Take a Walk On the Mild Side with Slice of Life Fantasy Manga

By Amanda Pagan, Children's Librarian

July 16, 2021

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL)

If you were whisked away to live the rest of your life in a fantasy world, what would you do? While most fantasy stories tell us that it would be our destiny and duty to save our kingdom, not all of us are built for that. Some of us would prefer living out our lives as a mage in a small town rather than spending our time fighting demon lords. Or maybe instead of slaying dragons, you’d prefer to help them navigate through the pitfalls of fantasy world real estate.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to live the non-adventuring life in a fantasy world, then we’ve got the perfect subgenre for you: Slice of Life Fantasy!

Sometimes our protagonists are reincarnated souls who were born in our world and then transported into a fantasy world (see: A Beginner’s Guide to Isekai). Sometimes not. Our story may simply follow fantasy creatures living in our world, or it may take place in a fairytale setting of swords and sorcery. Either way, these stories are more concerned with exploring the day-to-day reality of living with magic in a fantastical setting.

So if you’re ready to help a dragon find a home or to explore the realities of dungeon cuisine, then you’re ready for slice of life fantasy!

Slice of Life Fantasy Manga

Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter story by Reia; art by Suki Umemiya; character design by Haduki Futaba; translation, Angela Liu

Iris, an otome game addict with no time for romance, gets hit by a truck after getting out of work–but instead of dying, she finds herself in the world of a game she’d played just hours earlier. However, she’s not reborn as the game’s protagonist, the main heartthrob of the harem. Instead, she starts her new life as the antagonist, right at the moment she’s being sent to live in a nunnery–for the rest of her life!

Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City

The Alchemist who Survived Now Dreams of Quiet City Life art by Guru Mizoguchi; written by Usata Nonohara; character design by Ox; translated by Erin Husson; lettering by Liz Kolkman

Alchemists used to be a dime a dozen in the Kingdom of Endalsia, so Mariela was never particularly special. But her skills were put to the test one fateful day when a horde of monsters came stampeding from the nearby forest. In a desperate attempt to escape the horror, the young alchemist put herself in a state of suspended animation that lasted just a little longer than she'd planned-an entire two hundred years! Needless to say, there have been some big changes, and biggest of all: Mariela is now the sole alchemist in the entire kingdom. Her one wish in this strange new environment is to get back her quiet, leisurely, low-key lifestyle!

Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui, translation by Taylor Engel, lettering by Abigail Blackman

When young adventurer Laios and his company are attacked and soundly thrashed by a dragon deep in a dungeon, the party loses all its money and provisions… and a member! They're eager to go back and save her, but there is just one problem: If they set out with no food or coin to speak of, they're sure to starve on the way! But Laios comes up with a brilliant idea: "Let's eat the monsters!" Slimes, basilisks, and even dragons…none are safe from the appetites of these dungeon-crawling gourmands!

Dragon Goes House-Hunting story by Kawo Tanuki; art by Choco Aya; translation, Nan Rymer; adaptation, T. Campbell; lettering, Alexandra Gunawan.

When a dragon fails to live up to the fearsome standards set for him, his family kicks him out. He embarks on a quest to find a new home, but soon finds that life on the road is no place for a cowardly beast of legend. In a fantasy world full of elves, dwarves, and other mythical creatures, where everyone wants a piece of him—literally!—the frustrations of house-hunting reach a whole new level.

Drifting Dragons by Taku Kuwabara; translation by Adam Hirsch; lettering by Thea Willis

Take to the skies with the scrappy crew of the airship Quin Zaza, as they hunt the fantastical giants that rule the skies of their world... DRAGONS! The daily routine aboard an airborne draking vessel springs to vivid life in this exquisitely crafted tale in the tradition of the lush, transporting fantasy of Hayao Miyazaki. Part travelogue, part imaginary cookbook, and part otherworldly slice of life, Drifting Dragons tells the stories of the Quin Zaza and the colorful band of misfits that makes up her crew.

Flying Witch by Chihiro Ishizuka; translation by Melissa Tanaka

Makoto Kowata, a novice witch, packs up her belongings (including her black cat familiar) and moves in with her distant cousins in rural Aomori to complete her training and become a full-fledged witch.

Generation Witch story and art by Uta Isaki; translation by Jill Morita; adaptation by Janet Houck

Take a peek into the daily lives of modern witches! In this magical collection, you'll find broomsticks, textbooks, love-sick high schoolers, and quirky fortune tellers. In this first tale, the apprentice to the great high witch saves her sister from bullies!

