Slice of Life fans

[totoum]

Originally Posted by Reckoner

Nichijou isn't a slice of life, it's merely a comedy, albeit a very poor one IMO.

That's people just derailing the term beyond what it should be.

I really don't care if it's people just derailing the term,there's so much derailing going on that I wonder if we'll ever be able to get back on track.

[Reckoner]

Originally Posted by totoum

I really don't care if it's people just derailing the term,there's so much derailing going on that I wonder if we'll ever be able to get back on track.

It's merely another victim of term destruction like "epic," "mary sue", "shonen," or take your pick pretty much.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Slice of Life is basically just used to describe any show with a slower than average pace that is largely episodic in nature as far as I can tell.

[Archon_Wing]

I'd very much prefer a slice of pizza or cake....

[Akito Kinomoto]

If I watched every slice-of-life anime, would I get a pie-of-life?

[james0246]

Originally Posted by Akito_Kinomoto

If I watched every slice-of-life anime, would I get a pie-of-life?

No, but you might get diabetes and/or at least lose your teeth due to decay.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin Sama

Slice of Life is basically just used to describe any show with a slower than average pace that is largely episodic in nature as far as I can tell.

Yeah, it's also my experience that this is usually what the term "Slice of Life" is meant to convey in modern common usage.

I don't think it was always this way, but the term has evolved to that point, at least in popular usage.

Slice of Life used to have two strictly limiting prerequisites that I think have largely, if not entirely, fallen away. They are:

1. The show's setting and characters must more or less reflect modern real world Earth, or a real world Earth historical period. In other words, slice of life shouldn't be in a futuristic or fantastical setting, nor should it have much in the way of aliens, ghosts, robots, etc...

2. Slice of Life is mutually exclusive with "school life" shows.


These two prerequisites have fallen away though. The first one was pretty much destined to fall away, because it actually runs contrary to a show widely considered quintessential Slice of Life: Aria the Animation (and its sequels). Genre prerequisites can afford to have shows on the outer margins of the genre that are in conflict with those prerequisites. However, if there's a show that's widely considered a quintessential representation of a genre, and it doesn't meet a genre prerequisite for its genre, that genre prerequisite is pretty much doomed to disappear.

And this is precisely what paves the way to some calling Nichijou "Slice of Life". As surreal as it is, it does meet Kaioshin's description of "Slice of Life".


The second prerequisite fell away due to the overwhelming predominance of school life shows over the last several years, and also due to how many of these school life shows had that slower paced and episodic feel to them.


While I do see how Slice of Life has evolved to this point, it has left it as an exceptionally broad category, and hence perhaps something that no longer works well as a primary genre heading, with the rare exception of a show that's pure Slice of Life (i.e. Usagi Drop).

With the exception of a show that would meet the older understanding of Slice Of Life (one that meets the two genre prerequisites of old), I would consider "Slice of Life" more as a secondary descriptor now.

[Tempester]

This thread is breaking my mind. If we want to disregard the old meaning of the phrase 'slice-of-life' (which I admittedly haven't been using), then I think two defining prerequisites we might use for the genre would be:

1. There must be a significant amount of either a mundane or a mundane fantastic narrative to the story. In other words, there must be a certain amount of screen time dedicated to characters doing things that seem ordinary and/or routine for their universe (even if that is rowing gondolas on Mars).

2. There should be a significant portion of the story in which there is a low amount of heavy, dramatic conflict, or in which the conflict is limited to something that is not out-of-place for that universe (e.g. being late for picking up your adapted daughter).

What do you think about this? Does this come to mind when you think of the phrase 'slice-of-life'?

[ahelo]

Nichijou in technicality is far from a slice of life since its almost mocking the idea of having an everyday life. Its whole name screams "SoL" but we all know how crazy that show is.

[Spectacular_Insanity]

Hanasaku Iroha and Usagi Drop are probably good to look at if you want a definition of what "Slice of Life" means. Both are recent, and arguably fit the limited definition pretty well.

[Proto]

Hanasaku Iroha and Usagi Drop are more Coming of age stories than anything else in my opinion...


... but then again I'm one of those old school slice of life people so almost everything in this thread makes me want to bang my head against a wall.

My definition of SoL? I normally use a guideline to at least tell whether a show is not SoL: If it focuses too much on either a plot, the characters, or an idea then it's probably not SoL. SoL is all about exploring a setting, a situation, an environment.

Hence why I only consider the first two seasons of ARIA to be SoL. ARIA stated to become more 'coming of age' as the second season went on, and made a definite transition to the later genre in the third season.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Proto

My definition of SoL? I normally use a guideline to at least tell whether a show is not SoL: If it focuses too much on either a plot, the characters, or an idea then it's probably not SoL. SoL is all about exploring a setting, a situation, an environment.

Why is focusing a lot on the characters a problem?

Other people are a rather big part of most people's everyday life. Probably just as important as (if not more important than) the setting, situation, and environment around us.

Also, if you can't call Usagi Drop a slice of life show, then I'm really wondering what anime released in the past 12 months or so you would call a slice of life show.

[4Tran]

Originally Posted by totoum

The more time passes,the more I think that "slice of life" is just too vague of a "genre"

If two completely different animes like Nichijou and Usagi Drop are being refered to as "slice of life" animes,don't we have a problem?

Yes, a genre definition that gives very little information on what a show about isn't very useful. This is more a problem of incorrect usage more than anything else. In my opinion, whether a show should be labelled something is entirely dependent on how useful that label is. If a genre label doesn't tell us anything, then it might as well be left off.

Comedies and slice of life shows should be diametrically opposed to each other. The former is about exaggerating events and reactions for comedic purpose while the latter is about exploring the mundane using naturalistic actions. It's possible for a show of either genre to have elements from the other, but they should be fairly easy to tell apart.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Yeah, it's also my experience that this is usually what the term "Slice of Life" is meant to convey in modern common usage.

