Best Healing Iyashikei Anime

Like most entertainment mediums, anime can elicit a wide spectrum of emotions and reactions. Aching for a scare? Then watch Shiki or Another. In need of a good laugh? Gintama, Asobi Asobase, and Azumanga Daioh exist. Feel like a cry? Your Lie in April and Clannad Afterstory should be able to help. There is an anime for every circumstance, but what about when someone just wants to feel at peace?

Well, that's where iyashikei comes in. Known as healing anime, these movies and shows are typically slice-of-life stories with calming content and plenty of depictions of nature. Stripped of any significant tension or outlandish comedy, the best iyashikei anime nourish the heart and mind.

Updated January 8, 2025, by Mark Sammut: Glancing at the Winter 2025 anime lineup, iyashikei stories do not seem to be that present. That said, Okitsura and Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! Should be decent options since they revolve around characters exploring Japanese culture. If does two shows do not hit the mark, fans can check out some older iyashikei anime.

21 Mr. Villain's Day Off

Not Every Day Can Be About Taking Over The World

Mr. Villain's Day Off has an inspired premise for an iyashikei anime: A sentai baddie needs time off just like everybody else. Warumono-san is in charge of subjugating the Earth, a goal that is not easy to achieve due to some Japanese heroes. While he works hard for most of the week, Warumono always makes sure to dedicate one day to relaxation, which often involves walking among humans and going to a zoo to see the pandas.

Related

Best Sentai Anime Ranked

When a group of powerful comrades bands together to fight evil, a great Sentai anime is born.

Posts

By  Vedran Radić

While arguably not showing enough of the protagonist's work life to create a strong contrast with his rest periods, Mr. Villain's Day Off still works as a lighthearted series that does not take itself seriously. Warumono is pretty cool as well, with seemingly nothing fazing him.

20 Encouragement of Climb

A Slow But Rewarding Climb

Encouragement of Climb can fill a similar void as a few more popular slice of life anime, especially Laid-Back Camp. Both series focus on a group of girls who connect through a shared passion, with the protagonist being fairly new to the activity. In the case of Encouragement of Climb's Aoi, she used to love mountaineering when she was a child, only to turn against it due to a fear of heights. The anime chronicles her attempts to return to this hobby, following her inspirational journey.

While generally quite relaxing, Encouragement of Climb does not shy away from the challenges synonymous with taking on these types of hikes, and disappointment is part of the experience. Still, the characters are relentlessly likable, and they are aided by consistently great animation.

19 Today's Menu for the Emiya Family

Hey, Life Is Not Solely About Battles To The Death

Fate, in general, is about as far removed from iyashikei as a franchise gets; however, its popularity pretty much guaranteed the creation of a slice of life spin-off. Rather than battle royales, conflicting ideologies, and bloodbaths, Today's Menu for the Emiya Family simply follows Shirou as he showcases Japan's famous foods to beloved Fate characters, specifically focusing on the Fate/stay night cast.

While familiarity with the mainline entries is recommended, Today's Menu for the Emiya Family can still be enjoyed as an isolated experience, particularly for viewers craving an anime that focuses on food.

18 Tanaka-kun Is Always Listless

Tanaka Moves At His Own Relaxed Pace

Although most school comedies fall within slice of life territory, very few can be truly defined as iyashikei. In many ways, Tanaka-kun is Always Listless has most of the ingredients associated with something like The Daily Lives of High School Boys, particularly when it comes to its secondary characters. However, the anime sets itself apart in one key area: its protagonist. Tanaka-kun’s goal in life is to simply do nothing.

Related

10 Comedy Anime That Are Underrated

There's an abundance of great comedy anime out there like Naruto and One Piece, but these underrated ones tend to be forgotten.

Posts

By  Sarah Prado

He yearns to sleep in class, prefers to not walk unless necessary, and avoids drama at all costs. More importantly, he pursues this dream with everything he has. Tanaka-kun’s personality echoes throughout the show, to the point that even the art style has a vibrancy reminiscent of nature despite the fact the anime takes place within an urban environment.

