The Romantic Slice-Of-Life Anime Hidden Gem You Can Stream On Netflix

Not every anime has end-of-the-world stakes. It may make the scenarios more exciting when you have giant monsters attacking cities in "Attack on Titan" or when superpowered beings scream at each other while firing off powerful energy beams like in "Dragon Ball Z." But sometimes, the most extraordinary stakes exist when you have characters dealing with everyday problems relatable to the audience. This is where the slice-of-life anime genre comes into play. 

These TV series take place in everyday environments, such as high schools and camps. They're void of fantastical concepts, and instead, they turn their attention toward human interactions. The conflict comes from finding a romantic partner or trying to become the most popular kid in school. It's perfect when you don't want to get too stressed out from the show you're watching, and that's why plenty of Netflix subscribers have turned to "Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun" for their next binge-watch.

"Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun" follows high schooler Chiyo Sakura, who has a hardcore crush on a fellow schoolmate, Umetarou Nozaki. One day, she decides to confess her love to him, and he responds by giving her an autograph. She soon discovers that he works as a professional manga artist under a pseudonym. To get closer to him, she becomes his assistant to help him with his artwork, and they go about their lives, finding inspiration for his stories from their friends at school. 

It may sound like a straightforward romance, but this is arguably one of the funniest anime you can watch on Netflix. It only lasted for a single season consisting of 12 episodes, but it keeps the laughs coming the entire time. The humor was a major highlight for the write-up published on Nefarious Reviews, citing, "'Monthly Girls' [Nozaki-kun]' could have easily devolved into 'the one joke' territory — never a good outcome. Instead, it hits with new joke after new joke every episode, and even when it taps a recurring joke, a new spin keeps it fresh."

The show's quick enough to get through its entirety relatively quickly. And Netflix has plenty of other slice-of-life anime, like "Ouran High School Host Club," for you to check out afterward.