Not every anime should be an action series, after all.
"Cute girls doing cute things," or CGDCT, is an actual genre of anime. While it’s not officially defined, the common consensus is that it includes anime that focus on a group of girls doing mundane things — these are usually watched for relaxation and simple enjoyment.
Think something like this can’t be interesting? These 5 series might change your mind!
K-On!
K-On! is arguably the series that kickstarted the boom of the genre. The initial premise is a group of girls starting a music band — but the series is not always about the music. It often just focuses on their daily lives in a high school club, showcasing their friendship and interactions with each other.
K-On! is made by Kyoto Animation — as such, its looks are downright gorgeous. But it’s also great even outside the visuals: despite the anime’s simple nature, there are many amazing emotional moments across the two seasons and a movie.
If K-On! was responsible for popularizing the CGDCT trend, then Azumanga Daioh: The Animation was the series that created the foundation of the genre.
A slice-of-life comedy about a group of high school girls, it combines the relaxed nature of its premise with some very bizarre humor. Sadly, we don’t see much of the latter in the later CGDCT works — but don’t sleep on this one, as it’s considered a classic for a reason.
Non Non Biyori shows the beauty of the Japanese countryside. It might seem like there’s absolutely nothing to do in a distant village where even mobile connection barely exists. That sentiment couldn’t be more wrong.
Non Non Biyori is a good example of a CGDCT series that doesn’t focus on a school club — or high schoolers in general. While the girls in the anime do go to school, the village they live in only has five students. And yes, this is the source of some jokes as well.
Bocchi the Rock! is a more modern take on a “girls start a band” premise. While this shouldn’t make you CGDCT series are often focused on music, Bocchi the Rock can’t really be omitted from the list due to how great it is.
The production values and music are top-notch — but the main drive behind the series is the realistic character writing. Almost every viewer can find a character they at least somewhat relate to. Perhaps that’s what made it so popular: not many CGDCT series actually become mainstream.
Lucky☆Star
Lucky☆Star is a staple of the 00s. It’s a comedy about otaku that is full of references — both to other anime from that era as well as series from the distant past. As such, it might be daunting to get into, and not many people will actually get all the jokes.
That said, you don’t really need to fully understand every small detail to enjoy Lucky Star. After all, it’s all about character interactions. And the references only get more interesting the more anime you watch: a rewatch every couple of years actually helps this anime a lot.
Not every anime should be an action series, after all.
"Cute girls doing cute things," or CGDCT, is an actual genre of anime. While it’s not officially defined, the common consensus is that it includes anime that focus on a group of girls doing mundane things — these are usually watched for relaxation and simple enjoyment.
Think something like this can’t be interesting? These 5 series might change your mind!
K-On!
K-On! is arguably the series that kickstarted the boom of the genre. The initial premise is a group of girls starting a music band — but the series is not always about the music. It often just focuses on their daily lives in a high school club, showcasing their friendship and interactions with each other.
K-On! is made by Kyoto Animation — as such, its looks are downright gorgeous. But it’s also great even outside the visuals: despite the anime’s simple nature, there are many amazing emotional moments across the two seasons and a movie.
If K-On! was responsible for popularizing the CGDCT trend, then Azumanga Daioh: The Animation was the series that created the foundation of the genre.
A slice-of-life comedy about a group of high school girls, it combines the relaxed nature of its premise with some very bizarre humor. Sadly, we don’t see much of the latter in the later CGDCT works — but don’t sleep on this one, as it’s considered a classic for a reason.
Non Non Biyori shows the beauty of the Japanese countryside. It might seem like there’s absolutely nothing to do in a distant village where even mobile connection barely exists. That sentiment couldn’t be more wrong.
Non Non Biyori is a good example of a CGDCT series that doesn’t focus on a school club — or high schoolers in general. While the girls in the anime do go to school, the village they live in only has five students. And yes, this is the source of some jokes as well.
Bocchi the Rock! is a more modern take on a “girls start a band” premise. While this shouldn’t make you CGDCT series are often focused on music, Bocchi the Rock can’t really be omitted from the list due to how great it is.
The production values and music are top-notch — but the main drive behind the series is the realistic character writing. Almost every viewer can find a character they at least somewhat relate to. Perhaps that’s what made it so popular: not many CGDCT series actually become mainstream.
Lucky☆Star
Lucky☆Star is a staple of the 00s. It’s a comedy about otaku that is full of references — both to other anime from that era as well as series from the distant past. As such, it might be daunting to get into, and not many people will actually get all the jokes.
That said, you don’t really need to fully understand every small detail to enjoy Lucky Star. After all, it’s all about character interactions. And the references only get more interesting the more anime you watch: a rewatch every couple of years actually helps this anime a lot.
