Summary
While most anime and manga fans will never tire of the non-stop adrenaline rushes certain series provide, sometimes they need a little break from a particularly intense one.Iyashikei, or ‘healing’ manga existfor that very reason. These series lack any overt conflict and are more of a different kind of escapism, one where the reader can relax and enjoy the interactions between the characters.
As expected, most of these manga fall into the slice-of-life and the ‘cute girls doing cute things’ genres. There are also plenty of romances, comedies, and family-themed stories. Readers may want to grab a warm cup of tea for these, to enhance their experience.
2025-06-06
1
English Publisher
Kodansha USA
It seems legendary horror manga artist Junji Ito created this comic just so fans can cleanse their palette after readinghis more terrifying offerings. A sort of memoir,Junji Ito’s Cat Diaryfollows the mangaka as he, a dog person, grows more affectionate towards his fiancée’s two cats.
Even though this is a comedy, it certainly isn’t immune to Ito’s surreal art style and weirdness, especially regarding his hallucinations about Yon and Mu.
2025-08-03
6
Yen Press
Most ‘amnesiac lover’ plots are fairly serious, butCheerful Amnesiaplays this common trope for light-hearted chuckles. Mari Satou is afraid her girlfriend, Arisa Suzuki, has fallen out of love with her after her memory loss. Luckily for her, Arisa is ecstatic to find out she and Mari are lovers. And so begins the couple’s journey to rekindle their romance.
Whilemost yuri stories are fairly angsty, this one is more laid-back and comedic, with Arisa and Mari trying to slowly rebuild their relationship and recover Arisa’s memories.
2025-07-15
Denpa
Fate/stay nightis a gigantic franchise and has some of themost delicious-looking food in anime history, so it comes as little surprise that there’d be a food-focused spin-off.Today’s Menu for the EmiyaFamilyworks as a palette cleanser after the action and drama-focused main series.
Set in an alternate universe, this series focuses on various characters from the franchise cooking for each other and creating bonds throughout the four seasons of the year.
2017
Square Enix Manga
It seems kitties and relaxation go hand-in-hand, and it’s not hard to see why.A Man & His Cathas a simple setup - an elderly man visits a pet store to adopt a cat, but instead of choosing a cute kitten, he picks a chubby adult cat.
The growing bond between the man and the cat is truly heartwarming, and the manga’s success speaks for itself. The series was a runner-up at the Next Manga Awards, and it was even adapted into a live-action series in January 2021.
2025-05-14
25
Viz Media
Possiblyone of the cutest romances in manga,Fly Me to the Moonfollows Nasa Yuzaki, a teenager bullied for his strange name, and Tsukasa Tsukuyomi, a mysterious girl wh7o agrees to become Nasa’s girlfriend, but only after they’re married.
Nasa spends the next two years searching for Tsukasa to no avail, until his 18th birthday. Tsukasa unexpectedly shows up at his doorstep with paperwork to legalize their relationship. And so begins their journey as a newly married couple.
2025-08-04
There’s no shortage ofcutesy, lovey-dovey titlesin the boy’s love genre, andSasaki & Miyanois no exception. Sasaki Shumei, an upperclassman, saves Miyano Yoshikazu, another high-schooler who’s also a fan of BL manga, from having to deal with bullies. Sasaki and Miyano form a special bond when the latter starts lending his BL to the former.
Instead of any overt angst, the two decide to communicate their issues and grow closer as a result, with an ‘aww’-inducing relationship dynamic.
2025-05-30
12
A story about ahardworking single dadand his five-year-old daughter? Seems like the perfect recipe for an Iyashikei series. Speaking of recipes,Sweetness & Lightningfollows high-school teacher and widow Kouhei Inuzuka and his daughter Tsumugi as they share meals with each other.
With the help of one of his students, Kotori Iida, Kouhei takes it upon himself to cook for his daughter at Kotori’s mother’s restaurant. And thus, the three of them share many sweet moments through the power of cooking.
2025-07-21
16
Seven Seas Entertainment
A classic ‘cute girls doing cute things’ manga,Non Non Biyorifollows fifth-grader Hotaru Ichijo as she moves into the countryside from the city due to her dad’s work transfer. Hotaru then has to adjust to her new life and a school consisting of only five students.
The manga and anime have no overarching plot, meaning most of the series' charm and humor come from the interactions between its colorful cast of adorable characters, making it perfect for readers who just want to relax.
2025-08-05
The manga series that took Twitter by storm,Komi Can’t Communicateinstantly charmed readers with its relatable female lead. Shoko Komi, despite being the popular girl at her school, has terrible social skills and no friends. Hitohito Tadano, Komi’s classmate, reaches out to her, promising to help her befriend a hundred people.
Witha cute premise and an accurate depiction of social anxiety, readers will easily take to the characters and root for Komi to succeed in her goal of making friends.
2025-06-22
An Iyashikei slice-of-life in a post-apocalyptic wasteland? It’s a combo that shouldn’t work, but it does. The protagonists, Chito and Yuuri, two survivors of an apocalypse, roam around the city of Kettenkrad looking for food and supplies, other survivors, and hints of any existing civilizations.
The world may be gray and barren for now, but as long as the main characters have each other, there may yet be a little bit of color left. After all, it’s the end of the world as they know it, and they feel fine.
