Series-watching has always been the best form of escapism. No matter what is happening in your life, putting on a drama show will provide at least a couple of hours of stress-free binge-watching. If you’re looking for escapism, content with intricate plot twists and heavy-handed topics probably isn’t the type to watch. Often, we require something light-hearted that we could watch with zero thoughts in our minds. Luckily, we have compiled a list of low-stakes anime you could manage without putting too much thought into it!
1. Saezuru Doubutsu Wa Yarushikanai!
Saezuru Doubutsu Wa Yarushikanai! was released as a promotional companion for the 2020 film “Twittering Birds Never Fly- The Clouds Gather.” The original anime depicts a romance between a yakuza boss and his masochist bodyguard. This short anime reimagines the characters as adorable dogs and cats. This fluffy and supercute series certainly takes a complete 180° from the OG anime, which is racy and intense and, at times, overtly sexual. The run time of each episode is less than a minute, precisely 50 seconds, making this short anime perfect for a super quick binge-watch.
2. Horimiya
Romance dramas and movies often utilize plot devices to further the plot, be it miscommunication, third-act breakups, or petty squabbles. Most of these are seen as fillers, which are unnecessary and take away from the fun of the romance aspect. But that isn’t the case with Horimiya, an opposite-attracts romance anime. The plot revolves around an academically bright girl and her loner, quiet classmate as friendship develops between them, and eventually love. It is a fast-paced and wholesome series with many clichéd romance scenes.
3. Bananya
The animation style of this anime screams “Kawaii.” It tells the story of an adorable white cat who lives inside, you guessed it, a banana. The carefree cat-fruit hybrid, named Bananya, dreams of soaking in gooey warm chocolate, like in a banana split. Until his dreams come true, he lives happily with his fellow cat-fruit friends. Other than Bananya, the series also features other equally adorable characters like long-haired Bananya and baby Bananya, who have a charm of their own. While this series is categorized as a children’s show, nobody would judge you for indulging a bit in this endearing series.
4. Restaurant In Another World
Restaurant Neyoko, famous for its Western cuisine with a Japanese twist, isn’t your regular run-on-the-mill eatery. While also catering to regular human clientele, Neyoko also hosts those creatures who dwell in other worlds. Dragons, faeries, elves, and other unworldly creatures knock on the restaurant doors every weekend, on which it is closed for the human world. Neyoko’s chef “Master,” caters to the customers, humans or others, at the best of his capacity and is always a warm host. The eatery situated in a tiny corner of Japan’s shopping district is a place where relationships are made, inspiration is found, and salvation is given. Restaurant In Another World is the best drama to watch when you want to watch a fantasy drama without putting too much thought into it.
5. Ristorante Paradiso
If the previous item in this list, Restaurant In Another World, intrigued you, then we have another low-stakes anime that is similar to it for you. Animated by David Production and based on the manga series by Natsume Ono, Ristorante Paradiso is a gourmet slash romance anime that caters to the middle-aged demographic. Nicolett was abandoned by her mother Ogla as a little girl. Traveling to Italy to confront her mother, she stumbles onto a restaurant called Casetta dell'Orso where all the staff are middle-aged men who don glasses. Ristorante Paradiso is the type of anime you watch with a glass of wine and zero thoughts in your mind.
6. Wei, Kanjian Erduo La!
Wei, Kanjian Erduo La! is a slice-of-life anime about a guy and his catboy roommate. Dashu is an orphan who works as a manga creator. His life is monotonous and filled with boredom, but things turn when he meets a boy named Miyou, who has cat-like ears. As his eccentric roommate gets himself into little trifles, Dashu experiences warmth in his life for the first time. Translating to “Look I Can See Your Ears” in English, Wei, Kanjian Erduo La! is a wholesome, LGBTQ-friendly anime. The series is filled with plenty of sweet moments and little adventures.
7. Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san
Everyone deserves a good laugh occasionally, and Honda-san is just the drama to watch for jovial comedy. While the title itself may offer some information on this anime’s plot, here’s a little blurb anyway: Honda is a skeleton who works as a bookseller in Tokyo. His life consists of adjusting to the peculiarities and problems of the book publishing industry and helping the store’s customers. Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san is about a skeleton who goes about his life selling books; animes really don’t go any low stakes further than this.
8. Merman In My Tub
Tatsumi is a high school student who lives alone. Something strange occurs one night when he is taking a bath, a handsome merman appears in his bathtub! The merman, who calls himself Wakasa, claims he comes from the sea. Stuck into a less-than-pleasant living situation with a merman who plopped in his bath, Tatsumi must resign to a life together. Tatsumi and Wakasa are counterparts of each other; while the former is prying but composed, the latter is conceited and chaotic. Once in a while, the duo is visited by Wakasa’s sea-dwelling friends, which adds to the chaos in their lives. Each episode has a runtime of four minutes.
9. Life Lessons With Uramichi-oniisan
Admit it, once or twice; at any point, you must have pondered what went wrong with your life. That is the case of Uramichi-Oniisan, a 31-year-old gymnast. He works as a counselor on a children’s show called “Together With Maman,” where he teaches the children about the way of life, but he can’t help but let out some truth about the bleak and harsh reality of the real world. While the plot seems deary, much fun ensues as Uramichi tries to educate preschoolers about adulthood. Life Lessons With Uramichi-oniisan contains a lot of millennials-based dry humor and angst, which may appeal to that specific age group.
10. Nichijou
Nichijou is a 2007 anime series based on the manga series of the same name written by Keiichi Arawi. Featuring the setting of an archetypal suburban Japanese town named Tokisamadame, the anime tells the story of five friends navigating through casual and quirky situations. The show is lauded for its comedy and visually appealing art style and is the best drama to watch if you’re a newbie hoping to break into the anime-watching sphere.
