Yuzaki Nasa, named so because his father wanted him to grow up and become a big deal like the cosmos, is determined to leave a significant mark on the world. He ranked first in the national mock exam and if things go according to plan, he will go to an elite high school, elite university and lead an elite life. One night, on his way home from cram school, Nasa sees the most beautiful girl he has ever laid eyes on. Nasa decides that he needs to talk to her.

However, he does not notice the oncoming truck en route to ploughing through him. Luckily, he is saved from certain death when Tsukasa – the beautiful girl he noticed – gets in between Nasa and the truck. She calls an ambulance and leaves without so much as giving him her name, but a determined Nasa stands up on his broken legs and follows her, adamant to ask her out. She accepts, but on one condition: he must marry her!

We have seen the instant marriage trope in anime quite a few times; however, TONIKAWA is an especially good iteration. With a cute, simplistic art style and cute characters to match, TONIKAWA is a light and funny romantic slice of life that has stood out this season. Watching the relationship develop between two romantically involved strangers is never without its fair share of drama, though! The dramatic and overstated first meeting between our main characters Nasa and Tsukasa is particularly funny despite the seriousness of the situation in context. It is weird to think about the mysterious situation regarding Tsukasa’s home situation and her past; however, TONIKAWA is rather unserious overall and that element is what has helped the series soar this Fall!

Adachi Sakura and Shimamura Hougetsu enjoy a blossoming friendship after their initial meeting on the second floor of the school gym. They found each other to be kindred spirits as the gym was where they would both go to skip class. They would bond over games of ping pong and conversations about TV, but one night, things get a bit confusing for Adachi when she dreams of herself and Shimamura kissing. Adachi keeps trying to convince herself that it is not a big deal, because she and Shimamura do not have a romantic relationship; but at the same time… Adachi wants to become very important to Shimamura.

Adachi and Shimamura is one of the best-looking anime out this season. Visually striking with brilliant colours and character designs, the beautiful artistic element serves as the perfect conduit for the rather intense story about friendship and love. The relationship between the titular characters is quite relatable in how randomly it began; however, Adachi and Shimamura does well to show how relationships that began on a whim can become incredibly important to us.

Narukami Youta spends his last summer as a high schooler preparing for his final exams when a young girl named Hina appears before him, claiming to be the “God of Omniscience”, further calling herself Odin. He does not believe her at first; however, after witnessing Hina’s predictive abilities for himself, Youta becomes a believer. Hina gives Youta an incredibly harrowing prediction: the world will end in 30 days. For some reason, Hina decides to stay at Youta’s house during this final summer before the world ends.

The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi highly popularized the god-complex manic pixie dream girl trope in anime. While no other series has managed to do it quite like that, The Day I Became a God is a hilariously stunning slice of life with interesting characters and a commitment to banter! The show gets to the point at breakneck speed, which is welcome because that means that there are plenty laughs from the jump. Of all the slice of life titles on this list, The Day I Became a God is by far the funniest!

Since her childhood, Elaina has wanted to go on a great adventure after reading stories about the famous witch, Nike. She pledges to follow in Nike’s footsteps and becomes a witch after many trials and tribulations. Now that she is a full-on witch, she heads out to experience the world in its entirety, excited for every single adventure!

Nothing like a good story about a journey. Wandering Witch is an aesthetically pleasing feel-good story about a young woman who wants to be like the heroes from her favourite books. Wandering Witch is incredibly gorgeous visually, but the characters and story make a very striking impression too! The protagonist is given main character status via her brilliance, having passed the sorcery examinations at a young 14 years of age! Despite the slice of life elements, the story has vivid bursts of magical combat that could even rival the fight sequences of popular action titles!

Takebayashi Ryouma dies peacefully in his sleep after living a rough 39 years. Three gods take pity on him and reincarnate him in a magical realm where his only mission is to enjoy life and have fun. Arriving as an 8-year-old, Ryouma lives a hermit lifestyle in which he has learned to tame various kinds of slime. Having been granted various magical and physical abilities, Ryouma is a capable tamer. One day, he stumbles upon a skittish group of adventurers who are trying to tend to their injured friend. He heals the injured adventurer, and they head on their merry way. One of them belongs to the Jamil family of tamers, so he and his group return with members of the Jamil family, including the youngest daughter, Eliaria, who has set her sights on taming her first-ever slime.

Isekai is a genre that has exploded into an almost ridiculous number of permutations and variations. In recent years, we have had a few isekai child protagonists: Tanya Degurechauff, Rimuru Tempest, and now, Takebayashi Ryouma. However, of that consort, Ryouma’s story is set up to be by all accounts, a much happier affair. In true isekai fashion, Ryouma’s death was totally ridiculous, but that illustrates the show’s pleasant and comedic vibe. By the Grace of the Gods is yet another isekai slice of life with pretty colours and a calm storyline, indicative of a movement towards lighter shows within the genre. If you are looking for something that is very calmly paced, By the Grace of the Gods is perfect for casual viewing.