As for your question about daily-life-centered manga, I've been thinking about this, & it's so ubiquitous in manga that it's almost hard to answer. Like...in shoujo manga (marketed toward younger girls), I think EVERYTHING is "slice of life" except for the stuff that's obviously magical school-girl-esque (prime example being Sailor Moon - you can usually tell if the girl's holding a scepter & an outlandish outfit). However, even magical school girl stuff can focus on daily life - I think that for shoujo especially, super heroes spend a lot more time trying to reconcile their daily life than happens in US superhero comics (current stuff like Captain Marvel and Hawkeye excepted).
Josei manga (marketed toward adult women) is also almost entirely centered on slice-of-life stuff.
ALL THAT SAID, I can recommend some of my favorites, but this is basically a list of my favorite non-sf/f manga: Silver Spoon, from the creator of the sci-fi story Fullmetal Alchemist, is about a kid attending an agricultural high school. I actually haven't read the manga, just watching the anime, but I imagine they're almost identical.
NANA by Ai Yazawa - This is about two girls named Nana, who are both 21 years old, who meet on a train when they're moving to Tokyo at the same time. One is determined to make it as a punk rock singer, and the other is a boy-obsessed fashion hound. They seem very opposite from one another, but their friendship is the bond that ties together a huge mess of young adults navigating love & the pop music scene in Tokyo. I love both the manga and the anime - in the anime, obviously, you get to hear the music, which helps.
Honey and Clover is about a group of students attending an art college in Tokyo. I love both the manga and the anime; as with NANA, I really love the insert songs that are put into the anime, although the music is not a plot point like it is in NANA.
Tramps Like Us by Yayoi Ogawa is about a young professional woman who allows a homeless dancer to start living in her apartment. She attempts to hide him from her more socially acceptable actual boyfriend & co-workers. Tough on the outside, Sumire has anxiety and depression, so maybe you can tell why this series appeals to me so much ^^;; As described on Wikipedia, "Sumire provides room and board, and Momo provides unconditional love and loyalty. Sumire says there is no sex in their relationship, and she will only sleep with men who have the "three highs": higher pay, higher education and higher height (i.e. taller than her 170 cm.) Despite this, there is definite sexual tension in their relationship."
K-ON! - I like the anime more than the manga. A group of girls form a band in high school. They like to drink tea & eat desserts more than they like to practice. This is a comedy, & I find it hilarious while also enjoying their friendships with one another.
I own all of these except Silver Spoon, which hasn't yet been licensed for release in the U.S.
no subject
As for your question about daily-life-centered manga, I've been thinking about this, & it's so ubiquitous in manga that it's almost hard to answer.
Like...in shoujo manga (marketed toward younger girls), I think EVERYTHING is "slice of life" except for the stuff that's obviously magical school-girl-esque (prime example being Sailor Moon - you can usually tell if the girl's holding a scepter & an outlandish outfit). However, even magical school girl stuff can focus on daily life - I think that for shoujo especially, super heroes spend a lot more time trying to reconcile their daily life than happens in US superhero comics (current stuff like Captain Marvel and Hawkeye excepted).
Josei manga (marketed toward adult women) is also almost entirely centered on slice-of-life stuff.
ALL THAT SAID, I can recommend some of my favorites, but this is basically a list of my favorite non-sf/f manga:
Silver Spoon, from the creator of the sci-fi story Fullmetal Alchemist, is about a kid attending an agricultural high school. I actually haven't read the manga, just watching the anime, but I imagine they're almost identical.
NANA by Ai Yazawa - This is about two girls named Nana, who are both 21 years old, who meet on a train when they're moving to Tokyo at the same time. One is determined to make it as a punk rock singer, and the other is a boy-obsessed fashion hound. They seem very opposite from one another, but their friendship is the bond that ties together a huge mess of young adults navigating love & the pop music scene in Tokyo.
I love both the manga and the anime - in the anime, obviously, you get to hear the music, which helps.
Honey and Clover is about a group of students attending an art college in Tokyo. I love both the manga and the anime; as with NANA, I really love the insert songs that are put into the anime, although the music is not a plot point like it is in NANA.
Tramps Like Us by Yayoi Ogawa is about a young professional woman who allows a homeless dancer to start living in her apartment. She attempts to hide him from her more socially acceptable actual boyfriend & co-workers. Tough on the outside, Sumire has anxiety and depression, so maybe you can tell why this series appeals to me so much ^^;;
As described on Wikipedia, "Sumire provides room and board, and Momo provides unconditional love and loyalty. Sumire says there is no sex in their relationship, and she will only sleep with men who have the "three highs": higher pay, higher education and higher height (i.e. taller than her 170 cm.) Despite this, there is definite sexual tension in their relationship."
K-ON! - I like the anime more than the manga. A group of girls form a band in high school. They like to drink tea & eat desserts more than they like to practice. This is a comedy, & I find it hilarious while also enjoying their friendships with one another.
I own all of these except Silver Spoon, which hasn't yet been licensed for release in the U.S.