Cozy "Slice-of-life" Manga: Part One - for Winter

In my long history of reading manga, I’ve read many “slice-of-life” series with a huge variety of different themes. So much so that it was hard at times to see these stories as “slice-of-life” since a lot of them do not reflect a normal picture of life. Nevertheless, I’ve read so many that I’ve developed categories of types of slice-of-life manga with some really great hits. In this article, we’re focusing on five different manga from my personal categories of comedy and sweetness. This list is curated for winter to help give those experiencing seasonal depression and general winter blues some laughs and smiles.

The Way of the Househusband

By Kouskue Oono

Summary: “Huge on laughs & fantastic art”

As a personal huge fan of yakuza-themed manga, I already expected some form of brilliance just from the subject. What I got was infinitely better as we were met with an ex-yakuza-made househusband, Tatsu, who takes his new job VERY seriously. The daily household tasks we are all too familiar with are redone with a sharp and edgy flare as Tatsu adjusts to his life as a househusband with ease. However, his past is always lurking in the shadows tempting him to break away from his currently harmless life. This adds a very comedic element of yakuza vs stay-at-home-husband with the yakuza side almost always losing. In addition, the art is top tier which only enhances the experience, especially in the most hilarious moments.

Nichijou

By Keiichi Arai

Summary: “Lots of wtf moments that just crack you up”

In the town of Tokisadame we follow the lives of random townsfolk as they go about their regular routines with the most outrageously random twists. Our main characters are a group of young female students and a robot in not-so-obvious hiding, and their friendship with each other. This includes a bunch of wild stories that occur with various side characters. Honestly, it’s mostly nonsense without a plot and that’s the best part. There is an anime adaption that follows the manga fairly closely which is great for long-time readers or new fans who want to watch something super funny and lighthearted.

Wonder Cat Kyuu-chan

By Sasami Nitori

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A Man and His Cat

By Umi Sakurai

Summary: “Both are a combination of ‘awwwww’ and *sweet gentle smile* moments”

While Wonder Cat Kyuu-chan leans more towards humor and A Man and His Cat leans more on the tender feelings vibe, both portray a story of a man (one young and one old) and their pet cats. If you are a cat lover like me, these stories both contain tender and funny moments with pets that just eat at your heart. Wonder Cat Kyuu-Chan is drawn simply in four to five panel short stories whereas A Man and His Cat follows the standard manga style with more detailed art. Whatever you choose, you won’t be disappointed and just like these two men, you’ll simply fall for their cats. You may even fall for these adorable men as well.

Navillera: Like a Butterfly

By Choe Jong Hun

Summary: “Sweet old man, grumpy young man, a tough start leads to understanding and the sweetest friendship”

If adorable old people are your weakness like me, then this series is for you. An elderly man by the name of Deok-Chul Shim decides to pursue his forgotten lifelong dream of learning ballet. His new dream is not kindly received by his family but nevertheless, he dives right in. He meets his young instructor, Chae-rok who is on the verge of quitting ballet forever. The most endearing relationship builds as the two learn about each other and strive toward their own separate dreams together. Not only do we have this wonderful full-color manhwa, but there is now a 12-episode Korean drama based on it that I simply cannot wait to watch. Seeing the development between Deok-Chul and Chae-rok will make you laugh, and perhaps, even cry, as they show us the beauty of following your dreams.

Edited by Lindsey Huddleston and Rochele King.