A Discussion on "Slow-Life" Series: Why do you Hate it or Love it?

[KMoore]

After reading a bunch of fantasy from the adventure ones to the more "Otome/Villainess" ones, there's one type of fantasy that has readers on both ends, the "Slow-life" sub genre. Readers either like it or hate it. So, I want to hear your thoughts on the "Slow-life" sub genre.

Personally for me, I don't really mind as someone who frequently reads slife-of-lifes such as Minami-ke, Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge, Flying Witch and more (a lot more...). I just find "slow life" as another type of it. For me something about the slow pace of can be relaxing (when done right) especially after irl stuff or after reading some heart pumping series.

Edit ---> I don't think I need to say this BUT just in case. Please be civil. Thanks

 

[421cookies]

Completely fine if it doesn't include adventure kind of thing but if it does, then for me it's all about MC gender or attitude, artist gacha, and whether it has harem or not.

 

[Teddy]

Slice of Life is the best...The absolute best.
But some isekai slow-lifes are trash cause alot of the mangakas really just want to make them op for some reason I can't very well envision. People following others just because they are strong makes for terrible interpersonal interactions and character developments (when they exist)

Some people only like manga with progression; which I admit slice of life usually lacks much of but I personally don't care for constant progression as long as the characters are great and how relatable/comedic/dramatic their interactions with other characters are.

Handyman Saitou in another world for example has no foreseeable plot but characters and interactions are great.

Smartphone+Harem+Isekai on the otherhand has bland characters, a slow progression in adventuring and terrible interactions save for the mon-girls

 

[DANDAN_THE_DANDAN]

Slow life, depending on the isekai's plot, is an essential part of the story. Isekai should not only transport the character in another world but also transport the readers as well, well all stories should. The reason slow life has such a negative reputation is because bad authors don't know how to write with it. Slow life can be a powerful tool to attach the audience to the characters when used masterfully, take for example the slice of life scenes from Darling in the Franxx and Assassination Classroom: beyond the larger-than-life plots of mechas and octosensei, there are people who are humans like us and all just want to live a happy life that their stories are not permitting them to have so easily. One more superb example to this is the "it's a terrible day for a rain" scene from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Huge spoiler

Spoiler

without his endless, lighthearted chattering about his family during the off-hours of his work, would you think his death rips your heart so much?

.

 

[Raunix]

For me it really depends on the manga.

New girl every two chapters? Eh.
"Oh I accidentally did a thing and now I'm popular." ? Some I like (eg. inventing a 'new food') and others not (eg. I saved a royalty who's now in my harem)
There's also those manga who just don't have any plot at all or just have that one isekai character starter pack (dense mc, tsundere, loli etc.)

But hey, I've already set a goal - to read all isekai manga whether is trash or not EXCEPT for the toilet paper one lol.

 

[DANDAN_THE_DANDAN]

@Raunix Toilet paper?

 

[Ufi]

Most "slow life" manga are rather bad tbh, It's always some self insert idiocy about doing nothing and getting tremendous power cuz "god said so" or "i live at a magic power spot" or "im just cooler than you so im better". The genre is filled with overpowered bland main characters and a bunch of pretty faced, stupid dolls that are supposed to resemble characters somehow. Most of the time it doesnt even have a "slow life"

 

[LowSanity]

I'm reading a few of them and i've dropped a few.
I can only say that it's just my personal taste.

 

[MagnaDrake]

Really depends on their approach on the story. The main thing about slow-life isekais is that the MC gets to do daily chores with the help of their newfound cheat powers. Inherently it's not bad, because there's a lot of interesting stuff that you can write about it, but a lot of slow-life isekais stop there. MC finds a problem, solve it (usually instantly) with cheat powers, chapter ends. Repeat next chapter. Might be interesting for a few pages but then it turns into a slog after a while.

Slow-life isekais shouldn't be treated as an isekai adventure story, but a slice-of-life story that happens to have an isekai theme. A work that nailed this perfectly is 300-years-old Witch Slime Killer (I can't remember the exact title, damn these modern manga titles). It laid the foundations of the MC being reincarnated and all-powerful, and the first four-five chapters explores the extent of what her abilities can do. Afterwards, with more characters coming in and introduced, the focus took a turn to their daily (slow) lives. Obviously the pattern of problem-solution each chapter still exists, but now there are more established supporting characters, the solution part can be relegated to those characters, and the MC can take a break from being an overpowered keystone. Then in future chapters when the situation calls, the MC's overpowered nature is called again. Since the story stayed away from it for a while, the moment the MC busts out their cheat powers, it feels fresh and keeps the story engaging.

 

[KMoore]

@DANDAN_THE_DANDAN I always did love the calm before the storm parts in manga arcs. It gave the me a breather and showed the lighter side of the characters.


I see, so it's the OP nature that people don't like. It does ruin most of the obstacles that come in the MCs way since they're basically a god.

In that same OPness how do you guys feel about something like Tensei Shite Inaka de Slowlife wo Okuritai? Where the MC is OP but use it for mundane stuff and the story mainly revolves around the family dynamics.

 

[KatoShuu]

Some "Slow-Life" mangas are kinda trash bad tho. Really tired of seeing OP MC, harem, ecchi/almost sex. It's boring and dull. It's just a generic (not saying generic is bad) isekai stories, instead of "slow-life isekai"
The Vengeful White Cat Lounging on the Dragon King's Lap is a good slice of life/slow life (even tho there's no "slow life" in the title like other mangas)
Ascendance of a Bookworm is a really REALLY slow manga, I enjoyed reading it
Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" and Isekai Omotenashi Gohan is good food isekai manga
Tensura Nikki Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Or any other Slime Tensei spin-offs

 

[DANDAN_THE_DANDAN]

@KMoore Ascendance of a Bookworm is a significantly better slow-life isekai

 

[AAA1]

I love all genre of manga that have well-thought of the paces for reader to grasp understanding. Even if the recipe is popular and managable, the authors can't just shove the spoon to the readers without manner. Off course it is going to denied horribly. Even if the slow-life theme is the generic one, i don't mind it if the authors make a different approach time to time

 

[Teddy]

@Raunix the legend we neither deserve nor need but please write a review for every isekai or atleast just the trash tier ones.

 

[DANDAN_THE_DANDAN]

@Raunix Please tell me more about that toilet paper isekai.

 

[421cookies]

@DANDAN_THE_DANDAN
Probably this one https://mangadex.org/title/35680/isekai-no-toire-de-dai-o-suru

 

[DANDAN_THE_DANDAN]

@421cookies Thx

 

[Kamikoto]

Depends on what people consider "slow-life". For me that's pure slice of life isekai with no major plot, just chilling, some comedy and minor conflicts at most. Basically a relaxing series. That's something I'm honestly not into at all.

Slow-life =/= slow pacing, which is why I wouldn't call Ascendance of a Bookworm "slow-life", since it has a proper story that gets more serious and dramatic as it goes on and isn't really a relaxing read.

 

[Raunix]

yup, what 421cookies linked. Sorry, didn't really check this site for a lil bit

 

[Raunix]

@Teddy I'll think about it