Best Slice of Life Manga of 2005

Ever since graduating college, 23-year-old Meiko Inoue has believed in one thing: there is a demon lurking in Tokyo. This evil's presence has made her bored, aimless, and missing the excitement of her youth, leading her to contemplate what she truly seeks from life. Surprisingly enough, when Meiko proposes the idea of quitting her job to her boyfriend, Naruo Taneda, he groggily agrees. Deeply inspired by his half-asleep words of encouragement, Meiko hastily leaves her old life behind, looking to begin anew, with Taneda soon following suit. Together, they look toward their dreams from their college days and decide to revive Rotti, Taneda's old band. As the two stand confidently alongside their old friends with instruments in hand, life throws the most unexpected curveball their way, leaving Meiko and her friends to pick up the pieces of what was shattered. Solanin tells an intimate story about the trials and tribulations of love, loss, and grief centered around people in their twenties who often slip between the cracks of society.

Sawako Kuronuma is a 15-year-old student often mistaken for the horrific, vengeful spirit Sadako Yamamura from The Ring. The uncanny resemblance leads to Sawako being called "Sadako" instead. Due to her aloof and gloomy appearance, her peers have grown afraid, and they keep their distance from her. But despite such treatment, she harbors an innocent and diligent heart. Given her honest desire to make friends, Sawako holds a profound admiration for Shouta Kazehaya, the most popular boy in her class. Through his refreshing personality and smooth interpersonal interactions, Kazehaya naturally draws in people. Wishing to be more like him, Sawako begins to spend more time with Kazehaya. While attempting to turn over a new leaf, Sawako finds herself encouraged to explore new things that she never dared before, with Kazehaya right beside her.Included one-shot: Volume 22: Mayuge no Kakudo wa 45° de (45° Eyebrows)

The story of Kodomo no Jikan is centered around 23-year-old Aoki Daisuke, who has just landed his first teaching job as a grade school teacher at Futatsubashi Elementary School. He is placed in charge of Class 3-1, where one of his students, a mischievously precocious Rin Kokonoe, develops a crush on him and goes so far as to proclaim herself Aoki's girlfriend. She aggressively pursues her efforts to be with her teacher despite the fact that he will lose his job if she gets too close, a situation further complicated by the often complex, intertwining relationships existing between them and their respective friends, families, and peers.

Takuma and Mayu's story began when they were only 8 years old. During his childhood, Takuma was constantly hospitalised due to his heart condition. He soon became friends with Mayu, the daughter of the doctor in charge of his case. Day by day they grew closer and closer. However, the summer when Takuma was 8, he made a promise to Mayu that he couldn't keep... Their story unfolds as they grow older and their bond gets stronger...Included one-shots: Volume 1: Motto Ikitai... Volume 7: The Things I Want Volume 11: Kare wa Ike mo Shinai Sarukoen wo Mezasu

1. Yoakemae (Before Dawn) 2. Alfalfa 3-5. Nichiyou, Gogo, 6-jihan. (Sunday, Afternoon, 6:30.) 6. Chou Mousou A-ko no Nichijou to Yuuutsu (The Typical Day and Melancholy of Super-Imaginative A-ko) 7. Kyuujitsu no Sugoshikata (How to Spend a Day Off) 8. 17 9. Subarashii Sekai (What a Wonderful World) 10. Tokyo 11. Sekai no Owari (The End of the World)

Hotori Arashiyama is an average high school girl; that is, if the definition of "average" includes having an obsession with detective novels and working at a maid cafe to pay off an enormous debt incurred from years of eating "free" curry. Whenever she is not working, she can be seen hanging out with her friends, taking care of her younger siblings, or annoying her math teacher. However, while she lives the fairly run-of-the-mill life of a teenager, she is no stranger to the paranormal and unexplained. Sprinkled in with Hotori's everyday antics are occasional run-ins with the supernatural—including taking an unexpected tour of Heaven, discovering a ray gun that creates giant holes, and accidentally interfering in a dispute between some aliens. In addition, she tends to spontaneously investigate cases that strike her fancy, like uncovering the true purpose of some paintings left in a will, identifying a strange man walking the hospital grounds, and going on a treasure hunt in a far-off village. Hotori manages to find herself in the middle of some strange circumstances, and yet the town moves on in spite of the oddity of it all.

