Best Slice of Life Manga of 2020

Due to his lack of confidence, 30-year-old Kenta Fukuyama has always struggled with romance; however, an encounter with designer Chihiro Yamaguchi completely changes his life. Despite her seemingly cold demeanor, Chihiro is friendly and compassionate, leading Kenta to develop feelings for her. Similarly, Kenta's kind and genuine nature immediately captures Chihiro's heart, and the two soon decide to marry. Shy, inexperienced, and separated by distance, Kenta and Chihiro initially face difficulties as newlyweds. Regardless, through their mutual love for BBQ and with the occasional help from their close ones, the couple gradually learns to confront their problems and advance their unique, wholehearted relationship.

Ryou Watari is a boy born in the body of a girl. Rejected for being a "tomboyish girl" and a transgender boy, he cannot confide in anyone and suffers in the prison of his own skin. Subtly, he expresses his genuine self through a buzzcut and secret purchases of boys' clothes. However, Ryou's life changes when Jin Satou joins his class. Jin is laidback, fearless, and straightforward. He is not ashamed of his interests, nor does he care about others' opinions. For the first time ever, instead of envy, Ryou feels admiration. After running into Ryou in a men's fashion store, Jin proposes the unexpected: they should start a clothing brand together. Overwhelmed and afraid, Ryou confesses everything to Jin. To his surprise, Jin is fully accepting. Honored to have his first genuine friend and a trusting partner, Ryou agrees to set their business in motion. Recruiting a photographer and collaborating with talented outcasts, the boys prepare to express themselves through fashion and change the world—one step at a time.

A young salaryman is struggling with his "life" of long hours and little pay. Everyday is a slog. But every Monday morning he runs into Ai. Ai's a cheerful high school student who used to suffer from low self-esteem. Now the two have things to look forward to each week, even if those moments only seem to last for a few stops.

Uma Musume Cinderella Gray is a spin-off title of the Uma Musume project by Cygames. It follows Oguri Cap through her time at Kasamatsu Training Center Academy and on her journey of becoming a legendary horse girl.

The official spinoff manga of Rent-A-Girlfriend, the rom-com turned hit anime, features fan-favorite Sumi, the shy girl longing to come out of her shell. Sumi Sakurasawa is shy. Even simple things, like going for a donut with someone or calling out to a stranger that they’ve dropped something, paralyze her with fear. Her strategy? Become a “rent-a-girlfriend” and make some cash while she practices her people skills! But raising the stakes even higher might not be the foolproof solution she thought it was… And even worse, to keep the gig, she needs five-star reviews, and that means no freezing up or freaking out on a date… How is that even possible?! *Source: Kodansha Manga, Vol. 1*

“Before my generation was born… A pandemic had brought change to our world.” In the near future, hiding your mouth behind a mask became a normal part of life. Natsuki, a girl fascinated by the world before the global pandemic; and Hata, his classmate, end up sharing a small secret… The story of their new everyday life, their “new normal” begins here! *Source: KADOKAWA Global*

If it looks like a dog and acts like a dog and insists it's a dog, it's...a dog? Probably? She adopted it anyway, and her life with this "dog" will never be boring!

Umiko Chino, a 65-year-old widow, has no noteworthy hobbies to speak of. When her VCR stops working, Umiko decides to pay a visit to the cinema, like she once did with her husband on their first date. However, instead of focusing on the movie, her gaze is fixed upon the audience—and on one young-looking person in particular. After the credits roll, the mysterious person introduces themself to Umiko as Kai Hamauchi—a male college student majoring in film. Umiko asks him to fix her VCR, and Kai obliges. Yet, before Kai leaves, he asks Umiko a question that changes the course of her life: would she like to make a movie with him?

Kurumi and Ruriko made a deal: if they were both single in five years, they would marry each other. Five years later, neither woman is attached, so it's time for a wedding! Marriage is full of firsts, especially for two friends, so they have a lot to learn about each other in their newly shared home. But will they continue this arrangement like two especially close roommates...or will a different kind of love bloom between them?

A story about a happy couple.

After quitting his job at a toxic company, Shiro Amata moves into the house his grandmother left him in her will. There, he soon makes two life-changing discoveries: one, his grandmother was really a witch from another world, and two, said other world is just on the other side of her closet door! Thanks to a book she left for Shiro, he also manages to obtain an all-powerful skill called “Equivalent Exchange,” which allows him to turn money from his world into otherworldly currency and vice versa. With this, Shiro decides to set up shop and sell convenient items like matches to the colorful inhabitants of the other world. His plan: make a massive profit on the goods he brings from home to become so rich that he never needs another job ever again! Based on the light novel of the same name.