Giant Spider and Me: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale story and art by Kikori Morino, translation by Adrienne Beck, adaptation by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane, lettering and retouching by Jennifer Sharupa

A young girl named Nagi and a giant spider make an unusual pair in this post-apocalyptic story. Living in the mountains is lonely and they've managed to find each other. Join them in their strangely sweet domestic bliss as they spend their days sharing tea and throwing picnics, proving that love (and delicious food) can bring together even the most unlikely of friends.

The Girl without a Face by tearontaron ; translation, Caleb D. Cook ; lettering, Bianca Pistillo.

Her boyfriend thinks she’s the cutest girl around, but her expressions can be a bit hard to read...Despite the miscommunications, there’s one thing that always comes across—their love for each other.

Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods by Takuto Kashiki; translation by Taylor Engel; lettering by Abigail Blackman

Deep within a lush, green forest live Hakumei and Mikochi. Making their home in trees, using leaves for umbrellas, and riding bugs for transportation is just part of everyday life for these tiny pals!

I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 years and Maxed Out My Level original story, Kisetsu Morita ; art [and adaptation], Yusuke Shiba ; character design, Benio ; translation: Jasmine Bernhardt ; lettering: Katie Blakeslee.

From corporate slave to a laid-back witch-reincarnation's a pretty sweet deal! Or so Azusa believes until her maxed-out status comes to light...In this new manga adaptation of the original novel, enjoy the hilarity that ensues as Azusa attempts to evade all forms of adventure and regain her lazy life!

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits art by Waco Ioka; original story by Midori Yuma; character design by Laruha; English translation and adaptation by Tomo Kimura; touch-up art and lettering by Joanna Estep

Faced with the choice of being married to a strange spirit or being made into dinner, Aoi Tsubaki decides to create a third option for herself! Aoi inherited her grandfather’s ability to see spirits—and his massive debt to them! Now she’s been kidnapped and taken to Kakuriyo, the spirit world, to make good on his bill. Her options: marry the head of the inn her grandfather trashed or get eaten by ayakashi. But Aoi isn’t the type to let spirits push her around, and she’s determined to redeem her grandfather’s IOU on her own terms!

Little Devils story & art by Uuumi ; translation Jennifer O'Donnell.

Raising hell. When the hero Byron defeated the king of all devils, he thought his mission was over. But instead of dying, the mighty monarch was split into twelve, adorable, trouble-making children! Now Byron has a new mission: raise these little devils as if they were his own. Fatherhood may just be this hero's greatest challenge yet!

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, story and art by coolkyousinnjya; translation by Jenny McKeon; adaptation by Shanti Whitesides

Miss Kobayashi is your average office worker who lives alone in her small apartment―until a young and adorable dragon girl named Tooru appears before her. Upon saving Tooru’s life, the feisty dragon will do anything to pay off her debt of gratitude, including insisting that she move in with Miss Kobayashi, and serve her in any way she does or doesn’t desire. Now Miss Kobayashi finds herself with a new, imposing roommate who is doing her best to help out around the home. But when you’re a dragon, nothing is ever simple. Kobayashi’s normal life just went off the deep end.

My Father is a Unicornstory and art by Monaka Suzuki; translation by Nova Skipper; adaptation by Jay Trust

Uno Issei is still in high school when his mother remarries. His mom’s new husband, Masaru, is a nice enough guy, he just happens to be a unicorn. Sometimes in the form of a talking horse, sometimes in the form of a beautiful man, Masaru is determined to run the household while his wife is away and win Issei over. For better or worse, now Issei is stuck teaching this unicorn man how to be a good dad in this idiosyncratic comedy about the magic of family.

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! story by Satoru Yamaguchi; art by Nami Hidaka

A high school girl is stunned to find herself reincarnated as the conniving villainess from her favorite dating sim game, Fortune Lover. Now, as Catarina Claes, the impossibly rich and spoiled daughter of a Duke, her new life seems to perfectly sync up with the world of the game. This means big trouble! No matter how the game turned out, there were only two fates for Catarina: exile or death!

A Witch's Printing Office story byMochinchi; art by Yasuhiro Miyama; translation by Amber Tamosaitis; lettering by Erin Hickman

What nerd wouldn't enjoy exploring an RPG-style world? Not Mika Kamiya! She was just about to enjoy her post-Comic Market haul when fate whisked her away to a fantasy land. All Mika wants is to find a way home, so she's hunting for spells-but rather than search all over, they'll be coming to her to attend her magical-book-selling event, Magic Market! With a very "animated" catalog of guests, eccentric attendees, and out-of-control lines, what could possibly go wrong?!

Discover more recommended manga titles with these popular blog posts:

Did we miss a title? Feel free to comment below with any titles that we missed or make a recommendation for the collection here!

Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.