There are some things on earth that can melt the iciest of hearts and relax the brain. Everybody has something to pick them up after a long day. To some, it’s anime. Here’s a list of shows to watch if you want to turn off your brains and enjoy some unadulterated cuteness.
School Babysitters
Reminding the whole world how cute babies can be, School Babysitters brings the cutest and most wholesome moments along with some life lessons. It somehow makes you forget all the problems in the world and crack a smile. P.S. I officially have diabetes after watching this.
School or Gakuen Babysitters was aired in 2018, animated by studio Brain’s Base, and adapted from the manga by Hari Tokeino.
Shinryaku! Ika Musume (The Squid Girl)
Moving on to the sea life, we find ourselves a Squid Girl trying to annihilate humanity for polluting the sea. Though her intention is justifiable, she learns to appreciate little things about human life with her wonderous and curious nature. Things that we may find petty and take for granted, there are little beauties everywhere that we see through the airheaded squid girl. This show is cute without trying too hard to be cute like most other shows. Just the general come & going and a mundane slice of life is enough to relax a mind.
2 seasons and 3 OVAs were made by the studio Diomedéa, adapted from the manga by Masahiro Anbe.
Laid-Back Camp
Anime reminds us again to go out and see the world in Laid-Back Camp. Cute girls actually doing something worthwhile other than being cute in the cold of winter can warm up the heart. The vast scenery of Mount Fuji, relaxing sound and storytelling-like narration might make you take a break from life and live with nature. Sometimes we forget that there’s more to life than living like a machine and things we can enjoy like real humans.
2 seasons and some OVAs of Yuru Camp have come out and a movie is on the way. It’s animated by C-Station from the manga written by Afro.
Non Non Biyori
Now we are in the countryside, we see the slices of the life of some girls in different grades who attend in the same class. Cut from the rest of the world, we get to enjoy the calm and surreal country life. Reminds us again that we do not need everything to live a happy life. We just have to be content with what we get. Whatever life gets us, we make the best of it.
3 seasons, 3 OVAs & a movie of Non Non Biyori came out, animated by studio Silver Link, adapted from the manga by Atto.
Wagnaria!!
Back to the city life again, we find ourselves in the lovable workplace of Wagnaria. The staff in this family restaurant go through some hilarious events everyday with each of them having their issues. I have a post about this anime from a while back where I have explained a bit about it. It’s a comedy drama. The daily occurrences, lighthearted comedy, and a dash of cuteness can ease up the headache a bit.
4 seasons of Wagnaria or Working have come out, animated by studio A-1 Pictures, adapted from 4-koma manga by Karino Takatsu.
Kuma Miko (Girl Meets Bear)
Speaking of city life, what happens when a rural shrine maiden is trying to enter highschool in the city? For her, she has a lot of obstacles put up by the elders and the literal bear guardian that can talk. But she refuses to give up & tries her best to convince them to let her go to the city. Along the way, see some cute and wholesome moments in the simple life of rural mountains. This has more of a laid-back pace & vibe than Wagnaria and that is okay.
12 episodes & 2 OVAs of Kuma Miko have come out, animated by studio Kinema Citrus, adapted from manga by Masume Yoshimoto.
Little Witch Academia
We now take our turn to school life where things get a bit serious. We finally set for an adventure with cute witches learning magic in this modern time. Is magic obsolete in the technological era or is it useful and amazing as the stories say? Such is a struggle for our main character, Akko. But besides that, there is the struggle of self-improvement, discovery & proving one’s worth. The art has a fluid & wobbly feeling to it that’s easier for the eyes and emphasizes cuteness. The animation is great too with interesting sound design. There’s more to find out in one of the greatest anime of the 2010s.
2 short anime films came out before the main season in 2013 and 2017’s anime has 25 episodes. They were animated by studio Trigger.
Tamako Market
Why don’t we now take our trip to one of the nicest places on earth of Usagiyama Shopping District. Here, we follow the airheaded protagonist, Tamako Kitashirakawa in her adventure of mochi making & experiencing many things a teenager would. Participating in school club activities, contributing to the shopping district, helping her little sister, & experiencing love for the first time. This show always has a fuzzy warm feeling to it, mainly because of the voice acting & the visuals. The simple life of the residents with playfulness everyday always feels comforting. And it’s not just cute & all, it has story elements that are given much attention. Even the side characters get the limelight often. Did I mention there is a Kanna-chan here?!
12 episodes were aired in 2013 & a movie sequel came out in 2014 by the name of “Tamako Love Story” and was animated by Kyoto Animation.
Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions
Again in the cuteness department, we find this. The main character with 8th-grade syndrome cures the world with cuteness. In a world where reality is harsh & cruel, they try to do their best and stay happy with the delusions they make up. It’s kind of like the movie “La La Land”. It’s all fun and cute but reality always catches on. Though that aspect is overshadowed by delusions most of the time, that moment of realization hits differently. It’s most enjoyable when we indulge ourselves in our own little world, just like anime. Cute, innocent, happy-go-lucky, and full of adventures every day.
This anime is also animated by Kyoto Animation and has 2 seasons, 2 OVAs, 2 ONAs with 12 episodes, and 2 films.
K-On!
We are finally here, the purest form of cuteness, the one that paved the way for all the more shows we know today, K-On!. The word K-On comes from the Japanese word (軽音楽, keiongaku) meaning “Light Music” (according to google & wiki). It’s just cute girls doing cute things, a perfect show when you really want to turn off your brain. There isn’t anything complicated or conflicting, it’s all about having a good time.
This is another Kyoto Animation anime and has 2 seasons, 2 OVAs & a movie.
After Thought
There isn’t much to say. We all need some sweetness in our lives to ease the pain we go through everyday. And anime is just one part of that. If somebody says they don’t enjoy moe shows, then they are tyrants and should be put in jail because their hearts have crusted. Action & conflict isn’t always the way of storytelling, you know.
Thank you for reading. You all take care of yourselves now and stay tuned for the next post. Bye 👋.
