, Sasaki tried to look for a smoking spot where he could smoke safely without disturbing the public. He makes his way to the back of the supermarket and runs into a mysterious woman. Tayama asks Sasaki to join her and smoke together. As they lit up a cigarette, Tayama inquired about Sasaki. Saying that he looks familiar. Thus, a friendship was formed.
As the series carries on, Sasaki and Tayama get to know each other better. Engaging in small talk, discussing their daily work experiences, and enjoying each other's company.
< Smoking with You > is about the vibes of an easy-going nightlife, following two working adults taking a break during their off hours and overcoming the mediocrity of daily life. Surviving in the world with the little forms of happiness they can find.
Our main character, Sasaki, is a simple man who found his one slice of happiness through Yamada as his pick-me-up due to her cheerful nature. Contrasting his interaction with Tayama, who is relaxed and sometimes a bit teasing. The hook of this series is the "secret" that Yamada is Tayama, and how the dense Sasaki never caught on.
It's worth mentioning that outside of work. Our characters have little to no social lives. Living on their own with not much to do. For both of them, this interaction they have is the only form of socialising they get.
As their meetings get more frequent, the conversations they had became deeply insightful or sometimes just silly nothings. Making us, the audience, pry into their private meeting, getting to know them while they get to know each other. Furthering their bond.
The working world is a boring place. You wake up, go to work, have a lunch break, go home, maybe do some errands, sleep and repeat. Adding the mundane habit of Sasaki and Yamada meeting in an unflattering place for a smoke break may feel like nothing, but their meeting brings out the best in each other and has helped them resolve their personal gripes. What's so attractive about this series to me and to the newfound fans is how normal it feels.
No special powers, no supernatural elements, no raunchy stuff. Just two ordinary people indulging in a recreational activity and chatting about life. Which may lead to a potential romance, but unlike, say, a teen romance. Sasaki and Yamada are adults, and romance doesn't seem to be their priority yet. It's a simple story, in a golden retriever befriends a black cat, kind of way.
< See You Tomorrow at the Food Court > by Shinichirō Nariie. Follows two very different characters. Wada, a straight-laced student with a cold exterior and Yamamoto, an intimidating Gyaru. perceived by their classmates as hard to mix with.
After school, they would travel to a certain station and meet at the food court. Once they meet, their exteriors melt away. They catch up on things in life. Be it their personal interests or the going ons at school.
Upon first impressions, < At The Food Court > is a very plain show. Some would even say it's "Podcast the show" The two girls would chat about everything, and nothing would affect the overall story. Episode by episode, the topics will span from the random to the silly and the absurd.
This show is very forgettable, but much like the previous series. It makes up for it with very interesting characters that contrast tremendously from how they look.
Wada is an otaku goblin with an overactive imagination. Yamamoto may look like a Gyaru. A subculture of girls who are cheerful, sociable, and trendy in fashion, with extreme makeup. Rebelling against Japanese social and aesthetic standards. In actuality, she is studious of random facts and English in between working part-time at the mall.
There's this sense that you wasted your time with them, but you strangely don't hate it. What they talk about is random and will evolve into something else. There is no conflict, no drama. Just two pals hanging out. Catching up on life.
Perhaps that is the intention of the show. Unlike other shows, where there is a goal to get to. This show has no goal but to just bask in this relaxing hang time to reflect and be silly. Get some relatable screenshots of Wada being expressive, and that's it.
Hilariously, this show has a lot of product placement. Spotting some popular brands such as KFC, AEON, Baskin-Robbins, Namco and many others, which is a rare sight in anime. The names are often obscure. Not an outright so-n-so brand.
We now enter the final sample, < With You and the Rain > by Ko Nikaido, follows Fuji, a relaxed and introverted novelist with a particular fondness for rainy weather. On a rainy day, she encountered a strange-looking animal inside a cardboard box referred to only as "You" a gifted animal who wishes to be taken home. Claiming that "I am a dog" and "I am easy to take care of" by writing on a sketchpad.
Convinced by these assertions, Fuji decides to take You home and cohabit as companions of each other. Their personalities unfold as they learn more about each other through their simple life.
As you keep watching, you get acclimated to the "new normal" with You. This odd-looking "dog" is trying to tell you that he is a dog and that it is perfectly normal for him to write and express how he feels. You also get to know the main character. Fuji is reserved and introspective, while You is clever and expressive.
By their interactions with each other and the people around them. We get a glimpse of a new pet owner's life, where Fuji provides for You and learns more about the odd thing. Like getting to know a new friend, Fuji and You form a bond. Understanding each other's likes and dislikes, forging new friendships with Fuji's circle and enjoying the relaxing aesthetics.
This show is an odd one, because unlike the previous two. This show seems to have a hook, but never questions the logic behind it. You never understand what You is, but you get hits about what he isn't.
He may look like a raccoon, but his fur is too light, and he behaves like a dog with his tail wagging. Yet, when he starts to write or eat snacks. It seems more akin to actual raccoon behaviour, with his two front paws holding it as he munches. Fuji is also talking to someone who can't verbally respond. She just says the quiet part out loud.
Otsukaresama! (Good job today!)
These are the ones I recently seen but of course, a lot of shows can be identified as Slice of Life, and I have seen a few before this craving happened. What I'm starting to understand is the appeal of it now that I'm older.
These shows probably won't be the best award-winning shows anytime soon, but what makes them good is becasue its more about characters rather than plot. It may also be a little unfair since these shows featured cute ladies, and I am but a guy. I see cute girls, I watch!
But I never relate more to someone like Sasaki, who is trying to find some form of happiness after his gloomy working hours. I longed to find people like Wada or Yamamoto with whom I could just chatter on and on and maybe relax with cute animals like You.
What I'm trying to say is, these shows are a sharp contrast from what got me started into anime and now that I've developed a taste for it. Here's how I would sell it for the curious and unconvinced.
Slice of Life is a genre where the point of the show is to do nothing and just revel in the feel of it. Like Lo-fi, it invites you to take a breather, enjoy yourself and meet some quirky characters. Sometimes, a plot is happening, but the show never rushes you to get to it because that is never the point.
It's a genre that allows the creators to mix with niches, blow animation budgets because why not, and you can still enjoy it even if it takes a thousand something episodes to finish. What I hope Slice of Life can testify is the fact that anime/manga doesn't need some otherworldly hook. It can be as simple as its namesake, take a slice of life into a corner and take your time.
