One sub-genre I personally really enjoy is slice-of-life, which is exactly what it sounds like: just a peek into everyday lives, no huge overarching conflict or three-act structure necessary. (If you’re interested in a deeper dive on non-western story structure, you can see my post on kishōtenketsu). I’m notoriously terrible at keeping track of what’s going on in denser stories, so I love the quiet atmosphere and leisurely pace of slice-of-life that allows me more freedom to pop in and out without the need to remember every little detail. Even within slice-of-life, there’s quite a wide array of types of stories available, but for the purposes of this list, we’ll be focusing on slice-of-life romances. I feel like the lines can get a little blurred here because, obviously, romances do have an overarching throughline. But I see these slice-of-life romance manga as windows into our characters’ entire lives, showing us their daily experiences at school/work, with friends, as well as in their romantic pursuits. So get ready for some gentle feels and enjoy this selection of slice-of-life romance manga!
Slice-of-Life Romance Manga
For even more recommendations within these sub-genres, be sure to check out our list of must-read romance manga and this list of the best slice-of-life manga!
