No drama, no tears or screams, just peace and quiet. We know you need that.
The term iyashikei translates from Japanese as "healing." The goals of almost every iyashikei project are simple: to lift your spirits and drive away depression.
In fact, it is not a separate genre, but rather a subgenre of slice-of-life. The main focus of such works is to reveal the everyday worries of the characters with leisurely narration and contemplative scenes.
And if you have enough worries and problems in real life, these four titles are the perfect way to relax after a hard day.
1. Laid-Back Camp, 2018-...
The plot can be summed up in one sentence: five cute high school girls love to go camping and have a good time. Nadeshiko has just started camping, but for Rin and her friend it's their main hobby. In each episode, they are either organizing or preparing for a camping trip.
The anime tells about the aesthetics of camping in simple language. It shows interesting and useful facts: what to take with you on a camping trip, how to light a fire, fold a tent, what types of grills and sleeping bags there are, how to properly cook meat over coals, and much more.
It sounds boring, but it is presented in such a cozy, cute, and relaxed way that you will want to go camping yourself.
2. Aria: The Animation, 2005-2015
The adaptation of the manga of the same name by Amano Kozue is three seasons of the beauty of Neo-Venezia, charming girls and funny cats. Aria is one of the pillars of iyashikei and perhaps the most relaxing anime in history. There is a widespread opinion in the anime fandom that psychotherapists should prescribe Aria as a "cure" for depression.
The events of the series take place in the distant future. People went into space, terraformed Mars, but made a mistake in the calculations, so now the red planet is almost completely covered by the ocean and renamed Aqua.
The anime tells about the working days of a girl Akari, who flew to Aqua to get a job at the company Aria and become a guide, who takes tourists along the canals of Neo-Venezia.
3. Yokohama kaidashi kikou, 1998
The miniseries adapts individual stories from the manga of the same name by Hitoshi Ashinano. It tells about the everyday life of the robot girl Alpha, her friends and neighbors.
The anime is set in Japan in the distant post-apocalyptic future. Alpha lives in a small cafe near the sunken city of Tokyo. Due to melting glaciers, the water level has risen and most of Japan has been submerged.
Alpha got the cafe from its owner. He went on a long journey and left her a motorbike, a gun and a camera. Now she travels through the once majestic region of the country, which is gradually losing its appearance under the influence of nature and time. But despite the cataclysm and the uncertain future of mankind, the people live as they have always lived.
4. Non Non Biyori, 2013-2021
In Non Non Biyori, the viewer is transported to a rural area. There are no movie theaters or big stores in the village. So the main characters, schoolgirls, study the surrounding nature, do housework, help each other, and go to an old candy store.
Non Non Biyori is a relaxing sketch of children's lives. After watching it, you will probably want to go to the village, swim in a forest stream, and watch the meteor shower with your friends.