A hopeless geek, a beautiful woman, and a fast connection--could the Internet be his ticket onto the express train to romance? A real-life thread on an Internet forum sparks a nationwide phenomenon! A nerdy otaku meets a girl on a train and posts an urgent query on the Web. How the heck do you talk to girls? What should he wear on their date? Where should they go? The forum's response was overwhelming, and the thread continued to grow along with their relationship. Eventually published in book form to become a best-seller, the thread spawned a blockbuster movie and hit TV series, as well as this heartwarming manga adaptation of an entire Internet community rooting for love and romance.

Shoutarou Ninomiya, a father of two boys, is a workaholic who has taken no paid leave for 15 years. This comes at the cost of neglecting his family, causing his wife to file for divorce. Similarly, Natsumi Okajima, a mother of two girls, has had enough of her husband's adulterous behavior and leaves him. Taking their children, both Shoutarou and Natsumi buy new houses to have a fresh start to their lives. However, they are conned by the same person in an elaborate real estate scam, resulting in the pair purchasing the same house! With little ground for legal dispute and insufficient funds to relocate, the two families are forced to live together. Natsumi, being distrustful of men, keeps clear boundaries in the house. But as their children warm up to each other, the two adults' lives become ever more intertwined, and a sweet romance blossoms between them.

Being abandoned by his owners, having his mother die of starvation, a puppy who suffered lifelong separation from his siblings wandered around the city. Meeting and parting with kind people, experiencing brutal treatment from unjust people. Pao, who learned to live within the harshness of reality, awaits even more ordeals...

Gabai Granny is based on the bestseller Saga no Gabai Baachan, which is penned by comedian Shimada Yoshichi as he recounts his childhood memories of growing up under the care of his grandmother. This is the story of a young boy, after being sent from Hiroshima to Saga (10 years after the second World War, in 1958) by his mom because of a lack of money, journeying to a faraway place, and living in conditions alien to him, definitely makes him miss home. Worse, he is not familiar with his grandmother and her ways too. But with his Gabai Granny, he will slowly discover with his growing pains, just how resourceful Granny is...

Tenki Yohou no Koibito is a story about the straight-laced newscaster, Keitarou Koganei, and his eccentric cosplay weatherman, Chitose Amasawa. The story progresses following this complementing anchorman and weather fairy duo as their shows ratings rise higher and higher with some delicious sparks of love tossed in their daily news reports. Will these two TV stars end up together or will Amasawa's dark past block the path of their happiness together?

Toripan is a semi-autobiographical gag series that alternates between a short story and 4-koma formats. Following suit, the art style can be very detailed at times, but usually it's more crude and sketchy. Just about everything revolves around Nanko's observations of, and interactions with, the birds in her neighborhood, although she does occasionally talk about visiting an old village, or venturing into the mountains to pick mushrooms. It's a pro-environment manga, and it's pretty clear that Nanko likes her subjects a lot.

Kurotori Chiyoko, a 5th-grader in elementary school, loves the occult. One day, a friend requests her to do a love fortune-telling. Chiyoko tries to summon Cupid, but thanks to a stuffy nose, accidentally summons a witch named Gyubid instead! From that day on, Chiyoko starts learning witchcraft from Gyubid, the self-proclaimed hottest instructor of the magic world. The training regimen is tough, and punishment for slacking is harsh. Fortunately, Chiyoko is able to keep her extra-curricular studies secret, aided by the fact that no one else can see Gyubid.

Nekomura the cat has found another place of employment. She gets to work once a month at "Casa Brutus" editorial department.

A 4-koma manga about Mika-chan, a 5-year-old girl who can talk to animals, and all the animals that surround her.