I enjoy
If we’re talking about:
- Popularity.
- Fame.
- Mainstream availability.
- Sales.
Then in general, it’s clear which of these between
Shonen is number one for a good reason despite being overhyped at times and not having the best ratio of quality anime shows (there are well over 1000+
There’s even more
Let’s talk about it.
Why slice of life is appealing:
1. Relaxation
The big benefit of
- Relaxation.
- Chilling.
- Calming vibes.
And a way to destress that almost no other genre can give you. The plot in a
Also, sometimes there’s no plot and it’s all about the progression of the character’s life, what they’re up to, behind the scenes you might not see in other genres, and more from a realistic perspective (no bells or whistles).
2. Iyashikei
The word “Iyashikei” is a subgenre of
Wikipedia puts it like this:
“Iyashikei (癒し系) is a genre specific to Japanese works, primarily
manga and anime. It is a sub-genre of slice of life, portraying characters living out peaceful lives in calming environments, and is intended to have a healing effect on the audience.”
Anime examples of these Iyashikei series are:
- Tanaka Kun Is Always Listless.
- Today’s Menu For The Emiya Family.
- When Will Ayumu Make His Move.
- Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible.
- The Helpful Fox Senko San.
Anime like this is clearly good for mental health, even if it has been studied in a scientific kind of way.
3. More realistic and true to life
It’s no secret.
Slice of life is a slice of the lives of whoever the anime is portraying. And usually, it’s shown from a realistic perspective. So realistic in fact, it fits more of a certain type of person or age group.
Even if the type of anime is mixed with
This is another factor you see in anime like Love Is Hard For Otaku, where even though the main characters are Otaku, is portrayed and displayed in a truer sense and you can connect with their “ordinary” lives.
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4. Less cliches (potentially)
Slice of life anime, depending on which anime genres they’re paired with, can have LESS cliches and fewer tropes that Shonne is known for since it’s more mainstream.
Take an anime like Flying Witch for example. This anime has little to no cliches but still has some humour. It just leans more towards being realistic rather than over-the-top and forced.
When a certain genre is full of cliches and starts to get tiring,
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why shonen is appealing:
5. One of the most engaging genres

Shonen shines for many reasons. One of them being how engaging and involved it feels when you watch it. And this goes for any age for the most part.
This is more true for certain
- My Hero Academia.
- Dragon Ball Z.
- Naruto.
- Jujutsu Kaisen.
And other
There’s so much happening that it’s hard to deny the impact it can have on you as you watch it.
6. Unrealistic and imaginative
This isn’t completely true for the unrealistic part or the imaginative part. But there’s truth (a LOT) when it comes to these aspects of
My Hero Academia, regardless of the hate the anime’s been getting since day one has proven itself with every season. And is now one of the most known
The world has elements of creativity, the outfits and quirks have a lick of imagination, the way the world works within the series, and how everything comes together is why the anime gets people hooked.
This element of
7. Emotional impact
Not to say
It’s also why so many people get emotionally attached to the main characters, side characters, or whoever it is the anime focuses on.
This aspect of
8. Motivational
Again, not all
It’s no accident that over 20+ years later, fans still love Naruto Uzumaki, his story, his upbringing, his progress, and how he became more than his circumstances dictated.
People identify with Naruto on some level, even if other aspects of his character are unrealistic.
The same is true for
Why shonen is more mainstream than slice of life :
9. Nobody cares about realism
I don’t mean that literally. But as a general rule when talking about anime, there’s a reason why
Even a school series that happens to be
This is what people want the most.
Shonen is aimed at teenagers, the main demographic, and the majority of teenagers don’t care for realism when they can watch something that stirs the imagination a lot more (shonen).
Slice of life in comparison isn’t like that as a general rule. It’s more true to life, and not a lot of people wanna see that in mass numbers.
It’s no accident that anime like Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid or The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K is popular despite being
They may have realism, but they’re also supernatural series as well.
This was proven even more during the pandemic. Well, what I mean is
All of a sudden it became “Interesting” to watch
That leads to my next point.
10. Shonen is a better form of escapism
Shonen is full of:
- Fantasy.
- Imagination.
- Hype.
- Exaggerations.
- Comedy.
And elements that are driven to the point of ridiculous, on purpose, to get a reaction out of the audience. And that plays into the escapism that
I mean, if you’re watching something that is:
- Realistic.
- Too authentic.
Or anything of the sort, there’s gonna be less legroom for escapism when compared to something that’s deliberately a fantasy like
This is why
11. More mass appeal
If you wanted to put it down to just ONE reason, this would be it.
Shonen has more:
- Mass appeal.
- Mainstream appeal.
- Likeability in general.
And is built to attract audiences of all kinds in a broader sense. That’s why, unsurprisingly, it sells so well and attracts so many fans to the industry.
It’s a gateway drug.
Slice of life is something fans get more into as they either get older or get more into the industry and figure things out.
Obviously, people of all ages watch
–
And there you have it.
Both genres are solid, but with anime being more available than it was in the past,
But
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