Your Recommended Dose of Slice of Life

Although it's hard not to be stressed out from writing undergrad thesis, I still manage to distract myself by doing stress relieving activities. You name it; from going to the cinema and attending gigs to taking part in the Last Performance (by the way, it was a huge success, feeling so proud!). Watching movies and reading mangas are also on the list. So in this post, I would like to talk about these one film and manga that gave me a quite lasting, deep impression.

Have you ever watched Our Little Sister? 

Originally titled Umimachi Diary, Our Little Sister tells us a story about three siblings who live in an old traditional house in Kamakura. After their estranged father passed away, they invite their half sister to live together with them. Thus begin episodes of them getting to know each other and learning about life with each passing day.

It is simply amazing. There are no exaggerated drama scenes whatsoever; the plot really just revolves around the daily life of the four siblings. About their work, school, daily routines at home, how they handle their love life, and deal with family conflict. Yet everything is beautifully wrapped into a truly heartwarming story. I feel that I'm touched by the sincerity, purity, and kindness of the four siblings. The film even makes me feel like I'm also part of the family!

What I find kind of funny in the film is that the three siblings are so siblings stereotypical! The oldest one is very composed and mature. Since they live without their parents, she's basically the mother figure for her other three sisters (Ah yes, they are all girls! Isn't that just wonderful imagining their lives?). The middle one is a rebellious, happy-go-lucky young woman. She has a long list of ex-boyfriends, likes to get drunk, and occasionally wears her sisters' clothes without asking first. As for the youngest one, well.. Basically, she's a freak. She's quite ignorant and has several weird, random habits. Meanwhile, the half sister, who is even younger, is a sweet and obedient kind of girl. Like other human being, these four siblings have their own strengths and shortcomings. They really are interesting ones.

Oh, not to mention they are all exceptionally good looking. We are talking about Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho, and Suzu Hirose here. All in one film!

Now, have you ever heard of Love So Life?

It is a shoujo manga both written and illustrated by Kochi Kaede. If you are fond of children and you haven't read the manga, you should totally check it out. The story is about an orphaned high school girl who works as a personal babysitter for a family, consisting of a young famous news anchor and his little twins nephew and niece. As the main character draws deeper into the family, she later finds love and warmth of having significant ones who care for her.

Love So Life's story is also heartwarming. I lost count on how many times I smiled or chuckled when reading it. The twins are unbelievably adorable! It is also interesting to see the heroine experiences her bittersweet of life, and while love is blossoming between them, how the hero (who is 10 years older than the heroine) does his best to be a gentleman is what I love the most about the whole story.

My friend recommended Love So Life several years ago, but since I was still busy following the ongoing manga Last Game, I never touched it until last month. Going through the first 40 chapters at the beginning, I ended up reading the rest 60 chapters in one freaking night. It was really page turning I couldn't help myself!


Eventhough I'm not a fan of slice of life genre, both Our Little Sister and Love So Life are surprisingly remarkable. They give you kind of empty feeling when the story come to an end, then you feel you crave for another heartening moments as portrayed in the film and manga. Definitely your recommended dose of slice of life!