17 Anima Yell!

An Uplifting & Tension-Free Sports Anime

Sports anime are not great candidates for iyashikei since there is usually a competitive element to their stories. Anima Yell! Is the exception as it centers around a cheerleader club whose main priority is to spread good vibes and make a few friends along the way.

While there is a tournament towards the end of the season, it isn't treated like the be-all and end-all. For those looking for a relaxing sports anime, Anima Yell! Should not be missed.

16 Tonikawa: Over The Moon For You

A Wholesome Marriage

Known as the romance anime that starts with its couple getting married, Tonikawa's reputation can be a touch misleading since Nasa and Tsukasa are essentially strangers when they tie the knot. Consequently, their relationship moves at a very slow pace since they are still getting to know each other. Still, due to their circumstances, their dynamic develops quite a bit, and they spend time with each other doing fairly mundane everyday things.

Related

10 Best Romance Anime With No Love Triangles

Fans who are tired of retreading the old familiar love triangle cliches may want to give the following romance anime a shot.

Posts

By  Gauri Raj

Going by the currently adapted content, Tonikawa is a (mostly) carefree slice of life story revolving around two incredibly likable characters who are adorable together. Tsukasa tends to steal the limelight with her sharp wit, but Nasa is also a shining light and one of the best male leads in the romance anime genre. Tonikawa is pure wholesome fluff.

15 Teasing Master Takagi-san

Cute Teasing & Character Development

Teasing Master Takagi-san is about two middle school students who engage in a seemingly endless (and harmless) war, with one side of the battlefield generally winning most of the conflicts. These challenges are presented as short skits, and while the pranks do drive the story to an extent, the anime is essentially a slow-burning romance featuring two charming and innocent characters.

Even though Takagi knows exactly what to do and say to push Nishikata's buttons, her teasing is never mean-spirited or aggressive, which makes the series a pleasant watch rather than a potentially uncomfortable one. Teasing Master Takagi-san also gets better with each new cour, although the anime can be frustrating to watch since the three seasons are on different streaming platforms.

14 School Babysitters

Family Bonds & Friendship

School Babysitters is the definition of cute and wholesome. Except for the main brothers' depressing backstory, the anime mostly revolves around a school's daycare that asks its students to take turns babysitting each other's young siblings. That generally covers each episode, and the season does not have an overarching story, which is standard practice for a slice of life iyashikei anime.

School Babysitters does a great job of defining its characters' personalities, ensuring they are unique enough to allow for fun dynamics to flourish between them. Even the babies are personable and have more to offer than just naturally adorable designs. The anime touches upon themes of family, friendship, and responsibility, all the while maintaining a light and relaxing tone.

13 Aria The Animation

A Scenic Journey Through A Beautiful City

A classic series that is still ongoing, Aria the Animation takes place on a distant planet that also feels somewhat familiar. Clearly inspired by Venice, Aria is set on Mars and follows a group of women who serve as gondoliers.

Related

15 Slice Of Life Anime Series That Are Underrated

There are plenty of great anime in the slice of life genre, but for some reason these always get overlooked. These are some series that need more love

Posts

Slow-paced and splendidly animated, Aria warmly guides viewers through its lovely scenery while touching upon the lives of its strong cast of characters. The music is also fantastic, perfectly complementing the anime's visuals and carefree mood.

12 Girls’ Last Tour

A Healing Anime Set After The End Of The World

Iyashikei is about tone, not setting. Sure, it makes sense to set this type of story in a small village deep in the mountains; however, there is nothing that forbids the subgenre from going all post-apocalyptic. Girls' Last Tour presents an utterly devastated world set after the collapse of civilization, and it follows two girls named Yuuri and Chito.

Humanity may lie in ruin but that doesn't mean Girls' Last Tour's protagonists cannot choose to live. Following the everyday lives of Yuuri and Chito, the anime is oddly uplifting, sweet, and hopeful; it just happens to be set in a really grim climate.