日常系
nichijō-kei
The English phrase 'slice of life' is translated into Japanese as 日常系 (nichijō-kei). Wiktionary also lists スライス・オブ・ライフ (suraisu obu raifu).
Meaning: genre focused on day-to-day life (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 日常系 | nichijō-kei |
| スライス・オブ・ライフ | suraisu obu raifu |
While 'slice of life' is a general literary term in English, 日常系 is a specific subgenre term used primarily in the context of anime, manga and light novels.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 日常系 is composed of 日常 (nichijō), meaning 'everyday life' and 系 (kei), meaning 'type' or 'genre'.
Which one should you use?
日常系 (nichijō-kei) focuses on the lack of a central dramatic plot, emphasizing atmosphere and character interactions over conflict. Alternatively, スライス・オブ・ライフ is the katakana transliteration of the English phrase. It is understood in Japanese media circles but is much less common than 日常系.
How do you pronounce it?
nichijō-kei
Did you know?
- While 日常系 emphasizes peace, it is often paired with 'healing' stories called 癒や系 (iyashikei), which aim to have a therapeutic effect on the viewer.
- The term 系 (kei) is used in Japanese youth culture to categorize everything from fashion styles to personality types, not just artistic genres.
- While スライス・オブ・ライフ is the phonetic transliteration, using it in a casual conversation about anime might actually make you sound like a foreign critic rather than a native fan.
Examples in context
- 彼の作品は日常の小さな喜びを描いたものです。His work represents the small joys of everyday life.
- のんびりとした日常風景を描いたアニメが大好きです。I love anime that depicts leisurely everyday scenes.
- 彼女ののほほんとした日常はとても羨ましい。I envy her carefree everyday life.
- このマンガはありふれた日常生活の出来事が面白く描かれている。This manga illustrates the amusing aspects of ordinary daily life.
- 最近、日常系のアニメばかり見ています。Saikin, nichijoukei no anime bakari mite imasu.Lately, I've only been watching slice of life anime.
- この漫画は日常系として人気があります。Kono manga wa nichijoukei toshite ninki ga arimasu.This manga is popular as a slice of life genre.
- 日常系の作品は心が落ち着きますね。Nichijoukei no sakuhin wa kokoro ga ochitsukimasu ne.Slice of life works are very relaxing, aren't they?
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are talking about their favorite anime genres.
- 蓮 Ren結衣はどんなアニメが好き？Yui wa donna anime ga suki?Yui, what kind of anime do you like?
- 結衣 Yui私は日常系が好きだよ。Watashi wa nichijou-kei ga suki da yo.I like slice-of-life.
- 蓮 Renやっぱり癒やされるよね。Yappari iyasareru yo ne.They really are soothing, aren't they?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、見ていて安心するしね。Un, mite ite anshin suru shi ne.Yeah, and they make me feel relaxed.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “slice of life” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