A sequel to Gakkougurashi! that shows the aftermath of the characters.

To their classmates, Wada is a quiet rich girl while Yamamoto is an intimidating lone wolf…but what they don’t know is that Wada is a mobile game addict in a passionate love-hate relationship (with a 2D character) and Yamamoto has a penchant for urban legends with eyes only for her favorite YouTuber. And their biggest not-so-secret secret—these unlikely friends meet at the food court every day after school to rant, rave, and learn what makes each other tick! *Note: Originally published as a Twitter webcomic. It received a 15-chapter serialization in Comic Newtype between 2020-03-10 to 2021-01-12. Additional serialization resumed on 2022-09-06.*

On his way home from work, 26-year-old salaryman Osamu Kawakita encounters an alien named Lilin. She and her species plan on invading the earth, but she ends up getting stranded on this planet. Can Osamu raise her to become a kind-hearted kid before her species eradicates humanity in five years?

Hoshi-sensei, a Japanese language teacher at an all-girls school, is at the mercy of his students and colleagues. Students challenge him to their shiritori word games illustrated in their daily notes, convince him to bring a dog into the classroom, and seek his advice on becoming a manga artist, while colleagues drag him along on their rounds to the pub. Matter-of-fact interactions between a cast of unique characters make for an offbeat comedy.

Akira Tennou, an unremarkable thirty-five-year-old man, gets hit by a truck on his way home from work and, after a brief experience in some mystical limbo, wakes up in a gloomy forest. This forest is beset by a sinister black mist—his memories of his little sister's lectures about fantasy novels tell him that it's probably under an evil curse. He soon encounters one of the forest's residents: an enormous silver wolf. At first the creature is hostile, but he finds that it's been corrupted by the same black mist, and he only needs to cry "Purify!" to banish the curse and heal the wolf. Akira discovers that the residents of the forest are all animals, and once purified, they are far from feral beasts. His newfound magic allows him to speak to his new animal companions; he finds that they are intelligent and the rightful rulers of the forest. Akira decides to explore this new world, purifying the land and its inhabitants as he goes. But the source of the cursed mist can't be far away...

All alone after the end of days, two girls bike through the empty ruins of Japan—and they’re not about to let the collapse of civilization get in the way of sightseeing! Even when the world ends, their journey goes on.

Kohei Sugihara, college student with hearing loss, and Taichi Sagawa, his ever-optimistic former classmate, met in a chance encounter that ignited an undeniable spark that would eventually blossom into love. Now it's spring and as Kohei nears graduation, his search for a job begins. Meanwhile, Taichi finds himself in charge of someone new at work. Life is busier than ever, but all in all, things seem to be looking up for the pair. That is, until the sudden appearance of Ena, one of Kohei's old flames.

After years of battling the stubborn odds against them, Hikaru Kusakabe and Rihito Sajou are at last living together. Inside their modest apartment, there is now plenty to experience for the first time. Between sharing one coffee mug and learning each other's food preferences, Kusakabe and Sajou are growing ever closer—and very soon, they have issues just keeping their hands to themselves.

The setting is a baseball stadium! It's not only the players and spectators who gather there, but also beer vendors, announcers, security guards, and cheerleaders… They come together, work, laugh, and create human drama every day. It is like a town in miniature. Now, why don't you come and become a "resident" at the ballpark⁉

New employee Shiho Satoko has a special skill. Rather than being able to read the mood, it would be better to say she can "see" it. With this special skill, what kind of hidden side can she see behind her senior's unfriendly exterior? *Note: Sixteenth place of Tsugimanga 2020 Award in the Web Manga Category.*

Saori and Shiori are twin sisters. They both love each other, but think their loves are unrequited!

Rin Takanashi, a caregiver in her thirties, was unceremoniously discarded as "trash" despite being summoned as a saint. However, as a lover of the great outdoors and all things camping, she was blessed with a special skill, "Survival," as well as another unique skill! Thus, a riveting tale begins: one of sweat, tears, and insatiable hunger as Rin, together with companions she picked up along the way, leisurely explores this parallel world and savours gourmet cuisine to her heart's content... Or so the story should have gone, but it looks like their road is going in an unexpected direction...?

