There is a special connection that anime fans develop with slice-of-life anime. They can take their time to develop their shows at a relaxed pace. It gives the audience a look at the mundanity of the characters’ lives, allowing them to foster stronger attachments to the cast. The pace is normally very easy-going which makes watching the anime soothing and pleasant.
Fans are given an array of slice-of-life anime every season. It is a staple in the diet of the modern anime watcher. In this climate, older slice-of-life titles have a chance to return with a reboot. With the right team and direction, anime reboots can be amazing. Fullmetal Alchemist, Hunter x Hunter, and Fruits Basket are examples of shows that shine brighter on their second attempt. This revitalization can help out some shows left in the past.
10 Shaft Should Repackage Sunshine Sketch Under Its Matured Direction
The end of the 2000s in anime was dominated by a slew of cute girls doing cute things, ranging from Lucky Star to Clannad. Sunshine Sketch was a gem of that era, but not popular enough to reach most viewers. It follows the charming students of Yamabuki Art High School, as they help each other with school work and living alone in a dormitory.
By remaking the show, Shaft’s legendary director Akiyuki Shinbo can give Sunshine Sketch more attention and a new spin. His direction with slice-of-life anime has matured, especially after March Comes In like a Lion. He can keep the strong visual flair while giving the show more room to breathe.
9 Happy-Go-Lucky Shojo Will Be Back In Vogue With Super GALS!
Shojo anime is undergoing a bit of a drought. Less and less of the top shojo manga are being adapted, and a good percentage of the new seasonal shojo are sequels or new installments to existing franchises. It would be a perfect time to reintroduce a slice-of-life comedy that understands itself.
Super GALS! is a show about trendy high school girls who want to shop around Shibuya and protect it from trouble. Everything about the show is silly, and it celebrates it. The joy is infectious. However, the animation is dated. Modern anime direction could really improve its visual appeal. The seasonal format might also help the show by breaking up its length into manageable seasons.
8 There’s Plenty Of Room To Reinvent The Classic Princess Sara
As one of the most well regarded members of the World Masterpiece Theater, rebooting Princess Sara comes with risks. Remaking it without making changes would just feel needless, while changing too much could destroy what made it special. The studio handling it should assess the core strengths of the original, while making the anime digestible for the modern audience.
The anime needs to find a way to shorten its run time, while strengthening the appeal of its slice-of-life elements. The melodrama is potent, but the small gentle moments need to shine just as bright. If done right, it can reintroduce classic stories to the modern audience.
7 Yawara! Could Be The Return Of Naoki Urusawa Fever
Naoki Urusawa is the famed manga creator of classics like Monster, 20th Century Boy, and Pluto. Fans remember him most for those works, but before any of them were made, there was Yawara! A comedy showing the day-to-day struggles of a young high school girl who just wants to live a normal life. Her attempts are constantly foiled by her grandfather who wants to push her to become an Olympian in Judo.
Current-day watchers can see what Urusawa’s humor is like, which would hopefully incentivize studios to adapt his other manga. A few tweaks to the show’s outdated sensibilities, and it could be an amazing show for today’s anime scene.
6 Nobody’s Boy Remi Has Intense Melodrama
Nobody’s Boy Remi is a story modern fans have to see. It is sadder and heavier than most other slice-of-life anime, but the drama is well worth it. This is one of the crowning achievements of the late-great Osamu Dezaki, the director responsible for Tomorrow’s Joe and Rose of Versailles.
Through his direction, the melodrama of the show is elevated to extreme heights. It is heartbreaking, cathartic, and rewarding to watch. The show’s look is far too dated for modern anime fans, but a remake can introduce the classic them. It would take inspired and respectful directing, but it is possible.
5 Romeo’s Blue Skies Is An Uplifting Story For All Ages
Amidst all the hardships and trials, Romeo’s Blue Skies is a thoroughly optimistic and romantic story. It shows the drama of child slavery in 19th Century Europe, but it does not submit to the negativity of the situation. The anime takes the time to show the budding friendship among the kids working as chimney sweeps. Their friendship is the catalyst that gets them through their contracts.
The city of Milan is detailed and alive in the anime. A reboot has the potential to still resonate, especially with an updated aesthetic. The slice-of-life elements of the show will carry it to a new age and prove it timeless.
4 Everyone Should Experience The Wacky Hijinks Of Dr. Slump Once Again
This may be the best time for Dr. Slump to make a return. Slice-of-life comedies starring children are in vogue thanks to Spy x Family. Arale’s hilarious naivety would make for a great focal point, even by contemporary standards. On top of that, the pop culture references would still work as most of the western references are from franchises that are still relevant.
Breaking the length of the show up into seasons will make it manageable for fans to consume. Akira Toriyama’s name still shines bright with anime fans, so there will be almost no pushback if the remake is done right.
3 Maison Ikkoku Can Rise Past Its Cult Status
There is a reboot for Urusei Yatsura that will breathe new life and foster a new fan base. As amazing as that is, Maison Ikkoku would benefit from a remake far more than Urusei Yatsura. The former is already an iconic work that has defined the romantic comedy genre since the ’80s.
As a slice-of-life anime, it is easier for fans to develop a connection to the cast of Maison Ikkoku. Kyouko is a great but complicated female lead and Godai is painfully relatable as an aimless college student. This anime has the potential to be just as popular as Takahashi’s other works.
2 Candy Candy Is Warm, Emotional, And Surprisingly Bold
As far as classic shojo anime go, Candy Candy has everything. The show contains a cheerful orphan as a main character, a prized childhood memory, multiple dignified male characters who serve as friends and love interests, rivalries with jealous girls, and the first World War.
It organically builds its world and characters but does not hesitate to involve them in difficult situations. A reboot with multiple seasons can introduce modern viewers to the heights of ’70s shojo. It is delightful and rewarding. With modern visuals and sensibilities, the reboot has a chance to thrive.
Yokohama Shopping Log is an original video animation, containing only 2 episodes worth of the manga’s story. While the anime is pleasant, it does not give the audience enough of the content to really elevate the story. This is a shame as Yokohama Shopping Log is considered one of the greatest manga within the slice-of-life genre, if not the greatest.
Its scenic and quaint portrayal of humanity ‘s ending years is a blend of wholesome daily pleasantries and listless loneliness. It is deceptively powerful when presented in its entirety. A proper adaptation of the manga could revolutionize the slice-of-life genre for anime fans.