When Hana Ichinose was a third-year elementary school student, she fell ill the day before the high school entrance exams. As such, she was unable to take them and became a middle-schooler rounin or a person waiting one year to take the entrance tests again. One year later, Hana advances to a new high school where no one knows who she is. Hana is now able to start her high school life without anyone knowing her secret that she was a rounin.

Slow Start is a rather cute anime about a rounin, Hana, who is entering high school a year later than she should and making friends with people that she feels too ashamed to tell about her secret. Along the way, the friends will go on many adventures and have good times together. Slow Start is rather enjoyable but let’s just be honest here, there is nothing new about this anime from many other slice of life anime with all girl casts. You could compare this to anime like Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka? which has a similar cast of characters and really no plot at all. All the same, that doesn’t take away from Slow Start as a rather cute anime that fits perfectly well in the iyashikei genre. It’s a rather relaxing anime to watch and while it may not have a plot, that’s what we love most about it. Slow Start doesn’t break out of the usual iyashikei slice of life mold in any way possible, but don’t let that convince you that this is a terrible anime. It’s enjoyable and it’s all I need from a slice of life.