The slice-of-life anime genre explores a variety of emotional constructs and comforts through a process of the deconstruction of reality. The characters in these anime shows share problems that are relatable to the audience. While we explore the top 10 underrated characters in slice-of-life anime in this article, we will also navigate through a series of personalities who stand out from the rest and remain unknown and unremembered, but the values and lessons they shared shall remain within our hearts forever.
Top 10 underrated characters in Slice-of-Life anime
10. Homare Koiwai from Recovery of an MMO Junkie
Homare Koiwai is often regarded as one of the softest side characters in slice-of-life anime. He is undoubtedly the best wingman in this genre, or any other for that matter. Upon seeing his friend Yuta Sakurai in a frustratingly agonizing situation over an online relationship, Homare Koiwai decides to bring together Sakurai with his crush Moriko Morioka.
Homare is the perfect example of a best friend in need, who often involves himself with the affairs of others but ends up doing good nonetheless. While Homare Koiwai is not the protagonist, he remains one of the most lovable characters of this slice-of-life anime.
9. Takashi Morinozuka from Ouran High School Host Club
Takashi is the silent hero in the franchise, who lacks his panache but is as flashy as his friends. Takashi takes his duties seriously and is one of the most gallant members of the Host Club. He is also undoubtedly the most selfless, but his actions are often overlooked in the narrative as they favor the main characters at best.
8. Kabae from Aggretsuko
Kabae is a needle in a haystack, a standalone in a sea of comedy. Out of all the funny characters in the slice-of-life anime, Aggretsuko, Kabae easily stands ahead and alone. Kabae is sensitive, hardworking, and has a knack for gossip. While it seems, and many understand it, as interference, Kabae is always the helping hand that everyone holds on to. She is a leader in life, love, and relationships and has helped people more than they could appreciate or realize, making her the perfect candidate for one of the top 10 underrated characters in slice-of-life anime.
7. Tamako Inada from Silver Spoon
Tamako is an extremely knowledgeable and hardworking character in Silver Spoon. She knows the hits and blows of the agricultural industry and works without any excuse or concern. Making her seem like a heartless character is an easy take on Tamako and an amateur one at best. She resonates with a hard-working woman who must face the odds of the industry to survive and must surpass their comments and results in order to sustain herself.
6. Tooru Ishikawa from Horimiya
Every romantic slice-of-life anime has a character who must be left heartbroken for the protagonist to sustain and flourish. Tooru Ishikawa is one of those unfortunate characters who has to give up on his love for Horimiya when Miyamura expresses his love for her first. He is the lover whose love remained unrequited, unheard, and unappreciated, but he remained a true friend of Horimiya through thick and thin.
5. Alan Stuart from My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!!
Alan is the typical twin who gets overshadowed by his other half. The compromise that characters like Alan have to make remains unspoken and often contributes to setting the narrative of the protagonist. Alan is obviously smarter than his twin Geordo but even his love for Catarina gets overshadowed by Geordo. He remains loyal to his true love and thus remains one of the top 10 underrated characters in slice-of-life anime.
4. Yun from Yuna of the Dawn
A character who must survive in the dangers and darkness of an unknown wilderness but doesn’t possess any physical prowess. How does he do it? Obviously, through reading books on the dangers and darkness of the unknown wilderness. Yun is one such character who knows how to survive in the wild is not a warrior but knows better, and isn’t a prodigal son of the forest but knows the entirety of it. He is brave, knowledgeable, and relatable for the likes of us who choose to remain in our world of anime and imagine the reality of the world as a fit for the same.
3. Ayame Sohma from Fruits Basket
Ayame is the flagbearer of hope and reconciliation and a very underrated slice-of-life anime character in Fruits Basket. Given his history with Yuki, his brother, and his urge to constantly engage in discussions of unsettling topics, Ayame is also the one who is open to change and forgiveness. His growth is often overlooked but he proudly accepts his transgressions and works towards fixing them. He might seem a little over the top when it comes to making things up with Yuki but his desire to reconcile and reestablish the brotherhood makes him a hopeful character.
2. Naruko Anjo from Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Naruko Anjo shares a unique take on Menma’s death in Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, a slice-of-life anime. While we see that It is Jinta Yadomi who constantly blames himself for the death of Menma, it is Naruko who lit the fire in Jinta’s life by letting her jealousy take over her senses. But as she grows up, she feels guilty and has mixed feelings regarding her actions.
The character of Naruko is very real and understandable. While it might seem infuriating and irritating at first, she is the epitome of true human emotions and she embraces her good and bad side equally. She is a character who keeps room for change and growth and teaches us a lesson to learn from our own selves and not from the affairs and issues of others.
1. Makoto Sunakawa from My Love Story!!
Makoto Sunakawa is the typical best friend turned wingman who is ready to compromise everything for his buddy. All he desires is to see his best friend Takeo Gouda happy and respects Takeo for his personality and innate humanness. While the protagonists are Takeo and his girlfriend Rinko, Sunakawa is the one in the shadows who keeps their relationship going. Sunakawa is often selfless and a listener of the highest order, making him the most inspirational underrated character on our list.
Conclusion
The characters in slice-of-life anime are often overshadowed by larger forces at play. Most of the side characters are often forgotten and left aside. This makes the narrative very gray and grainy. In our top 10 underrated characters in the slice-of-life anime list, we explored characters who were defeated in their popularity but remained unhinged from their purpose. It showcases the true spirit of friendship, love, humanity and hope