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Alpha, an abandoned robot, runs a small shop in the backwoods of Japan. With an ever-present lack of customers, she passes the days enjoying the little things in life, such as the smell of freshly brewed coffee, and conversation with her neighbors. But when a typhoon emerges and damages the shop, Alpha decides to embark on a journey to see other parts of Japan, expand her horizons, and explore other aspects of life.
In a lush and detailed fantasy world, magical airships sail amidst floating islands and villas. Luxurious earthly homes lie amidst hillsides of flowers and trees, and a lone pond houses a single shoot of life. Miniature tram cars come and go, ladies’ dresses flutter in the breeze, will o’ wisps dance in the midst of dusk and lights flicker warmly. With a lack of narrative, Iblard Jikan shows us these visions and more alongside a soundtrack of lilting melodies.
If you love watching beautiful landscapes pass quietly before your eyes, these animes will be like wine and cheese for you.
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.
YKK: Quiet Country Cafe and Kiki's Delivery Service share similair themes. The main idea is, in one, a delivery service carried out by a witch, and in the other, a cafe managed by a robot. See? A non-human doing independent bussiness and working among humans. Both of these are also slow-paced and take time to depict the environment and atmosphere surrounding the lead character and the story.
Deep in the mountains lies a library with the same name as one of its caretakers, Kokoro. With her sisters Inna and Aruto, she strives to uphold the best characteristic of a librarian -- to help users with all her heart. Join young Kokoro as she starts the journey to become a full-fledged librarian, while learning about life, and being the best she can be.
It isn't unusual for a person to feel that the world around them is strange and has unexpected secrets lying just beyond their sight. However, for most people this is just an occasional sensation that greets them upon awakening or chases them into sleep. For the mushi researcher Ginko, it isn't a feeling at all; it is a knowledge which guides his travels and motivates his life. Found in the cracks between what is conceivable and what is not, are the varied life forms collectively known as mushi. They surround us and affect us, but their intensely different nature makes them unrecognizable to most. Ginko brings these life forms into perspective for the lives of those most affected and most in need of an explanation.
Not the most obvious recommendation going, but if your fancy is anime that plods along at a not so quick pace and offers something kinda normal but...err..different, then both Yokohama and Mushi-shi offers this. Great viewing if you've watched the other and enjoyed it!
Ocean Waves is a coming of age tale centered around Taku, an ordinary high school student, his best friend Matsuno, and Rukiko, a reserved outcast who has caught Matsuno's eye. While bounds of friendship are tested, unlikely relationships grow and flourish in this made for television movie.