In a world nearing its end, little Yakone wanders a dying planet alongside Yago, her hamster-like companion, and Ney, a loyal drone. As they traverse landscapes shrouded by a mysterious red mist that warps nature itself, they uncover pockets of joy ­– like delicious meals, crumbling ruins, and quiet companionship. Adventure blossoms in the most unlikely places, painting a hopeful portrait against a backdrop of decay.

When I woke up, I had been reborn as a baby. My mother passed away and I was neglected by my father. Even though I was born in a Marquis family, my life started on a HARD MODE. But I won’t be discouraged. I will eat well, sleep well, move much, get whatever I can get and live happily. This is a story of a little girl with the power to create barriers involving everybody to become happy.

Elcan, a dark magician, is fired from his party due to his lack of talent with offensive magic. As he wandered the streets he came across twins, who were abandoned by their parents. "I couldn't be a good dark magician, but I want to make their lives better!" He decided to retire from being an adventurer and raise these two girls as his own. And so, he raised his daughters, Corona and Selena. Teaching them black magic and enrolling them in a prestigious magician's academy. After learning more about magic, the girls return to see their father with some important news... They are S-rank Sages?! And they want to form a party with him?! A new adventure between a father and his daughters begin!

She suddenly has four younger brothers. A love (is it?!) comedy under one roof begins. At the start of spring break after finishing her first year of high school, Ito moves because her mother is getting remarried. But she had no idea she’d be gaining four younger brothers, and she’s beyond shocked. She throws herself into getting close with her new family, but the eldest, Gen, is oddly distant. Even so, behind that cool exterior, she starts catching flashes of something gentler in him…? *Source: MangaPlaza*

In the Lapland region of Finland, the domain of snow, midnight sun, and auroras, there is the small Hotel Metsäpeura, run by two older gentlemen. One night during a terrible blizzard, a mysterious young man named Jun arrives at the hotel. He is clearly in dire straits, with a large tattoo on his back, no relatives and no money. However, the gentlemen warmly welcome him in and offer him a job at the hotel. The kindness of the people living in the harshness of nature will melt the heart of this awkward young man.

Miya is the illegitimate child of a prominent family. When her mother dies and her father’s estate agrees to take her in, she’s convinced she knows what awaits her in her new home: a life of servitude and misery at the hands of her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. Yet when she finally meets the women she expects to treat her like dirt, they actually end up being…sweet?! A hilarious and heartfelt comedy that’s sure to put a smile on your face!

Fafnir is a dark, brooding curse dragon from the same world as Tohru, Kanna, and their friends. He’s also an otaku who’s as obsessed with games, merch, and doujinshi as he is with gold, jewels, and destroying all humans. This latest spin-off from the popular Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid series follows Fafnir’s daily life in a shared apartment with Kobayashi’s otaku coworker Takiya, where Fafnir tries to get along with humans and dragons—or just avoid them!

F-rank healer Reda Dixon (30) is banished from the party because of his age. Reda, who is disheartened, decides to move to the rural town of Amurus in order to change his mind. Along the way, I meet Mina Mina, a girl with a shabby appearance and blonde hair. No parents are found in the vicinity, and the friendly Leda decides to become her guardian. In Arumusu, Leda began a new life with the girl,! Before it is called from the townspeople who “teacher”

Comedy manga based around, and featuring characters from, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ.

*"I will make whatever you want to eat.''* Chiharu is an office lady who has been cheated on by her boyfriend, and is transferred to Sapporo City, Hokkaido with her broken-heart. On her way home from work, she stops by a shop, "Bear Bistro", which stands quietly behind the alley. Chiharu meets Yuu, the creator of the "magical lunch" that fulfills the eater's inner wishes, and feels her frozen heart slowly melting.

Sarasa is an orphan girl who just graduated from the royal alchemist training school. Having received an isolated shop as a gift from her teacher, she embarks on the leisurely life she long dreamt of as a alchemist. However, what awaits her is a shop more decrepit than she ever imagined, out in the boondocks. As she gathers ingredients, trains herself, and sells goods to become an upstanding alchemist, she tries to lead her very own slow, relaxed alchemist life.

