Four Low-Key Anime For Times You Just Want Anime and Chill

Have you ever been having a calm day and decided to turn on some anime, just to realize that everything you tried was either too exciting or too dramatic? Even if it’s really good, sometimes the popular action or romance-packed anime is just not what we’re looking for, especially if we’re just trying to have a chill day at home. Ghibli movies are always a solid go-to for these days, but sometimes you want something new without the energy blowing you away. If you’ve been in this predicament before, then I’ve got some anime for you! Tried and tested by yours truly to ensure calm pacing and tranquil energy. I’m not saying nothing happens - these are all anime that kept me watching - but it all happens in such a way that you don’t jump in your seat or get slapped in the face with explosions or giant misunderstandings.

Tanaka-kun is Always Listless

This is a cute anime that follows the life of a teenage boy, Tanaka-kun, whose goal in life is to be generally relaxed. If he could nap 90% of his life away, he’d be happy (wouldn’t we all, though). Of course, he lives in the “real” world and things happen like meeting new people, doing homework, and receiving holiday gifts. Would he miss out on those if he could? Yes. Do they interrupt his preferred listless lifestyle? Yes. But they keep you entertained while still keeping that wonderful quiet energy of the anime intact. This is an all-around enjoyable story that also has perfect sound effects of calm breezes and leaves rustling in trees.

The Morose Mononokean

This anime begins with a demon possession and having to work off a debt! Sound too exciting for you? Don’t worry, the pacing and stakes in this show are incredibly chill. The “demon” possessing our protagonist Ashiya just makes him extremely anemic. He’s also super fluffy and kind of lonely and really takes a liking to Ashiya. Abeno-san is our other main protagonist, and the Master of the Mononokean, a kind of embodied portal. Abeno and Ashiya work together to send spirits to the underworld. Along the way they make friends and meet obstacles, but the general feel of the entire show is quite low-stakes. Perfect for a day off!

Natsume Yujin-Cho (or Natume’s Book of Friends)

The main character, Natsume, is a teenager who’s been able to see spirits since he was very young. When his grandmother died, she left him her Book of Friends which is a book of names of spirits who she basically bullied into submission. The anime follows Natsume as he tries to navigate his rather odd life as a high school student who is followed constantly by spirits either looking for their names back or for help. As Natsume gives names back to spirits, we also get to learn more about his grandmother, Reiko, and her own heavy-handed (though not malicious) ways of dealing with spirits. There are, I believe, six seasons so if this is something you enjoy you can do so for quite some time.

Yotsuiro Biyori

Yotsuiro Biyori is about a cafe called Rokuhoudou and daily life of the four men who run it. Not only does the anime have the feel you’re looking for, the people within the anime are striving for that feel in their cafe (meta, I know). They even have a chonky, lazy cat who lives there! I definitely have days where I want to be a chonky cat who lives at a calm cafe and I’m sure you do, too. It’s just a nice, relaxing anime to watch about four men who run a nice, relaxing cafe. As a bonus, you get to see some yummy looking food and pastries, as well as the attempted latte art by the lovable barista.

The anime above aren’t in any particular order (though I will admit that Tanaka-kun is first because it’s what inspired me to make this list) and I recommend all of them equally. Please check them out and enjoy on a quiet weekend or rainy day, maybe with a nice cup of tea!