The world of Japanese anime spans an impressive variety of literary and cinematic genres, from high-tech science fiction to heartfelt romance and drama to horror and hysterical comedy series. In addition, the anime industry is home to unofficial genres such as isekai, slice-of-life, and what is known as iyashikei, or relaxing, easygoing stories anyone can enjoy.

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Like isekai and slice-of-life, iyashikei anime is not a strictly defined genre, but rather, a concept with some general trends and conventions, and some iyashikei anime series may involve some other genres as well. Overall, iyashikei anime are those with gentle, low-conflict stories with minimal violence or drama, and they can almost feel therapeutic at times. Plenty of anime are like that, and any curious fan is encouraged to start with these quintessential iyashikei series.

10 Aharen-San Is Indeciphrable Is A Gentle Romance

aharen with raido

Aharen-San is Indecipherable is one of the most recent iyashikei anime to come out, having finished airing in the Spring 2022 anime season. This anime can also be categorized as a high school rom-com or slice-of-life, though it has practically no drama, as opposed to Toradora! and Nisekoi.

Aharen-San is all about the petite kuudere Reina Aharen, a quiet girl with a vivid imagination who just wants to make some new friends and enjoy her idyllic high school life. She soon befriends her classmate Raido, and they soon embark on daily adventures of meatballs, arcade games, lakeside camping, and more.

9 The Helpful Fox Senko-San Is About Domestic Bliss

Senko_and_Nakano_under_cherry_tree

The Helpful Fox Senko-San is practically the quintessential iyashikei anime, and any fan looking to get into iyashikei should probably start here. This easygoing anime stars an overworked businessman named Kuroto who meets a charming fox spirit Senko, who has one goal - to pamper him.

Senko volunteers as Kuroto's personal chef, friend, and maid of sorts, helping Kuroto run a cozy household and finally relax for once. Kuroto really needed that, and he is grateful for all Senko does for him. And he might meet some more animal spirits in the meantime.

8 Adachi And Shimamura Is A Sweet Yuri Series

adachi and shimamura

Adachi and Shimamura is a lovely yuri anime series with two likable heroines, Sakura Adachi and Hogetsu Shimamura. These girls attend the same high school, and early in the series, they cross paths in the school gym and strike up a wholesome friendship that soon leads to a one-sided crush as well.

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During their iyashikei-style adventures in daily life together, Adachi develops special feelings for Shimamura, but expressing those feelings will be anything but easy. Along the way, they will meet many more charming characters such as Akira, Taeko, and Yashiro.

7 Senryu Girl Is A Prototype Komi Can't Communicate

senryu girl main characters on the school roof

Fans of the lovely high school rom-com Komi Can't Communicate should also try out Senryu Girl, a very short but also sweet iyashikei anime series with a loosely similar premise. The heroine is Nanako, a cheerful but very quiet girl who communicates in just one way - writing senryu poems and showing them to people.

Nanako soon befriends the reformed delinquent, Eiji, a kind boy who loves spending time with Nanako to distance himself from his rough past and explore the gentler side of life. And soon enough, he will develop an innocent little crush on Nanako as well.

6 The Way Of The Househusband Is About An Ex-Yakuza

tatsu offering cookies

Even if the anime version of The Way of the Househusband received some criticism for its ultra-minimalistic animation style, this charming story is still a solid iyashikei tale that's highly enjoyable in either manga or anime form. This is another "domestic bliss" story, except Senko the fox is replaced with a tough-talking ex-mobster.

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Tatsu is a reformed Yakuza thug who is utterly devoted to his businesswoman wife Miku, and he will gladly do chores and go on errands all day long so Miku can return home to a cozy household and a husband who's ready to pamper her. This series also features great humor and some amusing scenes of Tatsu using tough mobster talk to describe perfectly ordinary things.

5 Aria: The Masterpiece Is Sci-Fi Iyashikei

aria the masterpiece cast rowing boat

The unofficial genre of iyashikei has a hand in many different mainstream genres, including sci-fi. Not every science-fiction anime is a hardcore cyberpunk adventure or a space opera. Some of them are actually cozy and comfortable, with Aria: the Masterpiece being a great example.

In this story, Mars has been terraformed and renamed Aqua, and the heroine, Akari, is determined to succeed as a gondola rower in a replica of Venice. Akari may have arrived here on a spaceship, but Neo Venezia is deliberately low-tech, a peaceful city of canals where Akari can have the time of her life with her new friends.

4 Laid-Back Camp Is Educational Iyashikei

chiaki on hill

The lighthearted series Laid-Back Camp is actually a seinen anime, evidence that seinen is not always violent or dark in nature. This anime is several things at once - iyashikei, "cute girl doing cute things," and edutainment, an anime with some educational value. It's time to learn about camping and nature.

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Laid-Back Camp's main heroines are charming, innocent high school girls who have fun learning how to go camping and appreciate the great outdoors across Japan's many prefectures. It also features some stunning natural backgrounds and lovely intro and outro music to maintain the iyashikei tone.

3 Girls' Last Tour Is Iyashikei With A Dark Edge

Girls Last Tour

Among all iyashikei anime titles, Girls' Last Tour is one of the grimmest, though it won't reduce any anime viewer to tears or make them squirm in their seat. Instead, this series' darkness is subtle and remains in the background, allowing fans to focus on the cuteness instead.

This is a post-war series starring two girls who trek across an abandoned, ruined mega-city on their vehicle of choice, a kettenkrad. These girls are all alone in an empty city, so they make the most of it with some fun adventures and finding joy in everyday life... while their supplies last, that is.

2 Flying Witch Features A Benevolent Magic Caster

Anime Flying-Witch-Makoto-and-Chinatsu

The iyashikei anime Flying Witch is an example of the "cute, benevolent witch" trend in anime, with witches being more like magical girls than evil spellcasters. The heroine is the teenage witch-in-training Makoto, and her mission is to finish her training so she can help people with her magic.

What follows is a charming, easygoing anime about a cheerful girl who explores her own magical talents while also bringing joy to other people's lives. It's almost like a scaled-down, low-conflict version of Little Witch Academia.

1 Non Non Biyori Celebrates Everyday Countryside Life

Non Non Biyori Nonstop Anime Featuring Main Cast Plus Akane

The lovely anime series Non Non Biyori is classic iyashikei storytelling. It can also be categorized as a "cute girls doing cute things anime," a common basis for easygoing iyashikei anime. The story takes place in rural Asahigaoka, a remote town that's a whole different world than the big city.

The young heroines of Non Non Biyori soon realize that slow-paced, relaxing countryside life comes with its own perks, even if the closest convenience store is miles away. It's time to find joy in the little things and take it easy.

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