Here at Recommend Me Anime, we don’t do manga series in our recommendations, just anime. However, that doesn’t mean that anime fans don’t also like to lie in bed and read a few good chapters of manga every now and then.
And besides, where do many good anime series come from in the first place – The pages of manga.
If you want to read some good slice of life manga, and want to be someone who can potentially say you enjoyed a good series before it was all cool and animated, then check out these great slice of life manga recommendations that don’t have anime adaptations – yet.
Best Slice of Life Manga With No Anime
Hirayasumi
Hiroto Ikuta is an aimless, but friendly 29-year-old that spends his time outside of working his part–time job chatting with the locals around his town of Asagaya.
He is particularly fond of chatting with a grumpy, yet surprisingly kind elderly woman he called Granny. However, his time with her is cut short after she suddenly passes away.
Surprisingly, as she had no other family she left her house to Hiroto who is later joined by his cousin Natsumi that comes to live with him while she attends art school. Together, they struggle through their averagely mundane lives.
A Man & His Cat
A cat at a local pet shop has been waiting for someone to adopt him. He grew up in his cage and cleverly avoided potential owners that he found not cute enough or too snotty.
However, one day an elderly man named Kanda comes into the shop and chooses him. After his wife passed away and his grown up children abandoned him, he seeks the companionship of a pet. Together, Kanda and the newly named Fukumaru enjoy the joys of living a life together.
Goodnight Punpun
This is the tale of Onodera Punpun, a young Japanese boy that is growing up. However, while it shows him in four stages of his life, this is no happy tale.
It rips the mask off your happy slice of life fairy tale adolescence.
Yotsubato
Yotsuba is a five-year-old that is fully of energy, thirsty for adventure, and unforgettably odd.
Even ordinary experiences for her become an adventure and this spirit is contagious to those around her.
Solanin
After college, Meiko did the normal thing and went right to work as an office lady. Unfortunately, she felt like there should be more to life.
Determined to find out, she quits her job.
A Girl on the Shore
In a seaside town where nothing ever happens, Koume has her heart broken by her crush. She then proposes a friends with benefits situations with her friend Kiesuke, a boy she has previously shot down.
Unfortunately, this relationship quickly becomes complicated when real feelings come into play.
I am Here
Seemingly invisible to her classmates, Hikage has no self esteem and her only friends are commenters on her blog.
However, one day the most popular boy in her grade starts talking to her and inspires her to change her life.
My Wife is Wagatsuma-san
One day for no reason, second year student Hitoshi wakes up ten years in the future and discovers he married the prettiest girl in his school.
Now, he must learn how to be a husband as well as unravel what just happened.
My Girl
23 year old Kazama Masamune recently lost his lover. One day soon after, he meets a little girl in front of his work that turns out to be his daughter that she raised in secret from him.
Life
Struggling with studying for her high school entrance exam, Ayumu asks for help from her friend. Unfortunately, their friendship breaks down when she actually gets a better score than her friend.
The loss of the friendship is so painful that she decides to get a fresh start at a new high school, but will her new friends give her what she needs or cause her to spiral deeper?
Ojojojo
Haru comes from a rich family who is famous everywhere she goes. Combine this with her arrogant attitude and she has a hard time making friends at school.
After constantly transferring, trying to find a place to fit in, she may have found success with her quiet, oddly dressed, and also socially awkward new classmate, Tsurezure.
Flat
Heisuke is your typical selfish teen that just wants to focus on his hobby of making sweets. Unfortunately, he is shouldered with looking after his cousin, Aki.
Quiet and reserved, Aki isn’t really a handful, but the two cousins find themselves bonding and learning more from each other.
Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You
The only thing that gets Sasaki through the day at his soul-sucking job is the smile of Yamada, a woman that works at the 24-hour supermarket he frequents.
One day while looking to have his soul healed by the cashier Yamada, he finds that her shift is already over. Searching for a place to smoke, he ends up smoking with a bold and playful employee named Tayama who quickly calls him out over his vested interest in Yamada that has not gone unnoticed.
Now, Sasaki not only visits the supermarket to see Yamada, but to spend more time out back smoking with the increasingly mischievous Tayama.
Mixed Vegetables
Hanayu comes from a patisserie family, but wants to be a sushi chef. Hayato comes from a sushi restaurant, but wants to make sweets.
Can these two star-crossed friends find success in the careers of their dreams?
More Manga Recommendations
There are literally thousands of more slice of life manga series out there that haven’t been animated yet. Do you have any more manga recommendations? Let slice of life manga fans know in the comments section below.