I don't think it was always this way, but the term has evolved to that point, at least in popular usage.

Slice of Life used to have two strictly limiting prerequisites that I think have largely, if not entirely, fallen away. They are:

1. The show's setting and characters must more or less reflect modern real world Earth, or a real world Earth historical period. In other words, slice of life shouldn't be in a futuristic or fantastical setting, nor should it have much in the way of aliens, ghosts, robots, etc...

2. Slice of Life is mutually exclusive with "school life" shows.

I don't think that either perequisite has ever been true. The definitive slice of life show before Aria was Yokohama Kaidaishi Kikou, and that show was about a robot in post-apocalyptic Japan. The school life criterion seems to be just arbitrarily chosen.

Originally Posted by Tempester

This thread is breaking my mind. If we want to disregard the old meaning of the phrase 'slice-of-life' (which I admittedly haven't been using), then I think two defining prerequisites we might use for the genre would be:

1. There must be a significant amount of either a mundane or a mundane fantastic narrative to the story. In other words, there must be a certain amount of screen time dedicated to characters doing things that seem ordinary and/or routine for their universe (even if that is rowing gondolas on Mars).

2. There should be a significant portion of the story in which there is a low amount of heavy, dramatic conflict, or in which the conflict is limited to something that is not out-of-place for that universe (e.g. being late for picking up your adapted daughter).

What do you think about this? Does this come to mind when you think of the phrase 'slice-of-life'?

I like these. The first is necessary, while the second suggests that a show that's strongly in a different genre shouldn't really be thought of as slice of life. The reason is that if the slice of life elements aren't the dominant portions of the show, then it'd fit better as something else.

Originally Posted by Proto

Hanasaku Iroha and Usagi Drop are more Coming of age stories than anything else in my opinion...

I don't think that the two genres (if we can even call coming of age a genre in the first place) are mutually exclusive, but I can't really see Usagi Drop as a coming of age story at all. Rin really doesn't learn enough or grow enough. If it was about Daikichi growing, then that'd be a bit different.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Why is focusing a lot on the characters a problem?

I think that Proto is referring to how slice of life is ideally more about the setting and mood than it is about characters and their travails. That's why a show like Hourou Musuko isn't a slice of life work. I do agree with you that Usagi Drop is about as slice of life as they come - the lack of actual conflict is a pretty strong indicator.

[Proto]

I don't think that the two genres (if we can even call coming of age a genre in the first place) are mutually exclusive, but I can't really see Usagi Drop as a coming of age story at all. Rin really doesn't learn enough or grow enough. If it was about Daikichi growing, then that'd be a bit different.

I was indeed thinking from Daikichi perspective, but I guess if you consider it from Rin's perspective it is much more obviously a SoL series. (If you add the manga in though...)


Hmm... maybe I've just gotten to stubborn and cranky with people calling things SoL.

I still don't want those damn kids to get on my lawn though

[Vexx]

I just try to use simpler terms these days. If its a "school life comedy" I call it that. If its a comedic romance, that. If its a 'dramatic comedy" (like many romance series are), then that. I'll even call ARIA a series devoted to "mood and atmosphere". The japanese categories just tell us what audience the creators *think* it'll do well with (and more likely just what publisher picked it up) - there's no informing at all about content, just who they think will like it. And the "slice of life" description has been so abused its like saying "system" in marketspeak (cleaning systems, sound systems, organizer systems, etc.... might as well say cleaning blargh, sound blargh, etc)

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Also, if you can't call Usagi Drop a slice of life show, then I'm really wondering what anime released in the past 12 months or so you would call a slice of life show.

Of recent series, I'd say Shouwa Monogatari is an especially good example. It tells the story of a lower-middle-class family over the year 1964, when the Olympics came to Tokyo.

Too bad the subbing came to abrupt halt in June.

Raise your hand if you watched any of this.

[4Tran]

Originally Posted by Proto

I was indeed thinking from Daikichi perspective, but I guess if you consider it from Rin's perspective it is much more obviously a SoL series.

I get the grognard instinct as well, but I'm pretty sure that coming of age only applies to non-adults.

Originally Posted by Vexx

I just try to use simpler terms these days. If its a "school life comedy" I call it that. If its a comedic romance, that. If its a 'dramatic comedy" (like many romance series are), then that. I'll even call ARIA a series devoted to "mood and atmosphere". The japanese categories just tell us what audience the creators *think* it'll do well with (and more likely just what publisher picked it up) - there's no informing at all about content, just who they think will like it. And the "slice of life" description has been so abused its like saying "system" in marketspeak (cleaning systems, sound systems, organizer systems, etc.... might as well say cleaning blargh, sound blargh, etc)

Aye. That's pretty much why it's so much better to describe a show's qualities and salient features before trying to list its genre.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Of recent series, I'd say Shouwa Monogatari is an especially good example. It tells the story of a lower-middle-class family over the year 1964, when the Olympics came to Tokyo.

Too bad the subbing came to abrupt halt in June.

Raise your hand if you watched any of this.

Me!! Me!! It was flawed, but I enjoyed it. Too bad the subs dried up.

For me, this argument over "slice of life" was boring 22 pages and 5 threads ago. I think the term is just too vague to have any real meaning in terms of anime these days, at least as it's been bastardized. It certainly bears no resemblance to the term as it was originally used in theatre, or later in literature.

[Proto]

I get the grognard instinct as well, but I'm pretty sure that coming of age only applies to non-adults.

I would actually like to discuss about that, since I think there are ways to make a coming of age story with an adult (or even an old age!) character work, and Usagi Drops was close to getting it right.