Tomo-kun, an office worker, is neighbors with Aki-san. Aki often comes over to Tomo's house to drink alcohol with him, but when she gets drunk her secret is revealed, she's actually... part cat! As Tomo-kun continues his life, other part-animal Onee-sans will come to drink with him.

What were Hirano and Sasaki like as first-years? How did Kuresawa become so dedicated to his mysterious, BL-loving girlfriend? And what’s going to happen between Kagiura and Hirano on Pocky Day? Find out in this collection of stories that reveal how Miyano and Hirano became friends, what the upperclassmen were like when they started high school and a behind-the-scenes look at their circle of friends. See how the story unfolds from new perspectives, and get more details about what goes on in these beloved characters’ lives. ** **Official English:**

For some reason, our cat "Kinako", became a cute girl with cat ears!? The heartwarming story of the playful Kinako and her owner's daily life is really good! *Note: In addition to the newly drawn manga, this is an illustration manga book that contains many illustrations uploaded on Twitter.*

"Hey, should I provide you therapy?" Tired of love and on the verge of turning into a workaholic, Kiichi Sakuraba, finds himself waking up in a bar he visited on his way back from a close friend's wedding ceremony. There, he meets reckless and good-looking university student, Nao Kijima—? They exchange promises to hug just once a week. What is this, so gentle, so warm, with a faint pleasant smell... Being strung along by the younger Nao, who has his own circumstances, what will happen to Kiichi—?!

After Chiharu's mother remarried, she met her new stepsister Rui at the funeral for Rui's grandfather. The grandfather had been taking care of Rui, but now Rui was planning to live alone by herself. Chiharu decided that they should live together instead. A tale about two stepsisters coming together.

Suzu, an art student in a creative rut, finds new inspiration when she meets a beautiful girl at the park who introduces her to the colourful world of birdwatching.

Minato Usami is a high-school girl with a new little brother from her father's remarriage. Having high expectations after being told that her new brother is an adorable little boy, Koshiro—said little brother—turns out to be a little different than she imagined.

The story of an innocent cat(girl) who demands constant attention, and her somewhat awkward human.

A young boy is initially overjoyed at the news of him having an older sister, due to his father remarrying to a woman who has a daughter. That is, until he finds out that his new sister is actually his school's strict PE teacher, Shina. With his father going off to live with his new wife, the boy will live alone with his new sister. In their new life together, the boy finds out that Shina at home is completely different from Shina at work: clumsy, scared of insects, and kind.

Vampires are creatures that turn to ash if they are exposed to the light of the sun. He can only move around at night, but he's actually been able to live quite comfortably in modern times. Why is that, you ask? That's because there exists the concept of a "night shift". Toraki Yura is a vampire who lives in the modern age. He works at a convenience store in Ikebukuro (night shift only), and lives in a semi-basement apartment that gets next to no sunlight (blackout curtains are a necessity). For the sake of going back to being human, he lives his life on the straight and narrow everyday. However, after saving a blond-haired beauty from a drunkard, he finds out that she is Sister Iris, a nun who found her calling in exterminating vampires! Moreover, his natural enemy ended up as an unwanted guest in his apartment!? What is going to happen to Toraki's peaceful vampire life!? A slice-of-life fantasy brought to you by Wagahara Satoshi, author of the "Hataraku Maou-sama!" series!

After quitting his job at a toxic company, Shiro Amata moves into the house his grandmother left him in her will. There, he soon makes two life-changing discoveries: one, his grandmother was really a witch from another world, and two, said other world is just on the other side of her closet door! Thanks to a book she left for Shiro, he also manages to obtain an all-powerful skill called “Equivalent Exchange,” which allows him to turn money from his world into otherworldly currency and vice versa. With this, Shiro decides to set up shop and sell convenient items like matches to the colorful inhabitants of the other world. His plan: make a massive profit on the goods he brings from home to become so rich that he never needs another job ever again!

*“Daddy!” The dragon blinked as the wee little human called out to him. Him? Her “Daddy”?* Powerful enough to have been venerated by humankind, yet warmhearted and even a tad ditzy, the dragon soon finds himself raising and doting on the precocious Olivia as if she really were his daughter in this touching tale. The toddler may be impossibly cute now, but just you wait—she’s a curious child and she’s growing up real fast. You can bet that one day, she’ll be the strongest human there is! But first, how will he handle little Olivia receiving an acceptance letter to a human school?

Cat-girl sisters Ume and Momo live together. They find many happy and joyful things in their uneventful days.

