Iyashikei, or “healing” anime, is a genre of anime that aims to calm its audience with soothing and often heartwarming stories. These shows are meant to be relaxing, something to watch after a long, stressful day.
While certain iyashikei titles like relaxed camping Y Natsume’s book of friends are quite well known, there are also many hidden gems waiting to be found. Below are some lesser known examples belonging to this relaxing genre.
My roommate is a cat is a heartwarming story of companionship
my roommate is a cat tells two stories: that of Subaru, a writer suffering from crippling anxiety, and his recently adopted cat, Haru. Each episode is initially told from Subaru’s perspective, while the second half is told from Haru’s, giving viewers a good idea of the developing bond between humans and cats.
Subaru and Haru are still grieving the sudden loss of their own families, but they are able to find comfort in each other and the many friends they make along the way. At its core, it’s a heartwarming series about learning to cry properly and opening up to new experiences and companionship.
My Roommate Is a Cat is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Funimation.
Poco’s Udon World is a heartwarming story of single parents
After returning to his hometown to attend his father’s funeral, Souta encounters a seemingly homeless boy, who turns out to be not human, but a tanuki. After offering him a place to stay, the titular Poco becomes very fond of Souta, who fits comfortably into the role of father figure to the young tanuki.
Poco’s Udon World follows the ups and downs of Souta’s journey into adulthood and single parenthood, framing it in a surprisingly believable way despite Poco’s supernatural origins. Oh, and there’s also the udon. Lots and lots of lovingly animated and delicious looking udon.
Poco’s Udon World is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
You and Me (Kimi to Boku) is a classic young adulthood experience
You and me follows a group of childhood friends: good-natured Shun, serious Kaname, and laid-back twins Yuki and Yuta. They are later joined by the hyperactive Chizuru, a half-German, half-Japanese transfer student who manages to fit in perfectly with the established group of old friends.
The five of them spend the rest of their high school lives falling in love, arguing, and joking with each other. It is the very essence of youth at its peak, right on the cusp between young adulthood and real adulthood. It’s a slow-paced coming-of-age story where not much really happens, just kids being kids in the healthiest way imaginable.
You and Me is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Tanaka-kun is always listless
The titular Tanaka is a very lazy boy whose main goal in life is to exert as little effort as possible. He has been lucky enough to become best friends with the nicest boy in school, Oota, who is the opposite of him in almost every way. Where Tanaka is weak and listless, Oota is strong and motivated. They somehow work well as a contrasting duo and form a unique set of leads.
They are joined by Miyano, an excitable girl who idolizes Tanaka, her best friend Echizen, a delinquent with a hidden heart of gold, and Shiraishi, the seemingly perfect class representative. Each episode follows Tanaka and her friends as they navigate school life as Tanaka avoids as much work as possible and her friends somehow manage. Ultimately, not much happens, and Tanaka wouldn’t have it any other way.
Tanaka-kun Is Always Listless is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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