In a remote area of the countryside lives Binchou-tan: a pint-sized and carefree girl who takes odd jobs in a nearby town whenever she is running low on rice. Her bus rides take place within the talons of a soaring bird and her everyday tasks are quiet and uneventful; but her friends make every day a fun surprise. With two pink-haired sisters, a lonely affluent girl and the televised musings of the strange muffin-like Pukashu, Binchou-tan will live her life one happy day at a time!
Kururu, Chiriri, Sarara, and Hororo are four faries who aspire to become human. To do this, they leave the fairy world to study for a year in our world. Aided by their friends Sensei-san and Tama, they have fun learning about topics ranging from school graduation ceremonies and sports festivals to romance and caring for flowers. But as the end of the year of study approaches, will they have learned enough to realize their dreams?
Bottle Fairy and Binchou-tan are both incredibly saccharine and overdone in the cute department -- almost to the point of being scary. Both center around a (freakishly designed) group of tiny girls who do, well, nothing... and both are equally as boring to watch unless you like watching the whole overly cute thing.
Both of these series have a definate 'cute factor'. Both focus on small, cute girls going about their lives. Though Binchou-tan is about a poor girl living alone, trying to make ends meet, and Bottle Fairy looks at four fairies trying to learn about the world, if you like the 'Aww' feeling of one series, then give the other a go.
Kiki is a young witch who has just turned thirteen, and as tradition dictates she must now leave the safety of her home for a year to undergo witch training. One clear night, Kiki takes off with her cat Jiji and her mother's broomstick to start her new life, and finds herself in a town near the ocean - but she's disappointed to find that people aren't nearly as friendly as she'd imagined they'd be. With nowhere to stay and no outstanding magical skills besides flying, Kiki begins to wonder if she's come to the right place; but after returning a pacifier to a customer of a local shop, its owner, Osono, offers her a place to stay. Kiki soon decides that she'll start her own delivery service, and with the help of newfound friends she sets forth on a journey to discover who she is and how to make it on her own.
If you enjoyed the slice of life elements of Binchou-tan (but perhaps thought the cuteness was a bit TOO cute), check out the far superior Kiki's Delivery Service. It too is aimed at youngsters, but the story is far more interesting and the animation is much, much better.
Neo Venezia, the pride of planet Aqua, is a quaint city filled with canals and easy-going people. Many companies operate their gondolas on the canals, giving tours to tourists and locals alike, but the most famous of them is the Aria Company. Follow the adventures of Aria's young apprentice, Akari, as she learns the tricks of the trade from her beautiful senior, Alicia. Together with her friends Aika and Alice, apprentices of rival companies, and their seniors Akira and Athena, they train their skills as gondoliers, meeting new people and learning new things about the city each day.
In both anime there are some out-of-norm elements such as an alternate universe and science fiction stuff. Even with these advances, Aria and Binchou-tan retain a strictly "slice of life" environment. Watching either anime is extremely relaxing. I also find that the art/tone/colours are extremely vibrant and very beautiful. A lot of effort is seen to make a relaxing atmosphere.
Ahh, the life of an elementary school student. Though Chika, Matsuri, Miu and Ana should focus on schoolwork, they’d much rather have fun instead. Whether it’s outings with 20-year-old-chain-smoker Noboe, holding each other hostage or learning to speak English with Ana’s foreign-born skills, there’s never a dull moment in the life of the girls. Join this cute quartet as they do cute (and often devious) things in cute and quirky ways!
Ichigo Mashimaro and Binchou-tan are both ungodly amounts of "cute", and are about literally nothing. Ichigo has a little more spunk to it and occasionally focuses on more mature themes, while Binchou-tan is flat out cute and aimed at children. You'd definitely like one if you liked the other.
Eighteen-year-old Aida Yurume has moved to Tokyo to prepare for her entrance exams. She slowly finds her way to Maison de Wish, her new home away from home; and there, she meets her new housemates Kumi, Sae and Matsukichi. Together, the quartet participates in a variety of slow-paced adventures, from shooting off a solitary firework to deciding who will clean out a moldy rice cooker. Whether it’s trying to escape the heat or hiding under a kotatsu, Aida will experience many things with her new friends at Maison de Wish.