I’m a second year high schooler, Tohru Yonekura. I have a childhood friend, Rin Asakura. She has good grades and is quite the athlete. Admittedly, she has a bit of an attitude and is tough to deal with sometimes. I’ve always had unrequited feelings for her, but she always seemed so distant. Every day I would constantly mull over how to shorten the distance between us. However one day, I noticed a change in Rin. She would invite me to the movies, treat me to some homemade cooking and hug me tightly when we hung out at home. With every passing day, I could feel the walls between us starting to break down. Me and my insincere childhood friend: this is our story, our bittersweet romcom.

Yuuki Saji is the daughter of one of Japan's leading families. Aoi Hashisugi is a former delinquent forced to go to a fancy private school by his parents. When he finds his classmate Yuuki lost and hungry on a street corner, he decides to take her to a beef bowl restaurant. There, he opens her eyes to the commoner's delicacy, which the sheltered girl is tasting for the first time.

Farrara, the daughter of a duke, has her engagement to the crown prince broken off, leaving her mentally ill and confined. One day, she dreams of her fiancé being taken away by a former friend as Choko, the daughter of a company president. "Who is Choko?" "Has my engagement been broken off?" Waking up from a nightmare, Farrara finds herself back at age 12, the day after she was engaged to the crown prince! She doesn't really understand, but she doesn't want to live a life that's the same as her dream. Reflecting on her arrogant past, she resolves to start over, aiming for a brighter, more enjoyable future. This is a happy fantasy about starting over, featuring the struggles of Farrara (from another world) and Choko (from the present).

The manga's story will begin with an encounter between a lonely girl and an intimidating man with a scarred face. The man turns out to be a legendary former delinquent who then busies himself taking care of the child.

A new Saki spinoff that retells the story of the Saki cast... If all of them were boys!

One day, an unfortunate incident causes an elementary school student, Yuki Takahashi, to pass away. Before he realizes, he finds himself in a space where God exists, and is told that he will start a new life in another world. Reborn into another world with his fluffy dog (a Fenrir), Yuki ends up living in the home of the leader of the knighthood. Here, he meets many warm, kind and fluffy people. His happy life in this new world begins now!

Fifteen years have passed since the end of the Great War. Thriving at the foot of the Imperial City of Flowers is the Haraiso Bar, run by the idiosyncratic Oharu-san. All sorts of customers come in each night, attracted by the delicious drinks and snacks.

F-rank healer, Reda Dixon (30), is expelled from his party due to his age. Heartbroken, Reda decides on a change of pace by moving to the rural town of Almus. On his journey there, he encounters a blonde-haired girl named Mina, who is dressed in ragged clothes. With no parents in sight, the kind-hearted Reda decides to become her guardian. In Almus, Reda, who starts a new life with the girl, becomes known as "Teacher" by the townspeople, thanks to his unconsciously cheat-level healing magic?! Together, they solve various troubles and deepen their familial bonds.

Kanbara Shouko, 40 years old. Occupation: manga artist. She is currently serializing a manga with a comical character named "Faburou" as the main character. Her dream is to draw sparkly shoujo manga. However, even when she tries to draw a storyboard, it seems it's not enough to make her heart flutter!? Then she meets...!! What will become of the love and work of this manga artist in her forties!?

Nukku's self-published continuation of Mangaka-sensei to Zashiki Warashi.

Follow a woman's daily struggles... Just getting through the day! She seriously needs to be praised a lot for still always trying. Be it love (fail), work (fail), her web novel (fail) or even putting in contacts (fail)?! *Nominated for the Tsugimanga 2020 Award in the Web Manga Category.*

Akira Tennou—an unremarkable thirty-five-year-old janitor—has got a lot to complain about. He was hit by a truck, unintentionally dragged into a hero-summoning spell, and now he's stuck in some random gloomy forest in a parallel world. And he's probably afflicted by a dark curse now, if his sister's beloved fantasy manga are to be believed. The ominous shadows everywhere don't give him much hope for his new life, especially when they're also attached to the giant wolf that just snuck up behind him… But while this world does come with a curse, it also comes with something awesome: magic. Akira's got the power to purify, and he's gonna use it to free the creatures of the forest! Trying to fi gure out how magic works without a teacher isn't going to be easy, but he's not gonna let some stupid curse get between him and a bunch of cute animals!