The slice of life genre finally clicked for me after 15 years of ignoring it

Back in high school I only watched stuff with huge fights and magic systems, thought anything without a big plot was basically a waste of time. I remember my friend kept trying to get me to watch Non Non Biyori around 2016 and I just laughed it off. Fast forward to last February when I was stuck at home with a nasty cold and ran out of things to watch. I figured whatever, I'll throw on the first episode of something chill just to pass the time. Three hours later I had binged like 8 episodes and I couldn't even tell you why I was so into it. There's something about watching characters just live their normal lives with no stakes that hit different when you're older. I still love my action shows but now I get why people rave about shows like that. Has anyone else had a genre they swore off for years that eventually just clicked?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliver217d ago

The whole 'no stakes' thing is exactly what snagged me too." I was the same way with romcoms, swore them off for like a decade until I watched Kaguya-sama on a whim. Turns out watching characters overthink a simple text message for 20 minutes is way more relatable than saving the world again.

craig.sage16d ago

Late 40s here and I had a similar moment with a cooking show a few years back. Always thought I needed big explosions and high drama to stay interested. Then I caught an episode of this quiet series about a little restaurant, and something just clicked. It was like my brain finally understood that watching someone chop vegetables and plate a meal could be just as satisfying as any fight scene. There's a certain peace in seeing characters handle everyday problems without the fate of the world hanging in the balance. It took me way too long to appreciate that kind of storytelling, but I'm glad I finally did.

leelewis16d ago

30 years old here and I had the exact same awakening with Flying Witch last year. It's weird how your brain just suddenly gets why watching someone make tea or walk to the store can be totally absorbing.